A Practical Guide for Gender and Multi-Stakeholder Cooperation in the Global Framework for Through-Life Conventional Ammunition Management

Small arms ammunition, a key enabler of violence facilitated by firearms, has historically been overlooked in international arms control instruments. Yet firearms and ammunition are inextricably linked; they do not function in isolation. Since as early as 1997, experts have highlighted the role of ammunition in perpetuating violence,^[i] but until recently, international attention has largely been concentrated on the weapons themselves, leaving ammunition without a dedicated, comprehensive instrument. The Global Framework for Through-Life Conventional Ammunition Management (GFA), adopted by the UN General Assembly in December 2023 (A/RES/78/47), is a landmark multilateral instrument designed to fill this long-standing gap.

Focusing on the flows, storage, and misuse of ammunition offers a unique opportunity to address diversion, mitigate the risks of unplanned explosions, and ultimately reduce armed violence. The physically explosive nature of ammunition poses severe risks to people, communities, and infrastructure, especially when stockpiles are poorly managed or diverted. These dangers exist in both conflict and non-conflict settings and require coordinated, life-cycle approaches to safety and security. The impacts of the misuse and diversion of ammunition are deeply gendered and extend well beyond the battlefield. Gendered dynamics also shape how different groups experience the consequences of armed violence. These dynamics point to the urgent need to address gender imbalances in technical, decision-making, and leadership roles within the field of ammunition management.

This new practical guide’s aim is to help stakeholders engage with and understand the GFA and its accompanying annex, with a particular focus on how civil society can engage with provisions related to gender and multi-stakeholder cooperation.

Download Inclusive Ammunition Management: A Practical Guide for Gender and Multi-Stakeholder Cooperation in the Global Framework for Through-Life Conventional Ammunition Management →

[i] A 1997 UN Panel of Experts on SALW noted that weapons can be rendered useless without appropriate ammunition. See Report of the Panel of Governmental Experts on Small Arms, A/52/298 (August 27, 1997), https://docs.un.org/en/A/52/298.