Wednesday, July 9 2003

Presentations by: Richard Mugisha, PWD, Canon Joyce Nima, UJCC, Gabriel Conte, Fundacion Espacios, Julietta Castellanos, UNDP Honduras, Undule Mwakasungura, CHRR

Members of NGOs from Uganda, Mali, Ghana, Honduras, and Argentina shared short presentations about their experiences in regard to working with their respective governments on the local and regional problem of small arms. They described their activities with reference to the agreement of collaboration between UN Member States and local NGOs laid out in the Programme of Action and underlined that governments now recognize they need NGOs help.

Challenges identified:

· Establishing trust between national governments & civil society
· governments haven’t given money to national focal points
· civil society doesn’t have the funds
· image of national focal points
· transfer NFP to ministries