Alongside the Arms Trade Treaty conference, we had the opportunity to engage with Roy Isbister of Saferworld’s Arms Unit. Their expertise in disarmament and arms control contributes significantly to global peace and security efforts.

Their work on mitigating the illicit arms trade and fostering safer communities aligns closely with our own: arms regulation is not an abstract security question but one that shapes whether women and girls in affected communities can live safely.

Sewuese Asa attended the Ninth Conference of States Parties to the Arms Trade Treaty, engaging in discussions on illicit arms flows and their impact on regions affected by conflict, particularly across Africa.

Her contributions pressed for greater accountability in arms transfers and highlighted how unregulated arms trafficking falls disproportionately on women and children in conflict zones. The argument was for incorporating a gender lens into arms control mechanisms, so that policy does not only prevent illegal arms flows but actively protects the people most exposed to them.

She also took part in side events where civil society organisations worked on strategies to strengthen implementation of the treaty.