Beyond Security: Multisectoral Responses to Armed Violence and Weapons Proliferation

In the currently fragmented and complex security environment, securitized approaches to armed violence and arms control, focused on curtailing illicit weapons supply, risk falling short of preventing violence durably. The choice to pursue sustainable peace requires moving towards preventive responses that also tackle the underlying drivers for the demand for weapons and for engagement in armed violence. In the Pact for the Future, States recognized the need for such a shift. Integrating small arms control within multisectoral and preventive public health approaches, armed violence reduction strategies, and community engagement initiatives can offer more sustainable pathways to peace. Doing so helps combine and coordinate law enforcement interventions and arms control with community safety, reintegration, and other efforts to tackle the drivers of violence. It also fosters inclusive engagement with youth, social services, and digital platforms, with a view to addressing radicalization. Bringing together experts from West Africa, Western Europe, Ukraine, and the Caribbean, this panel showcases practical evidence of how small arms control and violence prevention can effectively converge and help bridge policy and grassroots reality. Through interactive dialogue between practitioners and policymakers, it promotes cross-regional learning, demonstrating that choosing peace is not merely a high-level commitment, but also an operational necessity.