Crisis Prevention and Recovery

Armed Violence Prevention

The inter-dependence of security and development has driven the international community to focus more closely on the link between security sector initiatives and broader development programmes. As part of its commitment to promoting human security and sustainable development, UNDP has been supporting efforts to address the issue of armed violence.

Armed violence can be defined as the use of armed force (usually with weapons) to achieve specific political, social and economic goals. UNDP supports armed violence prevention by focusing on both structural factors (socio-economic inequalities, weak governance systems) and the weapons themselves.

UNDP’s support for armed violence reduction focuses on both long- and short-term measures, as part of a broader public security approach. These measures include:

• Developing human security programmes in priority areas.

• Creating opportunities for sustainable livelihoods and community development for vulnerable and high risk groups as an incentive for weapons surrender initiatives in post-conflict environments.

• Promoting community safety and security through community policing, capacity building for national security agencies, and assistance to vulnerable groups and victims of violence.

• Developing strategies that link short-term violence reduction measures to longer-term prevention priorities.

• Integrating long-term violence prevention strategies into public security plans. 

Learn more about UNDP programming in our Donor Proposal on Conflict Prevention and Recovery (pdf).

Youth and Armed Violence Prevention in El Salvador, 2008

Armed Violence in Asia and the Pacific: An Overview of the Causes, Costs and Consquences, UNDP, 2008 (pdf)

Guatemala Declaration on Armed Violence and Development, April 2007 (pdf)

Guatemala: Tackling Small Arms and Violence at All Levels, UNDP, 2007 (pdf)

Municipalities Free of Weapons Project in El Salvador (in both English and Spanish)

POLICY

Report of the Secretary General: In Larger Freedom: Towards Development, Security and Human Rights for All, 2005

Securing Development: UNDP’s Support for Addressing Small Arms Issues, UNDP, 2005 (pdf)

A More Secure World: Our Shared Responsibility - Report of the High Level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change, 2004 (pdf)

GUIDANCE AND LESSONS LEARNED:

The Impact of Armed Violence on Poverty and Development, Centre for International Cooperation and Security, 2005 (pdf)

Armed Violence and Poverty in El Salvador, Centre for International Cooperation and Security, 2004 (pdf)

Briefing Paper: Considering Armed Violence in the Post-conflict Transition, Centre for International Cooperation and Security, 2004 (pdf)

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Armed Violence and Poverty Initiative, Center for International Cooperation and Security

Assessing and Reviewing the Impact of Small Arms Projects on Arms Availability and Poverty: A Case Study for El Salvador UNDP/BCPR, Center for International Cooperation and Security (word doc)