DECLARATION BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE ECOWAS COMMISSION RELATING TO THE ENTRY INTO FORCE OF THE ECOWAS CONVENTION ON SMALL ARMS AND LIGHT WEAPONS, THEIR AMMUNITION AND OTHER RELATED MATERIALS 
 

The ECOWAS Convention on Small Arms and Light Weapons, Their Ammunition and Other Related Materials adopted by the Authority of Heads of State and Government on the 14^th June 2006 in Abuja, Nigeria, enters into force with the deposit of the 9^th instrument of ratification by the Government of the Republic of Benin on the 29 September 2009.In addition to the Republic of Benin, the following Member States have and deposited their instruments of ratification:

•    Burkina Faso
• Republic of Liberia
• Republic of Mali
• Republic of Niger
•   Republic of Nigeria
• Republic of Senegal
• Republic of Sierra Leone
• Republic of Togo

In the meantime, some significant progress has been recorded in the ratification process in other Member States.

The ECOWAS Convention provides for a ban of arms transfer by Member States  with possibility of exemption for the legitimate defense and security needs; law enforcement; and participation in peace support operations. It prohibits, without exception, arms transfer to non state actors without the approval of the importing country.

While acknowledging the important role of civil society organizations in the fight against the proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons, the Convention institutionalizes the National Commissions as coordinating bodies of the fight against the proliferation of SALW at national level and  establishes a Group of Independent Experts to monitor and evaluate its implementation.

Due to the trans-border nature of the circulation of Small Arms and Light Weapons and taking into account the common objective of promoting collective security in the region, there is a need for the Convention to be ratified and implemented by all the fifteen (15) Member States.

In this regard, the ECOWAS Commission commits itself to working closely with Member States who have not yet done so, to ratify the Convention in order to ensure a tight control of the circulation of Small Arms and Light Weapons in the entire region. 

Done in Abuja, 20^th November 2009  

Dr. Mohamed Ibn Chambas                                                                                                                    President – ECOWAS Commission