The Papua New Guinea government must implement its pledge to reduce gun violence, according to civil society organisations which came together at the launch of a new national disarmament network on 30 April in the capital Port Moresby.
The member organisations of the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence PNG include humanitarian and development NGOs; human rights, religious and media groups; medical and family violence organisations; and the UN Development Programme (UNDP).
The scale of the problem is enormous. Doctor Mathias Supuri, head of the PNG Medical Society, reported that at least 5 000 people are being treated in gun related cases across the country.
The Coalition is calling for the government to implement the recommendations of the 2005 National Gun Summit, as a start to addressing the proliferation and misuse of small arms.
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