This part of our presentation will focus on the role of NGOs and wider civil society in the process of developing consensus and implementing effective weapons control programmes.

The process of consensus building is crucial to the implementation of the PoA and to the development of effective strategies to prevent the proliferation and misuse of small arms at the community level as well as at the international level.

Member states have agreed that the priorities before 2006 are to promote implementation of the PoA, rather than to negotiate the further strengthening of international norms and commitments. This is frustrating for many of us who are aware of the weaknesses and gaps in parts of the PoA, but it is the political reality.

Nevertheless, it is important that the international community continues to consult and develop shared understandings of what that implementation should involve. This is the case for example, for cooperation in tracing, ensuring adequate controls on small arms transfer and brokering activities, and ensuring adequate stockpile security.

In this context, recent initiatives to exchange information and consult are very welcome, with the aim of developing shared understandings and reasonable coordination and cooperation. However there appears to be some important gaps in current global initiatives. One relates to stockpile management and security. Although there are some regional examples, there are at present no global initiatives to promote information exchange and development and support for best practices in this area. Similarly although the issue of norms relating to regulations on possession of small arms by civilians remains actively debated at a national level, further initiatives are important to continue to facilitate global discussions.

During the development of the PoA and since 2001, the involvement of civil society has been fundamental to the consensus building process.

Civil society has an important role to play as a catalyst for change and as a partner in implementation. Experience demonstrates that engagement with civil society as a legitimate partner in the change process helps to ensure that change is sustainable and that links between authority and community are more effective. And I am sure that we can all think of examples of programmes imposed without the active consent of civil society which have failed to engage and elicit the support of those affected.

Civil society organisations also play an important role as a driver for change: developing and promoting new and progressive policy recommendations that often enter into the official arms control discourse; and as an independent monitor, holding governments to account for the implementation and enforcement of laws, policies and guidelines.

Engagement with civil society is important at all levels, from the development of consensus regarding a weapons collection programme in a specific community to the development of an international arms trade treaty.

Many countries lack traditions of close cooperation and partnerships among governments, local authorities and civil society groups, particularly NGOs. This is particularly true in relation to the control of arms and combating illicit trafficking, which are widely regarded as sensitive issues in which governments and government agencies determine policy and manage implementation, and where private citizens and NGOs have a limited role to play. Often, relationships between governments and NGOs are mutually suspicious and even adversarial.

One of the main challenges for both government and concerned NGOs and other civil society groups after July 2001 was to overcome suspicions and obstacles to cooperation and to develop effective partnerships in implementing the PoA. As would be expected, progress has been patchy. It is harder where the institutions of democratic governance are poorly developed or non-existent or where society is highly polarized, and it is easier where both government and NGOs enter into the relationship with some confidence and expertise.

There appears to have been real progress towards developing good cooperation between civil society groups and government ministries and agencies in many countries. Good examples can be found in virtually every region of the world. In general wherever governments have been open to cooperation, at least some NGOs and other civil society groups such as women’s or community groups have proved interested and capable as cooperation partners.

Experience shows that government public awareness campaigns have limited effect unless they are associated with active civil society support. Moreover, two-way cooperation is important. Concerned civil society groups must not be simply instruments, but rather active participants in the design and targeting of efforts to promote public awareness.

I am now going to outline some examples of where civil society has played a crucial role in achieving change. I will begin at the international level, then move to the regional and sub regional and finish at the national and local level. The following is just a small sample. But in all regions of the world, at the different levels, civil society organisations are working effectively to reduce weapons proliferation and misuse

At the international level, both prior to and since 2001, civil society organisations have been central to the development of policy responses to small arms problems, and to the development and implementation of practical responses to them.

Government led initiatives at the international level include: the efforts led by the UK and others focused primarily on strengthening transfer controls and developing common understanding of the factors that national authorities should take into account when considering license applications; the French-Swiss initiative on tracing and cooperation; the UNDDA gender mainstreaming action plan and the Dutch-Norwegian initiative on brokering controls.

Over the course of the last year, civil society in cooperation with government, has under taken a range of projects aimed at promoting a shared understanding of the problem of small arms. In particular, groups working with like minded governments in the Human Security Network have maintained a focus on human security and an emphasis on the human impact of small arms, which after all, is our shared concern.

Civil society groups also play an important role in facilitating the participation in international and regional norm building processes. Meetings have been held in regions around the globe. At the regional level, there are many examples that illustrate the importance of civil society in the awareness and consensus building process. These include:

· The role of civil society in Eastern Africa and the Horn in helping to establish and support the Nairobi Declaration and consequently the Nairobi Secretariat
· The pivotal work by civil society in the development of the SADC Firearms protocol in Southern Africa.
· NGOs also played an important role in the ECOWAS ministerial summit in January 2003 when they produced a communiqué evaluating PCASED in which heads of state were requested to address issues including transforming the ECOWAS moratorium into a convention, developing a supplementary protocol on the local manufacture of small arms and encouraging the establishment of national focal points. The communiqué was presented to the Ministers of Foreign Affairs at the summit and the content was unanimously accepted and included in the final report.
· In my own Middle East region, which is affected by conflict and internal strife, building consensus and sharing information have been arduous tasks. Nevertheless, civil society and governments have joined in six regional meetings to discuss challenges and solutions to implement the PoA. Our focus has been on preventing the illegal trade of small arms at the community, national and regional levels.
· NGOs played a crucial role in developing the EU Code of Conduct on arms exports, and since it became operational, in its annual review process. And NGOs advocacy and work with governments to achieve a common EU position on brokering has been a major contribution.
· In Latin America and Caribbean, the UN regional office and NGOs are actively involved in facilitating and strengthening the role of NGOs working on this issue.
· The important role that civil society has played in the establishment of regional bodies to encourage and implement action in South East Asia and the Balkans.

At the national level there are many examples from around the world of cooperation in building consensus and moving forward implementation of the PoA. These include:

· The involvement of civil society in Tanzania and Sri Lanka on the national small arms commissions.
· The importance of civil society involvement in collection programmes.
· The importance of sectoral networks in mobilizing a global focus on health effects of small arms, on gender, on children and on development.
· The engagement of civil society groups in the development of tougher legislation at the national level in Canada, in South Africa, in several American States and Slovakia.

At the local level there are numerous examples of civil society groups working in partnership with government agencies and local authorities to develop weapons reduction strategies. Often these involve significant contributions from international agencies, including for instance UNDP and OSCE.

In conclusion, I would like to reiterate that cooperation is essential for the successful implementation of the PoA. Civil society is a key player in this process, as a catalyst, as a legitimate expert partner and as an implementer. Where civil society works well with government, deeper and more sustainable change is likely.