Belgium suspends arms export licence to Libya
UN: 153 countries voted in favour of the ATT
Canada: Long-gun registry at risk
Philippines: NAP on women, peace and security
Gabon national network on firearms
Other news: Child rights violations during Gaza War; Women’s Network at OSCE; Model Law on Firearms in 3 languages; Action Points on SCR1325; ATT seminar in Dominican Republic.

Belgium suspends arms export licence to Libya
A Belgian court has stopped a shipment of guns and other weapons from being exported to Libya, because of human rights concerns. The government of the Walloon region of Belgium had issued an export license for hundreds of rifles, pistols, ammunition and “less than lethal” weapons to Libya. Human rights organisations challenged the license in court and the Council of State has now suspended the export license, noting that the weapons could be used for repression against individuals in Libya. Further licences for arms to Libya have been proposed to the Walloon government, totalling 111 million € in the next five years. Campaigners hope that these applications will be refused on the basis of this decision. Read more.

UN: 153 countries voted in favour of the ATT
153 states voted in favour of the resolution to negotiate a 'strong and robust' Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) on 30 October at the UN General Assembly's First Committee on disarmament. In a major policy reversal, the US supported the ATT process for the first time. Other major arms exporters like UK, France and Germany also voted in favour, whereas Russia and China were among the 19 countries that abstained. The only country to vote against the resolution was Zimbabwe. As a result of the vote, the conference to negotiate the Treaty is now scheduled for July 2012. To see how your country voted at the UN go here.

Canada: Long-gun registry at risk
A bill abolishing Canada’s registry of rifles and shotguns passed the first stage in the Parliament on 4 November. If it eventually becomes law, Bill C-391 would scrap the registry and destroy existing data on about seven million shotguns and rifles. The Coalition on Gun Control, along with public health and women’s groups, are campaigning to save the registry. Rifles and shotguns are the guns most frequently used in domestic violence, suicide and accidents in Canada. Read more.

Philippines: NAP on women, peace and security
The Philippines Action Network on Small Arms participated in a workshop in Manila on 19 October on the National Action Plan (NAP) to implement UN Security Council Resolutions 1325 and 1820 on women, peace and security. Civil society, government officials and security forces gave their insights on how the NAP should protect women from sexual violence and increase their participation in peacebuilding processes.

Gabon national network on firearms
Civil society organisations in Gabon launched the Gabonese Action Network against Small Arms (RACALGA) on 26 October in Libreville. 14 organisations have so far joined this forum for information exchange and collaboration. Georges Mpaga, president of RACLGA, said: “Our aim is to work together to reduce the proliferation and the negative impacts of small arms in Gabon”.

Other news:

At least 353 children were killed and 860 injured during Israel's military offensive in Gaza last December, according to a report by Al Mezan Centre for Human Rights and Defence for Children International. The report says Israeli soldiers used Palestinian children as human shields and ordered them at gunpoint to open bags suspected of being booby-trapped. Read more.

On 28 November, IANSA women Vanessa Farr and Sarah Masters made presentations on women and gun control to the Forum for Security Cooperation of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in Vienna, Austria. They discussed the successful contributions of women to regional security. Later that day both women participated in an OSCE roundtable on the links between arms control and UN Security Council Resolution 1325. Read more.

The Model Law on Firearms, Ammunition and Related Materials is now available in Spanish, French and English. This instrument provides groundwork for developing new laws to combat illicit arms trafficking and firearms misuse. The Model Law is the result of an intensive consultation process in which the Latin American Parliament (Parlatino), the Parliamentary Forum on Small Arms and the Latin American Coalition for Armed Violence Prevention (CLAVE) exchanged practical and legal experience from the various countries in the region. Read more.

As the first in a series of events leading to the tenth anniversary of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 (October 2010), the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security launched the Monthly Action Points or MAPs, a series of recommendations that show how the Security Council can systematically meet its obligations to women in conflict. For November, the MAP provides recommendations on Protection of Civilians, Counter-Terrorism, Bosnia & Herzegovina, DR Congo, Guinea and Somalia. Read more.

A seminar on the European Union, including its position regarding the Arms Trade Treaty, will take place on Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic) on 25-27 November. For details about registration procedures, please go here.

Please send your news and stories for the Update to adriana.medina@iansa.org