The Geneva Declaration on Armed Violence and Development Gabriel Morden-Snipper,
As this year’s BMS focuses on specific and technical
issues related to SALW, some states, NGOs, and UN agencies
are working to remind conference participants of broader and
more holistic aspects and approaches. To date, small arms
work has focused mostly on the supply side of the equation,
including themes of brokering, marking and tracing, and others.
To some, this skirts crucial demand side questions, such as
why people feel the need for guns and what underlying factors
push people to take up arms. What basic needs are not being
met? Often the answers to these questions fit in a human security
framework and relate to a vicious cycle whereby underdevelopment
leads to armed conflict and armed conflict prevents sustainable
development.
Forty-two States came together in 2006 to sign the , and since
2006, the number of signatories has grown to 92. The Geneva
Declaration (GD) is a statement of intent; states commit to
working to address this connection and to carry out programming
which incorporates both considerations. Key to this work is
a comprehensive approach to violence prevention, which brings
in education, human rights, livelihoods, and other factors.
More specifically, the three pillars of implementation of
the GD are: 1. advocacy, dissemination, and coordination—ensuring
that stakeholders such as states and development agencies
take into account the ideas in the GD; 2. measurability and
monitoring—in-depth study on quantifiable links between
armed violence and development; and 3. programming—raising
awareness about armed violence prevention and reduction programs
that take into account these links between different issues.
On Tuesday, 15 July, the governments of Switzerland and the
Netherlands sponsored a lunchtime side event, “Preventing
and Reducing Armed Violence—Enhancing Development,”
which included presentations from several Geneva Declaration
implementers, followed by questions and discussion. These
presentations helped illustrate in concrete terms what is
meant by programs that tackle armed violence prevention from
a development perspective.
Ambassador Peter Maurer of Switzerland spoke about the history
of the Geneva Declaration and a series of regional meetings
on armed violence and development over the past year and a
half. These are leading up to a summit meeting this September
in Geneva at which the endorsing states will review the declaration.
He stressed that the GD asks two complementary questions:
How to prevent violence to allow for development? And, What
development programs work to prevent violence? The challenge
lies in making these intuitive principles into concrete measures
on the ground.
To that end, several presenters described programs which
incorporated such a holistic GD-style approach. Mohamed Coulibaly
from Oxfam’s Regional Conflict Transformation Programme
in West Africa shared on a four-country, multi-year program
underway in Casamencé region, which includes capacity-building
in communities, conflict sensitization, arms collection and
reduction, and results-based research. Mr. Coulibaly stressed
that the program owes its success in part to community ownership
and women’s participation.
Felipe de Paula of the Brazil Ministry of Justice spoke about
an ambitious new Brazilian national initiative called Pronasci,
which connect armed violence, civic participation, and provision
of social services. This multi-dimensional program also includes
police reform and gives local actors the opportunity to choose
their own program components that fit their specific conditions.
Kathleen Cravero from UNDP’s Bureau of Crisis Prevention
and Recovery (BCPR) spoke on her organisation’s work
on prevention and a joint undertaking with other UN agencies,
called the Armed Violence Prevention Program. She highlighted
work underway in Kenya in response to post-election violence.
This program links peace and development organizations and
builds on local capacity to keep it going. Ms. Cravero noted
that the high attendance at Tuesday’s event suggests
an increasing interest in the issue.
In the discussion, attendees asked for more information on
measurability, as well as for further description of relevant
UNDP programs, and how they could be improved. Speakers agreed
that more study was needed, as well as wider awareness of
programs. They also affirmed the growing importance of violence
prevention work in the international community.
The Geneva Declaration is at once an intuitive observation
and a difficult concept for some actors to apply to programming,
so NGOs and other stakeholders consider awareness raising
a crucial first step. Plans are also underway to introduce
a resolution connecting the GD with the Millennium Development
Goals in the General Assembly plenary session in the fall.
considered these arguments in its statement to the BMS on
Wednesday: “The proliferation of small arms and light
weapons clearly undermines the ability of most states to achieve
the Millennium Development Goals. We support all efforts to
make the link between security and development explicit.”
The GD is just such an effort.
For more information on the Geneva Declaration, please visit
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