Key National Security Institutions and Stakeholders in the security sector have taken a major step to participate in the validation of proposed draft act to domesticate the Arms Trade Treaty.
The Participants also validated a revised draft legislation to amend the current Act establishing the Liberia National Commission on Small Arms.
The coordinator of the National Security Council making remarks at the beginning of the validation workshop, stressed the importance to have key stakeholders involved in the making of decisions that affect a given sector of society.
Atty. Samuel Dakina observed that in most instances when laws are enacted people who have key stakes are not opportune to make inputs, which he said makes it difficult to implement such laws.
Atty. Dakina made the observation Friday September 28, at a one day validation workshop on the revised draft legislation to amend the current Act establishing the Liberia National Commission on Small Arms, and the proposed draft Act to domesticate the Arms Trade Treaty.
The workshop brought together scores of National Security agents to have a say in the amendment of the proposed draft act to domesticate the arms Trade Treaty and the amendment of the act that created the National Commission on Small Arms.
For his part, ECOWAS Commission Special Representative Tunde Ajisomo speaking via proxy, Roland Clark reiterated ECOWAS commitment to the domestication of the Arms Trade Treaty.
Mr. Clark said, ECOWAS will always be in the vanguard to support anything that has to do with the protection of human security in its member states.
The ECOWAS Commission Special Representative commended the National Commission on Small Arms and international partners for efforts aimed at eliminating the proliferation of small arms and light weapons in Liberia.
Also speaking was the House Committee Chair on National Security and Defense, Alfred Koiwood, who challenged the National Commission on Small Arms to regionalize its operations.
Representative Koiwood observed that the Liberia National Commission on Small Arms, LiNCSA, has narrowed its scope of operations to the South Eastern region instead of covering the entire country.
The House Committee Chair on National Security and Defense was speaking Friday at a validation workshop on an instrument to amend the act that establish the Liberia Small Arms Commission and a proposed draft act to domesticate the Arms Trade Treated.
He wants LiNCSA’s operations taken to all parts of the country to ensure proper awareness on how one can be eligible to handle traditional hunting guns or single barrel and at the same time take stock on all single barrel-hunting guns.
The Gbapolu County Representative said, when single barrel guns in the rural areas are accounted for by the National Commission on Small Arms, it will be easy to trace those arms that will be misused.
Also speaking at the occasion was an expert and international Consultant on arms control, Roy Isbister who said that Liberia is under obligation to establish a formal request system on the importation of arms and ammunitions and to ensure how to manage them properly. Presiding over the technical session of a proposed draft act to domesticate the Arms Trade Treated, Mr. Isbister asserted that the Liberian government must take into consideration certain risk in keeping with international best practices before importing arms.
He maintained that Liberia participation into ratifying the Arms Trade Treaty through its Small Arms Commission suggests the country’s preparedness to manage and prevent the proliferation of arms into the wrong hands, especially armed bandits, terrorist group, among others.
For her part, the Acting Chairman of the Commission, Madam Bennietta Jarbo stressed the commitment of the Liberian government in the implementation of all international treaties that have to do with arms control and management. In her introductory statement, Madam Jarbo noted that Liberia is in full compliance with the ECOWAS Convention to curtail illicit proliferation of small arms in Liberia and the Sub-region. The Acting Chairman lauded the efforts of Civil Society Organizations, particularly the Liberia Action Network on Small, relevant stakeholders of both the government and international partners for the level of cooperation and collaboration towards the achievement of the Commission.
