IANSA Update 13.02.09

* World unites against child recruitment in armed conflict on Red Hand Day
* Afghanistan: US lost tens of thousands of weapons
* Philippines: Mediators share Sudanese experience
* Other news: Pakistan ATT meetings; UNIDIR appointment on ATT; DPKO gender advisor position

Former child soldiers and young people from around the world presented thousands of symbolic “red hands” to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Thursday 12 February, demanding stronger action to end the use of child soldiers. A treaty prohibiting the forced recruitment or use of children in armed conflict, the Optional Protocol to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict, has been ratified by 126 countries and entered into force on 12 February 2002. But child soldiers are still being used in 15 countries or territories, including some that have ratified the treaty. IANSA members and IANSA WN members marked Red Hand Day by highlighting the special needs of current and former girl combatants.
www.iansa.org

US officials are unable to account for tens of thousands of assault rifles and other firearms in Afghanistan, according to the US Government Accountability Office. It is feared that some weapons may already be in Taliban hands. The audit found that inventory controls were missing more than a third of the 242,000 small arms donated to Afghan forces by the US, and there were no reliable records to show the whereabouts of 135,000 weapons donated by other NATO countries. Stockpile security was identified as a major problem – for example, some Afghan military depots are locked with just a wooden door and padlock. Guidelines on stockpile security were agreed during the last UN Biennial Meeting of States on small arms in July 2008. IANSA member Rachel Stohl of the US Center for Defense Information commented, “It is appalling that the Department of Defense acted in violation of its own policies and common sense. The negligence of DoD planners to account for deadly weapons has plagued US efforts in Iraq with devastating consequences. And now, these same poor decisions will leave a legacy of lasting damage for the people of Afghanistan and any attempts to rebuild that country.”
www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/11/AR2009021103281_pf.html

Advisors to the Government of Sudan, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A) and United Nations mediators shared peacemaking experiences with representatives of the Philippine Government, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and civil society groups in the Philippines between 8 and 13 February 2009. The meetings were arranged by the Swiss-based mediation organisation, the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (HD) in the hope of helping the parties to restart stalled talks. The negotiators travelled throughout Mindanao, including the MILF headquarters.
www.hdcentre.org/projects/mnlf

Other news:

* Community Appraisal and Motivation Programme (CAMP) in Pakistan has held a series of workshops on the ATT in Peshawar and Karachi. There was substantial media coverage of both seminars, including the Nation, the Dawn and the Frontier Post.
www.iansa.org/regions/scasia/PakATT-2009.htm

* UNIDIR has appointed Elli Kytömäki as the project manager to organise regional meetings on the ATT. Elli takes up her new post in Geneva after working at the OSCE in Vienna.

* A new post is available in the Gender Advisor’s office in the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations. The successful applicant will carry out a project focusing on reviewing lessons learnt in implementing gender sensitive DDR programming in peacekeeping operations and suggest ways to more effectively implement improvements.
www.iansa.org/jobs

Please send your news and stories for the Update to louise.rimmer@iansa.org

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IANSA - The International Action Network on Small Arms

www.iansa.org