Combating arms trade requires more

UNITED NATIONS, July 15 (UPI) -- Worldwide efforts to curb the trafficking of weapons have shown progress, but the United Nations Monday said more needs to be done.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, during a meeting in New York concerning the Program on Illicit Trade in Small Arms, said despite measured progress against the illicit small arms trade, more work needs to be done, the United Nations reported.

The illegal trafficking of arms is a top priority of the U.N. disarmament plan. Officials say as a result of the continued proliferation of arms, innocent civilians continue to perish from violence during conflicts around the world.

"Weapons collection and destruction activities have continued, with thousands of weapons and millions of rounds of ammunition destroyed," Ban said in a statement.

"There are more small arms in circulation now than there were in 2001; because of both conflict and crime, innocent civilians continue to fall victim to those weapons in high numbers."