At the National Level

a)       Implement the Nairobi Declaration, Nairobi Protocol and other Protocols, Programmes of Action and Declarations pertaining to Small Arms and Light Weapons

b)       Develop, implement, resource and monitor the National Action Plan

c)       Coordinate implementation and operational activities with the Regional Task Forces

d)       Coordinate activities related to Small Arms and Light Weapons with all stakeholders to ensure compatibility with the national objectives

e)       Coordinate and interact with civil society

f)        Conduct and facilitate research on issues pertaining Small Arms and Light Weapons in all its aspects

g)       Facilitate the exchange and dissemination of information

h)       Identify and apply lessons learnt aimed at developing best practices

i)         Build and maintain the capacity of all stakeholders to ensure effective and sustainable action to deal with the SALW problem in all its aspects.

At Regional/ International Level

a)       Coordinate the implementation of all Protocols, Programmes of Action and Declarations pertaining to Small Arms and Light Weapons

b)       Coordinate the implementation of the Nairobi Declaration and the Nairobi Protocol with the Nairobi Secretariat and other National Focal Points in the Great Lakes Region and Horn of Africa

c)       Co-ordinate activities related to small arms and light weapons with sub-regional, regional and international organizations to ensure compatibility with national objectives

d)       Facilitate the exchange and dissemination of information.

Uganda’s National Action Plan on Arms Management and Disarmament

The Government of Uganda has adopted a National Action Plan on Small Arms and Light Weapons (NAP) that sets out the framework for comprehensive and coordinated action. The plan focuses activity on three key action areas:

a)      Control and management of existing stock of SALW

b)      Reduction of the volume of SALW already in circulation

c)       Prevention of future proliferation of SALW

Control and Management of Existing Stock

·        Small Arms and Law Enforcement Capacity Building

·        SALW stockpile and surplus management

·        Establishing a normative framework

·        Regulating civilian ownership of SALW

·        Brokering and shipping agents

Reduction Activities

·        Collection and destruction

Preventative Action

·        Licensing controls and procedures

·        End-use certification and monitoring

·        Reporting, Transparency and Accountability

·        Marking and Tracing

Priority Activities of the National Action Plan

The plan establishes a range of activities that are to be undertaken over a five year period 2004-2008. These are clustered around the three key areas of action above.

National bodies and agencies

This section of the NAP aims to ensure that the national and regional agencies that are responsible for implementing the NAP are set up and have the necessary resources, authority and skills to ensure that the NAP is effectively implemented. A key objective in this section is to ensure that the NFP has the capacity and skills to co-ordinate Uganda’s actions to address small arms, and that it works alongside the NSC and includes representatives from civil society. In order to ensure that the NAP is effectively implemented at the regional level, this section also calls for the establishment of Regional Task Forces (RTFs) in each of Uganda’s police administration regions. The RTFs will have a similar multi-departmental composition to the NFP and will be responsible for implementing the NAP at the regional and district levels. The NAP outlines steps for setting up the RTFs, defining their composition, role, functions, and responsibilities, and for training them to ensure that they have the capacity to co-ordinate action to address small arms at the regional and district levels.

Policy and legislation

It is important that Uganda review its small arms legislation and policy in order to ensure that regional and international commitments are reflected in national legislation and policy, and to ensure that a strong legal and policy framework is in place to control small arms. The NAP outlines the process for developing and reviewing Uganda’s small arms policy and legislation. It states that a policy drafting committee should be established to formulate a national policy on firearms, ammunition and explosives and that civil society should actively participate in the policy development process. Once the new small arms policy has been approved, the NAP states that a similar legal drafting committee should be established to revise or replace existing legislation, regulations and administrative procedures on small arms control in line with the new policy. Once the new legislation has been approved by the NSC and passed by Parliament, the next step will be to implement ensure that it is effective implemented. This will entail training and awareness-raising to ensure that the new laws and procedures are understood by the public and by those responsible for enforcing them.

Stockpile management

The NAP sets three key priorities relating to stockpile management in Uganda: record-keeping, stocktaking and the collection and destruction of small arms. The NAP outlines the steps that should be taken in order to improve the accuracy of records on both state and civilian owned small arms in Uganda, and reform and modernise the Central Firearms Registry (CFR). It calls for a detailed study of existing procedures, including in regard to the national defence industry, as well as the establishment of new systems and the training of CFR staff. The NAP also calls for a national stocktaking operation to ensure that the State has accurate and up-to-date information about all state-owned and civilian small arms, including seized and recovered weapons. This process will help update records in the CFR and will identify surplus, seized or obsolete weapons that can be destroyed. Finally, the NAP outlines the process for collecting and destroying weapons. This will include developing a programme to encourage the voluntary surrender of small arms by civilians, including establishing an amnesty period.

Public education and awareness programme

An important objective of the NAP is to develop a national awareness-raising and education programme designed to reduce demand for small arms and to build public support for and understanding of key aspects of the NAP. The NAP outlines a number of priorities for public education and awareness-raising, including:

a)       The development of an awareness-raising programme designed to reduce demand for small arms and establish a culture of peace.

b)       To communcate the objectives of the NAP to district and local authorities and enhance co-operation between local authorities and RTFs

c)       To develop a simplified guide to Uganda’s new firearms laws, once these have been developed.

d)       To develop peace education curricula for schools.

e)       To conduct outreach to the media to encourage attention to the small arms issue and coverage of progress in implementing the NAP.

International and regional co-operation and information exchange

The small arms problem in Uganda has important regional and international dimensions, and therefore requires effective co-operation regionally and internationally to address it. The NAP outlines the process for improving Uganda’s ability to co-operate, share information and conduct joint operations and planning with neighbouring countries. It calls for the development of policies and procedures aimed at enhancing cross-border and regional co-operation and information-sharing, particularly with Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda, Sudan and DRC, as well as the hosting of a series of joint training workshops with law enforcement officials from these countries. It also calls for the development of joint law enforcement operations with neighbouring countries, aimed at collecting and destroying weapons in border areas, improving safety in border communities, and combating the illicit trade in small arms.

Border control and refugees

The first objective of this section of the NAP is to establish effective controls on the movement of arms, goods and people across Uganda’s borders. It calls for the establishment of a movement control working group to examine how to improve controls at the major points of entry, including modernising and improving systems and equipment for the search for, and detection of, illegal small arms. The second relates to improving the management of refugees and improving human security in and around refugee camps. It calls for the development of a refugee management policy that complements the NAP and the establishment of an inter-agency committee to enhance Uganda’s responses to refugee crises. It also calls for further research into the causes of insecurity in refugee camps and the design of targeted development and arms reduction programmes aimed at reducing demand for small arms and addressing armed violence in and around refugee communities.

Human development planning

This section of the NAP focuses on addressing those factors that are contributing to the demand for small arms, as well as linking the NAP to broader national security and development strategies. The first objective is to establish development programmes that will address some of the factors that contribute to the demand for small arms, including poverty and cattle rustling. The second objective focuses on addressing violent conflicts that fuel demand for small arms. It calls for further research to identify and strengthen peaceful conflict resolution mechanisms. The third objective is to reduce insecurity and demand for small arms by improving relations between the police and communities through community-based policing programmes. The fourth objective is to ensure that the NAP complements and links with national development policies and programmes, including the Poverty Eradication Action Plan, the Karamoja Development Plan, the Disaster Management Policy, the Refugee Management Policy and the Northern Uganda Reconstruction Programme. It calls for the mainstreaming of small arms, safety and security issues into Uganda’s development strategies and plans. The final objective is to ensure that any existing programmes related to small arms control complement and build upon the NAP and the work of the NFP.

Training and capacity-building

This section of the NAP focuses on training and capacity-building to ensure the long-term success of the NAP. The NAP outlines a number of priorities for training and capacity-building, including training the NFP, senior management officials from the government departments with a role in the NAP, and national law enforcement officials on technical issues relating to arms management and disarmament. It also calls for training of RTFs, including civil society members, on the NAP and the roles and responsibilities of the RTFs in implementing it. Finally, it calls for CSO trainings in all of Uganda’s regions to enable civil society and community based organisations to engage with the RTFs on the NAP in an informed manner, and to support public awareness-raising on small arms control at the grassroots level.

Research

This section of the NAP focuses on areas in which further research can contribute to the strengthening of small arms control. It envisages that research will be undertaken in collaboration with civil society, including a joint research project between civil society and law enforcement agencies on the dynamics of the illegal arms trade in Uganda. It also envisages that research will be undertaken by universities, think tanks and research institutes. This section identifies a number of areas in which further research is needed for the law enforcement agencies to develop appropriate and targeted responses to small arms proliferation. These include research on approaches to the surrender and collection of weapons in Uganda’s most affected communities, research on the problem of poaching, and research into how cross-border co-operation between law enforcement agencies can be improved.

Critical areas of support

This section of the NAP identifies critical areas where Uganda’s law enforcement agencies need support to enable them to take action to reduce illicit small arms and to carry out their responsibilities effectively and comprehensively. It calls for further research into the establishment of a National Firearms Unit and capacity building of the Crime Intelligence Unit. In addition, it calls for support to LEAs in areas including transportation, communications technology, and equipment, as well as the provision of financial support for joint operations.