UNIDIR defines weapons and ammunition management (WAM) in a comprehensive manner covering the oversight, accountability and governance of conventional arms and ammunition throughout their management cycle. This includes the establishment of relevant national frameworks, processes and practices for the safe and secure production and acquisition of materiel, stockpiling, transfers, end use control, tracing and disposal. This holistic approach is essential in ensuring that efforts to better regulate arms and ammunition are undertaken in alignment with relevant humanitarian, peacebuilding, security sector governance, rule of law, counter-terrorism, and armed violence reduction processes and not in isolation.
This country insight presents the main findings of the WAM follow-up assessment conducted in March 2023 by the Government of the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, through the National Commission for the Fight against the Proliferation and Illicit Trafficking of Small Arms and Light Weapons, in cooperation with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and UNIDIR. The publication draws from the comprehensive follow-up assessment report shared by UNIDIR in cooperation with ECOWAS to the Government of Côte d'Ivoire and sheds light on the progress made since the initial 2016 baseline assessment (last country insight report). It includes information on existing institutional and operational capacities, policies and procedures, as well as challenges faced by Ivorian authorities at strategic and operational levels and options for further strengthening the national framework governing through-life management of weapons and ammunition in the Ivory coast.
UNIDIR encourages States, regional and sub-regional organisations, and relevant international partners to consult this Côte d'Ivoire WAM country insight, as well as its country insight series and annual updates. These resources can serve as a basis for strengthening WAM policies and practices at different levels and for planning, implementing and evaluating future projects related to WAM and areas in Côte d'Ivoire as well as other African States respectively.