A/70/289 afterwards to cement the bond within the gang. According to the research, alcohol and violence are also commonly used in gang initiation rites. 15 Easy access to guns 67. It is estimated that some 900 million small arms and light weapons are in circulation worldwide: one for every seven persons. Around 75 per cent of the world’s guns are in the hands of civilians. 16 68. The proliferation of firearms is an important driver of violence. Guns increase the deadliness of violence and where criminal organizations operate, the arms trade also thrives. The slums of big cities are ideal spaces for the illegal sale of weapons. The ready availability of guns facilitates the recruitment of children to perform risky activities for organized crime. If firearms laws are weak or poorly enforced, the legal commerce in guns can fuel their illicit traffic, as legally purchased weapons move into the hands of unauthorized users, either within the same jurisdiction or across borders. Uncontrolled urban growth 69. Governments often lack the resources or capacity to deal with uncontrolled urbanization, or the explosion of informal slums created by migration from poor rural areas to cities. Communities with high concentrations of low -income families tend to have high levels of residential instability, making it d ifficult for people to develop strong social ties and support networks. Areas lacking basic services, where there is little or no formal institutional presence, become very unsafe. Cities with high levels of economic inequality and endemic poverty are ofte n affected by insecurity, political tension and instability, leading to increased fear and violence, compromising the safety and well-being of children, while deepening their vulnerability and deprivation. That creates a fertile environment for illegal mar kets, illicit access to weapons and the emergence of criminal gangs. 70. An estimated 1 billion people live in slums or other highly unstable communities. Informal economies flourish there, sometimes merging with illicit markets. The production, distribution and marketing of drugs, weapons, counterfeit goods, vehicles and metals in those underground markets generate significant wealth. For marginalized young people in urban areas, participating in such markets may be perceived as an opportunity for economic inclusion (albeit illegal) and at times as a means to gain “respect” and recognition. Their participation often includes risky behaviour, such as alcohol consumption and the use and display of weapons. Illicit drug dealing by young people can lead to an i ncrease in their own consumption. B. Direct and indirect impact of armed violence on children 71. Armed violence in the community disrupts social harmony and peace, generating a cumulatively negative effect on the lives of children. It affects a child’s __________________ 15 16 15-13244 See Geoffrey P. Hunt and Karen Joe Laidler, “Alcohol and violence in the lives of gang members”, Alcohol Research & Health, vol. 25, No. 1 (2001). See Small Arms Survey 2007: Guns and the City (Cambridge, United Kingdom, Cambridge University Press). 17/25