Work areas

The problem of small arms proliferation is multidimensional– that is why such a broad array of organisations around the world are so concerned about it. On this page you will find the latest news and resources on some of the hot topics for groups working against small arms and light weapons.

Latest news

Libya: Government of Germany funds destruction of small arms and ammunition
Stockpile management and security

The German Government is providing EUR 750,000 for specialist Libyan and international teams to locate, secure and destroy small arms and ammunition arsenals.

Liberia: IANSA members campaign for peaceful elections
Armed violence and development

IANSA members in Liberia are campaigning for peaceful elections under the slogan “Ballots, not Bullets – Be the Peace!”.

Training on gender and DDR
Women, gender and guns

The Norwegian Defense University College (NODEFIC), in collaboration with the Inter-Agency Working Group on DDR, is holding an International Training Seminar on ‘Gender Dimensions in Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration’ on 23-29 October 2011 in Oslo, Norway.

Venezuela: Government introduces gun destruction programme
Weapons collection and destruction

The Attorney General in Venezuela has announced plans to design a protocol for the destruction of seized firearms.

Canada/US: Gun availability makes Chicago seven times more dangerous than Toronto
National gun laws

The cities of Chicago in the US, and Toronto in Canada are almost equal in population size yet there are seven times more gun homicides in Chicago with an average of 450 per year in comparison to less than 60 in Toronto.

Latest resources

Gender, Peace and Security Update from PRIO
Women, gender and guns
The first ‘Gender, Peace and Security Update (GPS)’ for 2012 from the Peace Research Institute Oslo, features PRIO researcher and Deputy Director Inger Skjelsbæk’s new book ‘The Psychology of War Rape: Studies from Bosnia and Herzegovina and the launch of the US Peace Research Endowment'.
NGO Presentations at the PoA PrepCom, 21 March 2012
UN Small Arms Process

Representatives of civil society spoke in the afternoon plenary session of the preparatory committee (PrepCom) for the 2012 Review Conference (RevCon) on 21 March 2012.

The importance of international cooperation and assistance to improve stockpile management in Africa
Stockpile management and security, UN Small Arms Process

This article was written by Félix Kokou Aklavon, member of the International Advisory Council (IAC) and the Togolese Action Network on Small Arms (RASALT) for the Small Arms Monitor during the preparatory committee for the 2012 Review Conference on the UN Programme of Action on Small Arms (PoA).

The Arms Flyers: Commercial Aviation, Human Rights, and the Business of War and Arms
International trade controls

The report presents (Part I and Part II) a series of cases - from the 1980s to present - that illustrate and document the continuous involvement of aviation companies in the business of war, namely in the arms supply chains and also in covert operations, all of which have often resulted in consequent severe violations of human rights, from Nicaragua to Armenia, from D.R. Congo to Afghanistan and Rwanda.

What should the UN Programme of Action PrepCom 2012 Achieve?
UN Small Arms Process

The purpose of the PrepCom is to lay the groundwork for the RevCon, 27 August – 7 September 2012. The PrepCom is expected to produce a draft agenda for the RevCon i.e. which solutions to the problem of gun violence are open for discussion.