§ John RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the leaders of the states in the Horn of Africa on(a) violent crime and (b) small arms proliferation. [105426]
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§ Mr. RammellMy right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary had meetings in February in London with the Foreign Ministers of Kenya and Ethiopia. He discussed with them our concerns about terrorism and the general level of violence in the Horn of Africa.
Small arms proliferation is also a significant problem in the region. The UK is active and works extensively in Africa with Governments, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and NGOs on Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) issues. We have committed significant resources from our Global Conflict Prevention Pool for SALW to assist the secretariat that supports the 2000 Nairobi Declaration. We also support the Experts Panel established by UNSCR 1425 (2002) to monitor the arms embargo on Somalia.