As part of the project ‘Security Assessment in North Africa (SANA)’, Small Arms Survey organized this two-day workshop in Tunis, Tunisia, on 21-22 March 2015. The workshop provided an opportunity for participants to discuss the need for engagement with local communities in order to develop strategies for curbing illicit arms lows and trafficking. The workshop was attended by 38 participants, including government officials from North Africa, the Sahel and the Swiss Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as practitioners and experts from academia and NGOs. The workshop set out to create an analytical framework to help identify small arms and light weapons (SALW) traffickers and their modes of operation and the understanding the relating economic and social context of border communities and informal trade. It provided an opportunity for participants to discuss policy responses, best practices and other measures to combat illicit trafficking and diversion of SALW. The workshop sought to initiate an ongoing dialogue on these issues in the region that could last beyond the workshop and continue to engage workshop participants, policy-makers, and others with an interest in the topic.