Abokobi (GA/R), Aug. 13, GNA – The West Africa Action Network on Small Arms (WAANSA-Ghana) has commended Mr Henry Quartey, the Minister of the Interior, for his resilience since his assumption of office to reduce the proliferation of small arms and illicit weapons.
WAANSA-Ghana recognizes that in pursuit of the Ministry’s broad objectives and in compliance with the Ghana Shared Growth and Development Agenda II (GSGDA II) and other policy interventions, the Minister has worked closely with strategic partners to ensure internal security and the maintenance of law and order in the country.
The commendation was made in a statement signed by Mr. Ken Kinney, WAANSA-Ghana President, at the end of a three-day capacity-building session for about 25 civil society organisations connected to WAANSA-Ghana in Abokobi, near Accra, on the Saving Lives Entity (SALIENT) Project administered by the UN Systems in Ghana.
The statement copied to the Ghana News Agency said, “WAANSA-Ghana acknowledges the minister’s proactive approach to addressing security concerns in Ghana and for his tireless efforts in ensuring safety and security.”
The CSOs also commended the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA), and the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crimes (UNODC) for their commitment to support the activism towards the passage of the National Commission on Small Arms Bill, 2023, and the approval of the Arms Trade Treaty Implementation Memoranda by Cabinet.
The CSOs, which are the West Africa Network of Journalists for Security and Development, the Care-Love Charity Foundation, and Youth for Peace and Security in Africa, are undergoing advocacy skills development to campaign for a review of Ghana’s outdated arms control laws.
The other CSOs who are all affiliates of the WAANSA-Ghana are the Jatikay Centre for Human Security and Peace Building, the West Africa Centre for Violent Extremism, the Association of Ghanaian Women and Child Welfare, and the Centre for Democratic Development Ghana.
The rest are the Foundation for Security and Development in Africa, the Orphans and Widows Association, the Security Warehouse, West Africa Lead, the Nurture Nature Foundation, the Centre for Rural Women in Peace, Security, and Development, Greater Accra Youth Network, BADEC, and Nutifafa Foundation.
The CSOs have emphasized the need for Ghana to review its arms control laws, which remain the weakest link in the efforts to counter terrorism, and money laundering, and combat the proliferation of small arms and light weapons in the country, as acknowledged by the European Union and other International Organizations.
Ghana is the third African country to benefit from the first phase of the SALIENT Trust fund which is being spearheaded by the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the United Nations Office for Drugs and Crimes (UNODC).
Ghana is a signatory to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Convention on Small Arms and Light Weapons, which calls for the establishment of National Commissions to provide an effective regulatory mechanism for small arms and light weapons.
The project aimed to address armed violence and illicit small arms and light weapons trafficking, emphasizing a comprehensive approach to sustainable security and development.
The project is also a collaborative effort of various UN agencies, including UNDP and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), to support the Ghanaian government and Civil Society Organizations to fight arms proliferation and save lives and property.
Recent global developments underscore the urgent need to develop a robust strategy to safeguard sustainable development gains and address the menace of small arms proliferation.
The project seeks to upscale efforts towards the passage of the Small Arms Commission Bill into law, to provide the necessary tools, and mechanisms to effectively regulate the trade, possession, and transfer of small arms and light weapons.
The SALIENT project is being implemented in the country by WAANSA-Ghana; the National Commission on Small Arms and Light Weapons; and the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre.
These initiatives highlight the necessity of a multi-sectoral approach to combating armed violence as well as the control of small arms and ammunition.
GNA