Parliamentarians are important actors in armed violence prevention and reduction given their three key functions related to legislation, over-sight and awareness raising. Prevention and reduction of armed violence requires a complex set of interventions, underlining the need for parliamentary exchange on experiences, lessons learned and best practices. Enabling parliamentarians to apply their knowledge and debate issues connected to Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) can result in concrete legislation and policy changes. The Parliamentary Forum on Small Arms and Light Weapons offers such a meeting point for parliamentarians to learn from each other and discuss with civil society actors and other relevant stakeholders.
Active parliamentary participation in UN processes and other international related meetings is decisive towards tackling the uncontrolled proliferation of SALW. Parliamentarians promote ratification of international treaties and can initiate discussions with fellow colleagues in other countries, greatly contributing to the formation of international norms on SALW and harmonization regionally.
Three international frameworks for the prevention and reduction of armed violence are of particular importance to the parliamentary work; the 2030 Agenda from 2015 with its Sustainable Development Goal 16.4 on the importance to reduce illicit arms flows; the legally binding Arms Trade Treaty that entered into force 2014 and regulates arms transfers; and the United Nations Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects, adopted in 2001. Moreover, strengthening the gender equality perspective as well as increased involvement of women and youth in peace and security efforts is key, based on the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 and other relevant resolutions. Women’s low representation in parliaments remains an issue as only one of four parliamentarians are women worldwide.
Legislative function
As legislatures, parliamentarians have the mandate to introduce new laws and review existing ones, ensuring that they are in line with existing international and regional arms control instruments. Reformation, adoption and harmonization of firearms legislation is a cornerstone for successfully tackling SALW related violence. The parliamentary responsibility relates to regulating SALW acquisition and possession, transfers including import and export, manufacture, selling, marking, record- keeping and use.
The Forum has developed a Model Law in cooperation with the Swedish Fellowship of Reconciliation (SweFOR) and the Latin American organisations Latin America Coalition for the Prevention of Armed Violence (CLAVE) and Viva Rio. The Model Law, commissioned by the Latin American Parliament and formally adopted in 2008, serves the purpose of providing a template with which countries can compare their own domestic arms legislation in order to identify areas of improvements as well as aid the regional harmonization of laws and common standards. The Model Law was used in legislative reforms in 8 countries.
Over-sight function
Parliamentarians play an important over-sight function vis-à-vis the government, monitoring governments’ performance and holding them accountable for their actions. By exercising the parliamentary right to interpellation requesting and reviewing reports on government achievements, and importantly, approving the budget, members of parliaments can positively influence the level of implementation of the law.
Awareness raising function
The parliamentary role also relates to awareness raising initiatives on the effects of SALW violence and is effective in targeting the demand for SALW. Changing perceptions associated with SALW possession can contribute to increased levels of compliance with the law. By interacting with the public, fellow colleagues and other relevant actors, parliamentarians can stimulate the public debate, translate contemporary concerns into policies and contribute to cultural and behavioural changes. In line with these efforts, the Forum regularly publishes opinion pieces and coordinates media outreach to raise awareness on the importance of reducing and preventing SALW-related violence.
Klyfta mellan ambition och budget för hållbar fred (in Swedish)
Väpnat våld i USA och världen: tragiska masskjutningar – hoppingivande massmobilisering (In Swedish)
#WordsOverBullets
The Forum has initiated the social media campaign #WordsOverBullets launched on Facebook and Twitter . The overall objective of the campaign is to increase awareness of the importance to prevent and reduce armed violence globally for the promotion of sustainable development and human security. Parliamentarians, civil society actors, experts and other actors have participated in the campaign.
