6 March 2008
Luanda — The co-ordinator of UNDP's Small Arms Control Programme in Central America, Miguel Barreiro Laredo Thursday considered positive the International Workshop on the Disarmament of Citizens Illegally Owning Firearms, held from March 04 to 05 in Luanda.
Speaking to ANGOP at Luanda's "04 de Fevereiro" International Airport, on his way to Spain, Miguel Laredo said that during the event an important political desire was showed by the Angolan government.
To Miguel Laredo, "the grounds for the control of small arms have been established" and according to him, the work was successfully accomplished and the strategic policies will have to be applied and, with this political desire, it will be easier for the Angolan government.
Meanwhile, the representative of the UNDP, the organisation which supported the meeting, recognises that the handing over of firearms by the population is too complex and requires a range of strategic initiative policies that must be implemented, with the first step focussing on the creation of a co-ordination organ through a multi-institutional commission.
To him other steps concern the betterment and reinforcement of legal mark existing in the country for the control of the firearms, as well as holding an awareness campaign covering the whole society, showing the risks, dangers and negative impact that small arms and light weapons can bring to the society in general.
Miguel Barreiro Laredo works for United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for seven years and has already fulfilled assignments in Mozambique, Ethiopia and Somalia. This is the first time he comes to Angola.
The event was organised by the Home Affairs Ministry and was attended by various entities with the experiences in the matter, both from Africa as from other regions of the world.
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2008 Angola Press Agency. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
