IANSA Update 20 February 2009

Death of Alison Des Forges, human rights heroine
West Africa: ECOWAS officials want better coordination
Congo-Brazzaville: Weapon buyback underway
Tell us what you think about IANSA
Other news: Latin American workshop on small arms; Parliamentarians recommend model law for EU; latest Geneva Declaration newsletter; Gender job at DCAF

Death of Alison Des Forges, human rights heroine
Campaigners around the world expressed their sorrow at the death of Dr Alison Des Forges, the eminent researcher and activist who helped to publicise the genocide in Rwanda and subsequently worked tirelessly to defend human rights in the Great Lakes region of Africa. She died in a plane crash in the US on 12 February. IANSA members in Central Africa are among those have emailed tributes to Human Rights Watch. Read more here.

West Africa: ECOWAS officials want better coordination
Improving coordination on small arms control is a priority for West Africa, according to a meeting of government representatives from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso), 17-20 February. The ECOWAS Commission agreed to create a database to assist member states in exchanging information. The meeting also recommended establishing monitoring mechanisms to follow the implementation of national small arms control programs. Read more here.

Congo-Brazzaville: Weapon buyback underway
A program to buy back 3000 weapons from ex-combatants was launched in the Pool region of Congo-Brazzaville on 10 February. The government has opened 17 local offices where weapons can be turned in and then sent to special destruction sites. The operation is funded by World Bank and is targeted at former ‘Ninja’ fighters in the region. Read more here.

Tell us what you think about IANSA
IANSA is conducting an evaluation to help us measure our impact and plan our future. Our members and colleagues are invited to share their opinions and ideas via the new e-discussion at Please help us to make IANSA more effective by participating!

Other news

• Latin American government and civil society representatives attended a workshop on small arms in Cartagena (Colombia), 16-20 February. The workshop, sponsored by the Spanish Government and UNDP, included many IANSA members form the region including César Marín on behalf of the IANSA Secretariat, who spoke on the implementation of international agreements.
• Model small arms control legislation should be developed for European countries, urged a group of 30 parliamentarians from 17 countries at a meeting in Berlin (Germany) on 13-14 February. The meeting was organised by the Parliamentary Forum on Small Arms alongside the German parliament. Read more here.
  
• The latest newsletter on the Geneva Declaration on Armed Violence & Development is available here now.
  Past bulletins (English and French) are available here.
• Jobs: The Geneva Centre for Democratic Control of the Armed Forces (DCAF) is seeking a Gender & Security Project Officer. IANSA Job Board.
  

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

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

Join the Million Faces petition in support of a global Arms Trade Treaty