SPECIAL POLITICAL AND DECOLONIZATION COMMITTEE

Delegates- Simranjeet Singh and Rupinder Singh

(Punjab School of Law, Punjabi University, Patiala, India)
THE GLOBAL ARMS TRADE: OUTCOMES OF LEGAL AND ILLEGAL TRANSACTIONS
INTRODUCTION
Seemingly every day, the news provides examples of the deadly consequences of weapons
falling into the hands of criminals, pirates, terrorist groups, rebels, and oppressive regimes. A
natural reaction to these events is to blame a lack of effective weapons export controls, and to
hold arms exporting countries responsible for the weapons' misuse. But the reality of illegal
access to weapons is much more complex, and it can be very difficult to pinpoint the diversion
point: the moment when a weapon ends its legal" life and begins its illegal" one.
The illicit trade in small arms and light weapons occurs in all parts of the globe but is
concentrated in areas afflicted by armed conflict, violence, and organized crime, where the
demand for illicit weapons is often highest. Arms trafficking fuels civil wars and regional
conflicts; stocks the arsenals of terrorists, drug cartels, and other armed groups; and contributes
to violent crime and the proliferation of sensitive technology.
POSITION IN ECUADOR
During 2013 and the first three months of 2014, Ecuador's Armed Forces seized 4,530 illegal
firearms, and 457,310 rounds of ammunition, some of the weapons entering the country illegally
come from the army stores of other countries, while others enter via Ecuadorean ports.
According to the report, the distribution and sale of weapons on Ecuador's black market is
largely managed by local illegal groups, which sell rifles for up to $5,000 each. In 2013 and the
first quarter of 2014, around 60 percent of the country's 2,097 registered murders were
committed using a firearm. The main buyers of the illegal arms that move through Ecuador are
believed to be the 29th and 48th fronts of the FARC's Southern Bloc, which are active along the
shared border. In addition to getting cheap arms supplies, including explosives, from Ecuador,
the Colombian rebels also use the neighboring territory as a weapons production center.
Colombian criminal groups known as the BACRIM (from the Spanish abbreviation for "criminal
bands") have also expanded their influence in Ecuador in recent years, and likely participate in
the arms trade. If, as the police suggest, a main destination for arms is illegal mining in Ecuador,
this raises the possibility that armed groups such as the guerrillas, the BACRIM or even
homegrown organized crime groups are involved in these operations, which have been
indentified near the Colombian border.
Firearms, ammunition and explosives destined for the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia
(FARC) are also trafficked into Colombia via clandestine routes along the border, according to
police intelligence sources cited by El Comercio. In January, Ecuador made what was reportedly
its largest ever seizure of arms destined for Colombian rebel groups.

Number of Privately Owned Firearms

The estimated total number of guns (both licit and illicit) held by civilians in Ecuador is 370,000
Rate of Civilian Firearm Possession per 100 Population
The estimated rate of private gun ownership (both licit and illicit) in Ecuador is 1.3 firearms per
100 people
Number of Privately Owned Handguns
There are reportedly 100,000 handguns in civilian possession in Ecuador
Number of Privately Owned Firearms - World Ranking
In a comparison of the number of privately owned guns in 178 countries, Ecuador ranked at No.
96
Rate of Privately Owned Firearms per 100 Population - World Ranking
In a comparison of the rate of private gun ownership in 178 countries, Ecuador ranked at No. 142
Number of Licensed Firearm Owners
The number of licensed gun owners in Ecuador is reported to be 117,000
Number of Registered Firearms
Number of registered guns in Ecuador is reported to be 2012: 167,102 2005: 117,000
Rate of Registered Firearms per 100 Population
rate of registered guns per 100 people in Ecuador is 2012: 1.10 2005: 0.86
Estimated Number of Illicit Firearms
Unlawfully held guns cannot be counted, but in Ecuador there are estimated to be 250,000
Smuggling Guns and Ammunition
Reports suggest that the level of firearm and ammunition smuggling in Ecuador is high.
Regional Agreements
Andean Community
As a member of the Andean Community, Ecuador adopted Decision 552: The Andean Plan to
Prevent, Fight and Eradicate Illicit Trafficking in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its
Aspects in June, 2003
Organization of American States
On 14 November 1997, as a member of the Organisation of American States (OAS), Ecuador
adopted the Inter-American Convention against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in
Firearms, Explosives, Ammunition and Other Related Materials (CIFTA), a legally binding
multilateral treaty of which the OAS is depository. The CIFTA Convention has since been signed
and ratified by Ecuador.
To tackle the problem of illicit trafficking is the implementation of Arms Trade Treaty
In Ecuadors view illicit trafficking is linked to poverty and underdevelopment. Ecuador also
believes that states should bear in mind that the adoption of an arms trade treaty would represent
a significant global security and confidence-building measure. The current diversity of
standards, at the national and international levels, for controlling the production, trade and

transfer of arms demonstrates the need for universal, binding international standards that require
states to observe a unified regulatory framework