Negotiating Disarmament : Weapons control in action

What issues are involved in developing activities on weapons control?
Undertaking action-oriented research and analysis to inform policies, laws and implementation strategies is a central activity required to develop further action on weapons control. The Negotiating Disarmament project seeks to analyse a range of thematic and country specific situtations to gain a clearer understanding of where practice and policy can be effected.  

What is the HD Centre doing to address this issue?

The Negotiating Disarmament project has undertaken two distinct practical activities to tackle weapons control and violence reduction, including: 

• An armed violence reduction initiative in Sulu, southern Philippines - This builds on work undertaken in 2007 to develop a framework of action to address ‘civilian defense forces' (local militias) and weapons availability and misuse, in support of the peace process the HD Centre is engaged in;
• Support and advice on security matters

What activities is the HD Centre undertaking to address this issue? 

Armed Violence Reduction Initiative in Sulu, Philippines
On the island of Sulu, off mainland Mindanao, the wide spread proliferation of weapons and armed groups threatens public security. Although, attention is often directed at the Moro National Liberation Front's (MNLF) movements and foreign terrorist elements in the region, a closer look at the violence reveals that private armed groups linked to powerful political clans often pose the greatest threat to security.

Since 2005, the HD Centre has been facilitating the peace process between the Government of the Philippines and the MNLF and has an office in Sulu overseeing a joint initiative with representatives from both parties to prevent and resolve violence. Known as the GRP-MNLF Peace Working Group, the office has been active in mitigating violence between the two sides, as well as identifying and resolving other sources of conflict that undermine security.

The proliferation of weapons and armed groups in the region takes a substantial human toll, undermining efforts at realising sustainable development and human security. In August 2007, the HD Centre was invited to advise on the development of two provincial government resolutions related to the disbanding of armed ‘civilian volunteer organisations' (CVOs) and enforcing existing gun laws particularly around the carrying of weapons. 

Since then, the HD Centre, the local Government, military, police and civil society representatives have been drafting a framework for action to specifically support the implementation of the two resolutions through monitoring and awareness raising. A strong emphasis has been placed on identifying viable practical solutions to reduce weapons misuse and violent conflict resolution cultures.

Key activities have included:

1. Mobilising local and national stakeholders to develop and implement a comprehensive plan to reduce armed violence - through the coordination of the Armed Violence Reduction Resource Group, which reports directly to the Sulu Governor and includes representatives from Provincial Government, the military, the police, the MNLF and civil society including, religious communities, academic and human rights groups.  

2. Working in partnership with the Provincial Government to monitor the implementation of the two provincial resolutions relating to the carrying of guns and CVOs - through the provision of advice and information to the Office of the Governor and other relevant actors.

3. Developing an evidence base to inform policy and practice - through the implementation of a household survey to assess attitudes and perceptions towards armed violence, weapons use and possession. This will be done in collaboration with the Geneva-based Small Arms Survey. 

4. Raising awareness and mobilising attention to the threats to development posed by armed violence - through a dedicated media and advocacy campaign targeting various populations and communities.

5. Identifying creative and effective ways to change behaviour and standards on the use and misuse of guns - for example, in April 2008 a ‘Zone of Peace' was created in the capital town of Jolo in Sulu.  Core elements of the latter include the non-violent resolution of conflict; a prohibition on the carrying of weapons in public (unless necessary in the course of employment); minimisation of army presence; and, rejection of gambling and illicit drug use.

A project secretariat is based in the HD Centre Sulu office in Jolo. These activities are funded with the support of the Government of Norway. For more information please contact hdcsmallarms@hdcentre.org.

 

Sharing experience 
In December 2007, the HD Centre organised a meeting of former members of armed groups from nations as diverse as Mali, El Salvador, Zimbabwe, East Timor, and Eritrea among others, to reflect on the experiences of weapons control and violence reduction. They were joined by a small number of mediators, peace process advisers and observers.

A panel on the Northern Ireland peace process with a focus on disarmament was also convened at the OSLO forum annual Retreat co-organised by the HD Centre and the Royal Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Oslo in June 2007. The panel included General John De Chastelain, head of the Independent International Commission on Decommissioning; Conor Murphy, the Sinn Fein Minister for Regional Development; and, Jonathan Powell, Tony Blair's chief of staff and the lead UK negotiator.

Experience sharing opportunities have also been organised on issues such as regulating and reducing guns in the hands of civilians in peace processes and post-war settings; on gender, guns and peace processes; and on the inclusion and exclusion of survivors of armed violence from peace processes.