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s a f e r w o r l d · w o r k i n g p a p e r 7Although in many cases states do not fully adhere to them, it could be argued that thisis the prerogative of national governments and not RECSA.Small arms and light weapons control and managementDuring the period in question, RECSA has also:n overseen the destruction of 309,735 SALW; 55,300 landmines and 6,371 tons ofammunition and unexploded ordinance in the regionn facilitated the supply of 27 marking machines to member states, many of which arenow reported to be in usen together with partners, developed software to track arms brokers and dealers andprovided a number of computersn initiated an African continental SALW control programme in collaboration withthe European Union. 20Progress todateConsidering the context in which it operates – a region in which a number of stateshave struggled with armed conflict (Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo,Ethiopia, Rwanda, Somalia, Sudan and Uganda) – RECSA’s achievements are noteworthy.In this light, more efforts need to be put in areas of technical and capacityweaknesses of RECSA member states:n Regional harmonisation of SALW control legislation: RECSA has used diplomaticchannels to secure members’ commitments to harmonisation of their laws on SALW(e.g. through the Nairobi Declaration, Nairobi Protocol and the Best PracticeGuidelines). As noted above however, progress on harmonisation has been slow.It is doubtful that RECSA’s engagement with the legislatures in the region has beeneffective. As such, the pace of harmonisation of these laws has been slow.n Improved border management: RECSA is yet to effectively mobilise regional supportfor tangible inter-state efforts aimed at securing borders and combating cross-borderarms trafficking. Border control mechanisms are often resource-intensive and RECSAitself under-resourced. For instance, there is a need to improve human and technicalcapacity at border points, improve arms detection gear and techniques, invest insurveillance systems and scanners and enhance policing and patrols at key borderpoints. RECSA should now begin to prioritise this area, supporting and encouragingmember states in their own efforts.20 For information on these milestones, see RECSA, Regional Implementation Strategy, 2009–2014, (Nairobi: Regional Centreon SALW, 2009).
4National Focal Pointst h e n f p s within t h e r e c s a r e g i o n can be categorised into three distinctgroups: 21n independent commissions mandated to oversee the implementation of SALWagreements within their respective countries, e.g. in Burundi and DRCn autonomous NFPs with full-time staff and specific mandates on SALW controle.g. in Kenya, Rwanda and Ugandan semi-autonomous NFPs located within national police services, mandated to addressSALW issues alongside their routine police duties e.g. Djibouti, Tanzania, Ethiopia,the Seychelles and Eritrea.The focal points were established under the Nairobi Protocol with functions andresponsibilities that include:n co-ordinating with the Nairobi Secretariat in the implementation of the Agenda forActionn co-ordinating and interacting with other NFPsn co-ordinating and interacting with civil societyn facilitating exchange and dissemination of informationn conducting and facilitating researchn identifying and applying lessons learnedn building capacity for a sustainable approach to the problem of SALW.The KenyaNational FocalPointThe Kenya National Focal Point (KNFP) was established in January 2003. It is aninter-agency body bringing together ministries and departments of government aswell as civil society. These institutions include the State Law Office (Attorney General’sOffice), National Crime Research Centre, Central Firearms Bureau, National Securityand Intelligence Service, Kenya Police, Administration Police, Ministry of Trade,Kenya Wildlife Service, Department of Defence, Department of Mines and Geology,ballistics and forensic experts from the Criminal Investigation Department and civilsociety organisations. The KNFP has two main organs, namely the Secretariat and theTechnical Steering Committee.21 See RECSA, Implementation of the UNPoA: Status Report on the Implementation of the Nairobi Protocol,(Nairobi: RECSA, 2010).
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