The program was adopted in 2001 to improve national legislation and controls over illicit small arms and promote international cooperation on the issue.

“Our collective responsibility is clear: to prevent the flow of illegal small arms into conflict and post-conflict areas and the hands of warlords, traffickers and criminals,” U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told the conference, in remarks delivered by Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson.

He also said an arms trade treaty was long overdue and called on countries to redouble their efforts.

Last month delegations from around the world failed to agree a landmark U.N. arms-trade treaty to regulate the more than $60 billion industry, opting for further talks and a possible U.N. General Assembly vote by the end of the year.