IANSA Update 15 May 2009

Canada: Mothers want more controls on firearms, not less
Costa Rica: Anti-gun campaign in schools
UK: On-line database on arms transfer licences
Report on SSR in the Central African Republic
Other news: IANSA members in Azerbaijan and Sudan affected by gun violence; ECOSAP Steering Committee meeting; Kenya concluding policy on SALW; Job at Care International UK.

Canada: Mothers want more controls on firearms, not less
Mothers of Canadian gun violence victims launched the Mothers for Gun Control Campaign in Toronto on 8 May. The campaign is opposing the federal government's move to weaken the gun laws. Two Bills introduced in Parliament propose to abolish the long-gun registry and weaken controls on prohibited and restricted weapons. Canada has an international reputation as a leader in gun control policy. IANSA members in the country are opposing the Bills and reminding the government that appropriate domestic regulation over the sale, possession and use of civilian weapons is integral to Canada meeting its obligations under the UN PoA. Read more here.

Costa Rica: Anti-gun campaign in schools
The Costa Rican Government has launched a Gun-Free Schools campaign in response to the growing number of weapons found in schools. According to the Ministry of Education, authorities seized 69 guns and 793 knives in primary and high schools across the country in 2007. The program will train teachers how to respond to armed students and will raise awareness among pupils about the danger of guns. President Arias inaugurated the campaign in a primary school in San José, where he exchanged toy guns for books and other toys. Read more here.

UK: On-line database on arms transfer licences
Information on UK licenses for international arms transfers is now accessible to the public via an on-line searchable database set up by the government. The system represents a significant step forward for transparency and accountability. The database is the first of its kind in the world and the idea was originally proposed to the British government by NGOs. Now other states will be encouraged to develop arms transfer reporting systems along similar lines. Read more here.

Report on SSR in the Central African Republica
Belgian IANSA member GRIP has released a report about security sector reform (SSR) in the Central African Republic. The document presents the lessons learned during the first national seminar on SSR held in Bangui on April 2008. It argues that SSR is more likely to succeed when governments and international actors work together and engage fully in the reform process. The report can be downloaded from here.

Other news

• Gun violence has directly affected members of the IANSA family in the past two weeks. In Azerbaijan two close relatives of Sudaba Shiraliyeva, director of the Women and Modern World Centre, were among the victims of the mass shooting at the Oil State Academy. 20-year-old Ayaz Bagirov, described by Sudaba as 'a clever and sensible man' was killed, while Kenan Isayev, survived the attack but lost his left eye. Meanwhile Bidel Antony Constantine of the South Sudan Action Network on Small Arms (SSANSA) was lucky to escape alive from a highway gun attack last week. The car in which he was travelling was stopped by five armed men who shot at the vehicle, killing one passenger, then robbed the other passengers and disappeared into the forest. The IANSA staff send their thoughts and solidarity to our colleagues.
• The ECOWAS Small Arms Control Programme (ECOSAP) held its 5th Steering Committee Meeting last week in Bamako (Mali). The meeting approved the two-year extension phase of the Programme and highlighted the importance of building the capacity of National Commissions on small arms, of civil society and the ECOWAS Commission to implement the regional convention on small arms. Congratulations to Mohamed Coulibaly, newly appointed as the manager of ECOSAP. He is a long-time IANSA member, previously working for Oxfam in West Africa.
• Peacenet Kenya and Saferworld held a workshop in Nairobi with the NatCom and other government officials to review progress made in formulating national small arms and peacebuilding policies. Both policy initiatives aim to help maintain stability in Kenya and work towards creating a lasting peace in the country. Participants made final changes to the policies and agreed on a timeframe to present them to the Cabinet. The policy on small arms will go through a final stage of validation before it is implemented, hopefully in late June.
• Care International UK is recruiting a Peace-building Design, Monitoring & Evaluation Project Coordinator. IANSA Job Board.

Please send your stories on developments in small arms from around the world to adriana.medina@iansa.org

Join the IANSA Women's Network: email women@iansa.org

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