Engaging armed nonstate actors on small arms issues Nicolas Florquin, Geneva Call Armed Violence COS

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Engaging armed non-state actors on small arms
issues?Nicolas Florquin, Geneva Call Armed
ViolenceCOST Action A25 Final ConferenceBrussels
, 18 March 2008
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Outline

• Geneva Call
• Why engagement of NSAs on small arms?
• Possible entry points

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The Deed of Commitment on antipersonnel mines

• Total ban on the use, production and transfer of
  AP mines
• Cooperation in mine action
• Cooperation in monitoring, including field
  missions
• Custodian Republic and Canton of Geneva

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Main achievements

• 35 signatory groups in 10 countries
• Monitoring and verification of compliance
• New mine action activities launched
• Facilitation of State accession to and
  implementation of the Ottawa Convention

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Side-effects

• Entry point for dialogue on wider humanitarian
  human rights issues
• Vehicle for weapons collection and destruction
• Contribute to confidence-building among parties
  to a conflict

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NSAs and small arms

• The primary actors of contemporary armed conflict
  
• Commit IHL and HR violations using small arms
• Obtain arms from a wide variety of sources
• Can wage conflict with very few weapons

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Existing approaches are coercive and not inclusive

• Criminalisation/use of force
• Transfer controls
• Arms embargoes
• Naming and shaming

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Potential entry points for engagement on small
arms

• IHL and HRL dissemination to NSAs
• Promotion of safer stockpile management
• Research

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