Developments in SALW Technology and Design: Implications for Countering Diversion

This session will explore the legal and normative standards to prevent diversion; recent cases of diversion following exports of SALW from Europe; and means to counter diversion, including the opportunities and challenges generated by emerging SALW technologies and designs.
Key questions that will be addressed

• What were some of the most notable cases of SALW diversion in the past five years?
• What were the main causes and consequences of these cases?
• What legal and normative standards are in place to prevent SALW diversion?
• What are the key gaps and weaknesses in these standards and their implementation?
• What role have new technologies and designs played in recent cases of SALW diversion?
• What role can new methods for marking, tagging and enabling/disabling SALW play in preventing cases of diversion?

This session will explore the current state of the art with regard to available technologies for marking and tracing SALW and related ammunition; the challenges and opportunities posed by developments in modular design, polymer materials and additive manufacturing and how they can be met; and options for states to promote the use of new marking techniques.
Key questions that will be addressed

• What systems are in place for establishing harmonized standards for the marking and tracing of SALW?
• What are the key gaps in these systems, and what challenges do they face?
• What are the particular challenges posed by modular design, polymer materials and additive manufacturing for marking and tracing SALW?
• What systems are companies developing for overcoming these challenges?
• What are the particular challenges involved in developing effective systems for marking and tracing SALW ammunition?
• What systems are companies developing for overcoming these challenges?

This session will explore the current state of the art with regard to available technologies for tagging and tracking SALW shipments and stockpiles to facilitate secure stockpile management; the role these systems can play in preventing SALW diversion; and options for states to promote the use of these technologies.
Key questions that will be addressed

• What systems are in place for establishing improved standards in SALW physical security and stockpile management?
• What are the key gaps in these systems and what are the implementation challenges do states and other stakeholders face?
• What are the key lessons-learned from recent efforts to improve SALW physical security and stockpile management in Europe and elsewhere?
• What role can different types of technologies play in improving SALW physical security and stockpile management?
• What new systems are companies developing for helping to tag and track SALW?
• What role can these systems play in helping to improve SALW physical security and stockpile management standards and prevent cases of diversion?

This session will explore the current state of the art with regard to available technologies for enabling and/or disabling SALW; other technologies that can help to prevent the post shipment diversion of SALW; and options for states to promote the use of these technologies.
Key questions that will be addressed

• Where have technologies for enabling and/or disabling SALW been used to help prevent or respond to cases of diversion?
• What potential is there for the wider use of these systems?
• What are the economic, functional and political barriers?
• What systems have companies developed for ensuring that SALW can only be operated by authorized end-users?
• What are some of the potential applications of these systems?