IANSA Update 21 December 2007

Colombia: 18,000 guns and 2.7 m rounds of ammunition destroyed as part of peace process
Israel: GGE brokering recommendations incorporated into new law
Japan: Urgent review of gun laws following fatal shooting
Guatemala: UNDP report on effects of armed violence
Other news: Peace walk in Ghana; Director post at WILPF; Best wishes from IANSA

Colombia: 18,000 guns and 2.7 m rounds of ammunition destroyed as part of peace process

18,000 guns and 2.7 million rounds of ammunition were melted into 25 tonnes of metal in the Colombian city of Sogamoso on 14 December. Most of the guns were AK-47s handed in by the paramilitary group United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC) as part of the peace process. The guns had originally been used in the conflicts of El Salvador, Guatemala and Nicaragua, then sold on to Colombian guerrillas. The serial numbers of each gun was recorded in a computerised database before their destruction. These will be cross-referenced with 240,000 criminal cases involving paramilitary groups currently being investigated. Victims of the conflict and former combatants accompanied government officials to witness the destruction. A sculpture to honour victims of the Colombian war will be created from the residue. Read more here.

Israel: GGE brokering recommendations incorporated into new law

The Israeli government has reacted quickly to the UN Group of Governmental Experts (GGE) on small arms brokering, by incorporating some of the group's recommendations into Israel's new comprehensive Defence Export Control Law. The law extends responsibility for arms exports to the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Trade, in addition to the Ministry of Defence, which previously had sole legal responsibility. It also regulates civilian 'dual-use' items that can have military use, as listed in the Wassenaar Arrangement. The law comes into force on 31 December 2007. Read more here.

Japan: Urgent review of gun laws following fatal shooting
The Japanese government will review its gun laws following a deadly shooting at a sports club on 14 December. A man fired 10 shots, killing two people and injuring six. He then committed suicide by shooting himself. The shooter used a shotgun that he obtained legally, claiming he needed it for hunting purposes. Police say that he had 2700 rounds of ammunition in his car, greatly exceeding the legal limit of 800 per person for hunting use. Read more here.

Guatemala: UNDP report on effects of armed violence
Armed violence costs Guatemala more than US$ 2.4 billion a year. A new UNDP Statistical Report on Armed Violence in Guatemala discusses the rising expenditure of public security and health care alongside losses to the tourism industry and the decrease in productivity by people of an active age. Read more here.

Other news

• 700 schoolchildren took part in a walk for peace and against armed violence in the Ghanaian district of Yendi on 30 November. They followed the annual Ride for Peace biking competition, which was organised by The Foundation for Security and Development in Africa (FOSDA).
  
  The Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) is seeking candidates for the position of Director of its United Nations Office in New York. Applications should be sent by 5 January to hr@wilpf.ch. IANSA Job Board.
  
  The IANSA Secretariat sends all our members and friends best wishes for a peaceful holiday season, and a big thanks for your work during 2007. We have posted a brief overview of the year on our homepage, along with a link to some gift suggestions related to the global campaign against armed violence. Our office in London will be closed from 22 December 2007 to 1 January 2008.

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

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