Campaign themes for the 2010 Global Week of Action

Suggested campaign themes for activities during the 2010 Global Week of Action 16 - 20 May 2010

1. Achieving an ethical and robust Arms Trade Treaty (ATT)
2. Disarm Domestic Violence
3. Other UN action (e.g. Programme of Action, Firearms Protocol)

 

1. Achieving an ethical and robust Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) around the UN Preparatory Committee meeting 12-24 July

 

Background

The irresponsible international trade in arms – small arms and light weapons as well as other conventional arms – is fuelling gun violence in many countries. Suppliers of weapons are not held accountable for aiding war crimes and serious violations of human rights, or for perpetuating poverty, corruption, armed conflict and organised crime. Increasingly, under pressure from civil society through the Control Arms campaign, governments have come to acknowledge that the world needs an ATT.

The ATT process has moved forward since last June’s successful Global Week of Action and Control Arms campaigning around the UN First Committee in October 2009. In December 2009, 153 states voted in the UN General Assembly for a resolution that establishes a 2012 UN Conference on the ATT, where it is intended the treaty text will be negotiated and finalised. The previously planned 4 weeks of the Open-Ended Working Group (OEWG) in 2010 and 2011 have been transformed into preparatory committees (PremComs) to help develop the text.

The Vienna conference of NGOs campaigning on the ATT in February 2010, attended by representatives from over 60 NGOs most of whom are IANSA members, agreed to expand and further develop the campaign. Conclusions, briefings and planning notices are being prepared to send to the network, including the idea of promoting “the People’s Treaty” i.e. that the ATT must save lives and protect people worldwide by preventing the irresponsible arms trade, and NGO campaign briefings and an ATT photo exhibition on the scope and ethical parameters for an effective ATT.

The Global Week of Action Against Gun Violence is the perfect opportunity to demonstrate global civil society’s support for a strong and ethically principled Arms Trade Treaty before the first UN PrepCom 12-24 July 2010.

Actions

* Promote the idea of “the People’s Treaty” and the principles behind it with your government officials, MPs, other NGOs and media
* Urge your government to advocate in the UN process that all types of arms, munitions and transfers should be included in a comprehensive definition of the scope of the ATT
* Press your government to support the UN process including the adoption of ethical principles and robust rules based on high international standards in the parameters of the ATT for when governments make life and death decisions about whether an arms transfer should take place – principles that are consistent with and developed from the legal obligations of states such as international human rights law and international humanitarian law, which are already reflected to some degree in ECOWAS, EU, Nairobi Group, OAS, OSCE and other agreements.
* Promote links between a strong ATT and national implementation of ‘women, peace and security’ commitments such as UN Security Council Resolutions 1325 and 1820. There is no security without women’s security, and an ATT would complement existing international instruments that aim to prevent violence against women.

Outcomes

* at the UN Preparatory Committee meeting 12-24 July 2010 a significant number of governments from all world regions make statements calling for comprehensive scope and high ethical principles and robust rules for making arms transfer decisions
* the Control Arms campaign increases awareness worldwide of the main elements necessary in an ATT for it to become an effective tool to save lives and help protect people by preventing the irresponsible arms trade.

Please contact Bruce Millar for more information: bruce.millar@iansa.org

+++

2. Disarm Domestic Violence

Join the campaign to get guns out of the hands of actual or potential domestic violence abusers.

Background

In 2009, the IANSA Women’s Network launched an international campaign to address one of the most serious, but least-known, aspects of violence against women – the deaths, injuries and fear caused by guns in the home. IANSA members have a key role to play, to gather data, and use it to bring about change.

Actions

* Identify local women’s organisations and/or shelters working on domestic violence and talk to them about the link with guns in the home;
* Ask them to interview a sample of women to find out how many are affected by a gun in the home. IANSA will provide you with a questionnaire;
* Write to your local newspaper, or contact your radio station and tell them about the campaign (IANSA will provide you with a model press release);
* Monitor the local media for news and articles about incidents of armed domestic violence.

Outcomes

* Develop a more comprehensive overview of the problem of domestic violence and guns around the world
* This is the first step toward securing better policies to protect women in their homes.


Please contact Sarah Masters, Women’s Network coordinator, for more information: sarah.masters@iansa.org

+++

3. Other UN action against gun violence

Background

This year there are many opportunities for your government to take action to reduce gun violence, including:
* Submitting a national report on implementing the UN Programme of Action on Small Arms (PoA) before the world’s governments meet in New York for the Biennial Meeting of States (BMS), 14-18 July.
* Signing the UN Firearms Protocol at the high-level meeting organised at the UN in New York on 18 June. If your government has already ratified the Protocol, it should be implementing it.
* Following-up the outcomes of the international conference on Armed Violence & Development in Oslo from 21-22 April. This is part of the ongoing campaign to include armed violence prevention within the review process for the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
* Developing strong National Action Plans on Women, Peace & Security, as required by UN Security Council Resolution 1325. This year the resolution is 10 years old, and there will be events throughout the year to commemorate this. Governments should confirm their commitment through effective National Action Plans.

Actions

* Contact parliamentarians and ask them to investigate and strengthen the position of the government on the various UN issues above. They can ask questions in parliament, and can join you for a meeting with media during the Global Week of Action.
* Meet with government officials and ask them if they reported to the UN on their progress on implementing the PoA in your country.
* Campaign to highlight the importance of the different UN approaches listed above, stressing that the citizens of your country want the government to take gun violence seriously. This could be in the form of a petition, postcard campaign, demonstration, etc
* Highlight one or more of the above topics in the media, stressing the importance of your country’s voice being heard in the UN during the BMS

Outcomes

* A useful national report from your government on the challenges it is facing in reducing gun violence, and the successes it has experienced
* Increased media coverage and public awareness of the UN small arms process (including BMS, 14-18 July)
* Your country has signed the UN Firearms Protocol or announced intention to implement it, or to assist implementation in other countries
* Your government publicly announces support for including armed violence prevention within the MDG review process
* Your government commits to creating a strong National Action Plan on Women Peace & Security before the end of 2010