Crisis Prevention and Recovery

Geneva Review Summit on Armed Violence

 

 

Review Summit Geneva Declaration on Armed Violence and Development hosted by the Government

 

Summit Statement

 

 

Geneva, 12 September 2008

We, the representatives of 85 countries, have gathered here today in Geneva to assess the progress made, and to reaffirm our support and commitment to the goals laid down in the Geneva Declaration on Armed Violence and Development, adopted on 7 June 2006.

Commend the efforts made to date in implementing the Geneva Declaration on Armed Violence and Development through the promotion of sustainable security and a culture of peace by taking action to reduce armed violence having negative impact on socio-economic and human development.

Recognize that development, peace and security and human rights are interlinked and mutually reinforcing, and that armed violence may hinder the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.

Recognizing that national, regional and international development policies can provide important tools for the prevention of armed violence and in this context, resolve to continue working together to prevent and reduce armed violence in order to enhance the prospects for sustainable development at global, regional, national and local levels for both the present and future generations.

Welcome the fact that 94 countries have to date adopted the Geneva Declaration on Armed Violence and Development and encourage additional countries to do so.

Commend the governments of Guatemala, Kenya and Thailand for having taken the initiative to host regional conferences on armed violence and development, which resulted in the adoption of Regional Declarations on Armed Violence and Development that take into account regional and national specificities related to the incidence of armed violence.

Encourage states and relevant international and regional organisations, to implement these Regional Declarations on Armed violence and Development.

Acknowledge that states bear the primary responsibility for preventing, reducing and ending armed violence in their territories through practical measures and appropriate mechanisms, including i) peaceful resolution of disputes, ii) respecting and protecting human rights, and iii) promoting sustainable development and a culture of peace.

Recalling our commitment to strive in achieving measurable reductions in the global burden of armed violence by 2015, commend the work already accomplished to promote the implementation of the Geneva Declaration through practical measures suggested in the Framework of Implementation.

Welcome and encourage the continued assessment of the impact of armed violence on girls, women, boys and men as an essential tool for advancing the implementation of the Geneva Declaration. We encourage the efforts undertaken at national and sub-national levels to develop methodologies and strategies to assess the impact of armed violence on socio-economic and human development.

Support the efforts adopted by countries as part of their national policies for promoting sustainable socio-economic development and for addressing the scourge of armed violence and its negative impacts on development as part of the practical implementation of the Geneva Declaration on Armed Violence and Development.

Encourage gender equality, and specifically the participation of women, in the design, implementation and evaluation of armed violence prevention and reduction programmes.

Recognize that partnerships among states, international regional and sub-regional organisations, as well as civil society are essential for promoting comprehensive and integrated responses to effectively address the scourge of armed violence and its impact on socio-economic and human development.

Welcome the initiatives taken by the governments of the Geneva Declaration focus countries to implement the objectives of the Geneva Declaration including through concrete projects aimed at preventing and reducing armed violence and promoting sustainable development.

Encourage states and appropriate international and regional and sub-regional organisations in a position to do so, and upon request of the relevant authorities, to consider providing assistance, including technical and financial assistance where needed, for the implementation of armed violence prevention and reduction initiatives at national and local levels, while recognizing the important contribution that south-south cooperation can make to this end.

Affirm, however, that while adverse security conditions in a particular country may impede the implementation of armed violence prevention and reduction initiatives, this should not be used as a form of conditionality with respect to the provision of technical or financial assistance.

Note the 2005 decision of the OECD Development Assistance Committee to allow certain activities related to preventing and reducing armed violence to be considered eligible for official development assistance.

Reaffirm the commitments in the Millennium Declaration and the 2005 World Summit Outcome (United Nations Resolution 60/1) to advancing development, peace and security, and human rights and resolve to develop goals, targets and measurable indicators on armed violence and development as a complement to the Millennium Development Goals.

Reaffirm our support for United Nations efforts to promote armed violence reduction, in particular the implementation of the UN Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects.

Commit ourselves to support and continue all further efforts to advance the goals of the Geneva Declaration on Armed Violence and Development in all appropriate fora, including in the United Nations General Assembly.

Encourage all those states that have adopted the Geneva Declaration on Armed Violence and Development to support and continue their efforts to disseminate the goals and principles of the Geneva Declaration at the international, regional, sub-regional and national levels.

Remain determined in our resolve to implement the Geneva Declaration on Armed Violence and Development and in this regard we agree to meet again not later than 2011 to assess our progress in achieving these common goals.

 

Geneva, 12 September 2008