On April 30, 2025, Maat for Peace, Development, and Human Rights participated in a constructive dialogue on firearms under United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime. Maat delivered an oral statement titled "Challenges Facing the Protocol for Sustainable Peace and Reducing Firearms Proliferation."

During the statement, Maat highlighted the key challenges hindering the effective implementation of the protocol in armed conflict areas, foremost among them being the lack of ratification by a significant number of arms-exporting countries. Additionally, there are conflicts between some provisions of the protocol and national laws of certain countries, making legislative alignment a major obstacle to implementation.

The statement also pointed out the vast differences between national firearms control systems, complicating international cooperation, especially in the context of armed conflicts. Maat emphasized the difficulties in tracing firearms due to the absence of unified and effective registration systems, which contributes to the proliferation of smuggling and illegal sales of arms.

Maat noted that many countries affected by armed conflicts lack the necessary resources and expertise to implement the protocol, in addition to a lack of international awareness regarding the protocol's importance as a tool for conflict prevention and combating illicit trafficking. It also warned of the absence of clear accountability mechanisms for countries exporting arms to parties involved in serious violations of international humanitarian law.

In conclusion, Maat presented several recommendations to enhance the protocol's implementation, including promoting ratification of the protocol, particularly by major arms-exporting countries, and strengthening international cooperation for information and expertise exchange and tracking arms movements across borders. It also called for supporting the capacities of conflict-affected countries through necessary financial and technical assistance and training of their personnel, while enhancing transparency and accountability by establishing clear standards to prevent arms exports to conflict parties and holding countries accountable for violations.

This participation reflects Maat's commitment to supporting disarmament efforts, combating illicit trafficking, and promoting respect for international humanitarian law and the protection of civilians in armed conflict contexts.