The illicit proliferation, excessive accumulation and misuse of weapons and ammunition pose a persistent problem for peace and security at the international, national and regional level causing the violent death of half a million people every year, with 70,000 people dying during armed conflict.
In order to reduce the negative impact on peace and security and to promote sustainable development, governments must address inadequate or obsolete regulation of weapons and ammunition as well as a poor control of licit or illicit stockpiles.
In response to this threat and seeking to improve the weapons and ammunition management (WAM) capacity in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the National Commission for Small Arms and Light Weapons Control and Reduction of Armed Violence (CNC-ALPC) of the Government of the DRC (GoDRC) requested the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR) to conduct a comprehensive national baseline assessment of actors and capacities in the DRC in line with international voluntary guidelines and standards. The assessment took place in Kinshasa during a series of seminars organized from 2-5 August 2016, facilitated in collaboration with MONUSCO Security Sector Reform and the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS), and with participation of experts from the Congolese Armed Forces, National Police and the Nature Conservation Institute as well as international partners, including Embassies and international NGOs.
After four days of workshops and consultations, an initial set of options and recommendations were produced by the CNC-ALPC and UNIDIR and shared with national experts, the GoDRC and the international community. The results of the assessment are considered the first step towards the development of a roadmap to strengthen the national WAM framework and pave the way to reinforce national policies as well as future WAM programmes and procedures to bring the DRC closer to international standards. This will also support and inform the upcoming revision of the National Action Plan 2012-2016 to ensure an inclusive development of the national strategy on weapons and ammunition management and control as well as a feasible and clear action plan. Progress will require permanent commitment from the GoDRC (political and financial), important work from the CNC-ALPC experts and other national stakeholders, as well as continuous support from the International Community.
Through its leadership in this assessment of national capacity, the Government of the DRC has shown its commitment to build professional and accountable institutions able to manage and control national stockpiles. To demonstrate the progress made by the CNC and to mobilize the required resources to maintain its efforts to improve weapons and ammunition management in the DRC, the Government may consider sharing the findings and progress together with UNIDIR in relevant international fora, including the Review Conference of the UN Programme of Action on Small Arms in 2018.