Recommendations of the INTERPOL Pilot Course on Small Arms and Light Weapons for Managers and Practitioners in Africa

WE, the HEADS of the INTERPOL Sub Regional Bureaus of Eastern, Southern, Western and Central Africa, the Sub Directorate for Africa, the SRB head for South America and the SRB's Coordinator:

Endorse, as being appropriate for presentation to senior law enforcement officials, the contents of the Pilot Course on Small Arms and Light Weapons for Managers and Practitioners presented by SaferAfrica at INTERPOL General Secretariat, Lyon, France from 11 August to 14 August 2003.
Confirm that we consider the content of the Pilot Course as being central to the successful implementation of the Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects (UNPoA), Protocol against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Their Parts and Components and Ammunition, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (Vienna Protocol), Bamako Declaration on an African Common Position on the Illicit Proliferation, Circulation and Trafficking of Small Arms and Light Weapons (Bamako Declaration), the Nairobi Declaration on the Proliferation of Illicit Small Arms and Light Weapons in the Great Lakes Region and the Horn of Africa (Nairobi Declaration), Protocol on the Control of Firearms, Ammunition and Other Related Materials ( SADC Protocol) and other international and regional initiatives and agreements to prevent, combat and eradicate the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons in all its aspects.
Confirm that Interpol, through its Sub Regional Bureaus in regions of conflict, have an integral role to play in the implementation of the UNPoA and other relevant initiatives, especially in the areas of information sharing, training, capacity building and co-ordination of joint operations and activities. Furthermore, they have an important support role to regional focal points and national focal points created by their member states to coordinate action against illicit small arms and light weapons trafficking in all its aspects.

WE, therefore, recommend to the Interpol General Secretariat that:

The Pilot Training Programme proceed to be implemented in Africa through intensive seminars for senior law enforcement officials in each region as expressed in the Interpol Sub Regional Bureaus for Africa Workshop on SALW Training Needs of Durban, South Africa of 29
The Training Programme is also to benefit other SRBs in regions other than Africa when applicable and requested.
SaferAfrica continue to develop a working link with Interpol through a relevant MOU that would inter-alia assist SRBs with the implementation of this training in regions of conflict; and that Interpol expedite the signing of such an MOU with SaferAfrica.
SaferAfrica, through the coordination of the Sub Directorate of Africa, will assist SRBs to further develop a set of specialized training workshops to improve specific policing skills required in the combating of the illicit trade in arms in all its aspects.