Welcome
Conventional arms control
Precisely because of its success, the importance of conventional arms control is hardly recognized today. Therefore, it is necessary to raise and maintain awareness of the significance of arms control.
Additional content
Small arms* are responsible for more casualties than any other type of weapon; they aggravate conflicts, destabilise societies and hinder development.
The Convention of 18 September 1997 on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti‑Personnel Mines and on their Destruction, also known as the Ottawa Convention, is the main treaty on the global prohibition of anti‑personnel mines (APM).
The Convention on Cluster Munitions, also known as the Oslo Convention, entered into force on 1 August 2010 and prohibits the use, development, production, purchase, stockpiling, retention and transfer of such weaponry.
The purpose of the Convention is to ban or restrict the use of certain conventional weapons, which may cause unjustifiable suffering.
The OSCE also serves as the framework for conventional arms control and confidence- and security-building measures in Europe.
Germany provides wide-ranging support to the United Nations’ endeavours in the fields of disarmament and arms control.
Transparency and military confidence-building in the United Nations
