Aiming for Prevention: International Initiatives

United Nations related events

The United Nations "Conference on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects" was convened in July 2001 to decide on steps nations should take to prevent the illicit trade in small arms. NGOs including IPPNW took a prominent role in the conference advocating for a variety of methods to reduce armed violence. The result of the 2001 conference was a "Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects or UN PoA. Since then IPPNW has actively participated in the subsequent meetings relating to the PoA, bringing a public health message to these proceedings. We have distributed our policy paper “Prescriptions for Prevention” at the last two sessions. We are also actively working for a humanitarian-based Arms Trade Treaty, serve on the Steering Board of the Control Arms Coalition, and participate in related UN events in New York and Geneva including First Committee.

We provide health input to other related events and discussions held in conjunction with the UN organized by the UN office of Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) or such topics as the Geneva Declaration on Armed Violence and Development and the NGO Committee on Disarmament, Peace & Security. In addition, we regularly participate in the annual UN Department of Public Information (UNDPI) annual conferences, including the last two years in Mexico City and in Melbourne, Australia.

Other international intiatives have included participation at the following United Nations events:

• UN Conference on the Arms Trade Treaty
  New York, USA
  July 2-27, 2012
  
• PrepCom to the Review Conference to Consider the Implementation of the Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons (UNPoA)
  New York, USA
  March 19-23, 2012
  
• Fourth Preparatory Meeting of the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT)
  New York, USA
  February 13-17, 2012
  
• Third Preparatory Meeting of the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT)
  New York, USA
  July 11-15, 2011
  Ten IPPNW activists brought an important health perspective to the recent Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) 3rd PrepCom meetings at the United Nations headquarters in New York City. The ATT is being sought to control conventional arms transfers that may be used in crime, terrorism, human rights abuses, genocide, violations of international humanitarian law, etc. thus undermining peace, security and sustainable development worldwide.
  
• Second Preparatory Meeting of the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT)
  New York, USA
  February 28-March 4, 2011
  Thirteen IPPNW physicians and members from six countries brought a critical health perspective to the UN and spoke on two panels, and contributed a unique medical perspective on armed violence as a health and humanitarian crisis and a threat to development, as well as the role of the medical community in solving this global challenge.
  
• 4th Biennial Meeting of States to Consider the Implementation of the Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons
  July 14-18, 2010
  Maria Valenti and PSR Philadelphia Executive Director Patricia Harner joined IPPNW physicians Sina Helbig (Germany), Robert Mtonga (Zambia), Emperatriz Crespin (El Salvador), Ime John (Nigeria), and Cathey Falvo, Vic Sidel (US) in bringing an important health perspective to the Fourth Biennial Meeting of States.
  
• 3rd Biennial Meeting of States to Consider the Implementation of the Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons
  July 14-18, 2008
  IPPNW presents on human dimensions of small arms violence, conducts public health panel on "Risk and Resilience."
  
• Review Conference (RevCon) to Consider the Implementation of the Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons
  June / July 2006 [PDF]
  IPPNW raised a public health voice to highlight the human face of suffering at the United Nations Review Conference.
  
• PrepCom to the Review Conference to Consider the Implementation of the Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons
  January 9-20, 2006
  The IANSA Public Health Network and IPPNW activists raised the issue that "guns are bad for health" at the United Nations.
  
• 2nd Biennial Meeting of States to Consider the Implementation of the Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons
  July 11-15, 2005
  IPPNW Central Office staff and affiliate leaders from Africa, South Asia, and Latin America gathered at the United Nations in New York City at the Second Biennial Meeting of States on the Programme of Action (UNPoA) on Small Arms to participate in a variety of sessions.
  
• 1st Biennial Meeting of States to Consider the Implementation of the Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons
  July 7-11, 2003
  This was a series of follow up meetings to determine the progress nations have made toward achieving the goals set out in the Programme.
  
• Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects
  July 2001