On 6 and 7 October 2026, NATO co-hosted a conference on Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) control with the Kingdom of Morocco, in Rabat. This was the first regional conference on SALW organised with partner countries as part of the implementation of NATO's Southern Neighbourhood Action Plan endorsed at the Washington Summit in 2024.
The NATO Secretary General's Special Representative for the Southern Neighbourhood, Javier Colomina, delivered a keynote address. Participants included high-ranking officials from Allied and partner countries from across the globe, along with representatives from international organisations, civil society and industry, including the United Nations, the European Union, the League of Arab States, Interpol, and the World Customs Organisation.
They exchanged views on initiatives, lessons learned, and best practices in SALW control in the Middle East and North Africa in particular, as well as on challenges and potential solutions at regional and global levels.
NATO has a long track record of contributing to SALW control, and to the implementation of the UN Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in SALW, adopted in July 2001. NATO has participated in UN meetings on the Programme of Action since its inception, most recently its 9th Biennial Meeting of States Parties (BMS9) in June 2026.
NATO supports partner countries in this area through various projects, including by providing training courses, helping in the destruction of excess stockpiles of SALW and ammunition, assisting in the construction of infrastructure, and delivering equipment.
NATO's Arms Control Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Committee meets regularly with NATO's partners to discuss SALW and mine action, and remains a key platform for information sharing, policy coordination, and project implementation.
