UNIDIR, in partnership with Angola’s Ministry of National Defence, Former Combatants and Veterans of the Homeland and the Angolan National Arms Control and Disarmament Authority (ANCAD), convened a national capacity-building workshop in Luanda on 5-6 May to strengthen national reporting processes; enhance inter-agency coordination; and identify priorities for international cooperation and assistance.
The two-day training brought together 30 national officials from Angola’s ministries of defence, finance, human rights, and interior, as well as representatives of the armed forces, national police and customs authorities. It sought to improve reporting to the following international arms control instruments:
- the United Nations Global Framework for Through-life Conventional Ammunition Management (GFA);
- the United Nations Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons (PoA) and its International Tracing Instrument (ITI); and
- the United Nations Register of Conventional Arms (UNROCA).
During this workshop, it is expected that experiences, best practices, and technical knowledge will be shared to help improve the quality of national reports (…) [Reporting] serves as a diagnostic tool for assessing the current overall situation and for adjusting and enriching ongoing measures.
H.E. Marcos Correia, Secretary of State for the Protection of Strategic Objectives of the Ministry of Defence
Dr Paul Holtom, Head of UNIDIR’s Conventional Weapons Programme, noted that by helping States and other stakeholders to fulfil their commitments and obligations under conventional arms and ammunition control instruments: “We can help to build confidence and trust between States, reduce tensions around arms, and foster peace, security, stability and sustainable development.“
From capacity-building to concrete progress
The workshop focused on the practical steps required for Angola to prepare its national reports. Experts examined the types of data and information to be reported under each instrument, identified which national institutions hold relevant information, and considered how stronger inter-agency coordination can support reporting processes.
Participants developed first drafts of guidance for national reporting procedures and kick-started the process of developing Angola’s national reports for the GFA, PoA/ITI and UNROCA. Experts also discussed implementation gaps and identified national priorities for international cooperation and assistance.
ANCAD timed the workshop to support Angola’s broader arms control efforts, as highlighted by H.E. Marcos Correia:
This initiative, carried out in strategic partnership with UNIDIR, forms part of the sector’s Biennial Action Plan for the Implementation of Arms Control Instruments, aimed above all at strengthening the national system for controlling arms of all types and categories by enhancing the capacity of relevant institutions, adapting existing legislation, and training personnel, based on international standards, recommendations, and best practices.
The workshop enhanced Angola’s engagement with international obligations and processes; supported a systematic stocktaking of national progress and challenges; and provided additional momentum to strengthen its legal framework through the development of a new Law on the Control of Conventional Arms and Ammunition and Related Materials.
Looking ahead
UNIDIR and Angola will continue to explore opportunities for cooperation to strengthen national arms and ammunition control. As Dr Holtom noted:
We hope that this capacity-building workshop is the first of many opportunities to work together to counter the threats posed by unregulated and illicit weapons to communities and the State of Angola.
The workshop forms part of UNIDIR’s broader efforts to support States in building sustainable, nationally owned capacities for effective reporting. Through its Conventional Weapons Programme, UNIDIR provides tailored advice and capacity-building to help States fulfil their commitments under international instruments on conventional arms and ammunition control.