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s a f e r w o r l d · w o r k i n g p a p e r 3Declaration 8 . The Nairobi Declaration in turn urges member states to support subregionalco-operation among police, intelligence, customs and border control officialsin combating the illicit circulation and trafficking in SALW and suppressing criminalactivities related to the use of weapons.Bound by the Nairobi Declaration, the signatories agreed in 2001 to the CoordinatedAgenda for Action and an Implementation Plan. NFPs are mandated to monitor theratification, implementation, execution and evaluation of the Nairobi Protocol at thenational level in liaison with law enforcement agencies. They are also to ensureadherence to the standards set out in the document and inform the RECSA Secretariaton a regular basis of progress made. This mandate was reaffirmed during the 2ndRECSA Ministerial Review Conference of 2004 and continues to guide action onSALW by NFPs at national level.Under the UNPOA every country has committed itself to establish or designatenational co-ordination agencies or bodies and institutional infrastructure responsiblefor policy guidance, research and monitoring of efforts to prevent, combat and eradicatethe illicit trade in SALW in all its aspects. States are also committed to establish ordesignate a point of contact within sub-regional and regional organisations to liaise onmatters relating to the implementation of the Programme of Action. Article 4(d) of theNairobi Protocol requires member states to establish or enhance inter-agency groups,involving police, military, customs, home affairs and other relevant bodies, to improvepolicy co-ordination, information sharing and analysis at national level. This provisionis reiterated in the Bamako Declaration, which was largely influenced by the NairobiProtocol.8 Bamako Declaration on an African Common Position on the Illicit Proliferation, Circulation and Trafficking of SALW of1 December 2000.
3The Regional Centre onSmall Armst h e r e g i o n a l c e n t r e o n s m a l l a r m s (r e c s a ) started as the NairobiSecretariat on SALW following the Nairobi Declaration in 2000. Member states 9designated the Government of Kenya to co-ordinate follow-up to the Declaration,the result of which was the setting up of the Nairobi Secretariat in 2002, located withinKenya’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 10The Nairobi Secretariat was moved from the ministry to an independent office in 2003.In June 2005, member states established RECSA under Article 2 of the AgreementEstablishing the Regional Centre on Small Arms in the Great Lakes Region, the Hornof Africa and Bordering States. 11 On 23 October 2006, RECSA and the Governmentof Kenya signed a Host Agreement. The new-found independence of RECSA wassignificant in several ways. First, the secretariat achieved autonomy by being freedfrom the government bureaucracy of any one host country – for instance, the officecould operate its own accounts separate from the national treasury. Second, thesecretariat gained a truly regional outlook by ceasing to exist as a unit within a (host)member state’s ministry and by adopting a name reflecting its status: the RegionalCentre on Small Arms. RECSA also now enjoys diplomatic status and obtainedobserver status at the UN General Assembly in December 2007. 12RECSA has three organs, namely: the Council of Ministers, the Technical AdvisoryCommittee and the Secretariat. The Secretariat derives its mandate from Article 18of the Nairobi Protocol. It is responsible for developing and issuing implementationguidelines and instructions, monitoring implementation and evaluating the NairobiProtocol in liaison with law enforcement agencies. The Secretariat is also responsiblefor co-ordinating the joint effort by NFPs in member states to prevent, combat anderadicate illicit trafficking and build-up of uncontrolled SALW, ammunition andrelated material in the Great Lakes and Horn of Africa.Table 1 below shows some areas of co-operation between RECSA and key regionaland international partner organisations.9 Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda.10 RECSA, Nairobi Secretariat Information Tool Kit 2002–2004.11 Member states signed this agreement during the Third Ministerial Review Conference held in Nairobi on 20–21 June, 2005.12 RECSA, Annual Review Report, July 2007–June 2008.
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