Following an EU Council decision on 27 February 2012 a two year project on 'Supporting EU-China-Africa Dialogue on Conventional Arms Control' was launched on 5 June 2012. The project aimed at enhancing dialogue between the African, Chinese, and European civil society and research communities on conventional arms control and the struggle against illicit proliferation and circulation of SALW through an 'Africa-China-EU Expert Working Group on conventional arms,' and its activities. The Expert Working Group set its objectives to promote practical trilateral collaboration to address the proliferation of SALW in the Great Lakes and Horn of Africa by assisting in the implementation of the UNPoA, existing regional programmes such as the Nairobi Protocol, and to support the ATT negotiation and subsequent ratification process.