§ 19. Mr. RendelTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps she is taking to halt the spread of small arms in Africa. [138123]
§ Clare ShortWe have supported the implementation of the Moratorium on the Import, Export and Manufacture of Light Weapons in West Africa through funding concrete programmes in conjunction with the UN. We have provided direct support for the Southern Africa Development Corporation (SADC) Action Plan against the proliferation of small arms in that region and helped to fund some of their projects. We have also actively 187W supported the Nairobi declaration on the problem of the Proliferation of Illicit Small Arms and Light Weapons in the Great Lakes Region and in the Horn of Africa and we are assisting in the development and implementation of an Action Plan in support of this Declaration. We plan further efforts to stem the proliferation and misuse of small arms and light weapons.