The Programme of Action is a road map for governments outlining actions to prevent, combat and eradicate the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons in all its aspects. To be able to implement the PoA, governments have agreed to undertake specific measures and actions at the national levels and to engage in regional cooperation as well.

The most basic of these commitments is the establishment of national contact points and coordination agencies. The PoA states that implementation will be enhanced if national focal points are established that can guide national action and input into regional and international processes. Without such a focal point, effective implementation of the PoA will be impossible. So far a third of all states have failed to establish national contact points, and only 37 states have established national commissions to coordinate action on small arms.

Including civil society organizations in the national commissions greatly increases the chance for effective implementation. NGOs bring substantial expertise to national commissions, and they enable wider and more effective engagement and consultation with a wide range of social sectors. For example, in Eastern and Southern Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Mozambique, have included NGOs in the national commissions with considerable success. In addition, Sri Lanka and Argentina are considering the formation of National Focal Points that include civil society.

Section II of the POA lists 22 paragraphs that identify actions each State should undertake to implement the Programme. To help coordinate a comprehensive implementation strategy, some countries have found it helpful to develop national actions plans based on each country’s assessment and understanding of its small arms problem. Many other countries have not yet begun to develop such broad national strategies, yet if progress on implementing the PoA is to be made, it is important that we learn from the successes of those countries with national action plans and look for lessons that can be useful for other counties.

Approaches by governments in developing national action plans have differed widely but the common element seems to be that government/civil society cooperation is a crucial component for success. In many countries information on small arms issues is poor and government officials and experts have only a partial understanding of the action to be undertaken. Consultations and research are therefore needed, drawing on the knowledge of other sectors of society. Examples of this inclusive strategy for the development of national action plans can currently be seen in Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya, and Mozambique.

These countries have taken the important first step of conducting a national assessment of the small arms problem. This information has been gathered by the National Focal Point, with government officials and international and local civil society organizations working together. The assessments have included provincial workshops with law enforcement agencies and civil society organizations, to get their views on the small arms problem in that region and what they think needs to be done to address it. A public opinion survey is also undertaken to assess attitudes to security and determine the extent of small arms penetration in communities. This information on the country's needs is then incorporated into the overall plan, together with the regional and international commitments the government has entered into via the PoA and regional agreements.

In Namibia and Botswana, civil society groups have worked with governments to organize national conferences on small arms. These processes have brought together government officials and a broad spectrum of civil society organizations so that all involved can discuss the problem of small arms and the development of effective strategies to address it. These conferences have helped to raise awareness and build consensus. They have been the first step towards the decision to create a national focal point or develop a National Action Plan.

There are also a number of other experiences in developing national action in other countries, including Cambodia and Sri Lanka. In Guatemala NGOs are closely involved in implementation support for different components of the PoA even though a national strategy has not yet been developed at a country level.

In Kosovo and Macedonia the UN Development Programme has begun working with the governments to help develop national strategies. It is encouraging that civil society organizations are included as partners in these processes, and it is important that this involvement is deepened to ensure that national strategies are fully comprehensive and have local ownership.

In countries that are exporters of arms, it is also important to develop national action plans to implement the PoA. In Bulgaria, the government and civil society have initiated the process of developing a national action plan, which will include a range of measures such as implementing legislation, capacity-building for government officials, customs officers and law enforcement agencies, public awareness raising and economic development programmes to provide alternative employment to the defense industry.

Conclusion
As you can see, here have been some very positive experiences in different countries that provide lessons for implementation elsewhere. It is clear that the establishment of National Focal Points and Commissions is a fundamental first step toward effective implementation of the PoA and that there are great benefits in including civil society in these structures.

The PoA recognizes that although the primary responsibility for implementation of action lies with governments, an effective partnership between governments and civil society organizations is a key to successfully implementing agreed action for combating the illicit trafficking and proliferation of small arms. The development of National Focal Points and strategies, including National Action Plans, provides the ideal opportunity to put these partnerships into action and to jointly implement the strategies that are desperately needed to alleviate the suffering caused by gun violence.