UNREC Supports the Counter Terrorism Implementation Task Force in the Lake Chad Basin countries preventing the acquisition and diversion of weapons by terrorist groups

 

The United Nations Regional Center for Peace and Disarmament in Africa (UNREC) organized two workshops to support the process of marking arms in the Lake Chad Basin Countries and prevent their diversion to terrorist groups, namely a sub-regional workshop on 6 to 7 November 2017 in N'Djamena, Chad, and a national workshop from 9 to 10 November 2017 in Abuja, Nigeria.

During these workshops, governments and civil society experts from Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria were trained to use the International Small Arms Control Standards (ISACS) and the International Ammunition Technical Guidelines (IATG) as well as to consider best practices in firearms control in compliance with relevant legal instruments.

These workshops are part of activities to mark the final phase of the “Regional Support to the Counter Terrorism Implementation Task Force (CTITF) Project». The project is part of the implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2178 (2014), which request countries, among others measures, to prevent the acquisition and diversion of weapons by terrorist groups as part of international as part of international efforts to address the threat posed by Foreign Terrorist Fighters(FTFs).

The CTITF project, developed by the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs and funded by France and Switzerland, aims to develop a comprehensive approach to address the issue of illicit flow of arms and ammunition, by providing technical assistance and supporting capacity building in four countries in the Lake Chad Basin region.

 - Opening statement by Dr. Jiaming Miao, Deputy to the Director, Political Affairs Officer at UNREC