Strengthening Peace and Security through Regional Disarmament in Africa

 

Centre  régional  des  Nations  Unies  pour  la  Paix  et  le  désarmement  en  Afrique  

United  Nations  Regional  Center  for  Peace  and  Disarmament  in  Africa  

Physical   Security   and   Stockpile  Management   (PSSM)   Activities   to   Reduce  the   Risk   of   Illicit   Trade   in   Small   Arms   and  Light   Weapons   (SALW)   and   their  Ammunition  in  the  Sahel  Region  

                                   

   

 

 PROJECT

PSSM IN SAHEL  

                 

     

 

This project is funded by the European Union and the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs.

In the recent past, lack of effective PSSM in existing conventional arms and ammunition depots in the Sahel posed a serious challenge to peace and security in the region. Indeed it allowed armed non-State actors, including terrorist groups, to loot government-owned stockpiles in Libya and Mali, generating a concrete risk that a similar situation may occur in parts of Burkina Faso, Chad, Mauritania, Niger and Nigeria.

In the framework of the 2001 UN Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in SALW in All Its Aspects, and the 2005 European Union Strategy to combat the illicit accumulation and trafficking of SALW and their ammunition, the Council of the European Union adopted the decision 2014/912/CFSP, setting out a 36 months project to be implemented by the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs’ Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Africa (UNREC).

 

 

Credit  Photo  :  United  Nations  

Strengthening Peace and Security through Regional Disarmament in Africa

 

GEOGRAPHICAL COVERAGE

Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Niger and Nigeria.

 

PARTNERS

Designated partners for the implementation are the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS), the non-governmental organization Mines Advisory Group (MAG), the ISACS Inter-Agency Support Unit and Wilton Park.

While implementing the project, UNREC will ensure to consult regularly with relevant inter-governmental, regional and sub-regional organizations, such as INTERPOL, the African Union, ECOWAS, ECCAS and RECSA; and relevant EU and UN entities such as EUCAP Sahel and UN CASA agencies.

 THE PROJECT The project consists of 4 components:

1. CONFERENCE ON PSSM IN THE SAHEL (IN COLLABORATION WITH WILTON PARK)

Ø Experience and knowledge sharing and generating the necessary political buy-in for the enhancement of PSSM procedures.

2. REVIEW OF LEGISLATION AND ADMINISTRATIVE

PROCEDURES AND CONSULTATIONS ON PSSM.

Ø Supporting target countries in the development of up-to-date legislation, administrative procedures and practical standard operating procedures (SOPs) as the foundation of enhanced PSSM.

3. PHYSICAL SECURITY AND STOCKPILE

MANAGEMENT (IN COLLABORATION WITH MAG

AND UNMAS)

Ø Assessment of PSSM at national conventional arms depots and SALW and ammunition transportation; Rehabilitation of sample facilities and marking of SALW; Destruction of surplus ammunition and SALW; Piloting of new technologies.

4. SETTING NATIONAL STANDARDS IN ACCORDANCE

WITH IATG AND ISACS

Ø Improving arms and ammunition management, while providing and validating national SOPs on PSSM that are compliant with international best practice standards.

GENERAL OBJECTIVE

Project PSSM in Sahel aims at contributing to the security and stability in the Sahel by providing assistance to targeted States in preventing the diversion of, and the illicit trafficking in, government-owned SALW and ammunition by improving their physical security and stockpile management.

 

CONTACT INFORMATION

United Nations Regional Center for Peace and Disarmament in Africa

B.P. 2705 Lomé, TOGO

Phone: (228) 225 350 00 Email: mail@unrec.org

Website: http://unrec.org