Small Arms Commission calls on LI to check weapons in the system



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The National Commission on Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCSALW) has expressed concern over the delay in the adoption of the legislative instrument that will authorize a list of weapons and ammunition who will be allowed to enter or leave the country.

The LOI for the checklist should cover a complete and detailed list of weapons and ammunition allowed to enter and leave the country.

It is in keeping with the provisions of the Arms Trade Treaty, an international instrument regulating the trade in conventional arms and ensuring peace, security and global security.

According to the Program Manager at the National Commission on Small Arms and Light Weapons, Leonard Tettey, the LI for the checklist, drafted by the Commission in 2017, was still on the shelves and had not yet been sent to Cabinet for approval.

Speaking at a meeting of Ghana's National Committee of International Humanitarian Law in Accra, Mr. Tettey explained that customs officials needed a document guaranteeing that every weapon entering the country was subject to authorization.

"The absence of a checklist implies that weapons entering and leaving the country are not subject to any restrictions. No matter who can bring anything, and this is left to the discretion of our customs authorities to authorize or not the entry into the country, "he said.

Arms Trade Treaty

Established by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the National Committee on International Humanitarian Law, composed of representatives of the security services, seeks to ensure that international humanitarian law is effectively applied by countries.

The Arms Trade Treaty is a multilateral treaty governing the international trade in conventional arms.

It was adopted by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly on April 2, 2013 and came into effect on December 24, 2014.

Ghana is one of the 94 states that have ratified the treaty. Forty-one other States have not yet ratified it.

The implications

Mr. Tettey also expressed concern that the country, although a signatory to a number of humanitarian law treaties on arms, has not incorporated the treaties to be implemented by the United Nations. l & # 39; State.

"Currently, if a non-state actor is seen manufacturing or using chemical weapons, there are no laws in the country to handle this situation," he said.

He said the country needed to adopt some of the treaties to protect itself.

Mr. Tettey recommended that Ghana adopt comprehensive national legislation incorporating all of these laws.

Purpose of the committee

Charles Gardmodeh Kpan, head of the ICRC's office in Ghana and Liberia, said that although the establishment of a national committee was not a formal requirement for countries, it was a question of An important step to ensure the effective application of international laws on humanity.

When implementing international humanitarian law, he added, countries were required to adopt other regulations. A national committee made up of security experts was therefore needed to facilitate the process by advising and badisting the government.

As part of his role, he said, the committee should advise the government on the promotion of ratifications, the badessment of existing laws and the provision of guidance on the interpretation of law. humanitarian.

The committee should also prepare projects and adopt international humanitarian law in national laws and regulations.

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