In Memoriam

Air France crash claims two collaborators

The Small Arms Survey announces with sadness the untimely death of two close collaborators in the Air France disaster

Two close collaborators of the Small Arms Survey were aboard the ill-fated Air France flight AF 447 that disappeared over the South Atlantic in the early hours of Monday 1 June 2009. Pablo Dreyfus, accompanied by his wife Ana Carolina, and Ronald Dreyer, were among the 228 passengers and crew travelling from Rio de Janeiro to Paris aboard the airbus A330-200, when it vanished from the radars at 04h15 central European time.

Pablo Dreyfus received his Ph.D. in political science from the Graduate Institute in 2002, under the supervision of Professor Keith Krause. His research and extensive publications on international drug trafficking, and on the small arms trade in Latin America, are internationally recognised.

An Argentine national by birth, Pablo was a close collaborator with, and stalwart contributor to, the Small Arms Survey over many years. He worked in Argentina for the President's office until 2002. He later took his considerable experience and expertise to Rio de Janeiro where he worked for Viva Rio - an internationally-recognised NGO working on armed violence prevention and reduction, and a partner of the Small Arms Survey. Pablo contributed to several Small Arms Survey publications and projects, and was a respected expert in Latin America and globally.

Pablo will be remembered as a gentle and sensitive man with an upbeat sense of humour. His strong commitment to social justice on issues big and small was widely recognised and appreciated. He displayed an intellectual curiosity and a determined work ethic that excited and enthused all who worked with him. He will be dearly missed by friends and colleagues alike.

The second collaborator, Ronald Dreyer, received his Ph.D. in International Relations from the Graduate Institute in 1985. Ronald started his career as a delegate with the ICRC, and then served with United Nations missions in El Salvador, Mozambique, Azerbaijan, Kosovo, Angola and elsewhere. In 2006, Ronald joined the Geneva Declaration Secretariat as its coordinator, based in Geneva and working with the Swiss Permanent Mission to the UN and the Small Arms Survey.

Ronald will be remembered for his dedication and passion to promoting the issue of "armed violence and development". He was instrumental in mobilising the support of more than 100 countries to this cause. His legacy, but more importantly his warmth and good humour, will be greatly missed by all who knew him.

The staff of the Small Arms Survey extend their condolences to the families and loved ones of both these friends and collaborators. Our thoughts are with them all at this sad and difficult time.

Small Arms Survey