Small Arms Survey assistance to strengthening National Institutions in Developing a System of Indicators on Firearms
In 2019, the Small Arms Survey, in the framework of the UNSCAR-funded project on 'Strengthening National Institutions in Developing a System of Indicators on Firearms', organized a national workshop in each participating country with their National Commission on Small Arms or their Focal point on Small Arms. Some workshops took place in partnership with the UNODC Global Firearms Programme, which participated when it could do so. Prior to the workshops, the Small Arms Survey organized consultations with national stakeholders (national focal points on small arms, relevant ministries, statistical authorities, academia and civil society) to produce with them an assessment of existing firearm-related indicators and metadata for completing a system of indicators for each country. Each country assessment highlighted existing data, gaps, and needs in relation to pilot indicators, with respect to data collection, sharing, and use (specifically in policymaking). The assessment were then discussed during the national workshops that brought together national stakeholders and served as an example of a multi-stakeholder space in which to discuss data, and spurred discussions as well as highlighted practical steps in establishing such a mechanism.
The project 'Strengthening National Institutions in Developing a System of Indicators on Firearms' was implemented by the Small Arms Survey with the financial support of UNSCAR and the German Federal Foreign Office (GFFO). The goal of the project, addressing specifically Burkina Faso, Burundi, Ghana, Mauritania, and and NigerGhana, was to develop a comprehensive system of firearm-related indicators and creating a space for discussion among actors from state, civil society and academia, to allow African states to advance and monitor their progress towards SDG Target 16.4 (‘a signficant reduction of illicit arms flows’).