This blog post was published as part of the Global Partnership on Small Arms project, which was managed by the Small Arms Survey and funded by the German Federal Foreign Office.

The Global Partnership on Small Arms was a platform where stakeholders engaged in reducing or preventing illicit arms trafficking were able to interact; exchange information, experience, and knowledge; and give feedback to further their shared goals.

'Though the causes and factors driving conflicts in the [...] SADC region have varied over the past 20 years, illicit firearms and ammunition have continued to remain a common feature. In fact, the region suffers of one of the highest rates of violent deaths by firearms per 100,000 population in the world. To tackle these issues, the SADC member states adopted the Protocol on the Control of Firearms, Ammunition, and other Related Materials (the SADC Firearms Protocol).

In  an  effort  to  consolidate  its  authority,  eliminate  rival  bases  of  power,  and reduce inter-tribal violence, the president of the Government of South Sudan (GoSS) authorized the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) and state author-ities to conduct a six-month civilian disarmament campaign across South Sudan from June through the end of November 2008. The campaign followed previ-ous local ad hoc civilian disarmament initiatives in Lakes and Jonglei States in 2006 and elsewhere before that.

'Europe and the UK along with it, have some of the strictest laws regarding the possession of firearms. However, this alone does not stop the use of firearms in crime; partly due to the prevalence of modified and converted firearms seen throughout the continent which are being used by criminals, from gang-related street violence to terror attacks...'

'Au printemps 2020, je me suis rendu à Conakry, en Guinée, pour présenter, en marge d’une conférence, les résultats d’une étude sur le monitoring des armes à feu en Guinée. À cette occasion, j’avais prévu de rester sur place pour dispenser à l’équipe de l’unité régionale de police scientifique de la gendarmerie un module de formation à la balistique judiciaire. La pandémie de COVID-19 en a décidé autrement, et m’a amené à donner à distance cette formation sur laquelle je reviendrai plus en détail...'

'As the devastating health and economic effects of the Covid-19 pandemic continue to be felt around the world, the impact of the crisis on peace and security in Africa and more specifically on the African Union’s (AU) Silencing the guns initiative, is beginning to emerge.

'Discussions on new dynamics and approaches to consider at the multilateral and national levels for tackling the illicit small arms trade should unfold in parallel as new challenges emerge. This blog post gives an overview of the main points raised during the high-level panel in the eleventh session of the Small Arms Survey 2020 online forum ‘Taking stock of action on the illicit small arms trade’.

'The International Tracing Instrument (ITI) was adopted in 2005 and outlines requirements for tracing illicit small arms and light weapons in a timely and reliable manner. Since the time of its adoption, however, some new methods in design and manufacture of small arms and light weapons have emerged that pose new challenges in terms of marking and tracing.

'In the UN Programme of Action on small arms (PoA) and International Tracing Instrument (ITI) framework, States agreed to submit biennial national reports on their implementation efforts to the United Nations. National reporting is the single most effective mechanism to:

'Les plans d’action nationaux (PAN) sont un outil essentiel pour lutter contre la prolifération illicite des armes légères et de petit calibre (ALPC). Ils permettent d’établir, de manière claire et concise, les priorités des États en matière de gestion des ALPC. Le Small Arms Survey apporte son soutien aux processus d’élaboration et d’évaluation des plans d’action nationaux de plusieurs pays, notamment en Afrique...'