Central, North and West Africa Workshop on the Arms Trade Treaty

Submitted by Theodora Williams on Fri, 04/24/2009 - 12:01.

The United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Africa (UNREC), the International Action Network on Small Arms (IANSA) and the West African Action Network on Small Arms (WAANSA) hosted a workshop for civil society from West, Central and Northern Africa on “Supporting an Arms Trade Treaty” in Lome, Togo from 15th to 16th April 2009.

Participants came from Algeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Cote d’Ivoire, DRC, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Tunisia and Togo. Special guests came from France and Argentina with resource persons from IANSA and UNREC.

The purpose of the workshop was mainly to prepare civil society input to the Regional Governmental meeting on an ATT to be held in Dakar, Senegal from the 28th to 29th April 2009. At the ATT workshop, participants had the opportunity to share best practices and skills in lobbying and campaigning. In addition, the UN Charter was critically analysed as well as the submissions to the UN Secretary-General and comments made by some ECOWAS Member States, Algeria, Cameroon, Chad, DRC, and Tunisia. Participants identified gaps and made suggestions as to how the government statements at the UN meetings could be further strengthened.

Political Empowerment of Women Means Economic Empwerment of Society

In 2004 25 women were nominated to parliament, lamentably 2008 recorded an even lower number of 20. In 2004 there were 5 women parliamentarians from northern Ghana. This figure reduced to 2 in 2008. FOSDA's Gender Equity Programme resolves to work on improving women's political representation at all levels. As a human security oriented organisation and guided by the UN Resolution 1325 FOSDA has developed this programme focusing on most marginalised groups in the country. The next local government elections would see alot of activism on the election of women into district assemblies especially in the designated savanna belt which include the three northern regions and some parts of northern Volta and northern Brong Ahafo Regions.

Validation Workshop and Launch of Women Empowerment Project

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Central, North and West Africa Workshop on the Arms Trade Treaty

Political Empowerment of Women Means Economic Empwerment of Society

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