“I was privileged to be part of the UN quick response, experiencing once more what it truly means to advance disarmament that saves lives.” - Anselme Yabouri, Director of the UN Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Africa.

On 7 March, Equatorial Guinea was shaken by a series of explosions at a military camp in Bata, its largest city. 107 people died and more than 600 people were injured.

Shortly afterward, the Government of Equatorial Guinea requested the assistance of the UN Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Africa (UNREC),

In response, UNREC joined technical experts from the Geneva-based Ammunition Management Advisory Team (AMAT) to assist the Government in assessing the accident’s cause and reducing the risk of further explosions and potential environmental impacts.

The mission, which took place under the Quick Response Mechanism of the UN SaferGuard Programme managed by the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs, was able to deploy after just four days, signaling the dedication of UN staff to swiftly bringing together relevant expertise and capabilities after a disaster.

In Bata, the team spoke to witnesses, personnel and impacted surrounding communities. It assessed the blast site for damage, measured radiation levels and checked for toxic materials, like heavy metals, with the support of the UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) team.

The UNREC-AMAT mission also provided technical advice on good practices in ammunition management that could help prevent further incidents.

With the Resident Coordinator, the team supported the Government in coordinating international assistance by relevant stakeholders.

In its final report, the team clarified the incident’s causes, explained its chain of events and offered actionable recommendations for national authorities.

In reaction to the findings, the Government expressed heartfelt appreciation for the quick UN response and requested additional assistance in implementing the recommendations, which were aimed at preventing accidents in the future.

The joint UNREC-AMAT mission operated under the overall guidance of the UN Resident Coordinator while relying on the UN Development Programme for critical logistical support.

The incident in Bata and its catastrophic humanitarian consequences are an urgent reminder of the importance of safe and secure management of ammunition stockpiles around the world.

from 23 to 25 November 2020, UNREC organized a training on the integration of gender-responsive measures in the control of small arms and light weapons (SALW) in Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo(DRC).

This initiative supported the National Commission on the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons and Reduction of Armed Violence (CNC-ALPC) and the implementation of the 2018-2022 National Action Plan (NAP) for the control and management of SALW.

Experts from the Ministries of Gender, Family and Children, Defense, Interior and Foreign Affairs, as well as civil society experts, participated in the event.

This training allowed stakeholders responsible for the control of SALW in the DRC to learn about international instruments related to gender and the added value of gender considerations when undertaking SALW-control activities.

The event was possible thanks to the financial support from the #EU and the technical support from UNREC and the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS)


   

Officials in the Central African Republic held a multi-day training last month to further harness their small arms control practices and policies in support of gender equality and related priorities.

Over three days of presentations and interactive exercises organized in Bangui by the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Africa (UNREC), Government and civil society participants boosted their readiness to systematically weave gender considerations into national and local small arms control efforts, in line with the women, peace and security agenda. The training was part of a multi-year global project led by the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) with funding from the European Union.

The programme ran from 13 to 15 October 2020, and its 30 attendees included representatives of the national commission for small arms and light weapons control (COMNAT-ALPC); the Ministry for the Promotion of Women, Family and Child Protection; the National Technical Committee for the Programme on Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration, Security Sector Reform and National Reconciliation; the National Police; the Customs Agency; the Ministry of Justice; and civil society organizations, including locally based members of the International Action Network on Small Arms (IANSA).

Ms. Erly Munoz, UNREC’s Regional Project Coordinator on gender and small arms control and the workshop’s main facilitator, opened the training by presenting an analysis of political, social and security trends in the Central African Republic.

While acknowledging limitations in the available information and data, Ms. Munoz said that a significant number of firearms in the country are unregistered and illegally held. She went on to explain various ways that gender affects the use of small arms and light weapons, emphasizing how their proliferation and misuse can impede efforts to build peace and stability.

Ms. Munoz went on to discuss the latest figures on homicide rates by sex from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, she said, there have been signs of an exponential increase in gender-based violence in and beyond the Central African Republic. Ms. Munoz ended her remarks by quoting the Secretary-General’s call this year for an “end to all forms of sexual and gender-based violence.”

Next, Ms. Novella Nikwigize and Mr. Ulrich Sandy of UN Women divided the participants into smaller groups to discuss gender terminologies and concepts of masculinity related to small arms ownership and misuse. The breakout discussions touched on processes for disarmament, demobilization and reintegration; social norms that affect how women and men are perceived in their communities; and how men and women are impacted differently by armed violence.

Mr. Jean Pierre Betindji, Executive Secretary of the Central African Republic’s National Commission on small arms and light weapons control (COMNAT-ALPC),  updated participants on the implementation of the country’s 2019-2022 National Action Plan on small arms and light weapons control, including its gender dimensions. Mr. Theodore Koinam, national focal point of the Central African Republic for the women, peace and security agenda, welcomed the efforts of Betindji’s commission to ensure that gender considerations were integrated throughout the National Action Plan. In concluding remarks, both representatives called for the National Commission and the Ministry for the Promotion of Women to strengthen and broaden their collaboration on all four pillars of the women, peace and security agenda—participation, prevention, protection, and relief and recovery.

Mr. Sylvestre Kibeceri, United Nations Mine Action Service Capacity Development Advisor, presented the strategy of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic to support the National Action Plan’s implementation. In this regard, he explained how relevant sections of the Mission were achieving progress in building up Government capacities to prevent and reduce armed violence in areas such as disarmament, demobilization and reintegration; security sector reform; and gender affairs.

Mr. Kibeceri also welcomed UNREC’s related efforts on gender mainstreaming as a key opportunity to build working relationships at the country level. Thanks to recommendations from UNREC, the MINUSCA’s strategy now includes timely monitoring and reporting on gender-responsive actions and indicators.

In moderated discussions during their second day of training, the participants considered how initiatives on civic participation and community outreach could be key to preventing proliferation and misuse of small arms and light weapons, especially in communities with low socioeconomic development that are at risk of conflict and violence.

Local members of IANSA, including representatives of women-led organizations and groups working in support of women, gave presentations on their work. They also encouraged Government officials to promote messages that highlight women as key actors in preventing armed violence.

In subsequent sessions on methods for programme monitoring, evaluation and learning, participants examined the need to involve diverse stakeholders in data collection and analysis, considering their different needs, positions and resources. As part of these sessions, they analyzed various model surveys and indicators for collecting sex and age-disaggregated data on arms control in the country.

Following the three-day training, participants took part in further discussions on priorities and follow-up activities, including the development of a strategic partnership between the National Commission for small arms and light weapons control and the Ministry for the Promotion of Women, Family and Child Protection.

More details on the workshop, including outcomes and recommended next steps, can be found in this UNREC infographic here.

The training was part of a multi-year effort to improve small arms control by addressing its gender dimensions and promoting a framework for women’s equitable and meaningful participation all related decision-making. UNREC implements the project in six African countries: Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Mali, Rwanda and Sierra Leone.