15 February 2017 - The Central African Convention for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons, their Ammunition and all Parts and Components that can be used for their Manufacture, Repair and Assembly, also known as the Kinshasa Convention, was adopted in 2010 by eleven signatories. On 6 February 2017, the conditions for the entry into force of the instrument were met, after its ratification by Angola. The Convention will enter into force on 8 March 2017.
UNODC's Global Firearms Programme (GFP) recognizes the great importance of the Kinshasa Convention in the fight against the illicit manufacturing of and trafficking in small arms and light weapons. It complements and reinforces the existing regional and global framework comprising, among others, the Arms Trade Treaty, the United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC), and its Firearms Protocol.
Highlighting the relevance of this regional convention to UNODC's work, Simonetta Grassi, Head of the GFP, mentioned: "the Kinshasa Convention adopts more stringent measures than some other instruments and has clearly benefited from the other international instruments adopted earlier. Its entry into force strengthens the already existing legal framework and sets out high standards for the region, creating, at the same time, opportunities of harmonization at the interregional level - notably with the Economic Community Of West African States (ECOWAS)."
For the GFP, it is crucial to note that the implementation of all the existing instruments, including the Firearms Protocol, should not be regarded in isolation. Therefore, UNODC also takes into account the complementary provisions of regional instruments when providing legislative assistance to Member States. Furthermore, UNODC encourages regional harmonization efforts which facilitate establishing synergies, effective coordination, and fruitful cooperation among the countries of the region.
UNODC supports Member States in their efforts to harmonize their legal frameworks in line with the regional and global instruments, as well as assisting in their effective implementation, such as in the case of the Kinshasa Convention.
UNODC's Global Firearms Programme
Kinshasa Convention - UN Department for Disarmament Affairs
United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and the Protocols Thereto
