Site Additions: September 2007

Site Additions : September 2007

28 September

Ghana's President John Kufuor addressing the UN General Assembly,

25 September 2007 © UN Photo / Marco Castro

President Kufuora: UN must stem flood of guns

The abuse of small arms has caused untold distress, and the United Nations must lead the process to stem their proliferation, said Ghanaian President John Agyekum Kufuor at the opening of the UN General Assembly on 25 September. Ghana is the current Chair of the African Union, so President Kufuor's statement reflects the high priority placed on small arms control in the region. He stressed the importance of the UN Programme of Action on Small Arms (PoA).

21 September

Preparation of weapons before the Destruction Ceremony. September 2007

Cambodia Burns its Guns

A public weapons destruction ceremony marked the end of a Japanese arms reduction project in Cambodia this week. 5000 people attended the burning of 6600 surrendered guns in the Battambang province on September19.

The Japan Assistance Team for Small Arms Management in Cambodia (JSAC) has assisted in the collection of 28,602 small arms and 113,650 explosives and ammunitions since 2003.

The Japanese government-funded project follows on from a similar program conducted by the European Union Assistance on Curbing Small Arms and Light Weapons in Cambodia (EU ASAC) and the Cambodian NGO Working Group for Weapons Reduction.

14 September

Austrian gun suicide rates before and after the 1997 gun law reform.

Austrian gun suicides drop after law reform

European countries should tighten their gun laws as a measure to prevent suicides, according to a new study from Austria. The study published in the British Journal of Psychiatry (September 2007) found that firearm suicides in Austria decreased by 4.7% each year following the introduction of stricter gun controls in 1997.

The gun suicide rate from 1985 to 1997 was an average 3.96 per 100,000 population. By 2005 it had dropped to 2.67 per 100,000.

The 1997 legislation required psychological tests and tougher background checks for handgun ownership, and raised the minimum age to 21. A reason must now be provided before obtaining any firearm. Safe storage requirements and a 3 day ‘cooling off’ waiting period also apply.

This is not the first study to show that stricter gun controls prevent suicides. In the USA, requiring background checks and waiting periods reduced the gun suicide rate among people aged over 55. In Australia, the decline in gun suicides accelerated following comprehensive gun law reform in 1996.

7 September

Mortar ammunition collected in Matembo, North Kivu, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. November 2006. (c) UN Photo/Martine Perret

Central Africa confronts small arms problem

As thousands of people fled armed violence in Central Africa, a high level conference met this week to discuss the control of small arms in the region.

The UN Standing Advisory Committee on Security Questions in Central Africa met in Yaoundé, Cameroon. The event included representatives of UN peacekeeping and political missions. Topics included the movement of small arms in the region, with a particular focus on problems caused by roadblocks and porous borders.

UN News Centre: UN meeting on security in Central Africa wraps up