Lomé, Togo, October 2, 2019//- Lome home since Tuesday 1 October 2019, a sub-regional meeting on the incorporation of the provisions of the Treaty on Arms Trade (ATT) in the national legal systems of French-speaking states of Africa.
Organized by the Togolese government and the African Union with support from the CAW of the Voluntary Fund, the high-level meeting brings together 70 government experts, parliamentarians and civil society from 13 Francophone African countries, Benin, Burkina Faso, Ivory coast, Madagascar, Mali, Central African Republic, Niger, Chad, Guinea, Mauritius Islands, Senegal and Togo.
The meeting aims to ensure effective implementation of the provisions of the TCA the Treaty on the continent in general and French-speaking African countries in particular.
The work was initiated by the Minister of Security and Civil Protection, Gal Yark DAMEHANE in the presence of his colleague of Justice, then AGBETOMEY and the Permanent Representative of Togo to the United Nations Office of the World Trade organization and other international organizations in Geneva, Yackoley JOHNSON.
For three days, participants will discuss among others on the ATT process of integration into the national legal systems, human rights, gender-based violence and sustainable development goals (SDGs), the role of parliamentarians in implementation of the ATT, the fight against embezzlement in the transfer of weapons and collaboration in the implementation of the Treaty.
Present at the opening, the Minister of Security and Civil Protection, Gal. Yark DAMEHANE, said on this occasion, a billion and a half people now live in areas affected by the fragility of state authority, conflicts or violence associated with crime.
Moreover, each year, an estimated 700 to 900,000 new small arms and light weapons are in addition to weapons 875 million already in circulation worldwide. 74% of these guns do not belong to the stocks of the Forces of Defense and Security, but are held by civilians, the minister said.
These figures according to the minister to fill, the gravity of the situation and the urgency to act. “It is therefore clear that in light of all the above, we have an obligation to work with determination to establish robust mechanisms for implementation of the ATT, to help reduce human suffering,“ hammered the head of the Togolese security.
Solon the Coordinator of TCA incorporation Project KOINZI Awoki, African countries have ratified the CAW struggle to appropriate the text and to transpose its provisions into national laws. “So what this workshop aims to remedy this situation,” he added.
For the organizers, this new seat is in the logical result of the recommendations of the workshop held in Lome in December 2017 under the theme “Strengthening the capacity of African stakeholders on the implementation of the TCA.”
Recall that to date 104 countries including 25 African ratified the Treaty on Arms Trade, in force since 24 December 2014. Through the CAW, governments want to prevent and eradicate the diversion of legal guns to circuits unlawful or unauthorized users to contribute to peace, security and stability.
African Eye Report
