DECISION ON STRENGTHENING NATIONAL CAPACITIES FOR EFFECTIVE
MANAGEMENT OF WEAPON STOCKPILES
The Assembly,
TAKES NOTE of the agenda item “Strengthening National Capacities for Effective Management of Weapon Stockpiles” proffered by the Republic of The Gambia and aimed at augmenting the effective implementation of the 2020 Theme of The Year “Silencing the Guns: Creating Conducive Conditions for Africa’s Development”.
RECALLS the pledge made in the 50th Anniversary Solemn Declaration of the OAll/AU not to bequeath the burden of wars to the next generation of Africans and undertook to end all wars in Africa by the year 2020 and, the commitments made in the Action Plan for the Implementation of the Strategy on the Control of Illicit Proliferation, Circulation and Trafficking of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) and the African Union Master Roadmap of Practical Steps to Silence the Guns in Africa on mitigating the illicit proliferation, circulation and trafficking of Small Arms and Light Weapons.
ALSO RECALLS Decision Assembly/AU/Dec.719(XXXII) in which the Commission was directed to intensify its support to the Member States for the effective implementation of the Lusaka Roadmap.
FURTHER RECALLS the request made by the Peace and Security Council through the Communique PSC/PR/Comm.(DCCCXXXII) for the Commission to continue to promote collaborative synergies with the Member States and the Regional Economic Communities (RECs)/Regional Mechanisms (RMs) to effectively address the illicit proliferation, circulation and trafficking of Small Arms and Light Weapons.
REITERATES the commitment of the African Union and the Regional Economic Communities to sustainably address the conditions leading to illicit proliferation, circulation, trafficking and destructive use of Small Arms and Light Weapons.
COMMITS to support the initiatives critical in the strengthening of the capacities of Member States to manage their weapon stockpiles as a means of mitigating the illicit proliferation, circulation and trafficking of Small Arms and Light Weapons.
CALLS for continued and concerted engagements with International Partners through agreed platforms in addressing the regulatory, financial, technical and monitoring loopholes that exacerbate the illicit proliferation, circulation and trafficking of Small Arms and Light Weapons into and within the African Continent.
DIRECTS the Commission:
To provide more support, within the broader spectrum of implementing the 2020 Theme of the Year, to Member States including training, awareness and the building of technical capabilities and regulatory frameworks to strengthen the management of national weapon stockpiles.
To harness the institutional and technical partnerships of the African Union to support and deploy technological systems to assist Member States in monitoring and tracking SALW and through the enhancement of coordinative efforts at Sub-regional and international levels taking cognizance of the mandate of the Regional Police Chiefs Cooperation Organizations, the African Union Mechanism for Police Cooperation (AFRIPOL), the Committee of Intelligence and Security Services of Africa (CISSA) and the African Centre for the Study and Research on Terrorism (ACSRT).
To further consolidate and strengthen with Regional Economic Communities the collaborative mechanisms on geometrically implementing the regional and continental initiatives to strengthen Member States’ capacities in addressing the phenomena of illicit proliferation, circulation and trafficking of Small Arms and Light Weapons.
To assist with Regional Economic Communities in mobilizing resources from International and African Partners to support Member States with capacity deficiencies to construct standard infrastructure for the safe storage, physical security and disposal of their Small Arms and Light Weapons.
To ensure that the resulting financial implications on the African Union from these undertakings are initially financed from available resources.
URGES Member States with comparative technical advantages and successful national experiences to assist the Member States with capacity deficiencies in the management of their weapon stockpiles.