Marking Small Arms - Towards Implementing The Nairobi Protocol
blurb:isstoday:040708armsmark
04 July 2008: Marking Small Arms – Towards Implementing The Nairobi Protocol
One of the major impediments to controlling the illicit proliferation of small arms and light weapons (SALW) is the difficulty in tracing their origin and movement within and across states. Developing effective mechanisms for marking and tracing these weapons can assist in curbing their proliferation by identifying sources, trade patterns and points where weapons have been diverged from legal sources to illicit markets.
On the African continent, internal and cross-border conflicts combined with porous borders have resulted in the easy flow of goods between countries, including SALW. This is further aggravated by poor security of state stockpiles of weapons in many countries, resulting in leakages of firearms and ammunition to illicit users.
By branding weapons with a unique marking, including details such as the date and country of manufacture, the date of import, the model and calibre, it becomes easier to trace their movement along the supply and demand chain. These details can also provide useful information for mapping out illegal arms trade patterns between countries. Furthermore, marking SALW on importation can assist in identifying and holding countries accountable for supplying weapons to states in conflict situations or where human rights abuses are occurring. Trade in weapons to countries that are under arms embargoes or even those facing internal repression, can have devastating consequences and arms exporting states should be held accountable for supplying arms to these countries.
Standardising marking practices
The marking of firearms has been widely recognised as an effective means to assist in controlling the illicit proliferation of SALW and there is global recognition for the need for an international standard for marking weapons, as divergent marking practices hamper the identification and tracing of weapons. Both the United Nations Firearms Protocol and the United Nations Programme of Action stipulate basic standards for marking firearms. However, the specifics surrounding markings are left up to individual states.
In the Great Lakes Region and Horn of Africa, states have adopted a regional approach to fulfil marking commitments by prescribing specific marking standards in the legally binding Nairobi Protocol (2004).
Under article 7 of the Nairobi Protocol, states are required to:
- Mark all SALW upon manufacture with a unique marking, which includes the name of the manufacturer, country or place of manufacture, and the serial number;
- Mark all SALW upon import indicating the country and year of import, and a serial number if the weapon does not already possess one;
- Ensure that all state-owned firearms are marked; and
- Ensure that a database of information in relation to firearms is maintained for no less than ten years for tracing purposes.
Markings on firearms must be stamped or etched on the barrel, the frame, and where applicable, the slide.
At a regional arms marking and recordkeeping workshop, held from the 31st March to the 4th April 2008 in Mombasa, the 12 member states that are signatories to the Nairobi Protocol reaffirmed their commitment to marking all current stocks of state and civilian-owned firearms by the end of this year. The signatories are Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda.
In order to facilitate the marking process, the Regional Centre on Small Arms and Light Weapons (RECSA), which is responsible for co-ordinating the SALW activities of signatories to the Nairobi Protocol, committed itself to acquiring electronic marking equipment for member states. Manual marking equipment was originally purchased as it can be used in areas where electricity is not available. However, certain member states later expressed a preference for electronic machines, and the manual equipment is currently being exchanged for electronic equipment.
States favoured electronic marking equipment, as these devices are able to mark up to 1,500 weapons a day and information on firearms is automatically captured and stored on a database. Through this process, states are aiming to meet the December 2008 deadline for the marking of all state and civilian-owned firearms in the region.
SALW in the region will be marked in line with international standards, as stipulated in the International Tracing Instrument and the UN Firearms Protocol. Each weapon will therefore be stamped with a country code (ISO 3166-1 country codes are recommended), a force code (if the weapon belongs to the state), and the weapon’s serial number.
National database systems
An effective tracing system requires establishing and maintaining a database of information relating to marked firearms. RECSA has acquired 24 computers for those states that are signatories to the Nairobi Protocol to assist with the development and maintenance of national databases for recording arms. A regional SALW marking and data management workshop will also be held in the region once marking equipment has been distributed. This workshop will be aimed at training representatives from member states on practical marking and the generation and maintenance of a database system for SALW. Furthermore, RECSA is in the process of signing a memorandum of understanding with Interpol to assist in the development of a regional tracing database system.
The Great Lakes region and the Horn of Africa are the first regional communities in Africa to attempt to implement a regional marking programme. When completed, the potential for states to track weapons throughout the region and map out illicit trade patterns will be considerably enhanced.The success of this initiative is, however, heavily dependent on the creation and maintenance of national databases on SALW. This will prove to be a major challenge for states, as it will require significant resources and technical expertise, particularly as some of these states still make use of manual record-keeping systems.
Three years ago, signatory states to the Nairobi Protocol agreed to mark all state and civilian owned firearms and create national databases by the end of this year.Given the slow progress in securing and distributing marking equipment to states, it will require a monumental effort on the part of member states to meet the December 2008 target. However, once the marking process is completed, it will be a significant advancement in the implementation of the Nairobi Protocol and in curbing the illicit proliferation of SALW in the region.
Dominique Dye, Junior Researcher, Arms Management Programme, ISS Tshwane (Pretoria)
