MISSING PIECES - Inter-Parliamentary Union

ANNEX 8
ANNEX 8 NATIONAL ACTION PLANS
National coordination mechanisms (discussed in Annex 7) will only function
effectively if they have a clear plan or objective for tackling the small
arms problem in their respective countries – as well as appropriate capacity
to execute such plans. A number of states have now developed or are
developing small arms strategies or ‘National Action Plans’ (NAPs). The
development of a NAP generally involves four phases:
1. Establishment of a national coordinating committee and/or National
Focal Point;
2. Collection of information regarding the small arms problem (‘mapping’);
3. Analysis of the information and plan development;
4. Implementation of the plan.
An assessment or ‘mapping’ of the small arms problem through the
collection of information is fundamental to understanding the nature and
extent of the problem, and identifying the specific needs that the NAP
should address. The assessment should also identify existing initiatives and
resources that can be built on to address the problem. Mapping usually
involves consultations with a wide range of stakeholders including government
officials, law enforcement agencies (police, customs etc) and civil
society. Consultations are often carried out through a series of workshops.
Additionally, surveys may be undertaken to look at people’s attitudes and
experiences of firearms and insecurity.
The information collection phase for the development of the Kenyan
NAP, for instance, involved: provincial workshops with law enforcement
agencies, which were complemented by a survey administered to all participants
in the law enforcement agency workshops; seminars with civil
society organisations; and a population survey designed to gather perceptions,
attitudes and experiences of a representative cross-section of the
general public. Additionally, the survey team collected information relating
to government policies and legislation, regional and international
agreements on small arms control to which Kenya is a party, administra-
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