IANSA Update 31 October 2008

UN: First Committee votes for ATT working group and small arms meetings
China: Asia-Europe People’s Forum endorses ATT
US: Gun laws under scrutiny after boy shoots himself with Uzi
Latin American Parliament supports law drafted by CLAVE
UN: 8th anniversary of SC Res 1325
Other news: PeaceNet at Amani Forum; Post-conflict training for women; IANSA at Coimbra University; Cluster munitions Week of Action

UN: First Committee votes for ATT working group and small arms meetings
The United Nations First Committee on disarmament voted overwhelmingly on Friday 31 October to move forward with work on an Arms Trade Treaty. 147 states voted Yes to an Open-Ended Working Group which will meet for a maximum of six sessions, beginning in early 2009. Only two states voted against: Zimbabwe and the US. Eighteen abstained. An huge majority also supported the small arms ‘omnibus’ resolution: 166 states voted in favour, with only the US against. This resolution sets the schedule of UN small arms meetings for the next 6 years: a Biennial Meeting of States in 2010, an expert meeting in 2011 and a Review Conference in 2012. Read more here.

China: Asia-Europe People’s Forum endorses ATT
The Asia-Europe People’s Forum, which took place in Beijing last week, has promoted small arms control in its outcome document, thanks to extensive lobbying by IANSA member Nonviolence International Southeast Asia. The outcome document calls for the UN to oversee legally binding mechanisms to control the import and export of small arms, full implementation of SC Resolution 1325 and ratification of the Cluster Munitions Convention. Read more here.

US: Gun laws under scrutiny after boy shoots himself with Uzi
Gun laws in the state of Massachusetts, USA, are under scrutiny after an 8 year old boy died by accidentally shooting himself in the head with an Uzi submachine gun at a gun fair. The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence said: “Massachusetts law specifically prohibits furnishing a machine gun to any person under 18. It is unconscionable that the gun fair allowed and encouraged young children to fire machine guns.” Read more here.

Latin American Parliament supports law drafted by CLAVE
The Public Safety committee of the Latin American Parliament (Parlatino) has unanimously agreed to support the model firearm legislation drafted by CLAVE, the network of IANSA members in Latin America. The model law draws on best practices in national gun laws around the world. Congratulations to CLAVE on this achievement. Read more here.

UN: 8th anniversary of SC Res 1325
October 31 marks the eighth anniversary of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security requiring gender perspectives to be incorporated in all areas of peace support operations, including disarmament. Although small arms are not specifically mentioned in the Resolution, members of the IANSA Women's Network are using 1325 in peacebuilding, violence prevention, education and disarmament. The NGO Working Group on women, peace and security group has pointed out that women only averaged 7% of negotiators in five major UN peace processes since 2000 and were dramatically underrepresented in the UN’s 30 missions. It called for DDDR processes to prioritise the issue of small arms and violence against women.

Other news

• The Amani Forum of East African Parliamentarians met with parliamentarians and civil society organisations from Asia, Africa and South America last week. Philip Ochieng from Peace Net Kenya represented IANSA and gave a presentation on illicit SALW in Kenya.
• Isis WICCE, a member of the IANSA Women’s Network, has completed the third phase of its 2007/8 International Exchange Programmed Institute in Monrovia, Liberia. The 39 women who participated came from countries recently emerged from conflict. Themes included human security and participation and documenting women’s experiences in armed conflict. It was held in collaboration with the Liberian Ministry of Gender and Development and Women in Peace Building Network (WIPNET).
• IANSA staff visited Portugal for a conference at Coimbra University on 30-31 October. IANSA director Rebecca Peters gave presentations on global flows of weapons and IANSA's activities. Women’s Network Coordinator Sarah Masters spoke on the impact of guns on women and on Resolution 1325.
• Events have been organised in 71 countries for the Global Week of Action to Ban Cluster Bombs, 27 October to 2 November. Many events are organised by IANSA members. The Cluster Munitions Coalition has coordinated the Week of Action to encourage governments to sign the Convention on Cluster Munitions in Oslo (Norway) on 3 December.

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