NGO presentations
Joseph Dube, IANSA Africa Coordinator
The first day of the thematic debate (26 October) began with statements from States and was followed by NGO statements. The IANSA presentations covered both the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) and the UN small arms process:
An effective Arms Trade Treaty
Un Traité sur le Commerce des Armes effectif
Joseph Dube, IANSA Africa Coordinator
Getting the Small Arms Process Back on Track
Remettre le Processus sur les Armes Légères sur le bon chemin
Rebecca Peters, IANSA Director
Government representatives from Brazil, Mexico, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania and the UK expressed their support for an ATT and their appreciation of the work of IANSA members.
Meeting with Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf
(from left to right) Anna Macdonald, Oxfam GB; President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, Liberia; Rebecca Peters, IANSA; Valerie Yankey-Wayne, Independent Researcher
An IANSA delegation met the Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf on 17 October. The President expressed her strong support for an ATT stating: ‘You can count on my government and you can count on me to keep working until we get this essential treaty in place’. Click here to read more.
Meeting with UN High Representative for Disarmament Affairs
IANSA Director Rebecca Peters met Sergio Duarte, the head of the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs (ODA) on 17 October. Mr Duarte is the most senior UN official for disarmament.
Global People's Consultations on an Arms Trade Treaty
IANSA activists and survivors of gun violence - Vavine Gabi (left) and Widad Akrawi
IANSA staff member Joseph Dube chaired a panel on 22 October consisting of Vavine Gabi (Papua New Guinea), Widad Akrawi (Iraq) and Nancy Claude (Haiti) who came together to speak about their personal experience of gun violence. All three women have suffered as a result of illegal arms in their respective countries and wanted to make their voice heard at the UN in support of an Arms Trade Treaty. The event was filmed by Arte, Al-Jazeera and Control Arms.
Vavine's speech:
English | Français
Widad's speech:
English | Français
Anti-gun violence event in Harlem
Vavine Gabie speaking at the Jackie Robinson Recreation Center
Vavine Gabi and the IANSA staff attended an anti-gun violence event at the Jackie Robinson Recreation Center in Harlem. The event was organized by Jackie Rowe-Adams (Founder of Harlem Mothers S.A.V.E.) and attended by children, local residents and survivors of gun violence. As part of a series of speeches on the negative impact of guns in the community, Vavine spoke on the gun violence problem in Papua New Guinea. The event was educational and lively, with music, food and dancing.
From the Frontline
Amb.John Duncan, UK; Brig. General Gagon, Canada (photo: Sol Aramendi)
Former military leaders and international journalists spoke at a press conference on 9 October about their professional experiences and how an Arms Trade Treaty might have prevented some of the horrors they have witnessed. The former military leaders were Brigadier General Gagon (Canada), General Malik (India), Major General Cammaert (Netherlands). They were joined by war journalist Janine di Giovanni and John Duncan, the UK disarmament ambassador.
Parliamentarians supporting an ATT
Daisy Tourne, Minister of Interior - Uruguay (photo: Sol Aramendi)
Parliamentarians from around the world gathered on 25 October to speak about the importance of an ATT in preventing the flow of illegal weapons into their countries. Chaired by Daisy Tourne, Minister of Interior - Uruguay, the parliamentarians that spoke were Manuel de Araujo (Mozambique) and Ermelinda Meksi (Albania). They were joined by Ana Yancy Espinoza (Arias Foundation) and Sauro Scarpelli (Amnesty International). Sauro concluded the event by encouraging parliamentarians to sign the Parliamentarian Declaration of Support for an ATT.
Africa's missing billions
Amb. Phillip Richard Owade, Kenya; Amb. Paul Badji, Senegal (photo: Sol Aramendi)
The Kenyan Ambassador to the UN joined Mr Conmany Wesseh, Deputy Foreign Minister of Liberia at a breakfast meeting to launch Africa's Missing Billions, an Oxfam-IANSA-Saferworld report that estimated the cost of conflict in Africa has been $300 billion since 1990.
The President of Liberia, Mrs Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, who had written the forward for the report, sent in a video message to the event asking the room to consider what that $ 300 billion could have done in the fight against AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria on the continent, and how many children it could have sent to school.
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