* Aid and arms: Same firms transport both
* Colombia: tougher gun control in cities
* Namibia: Southern African police chiefs meet
* US: Congolese women address the Senate
* Only 4 weeks to the Week of Action
* Other news: Survey on gun ownership in Uruguay; International Women's Day for Peace and Disarmament; Training package on gender and SSR; Children and armed conflict in Myanmar (Burma); Expert reference group for ISACS project; Jobs at Nonviolent Peaceforce and UNDP.
Air cargo companies involved in illicit arms transfers to Africa have also been repeatedly contracted to deliver humanitarian aid, revealed a report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). The report shows that at least 90% of international air carriers named in arms trafficking reports have also been used by UN agencies, EU and NATO governments, leading NGOs and private contractors. According to Oliver Sprague, from Amnesty International UK, "The Humanitarian sector has failed to recognise the links between arms transport and arms trafficking to conflict zones. Tough ethical standards exist in many areas of humanitarian work; it is high time similar robust standards are applied to those delivering their goods."
www.iansa.org
The mayors of Colombia's biggest cities have agreed to pressure the Congress to review the firearms law. Last week in Bogota the mayors stressed the necessity for a gun registry, an armed violence database and municipal bans on carrying guns. The Director General of Police, Oscar Naranjo, said that civilian gun ownership does prevent crime or make individuals safer. IANSA member Jorge Restrepo from CERAC said: "Now that violence related to the internal conflict has receded, authorities need to implement disarmament programmes in the cities."
www.eltiempo.com/colombia/bogota/ARTICULO-WEB-PLANTILLA_NOTA_INTERIOR-5181410.html
Police chiefs of 11 southern African countries urged their governments to send their views on armed violence and development to the UN Secretary-General before the deadline of 31 May. The chiefs met last week at the SARPCCO Regional Coordinating Committee meeting in Namibia. Participants highlighted the importance of international cooperation to implement the Regional Action Plan on Small Arms and asked IANSA to become a SARPCCO cooperating partner.
Members of the IANSA Women's Network from DR Congo testified to the US Senate on 13 May about the use of rape in conflict. They highlighted that guns facilitate rape and sexual violence and reminded the Senators that over the last decade tens of thousands of Congolese women and girls have been raped. They also asked the US to pressure the Congolese government to end impunity for sexual violence in war.
http://vitalvoicesonline.org/blog/2009/05/14/confronting-rape-and-other-forms-of-violence-against-women-in-conflict-zones/
Only four weeks to the Global Week of Action against Gun Violence! Our members in Sierra Leone will mark the WoA with a football match for peace. Every day we receive new information about exciting activities being organised in diverse parts of the world. Please send details about your WoA events to Bruce.Millar@iansa.org.
Other news:
There is at least one gun in 11% of urban households in Uruguay, revealed a survey conducted by IANSA member ALUDEC. High-income households tend to have more guns. The research presented on 15 May in Montevideo received extensive media coverage.
www.aludec.org.uy/noticias/leer/75
Members of the IANSA Women's Network (WN) will be marking the International Women's Day for Peace and Disarmament on Sunday 24 May with peace marches, meetings and other events.
www.iansa.org/women/index.php
DCAF has published a new Gender and Security Sector Reform Training Resource Package, aimed at helping trainers to integrate gender into SSR training.
www.dcaf.ch/news/index.cfm
Two new reports on child soldiers have been published by the Watchlist on Children and Armed Conflict. One is on Myanmar, where thousands of children have been raped, abducted and recruited as soldiers by the Army and non-state armed groups. The other is a policy paper on the UN Security Council's efforts to protect children in armed conflict.
www.watchlist.org
The United Nations Coordinating Action on Small Arms (CASA) is creating an expert reference group to review and provide feedback on draft International Small Arms Control Standards (ISACS).
www.un-casa.org/bulletinboard/Default.aspx?g=posts&t=227
Nonviolent Peaceforce is currently recruiting an Executive Director; and UNDP is hiring a Gender and HIV officer for the reintegration side of the DDR Programme in Sudan.
www.iansa.org/jobs
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IANSA - The International Action Network on Small Arms
www.iansa.org
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