In 1998, the United Nations General Assembly requested an instrument to combat the illicit manufacturing of and trafficking in firearms, their parts and components, and ammunition. In its resolution of 1999, the General Assembly then requested an expert group of 20 members be convened to prepare a study on the illicit manufacturing of and trafficking in explosives by criminals and their use for criminal purposes. This report presented summaries of discussions from two meetings held by the group of experts where they obtained and assessed information relating to the nature and scope of explosive-related problems within and among the Member States and presented their conclusions and recommendations. Conclusions highlighted by the group of experts included: (1) national laws regarding explosives should establish general minimum standards of care, basic safety and security, and offenses for those who fail to meet specific standards; (2) existing international instruments relating to explosives and transnational organized crime be ratified, implemented, and applied to appropriate cases; (3) the use of technical assistance and other forms of international cooperation in dealing with transnational cases and assisting States in building their capacities to deal with domestic problems; (4) the marking of explosives as a preventive measure and investigative aid and as a possible deterrent; (5) finding the means to curtail the dissemination of information on making explosive devices through the Internet and similar media; and (6) applying legal restrictions on the accessibility of chemicals used to make explosives or altering legitimate common-use chemicals that would render them unuseable in producing explosives. Recommendations presented were related to the adoption of national legislation, the development and application of international instruments, and technical assistance and international cooperation. Annexes