The First Ministerial Review Conference of the Nairobi Declaration on the Problem of the Proliferation of Illicit Small Arms and Light Weapons in the Great Lakes Region and the Horn of Africa
Preface
1. On August 7th and 8th of 2002 the Ministers and/or Representatives of the
States Parties to the Nairobi Declaration on the Problem of the Proliferation
of Illicit Small Arms and Light Weapons in the Great Lakes Region and the Horn
of Africa met at the Kenya School of Monetary Studies in Nairobi Kenya on the
occasion of the First Ministerial Review Conference on the Implementation of
the Nairobi Declaration. The Ministerial Review Conference was preceded by a
preparatory meeting attended by thirty governmental experts from Burundi, Democratic
Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya, Rwanda, Sudan, The
United Republic of Tanzania, and Uganda.
2. The Ministers and their experts undertook the following activities during their meetings:
- (i) Review the report of the Nairobi Secretariat for the past year as per its mandate to coordinate the implementation of the 2000 Nairobi Declaration;
(ii) Exchange of information as to the progress in implementation activities achieved by State Parties to this initiative; and
(iii) Review and approval of an Operational Guideline and Work-Plan for 2002-2003 for the Nairobi Secretariat.
- (i) The urgent establishment of National Focal points by the end of
2002 and their operationalisation.
(ii) The strengthening of the Nairobi Secretariat so that it is able to fulfil its co-ordinating role for the implementation of the Nairobi Declaration. As an interim measure the Secretariat will remain located in the Kenyan Ministry of Foreign Affairs and be staffed with four full-time personnel. Ministers agreed that as a matter of priority, the Secretariat should develop a regional character.
(iii) The adoption by the Eastern Africa Police Chiefs Committee (EAPCCO) of the Draft Regional Protocol for the Prevention, Control and Reduction of Small Arms and Light Weapons in the region at the forthcoming EAPCCO Annual General Meeting for presentation to governments for signature during 2002.
(iv) Strengthening the capacity of law enforcement agencies by developing common training curricula and proposals for joint cross-border operations.
(v) The development of national action plans to combat the proliferation of small arms and light weapons such as that already developed and being implemented in the United Republic of Tanzania.
5. Ministers expressed their deep appreciation to the Government of Kenya for effectively coordinating activities undertaken since the signature of the Nairobi Declaration; to the donor community particularly the Government of the United Kingdom, the Friends of Nairobi Initiative, and the UNDP for their financial and moral support over the last two years; and to civil society and experts particularly SaferAfrica, Saferworld and SRIC who have supported and continue to support our national and regional efforts to prevent, combat and eradicate the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons in all its aspects in the Great Lakes Region and the Horn of Africa.
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