What is the Arms and Ammunition Management Validation System?
Prior to the development of the AAMVS, states involved in arms transfers lacked a structured, standardised means of assessing the stockpile management capabilities of end-user states. This is a recognised gap in the diversion risk assessment processes required of EU Member States and Arms Trade Treaty signatories.
Under EU Council Decision (CFSP) 2022/2275, the European Union tasked the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining's Ammunition Management Advisory Team (GICHD-AMAT) with developing a freely available self-assessment tool to address that gap. The result is a voluntary system that enables states and end-users to document and demonstrate their stockpile management practices against internationally recognised best practices, notably the International Ammunition Technical Guidelines (IATG) and the Modular Small-Arms-control Implementation Compendium (MOSAIC).
Supporting export control decisions
The AAMVS is primarily designed to support export control authorities and licensing agencies in conducting more robust diversion risk assessments. It adds the most value in cases where additional assurances are needed, particularly when the exporter receives a license request from new or unfamiliar end-users.
In these circumstances, the exporter can request that the end-user complete the AAMVS as part of its information gathering efforts. The resulting report gives the export licensing agency a practical evidence base to draw on. The tool can also serve as a confidence building instrument, helping to lay the groundwork for longer-term relationships between exporters and importers, and providing a valuable baseline when used alongside post-delivery verification activities.
Value for the end-user
For the state completing the self-assessment, the process carries significant value in its own right. Working through the tool's 37 questions across nine sections (covering Normative Frameworks, Organisation, Safety, Security, Personnel, Training, Infrastructure, Finance, and Material Acquisition) states gain a clear, evidence-based picture of where their practices align with international good practice, and where gaps exist.
This analysis can inform internal reform priorities, help direct capacity-building support, and serve as a baseline against which future improvements can be measured. The analysis remains valid for several years, allowing the state to use the same, completed AAMVS self-assessment in multiple contexts.
About the AAMVS package
The AAMVS self-assessment tool and accompanying guidance are now complete, validated, and publicly available for download below. The tool is available in English, French, Spanish, Arabic, and Russian.