UN helps West and Central African countries fight scourge of illicit weapons

A two-day United Nations conference seeking to help West and Central African nations bolster their abilities to identify and trace illicit small arms and light weapons kicks off tomorrow in Lomé, Togo.

Held by the Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Africa – part of the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs – the gathering will assist countries’ efforts to implement the International Instrument to Enable States to Identify and Trace, in a Timely and Reliable Manner, Illicit Small Arms and Light Weapons.

Co-organized by Interpol, the workshop aims to identify actions States can take to adhere to the Instrument and familiarize government authorities with it.

Some 60 participants are expected to attend the event, which is supported by the European Union as well as Japan and Norway.

The meeting is part of a series targeted at promoting the Instrument and step up States’ capacity to put it into practice.