Publications

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The purpose of this Manual is to help strengthen the capacity of the West  African community  to deal with the devastating consequences of the uncontrolled proliferation of small arms  and light weapons (SALW). It is intended as a primer for those with little or no experience in SALW action, and as an aide memoire for those well versed in these issues. 
This Manual evolved from the need to adopt a more practical approach towards realizing the objectives set out in the ECOWAS Convention on Small Arms and Light Weapons, Their Ammunition and Other Related Materials, which was signed on 14 June 2006. It is the result of a collaborative effort between the Kofi  Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC), the ECOWAS Small Arms Unit, the German Development Cooperation (GTZ) and the Bonn International Center for Conversion (BICC), and was validated at an expert workshop on  SALW  at  the  KAIPTC  in  April  2008.  The  workshop  was  attended  by  representatives  of ECOWAS, civil society organizations and government agencies from across West Africa and beyond. Each of the eight Sections of this Manual can be read on its own or in a different order than presented here. For organizations and individuals new to the small arms issue, we recommend reading the entire Manual. For those well versed in small arms issues, we recommend using the Manual as a resource and selecting only those sections most relevant for your work. The manual is designed to be used by a diverse audience and easily adaptable to a variety of contexts.
The initial target group for this Manual was civil society actors and organizations engaged in the SALW issue. However, the expert workshop made clear the need to build capacity, trust and confi dence between all key actors involved in this issue. Each section was therefore written with all three actors in mind. More specifi cally, Sections 6 and 7 discuss the interaction 
between civil society, security service personnel and government agencies on SALW control issues, and identify entry points for better coordination and cooperation. 
The goal of this Manual is not only to serve as a backgrounder for SALW issues in West Africa, but also as a capacity-building tool. With this in mind, several features appear throughout the Manual to facilitate education and training on the SALW issue. For example, readers are provided with reminders, additional resources, tables and checklists to facilitate action and understanding. Boxes describe cases of SALW control in various West African countries. 
Finally, trainer notes are included where they can facilitate the structure and delivery of the issue at hand. The result is a highly practical, modifi able and fl exible Manual on SALW Control for West African practitioners, policymakers and researchers alike.