May 27, 2026.
Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) have been pivotal in the formulation of and campaigning for the adoption of several global and regional arms control instruments. They have played and continue to play strategic roles at the national, regional and global levels in the adoption and implementation of many of these instruments through various forms of advocacy and collaboration with national authorities, parliamentarians, diplomats and other stakeholders. Would CSOs be able to replicate past successes in the implementation of the Global Framework for Through-life Conventional Ammunition Management (GFA)?
Past successes in the implementation of other arms control instruments and treaties include engaging officials on their commitment to certain instruments and the need to take concrete steps in implementation, supporting states to review and harmonize their arms control legislation and regulations, providing capacity for national authorities in their reporting obligations, supporting and building capacities of border control and law enforcement agencies to implement global and regional arms control instruments among many others.
This paper seeks to explore how CSOs can play a positive role in supporting the implementation of the Global Framework for Through-life Conventional Ammunition Management (GFA). It highlights the importance of CSOs involvement in the implementation of other conventional arms control instruments whilst pointing to some initiatives available to support stakeholders in enhancing their implementation of the Framework.