United Nations Trust Fund Facility Supporting Cooperation on Arms Regulation Enjoys Increase in Donors, Beneficiaries, Projects Implemented
NEW YORK, 24 October (Office for Disarmament Affairs) — The United Nations Trust Facility Supporting Cooperation on Arms Regulation is seeing an increase in donors, beneficiaries, applications received and projects implemented. The network for international assistance in arms regulation through Trust Facility‑funded activities, set up in 2014, has spread to all the regions around the world.
The Trust Facility is a multi‑donor funding mechanism to support specific projects that promote conventional arms regulation. It also aims to contribute to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, particularly Goal 16.
Since its establishment in 2013, the mechanism has funded 39 projects. Among others, these have included supporting improved national legislation and cross‑border controls; better stockpile management; national and regional capacity‑building; the destruction of arms; and enhanced national reporting, as well as action‑oriented research on issues such as end use and end user control and gender. So far, 118 States have benefited directly or indirectly from the projects.
Interest by States in the work of the Trust Facility has been rising as their support for a cross‑thematic and inclusive approach in providing arms control-related international assistance prevails.
Australia, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom have contributed to the Trust Facility.
Each year, the Facility approves projects for funding through an annual call for proposals — an open and competitive process through which the most relevant and highly qualified proposals are selected. This year, the mechanism received 56 eligible applications, more than double the number of 2013. The result of the selection process will be announced in November 2016.
As United Nations system partners, regional organizations, non‑governmental organizations and academia continue to provide critical assistance to effective conventional arms regulation, they do so increasingly within the broader framework of the 2030 Agenda. New areas of cooperation — and new funding sources — are likely to emerge. Indeed, themes directly relevant to Sustainable Development Goal 16.4 are already reflected in the 2016 call for proposals, as well as in many of this year’s applications.
Bringing practical support for conventional arms regulation in line with development agendas is a great advancement upon which the Trust Facility will build further in the years to come.
For additional information, visit www.un.org/disarmament/unscar/ or e-mail: unscar-unoda@un.org.