UN member states need to increase their collection, maintenance and sharing of data on small arms as part of measures to encourage disarmament, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Wednesday.

In his first-ever report on the issue of small arms, Ban said currently most conflicts are fought using mainly small arms and light weapons, being widely used in inter-state conflicts as well as in civil wars, terrorism, organized crime and gang warfare.

He noted that within the United Nations, coordination on the issue of small arms could benefit from further improvement.

Ban recommended that member states should enhance their efforts to collect, maintain and share data on small arms and that those in a position to do so should boost their support for research on the distribution and impact of small arms, adding that reviving the Coordinating Action on Small Arms is one of the priorities in the field of disarmament for 2008.