Geneva Declaration on Armed Violence and Development

The Geneva Declaration on Armed Violence and Development highlights the role that states and civil society must play in preventing and reducing violence associated with war, crime, and social unrest. The Declaration was adopted on 7 June 2006 and is now endorsed by 113 states. It is the strongest political statement to date that addresses the impact of armed violence within a development context. Regular high-level diplomatic regional meetings and ministerial review conferences take place to assess progress concerning the process and implementation of the Geneva Declaration; the first two ministerial review conferences took place in 2008 and 2011. During 2014 a series of Regional Review Conferences have been organized not only to review the process in implementing the Geneva Declaration but also to reflect and gather support in integrating meaningfully armed violence reduction in national and international development processes, including the post-2015 development agenda.

Overview

By signing the Geneva Declaration states commit to:Geneva Declaration Secretariat. 2008. The Global Burden of Armed Violence. Geneva: Geneva Declaration Secretariat

Support initiatives to measure the human, social and economic costs of armed violence;
Undertake assessments to understand and respond to risks and vulnerabilities;
Evaluate the effectiveness of armed violence prevention and reduction programs around the world; and
To disseminate lessons and best practices.

Understanding that the fight against the global scourge of armed violence and the prospects for sustainable development are closely linked, the signatories recognize that armed violence constitutes a major obstacle to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.[http://www.genevadeclaration.org/fileadmin/docs/Geneva-Declaration-Millennium-Development-Goals.pdf Armed Violence Prevention and Reduction: A Challenge for Achieving the Millennium Development Goals] They agree to strengthen their efforts to integrate armed violence reduction and conflict prevention programs into national, regional, and multilateral development frameworks and strategies.

The approach is based on three pillars:

Advocacy: dissemination and coordination initiatives for implementing the Geneva Declaration
Measurability: country based armed violence mapping and monitoring to identify entry-points and opportunities for interventions
Programming: practical programming on armed violence prevention and reduction

A Core Group of 14 signatory states and affiliated organizations is responsible for steering the process and guiding the implementation of the Geneva Declaration. Affiliated organizations include the Bureau for Crisis Prevention and Recovery (BCPR) of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Small Arms Survey—which also hosts the Geneva Declaration Secretariat—, the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and the Quaker United Nations Office (QUNO).{{cite web | url=http://www.genevadeclaration.org/the-geneva-declaration/how-does-it-work.html | title=The Geneva Declaration - How does it work? Implementation of Measures against Armed Violence - Geneva Declaration}}

Core group member states:{{cite web | url=http://www.genevadeclaration.org/the-geneva-declaration/how-does-it-work.html | title=The Geneva Declaration - How does it work? Implementation of Measures against Armed Violence - Geneva Declaration}}

Brazil
Colombia
Finland
Guatemala

Indonesia
Kenya
Morocco
The Netherlands

Norway
The Philippines
Spain

Switzerland (coordinating country)
Thailand
United Kingdom

Signatory states:{{cite web | url=http://www.genevadeclaration.org/the-geneva-declaration/who-has-signed-it.html | title=The Geneva Declaration - Who signed it? Declaration on Armed Viol - Geneva Declaration}}

Geneva Declaration on Armed Violence and Development

Overview

See also

References

External links