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Regional Initiatives and Action on Small Arms

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Africa | Americas | Asia | Australasia | Europe | UN Centres

 

Africa

Re-Armament in Sierra Leone (December, 2000)

The Small Arms Survey explains the political and security situation in Sierra Leone and West Africa. Despite international action, Liberian President Charles Taylor and other weapons suppliers make resolving the conflict more difficult.

Bamako Declaration (December 1, 2000)

On an African Common Position on the Illicit Proliferation, Circulation and Trafficking of Small Arms and Light Weapons. Made by Member States of the Organization of African Unity, which met in Bamako, Mali.

Nairobi Declaration (March 15, 2000)

Ten government delegates from the Horn of Africa and the Great Lakes region signed this declaration agreeing to act on the problem of the proliferation of small arms and light weapons in this region of Africa.

SADC Council Decisions (A/54/488-S/1999/1082, 21 October 1999)

On the Prevention and Combating of Illicit Trafficking in Small Arms and Related Crimes made in Maputo, Mozambique, 17-18 August 1999.

OAU Decision (A/54/424, 5 October 1999)

On the Proliferation, Circulation and Illicit Trafficking of Small Arms and Light Weapons. Taken by the Heads of State and Government of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) at its 35th session held in Algiers, Algeria.

ECOWAS Moratorium (A/53/763, December 18, 1998)

Also UN Document S/1998/1194. Declaration of a Moratorium on the Importation, Exportation and Manufacture of Small Arms and Light Weapons in West Africa adopted and signed in Abuja on 31 October 1998 by the Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States. The Moratorium was renewed on 9 July 2001 for a further 3 years: (S/2001/700).

 


 

Americas

Women in Brazil Take A Stand Against Guns (February, 2003)

On Mother's Day 2001, the NGO "Viva Rio" launched a campaign to bring together women to force the men of Brazil to give up their guns. In the last 10 years, 300,000 people have been killed in Brazil as a result of the proliferation of guns. (Amnesty)

Brasilia Declaration (November 24, 2000)

Note: pdf file. A/CONF.192/PC/19. Acknowledging the poineering efforts leading to the OAS agreement, the Brasilia declaration of the Latin American and Caribbean states preparatory meeting hoped that the UN Small Arms conference would adopt a global program of action on illicit arms trade. However, the declaration does emphasize several times, states' rights to self-defence and thus arms procurement and measures taken on a national level.

OAS Inter-American Convention (A/53/78, November 13-14, 1997)

Against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Explosives, and Other Related Materials.

 

 

Asia

Colombo Declaration - South Asia (June 23, 2000)

This conference, which took place from 20-23 June 2000 in Colombo, Sri Lanka, dealt with the proliferation of small arms in South Asia.

 

 

Australasia

Nadi Framework (March 2000)

Legal Framework for a Common Approach to Weapons Control in the Pacific region.

Pacific Island Forum Group

The Pacific Island Forum group have actively addressed SALW for several years based on the Honiara Initiative. The Group has made considerable progress towards the development of a common regional approach to weapons control, known as the Nadi Framework. The Nadi Framework has now subsumed the Honiaria Initiative. This link is to the PIF statement on the progress towards the framework, presented to the UN in January 2001 (A/CONF.192/PC/24).

Honiara Initiative (October 1998)

The South Pacific Chiefs of Police Conference drafted a common approach to weapons control in the region, known as the Honiara Initiative. This initiative covered language on the marking of firearms, strengthening of import and export controls, licensing agreements, record-keeping and information exchange.

 

Europe

OSCE (24 November 2000)

Adopted by the Organization for Security and Cooperation, this document calls on Member States to implement a set of measures to curtail the trade of illicit weapons.

Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe (27 January 2000)

Sponsored by the Government of Slovenia, the Workshop on Small Arms and Light Weapons was held in Ljubljana to develop a framework for addressing the small arms problem in South Eastern Europe.

EU Joint Action on Small Arms (A/54/374, 22 September 1999)

EU-Canada Common Approach (A/54/373, 21 September 1999)

Joint state approach to combat the spread and destabilizing accumulations of small arms and light weapons.

 

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