Preventing and Reducing Armed Violence to Promote Development

Last week at the Geneva Declaration Regional Review Conference for Sub-Saharan Africa, 26-27 November, civil society groups delivered a strong call for action from States to reduce armed violence. A collective statement (attached) called on all governments to take key steps towards tackling the drives and impacts of violence and insecurity across the region, and to support the inclusion of peace, justice and governance issues within a post-2015 development agenda.

The recommendations were developed by 35 civil society groups who met on 25 November in Nairobi, Kenya, at a regional workshop hosted by the Global Alliance on Armed Violence (GAAV) with the America Friends Service Committee (AFSC) on Preventing and Reducing Armed Violence to Promote Development. Over 190 groups were also invited to take part in an online consultation towards developing the statement.

The NGO forum, as well as the participation of a delegation of civil society participants at the RRC, was made possible with support from the Dialogue and Exchange Programme (DEP) via the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC).

The workshop provided an interactive space, engaging all participants in group work and dialogue, to explore themes of the review conference – armed violence challenges in Sub-Saharan Africa, measuring and monitoring armed violence, and the post-2015 development agenda. A summary note on ways to consolidate and improve targets supporting goal 16 as defined by the Open Working Group will also be shared by the non-government groups.