Summary recommendations of the PCASED and SaferAfrica West Africa SALW Implementation Support Workshop - September 4 And 5, 2003 Pretoria, South Africa

Summary of the discussions:

The participants noted that although the UNDP Regional Programme (PCASED) in West Africa has extensive expertise and history in the region, their efforts in supporting regional initiatives and the implementation of the UNPOA before 2001 were hampered by the non-existence of operative national commissions.

The ECOWAS Moratorium is designed to be implemented by national agencies and civil society at national level. The ECOWAS Secretariat has the overall political coordination of the implementation of the ECOWAS Moratorium. PCASED has a direct mandate to provide technical support to national commissions and the Small Arms Unit of the ECOWAS Secretariat (in formation); as well as to assist in the mobilization of resources for national commissions in conjunction with the ECOWAS Secretariat.

The meeting believes that there are many issues that must now be harmonized with the older Moratorium initiative on SALW in West Africa so as to generate a sustainable and implementable comprehensive regional plan of action on all aspects of the problem of SALW within the environment of Peace and Security in Africa.

To this effect, new initiatives that must be taken into account are:

The implementation of the Vienna Protocol on Firearms
The implementation of the UNPOA
The implementation of the All African Conference between African and OECD member states on the needs and requirements as well as partnerships possible in the implementation of the UNPOA
The new AU/NEPAD peace and security agenda in its illicit small arms trafficking component and the accompanying G8-NEPAD partnership agenda for action on peace and security development in Africa.
The existing and operative comparative African regional initiatives such as the Nairobi Declaration and Regional Focal Point; the national plans of action underway in Eastern and Southern Africa, and the institutionalization of National Focal points of arms in East Africa and Southern Africa
The existing legally binding regional initiatives and Protocols for the control of Firearms and ammunition such as the SADC Protocol and the EARPCCO Protocol.
The institutionalization of regional police chiefs committees Cooperation mechanisms instituted in the last four years such as EARPCCO, SARPCCO, WARPCCO and CARCCPO (East African, Southern Africa, west African and Central African Regional Police Chiefs Cooperation Organizations)
The increasing programmes of the Regional Interpol Bureaus to improve the combating of the illicit trafficking in small arms and the combating of trans-national crime and terrorism.
The advances of civil society in mobilizing and implementing action on peace and security and small arms control in West Africa.

Recommendations

The meeting identified specific manners in which political, implementing and cooperation mechanisms can be strengthened in West Africa. These are as follows:

The Mediation and Security Council of ECOWAS should be encouraged to establish a dedicated working group on SALW. Such a working group could be composed of the 15 Coordinators of the National Commissions, the ECOWAS Secretariat (Small Arms Unit), PCASED Secretariat and the WARPCCO Permanent Secretariat. The Observers would include the AU Peace and Security Commission, Nairobi Secretariat, SADC small arms working group.
The urgent inclusion of WARPCCO and its permanent secretariats on the development of all initiatives on combating the illicit proliferation of small arms and light weapons in West Africa.
Strengthening of the capacity of the ECOWAS Secretariat's small arms unit, the National Commissions coordinating bodies, and civil society in its implementing mode.
Encourage region to region information exchange among African similar initiatives.
Establishment of an annual Roundtable meetings between civil society , governmental implementing agencies and regional coordinating bodies to exchange information and progress reports.

Follow up:

The meeting felt that this information exchange was fruitful and should be continued through a second meeting to be called by the same stakeholders as soon as possible. The second meeting should preferably take place in Abuja and aim to unpack further these recommendations.

The meeting further agreed that all participants would disseminate these recommendations among their stakeholders (i.e. other National Commission Coordinators, police chiefs, civil society, UN agencies, etc.) as a matter of urgency. SaferAfrica and PCASED will develop a letter to all participants including the recommendations, the list of participants and the agenda of the meeting so that this disseminating can occur electronically as soon as possible.

Vote of thanks

THE EXPERTS working against the proliferation of small arms in the region gathered in a joint workshop at the offices of SaferAfrica and PCASED and under the auspices of the both organizations:

Considering

EXPRESS their profound gratitude to Ms Virginia Gamba, Director of SaferAFrica, and Mr. Ibrahima Sall, Director of PCASED, for their commitment and their competence that greatly contributed to the organization and success of the present meeting.

Done in Pretoria, on the 5th September 2003