The United Nations launched a joint project, funded by Saudi Arabia and Russia, aimed at tackling terrorism, organized crime and the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons in the Central Asian region. The project seeks to strengthen criminal justice responses to prevent and combat the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons and to disrupt the illicit supply of these weapons to terrorist groups. The project supports the implementation of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, UN Security Council Resolution 2370, the Madrid Guidelines and the Firearms Protocol to the UN Convention against Transnational Crime, among other international legal instruments. It will be implemented in 2020-2021 by the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Office (UNOCT) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), through the Global Firearms Program, in close cooperation with the executive directorate of the UN Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee and the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs, as well as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. Permanent Member of Saudi Arabia’s Mission to the United Nations Counselor Abdul Majeed al-Babtain affirmed that the problem of the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons and transferring them into terrorist groups is a global concern. He pointed out that the complexity in dealing with the relationship between weapons, organized crime and terrorism is reflected in the multidimensional nature of this threat, pointing out that the Kingdom calls for taking many measures in order to establish preventive mechanisms and successful response. Undersecretary-General of the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Office Vladimir Voronkov stated that small and light weapons have become an increasingly preferred weapon of many terrorist groups worldwide for their cheapness, accessibility, transfer, concealment and use. He emphasized that the relationship between terrorism and organized crime, including the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons, constitutes a serious threat to international peace and security and represents an obstacle to sustainable development and a threat to the rule of law. “According to statistics, there were 100 million uncontrolled small arms and light weapons on the African continent alone, concentrated in crisis areas and environments facing security challenges," Voronkov said. Russias Permanent Representative to the United Nations Vasily Nebenzya noted that in the past years the nature of threats facing the world is changing rapidly. Ghada Wali, the executive director of the UNODC, said the relationship between terrorism and crime was a global challenge. “Any regional gaps in the face of these threats have far-reaching consequences for all. The new project looks forward to addressing a whole range of obstacles to progress, through which we seek to establish legal frameworks, strengthen law enforcement capacity and criminal justice, improve data and address gaps in cooperation,” she said. The project will contribute to the enhancement of national legislative, strategic and operational capacities of countries in Central Asia countries, including Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, whose permanent UN representatives attended the event.