IANSA Update 13 June 2008
A record 81 countries take part in Global Week of Action Against Gun Violence!
Petition for SADC arms moratorium on Zimbabwe
Yemen: Ban on gun sales to civilians
Tenth anniversary of the EU Code of Conduct on Arms Exports
SIPRI 2008 yearbook released
Second Brazilian gun buyback
Viva Rio at workshop on tracing
Other news: Week of Action in Guinea Bissau and Germany; Jobs in UK and Togo
A record 81 countries take part in Global Week of Action Against Gun Violence!
A record 81 countries took part in the 2008 Global Week of Action Against Gun Violence, a huge achievement by the IANSA network. Over 230 radio, TV and print media organisations worldwide reported members' activities and statements during the Week. The IANSA secretariat wishes to thank our members for reporting their activities so promptly, which enabled us to share news with the network throughout the week in three languages. For a comprehensive account of events by country. Read more about events around the world here.
Petition for SADC arms moratorium on Zimbabwe
Civil society organisations in the Southern African Development Community have delivered petitions to their governments calling for a moratorium on arms transfers to Zimbabwe. The petition asks SADC governments to support a moratorium on all military and security equipment transfers to Zimbabwe that can be used for internal repression, until the rule of law is established in the country. Over 100,000 people signed the petition worldwide. On 9 June, Human Rights Watch released a new report documenting violence conducted at gunpoint in Zimbabwe. The report, 'Bullets for Each of You', highlights the Zimbabwean armed forces' role in supplying firearms to war veterans and Zanu-PF supporters, and how guns facilitate abductions, beatings and severe intimidation.
IANSA story
Human Rights Watch
Yemen: Ban on gun sales to civilians
The Parliament in Yemen has reportedly amended the 1992 arms law to ban the carrying, sale and importation of firearms by civilians. IANSA member Dar Al-Salaam Organisation to Combat Revenge and Violence has campaigned hard for the amendment, which will close all private gun shops and permit only the government to import small arms. The amendment will also require all citizens to register firearms and apply for a license. Guns will only be allowed to be stored at home and not be carried outside, although this would be hard to enforce in rural communities. Only members of the police, the President, Prime Minister and Speaker of Parliament will be permitted to carry firearms.
Tenth anniversary of the EU Code of Conduct on Arms Exports
Several European civil society organisations commemorated the tenth anniversary of the EU Code of Conduct on Arms Exports with the release of 'Good Conduct?' a report that analyses the implementation of the Code. The Code is a non-binding agreement to regulate arms exports according to a set of criteria including human rights, risk of diversion and impact on development. The anniversary on 8 June received coverage in the UK's Guardian newspaper. Another report was released by GRIP in Belgium.
Saferworld
Grip
Guardian article
SIPRI 2008 yearbook released
The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) launched its 2008 yearbook on 8 June. The yearbook reports an increase of 8% in arms sales by the 100 largest arms-producing companies from 2005 to 2006. Dr Bates Gill, Director of SIPRI, believes there will be an increase in high-level discussions on arms control and disarmament over the next two years.
SIPRI website
Press article
Second Brazilian gun buyback
The Brazilian disarmament network, Rede Desarma Brasil, participated in a seminar in Brasilia on 26-28 May on implementing the latest civilian gun amnesty. The campaign is a joint project between the federal government and the network. Heather Sutton from Sou da Paz said the campaign illustrated how the government was 'in tune' with civil society on arms control and praised the value of the joint partnership. The second national gun buyback is a continuation of gun control measures laid out in the Disarmament Statute, which came into existence in 2003. The strengthened gun law has saved an estimated 24,000 lives from the date of approval. Read more here.
Viva Rio at workshop on tracing
Viva Rio represented IANSA at the UN regional workshop on the implementation of the International Tracing Instrument, held on June 7-8 in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil). Antonio Rangel Bandeira gave an overview of the global network; then Dr Pablo Dreyfus provided concrete examples of how civil society can work with governments to implement the tracing instrument in Latin America.
Other news
- Civil society in Guinea-Bissau marked the Week of Action with a workshop on small arms proliferation with representatives from the National Commission, the Institute of Studies and Research on Small Arms and members of the defence forces. The national disarmament network also organised a radio debate with the National Commission and a representative from the Interior Ministry.
- Delegates from the German Peace Society (DFG-VK) and the Armament Information Office (RIB) met with parliamentarians from the opposition parties in the German Federal Parliament to highlight the aims of the Global Week of Action. Delegates also reported on Germany's record in arms exports. The newspaper Linkszeitung covered the visit.
- Jobs: The anti-poverty organisation War on Want in the UK is seeking a Director of Campaigns and Policy. The deadline for applications is 7 July. The UN Regional Centre for Peace & Disarmament in Africa (UNREC) in Lomé (Togo) is seeking a Political Affairs Officer. More information on our job board.
Join the IANSA Women's Network: email
women@iansa.org
Join the Million Faces petition in support of a global Arms Trade Treaty
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