Ghana urged to ratify ECOWAS convention on small arms

Accra, Aug. 26, GNA - Participants at a two-day workshop on small arms have called on Ghana to ratify the ECOWAS Convention on Small Arms and Light Weapons.

A recommendation, issued at the end of the workshop in Accra on Tuesday, asked Ghana to recruit staff for the National Commission (NATCOM) on Small Arms to make it work effectively as well as signal the country's seriousness in the campaign against the proliferation of small arms in the ECOWAS sub-region. The workshop was under the auspices of the ECOWAS Small Arms Programme (ECOSAP) and was aimed at identifying armed violence reduction projects of member-states.

It also updated, reviewed and planned National Commission (NATCOM) activities for member-states in line with benchmarks that were set in recent past.

Participants included staff from NATCOM, the United Nations Development Programme focal point, ECOSAP members and a representative from civil society. It said member states should consider the programme very important and participate in its activities to make it a success. The recommendation also called on ECOWAS to finalize the manual for the establishment of NATCOMs as well as state guidelines for the location of the NATCOM within the appropriate government oversight agency.

It said the oversight agency to be determined should be at the highest level of government and should report directly to the president. It said cross border activities should be further encouraged by ECOSAP to check the proliferation of small arms within the sub-region. 26 Aug. 09