Geneva Declaration on Armed Violence and Development

GENEVA DECLARATION ON ARMED VIOLENCE AND DEVELOPMENT

The Geneva Declaration on Armed Violence and Development highlights the role that states and civil society must play in preventing and reducing violence associated with war, crime, and social unrest. The Declaration was adopted on 7 June 2006 and by 2008, was endorsed by more than 90 states. The declaration commits signatories to:

- Support initiatives to measure the human, social and economic costs of armed violence; - Undertake assessments to understand and respond to risks and vulnerabilities; - Evaluate the effectiveness of armed violence prevention and reduction programmes around the world; and - To disseminate lessons and best practices.

The Declaration calls on states to achieve measurable reductions in the global burden of armed violence and tangible improvements in human security by 2015. The approach is based on three pillars:

1. Advocacy, dissemination and coordination initiatives for implementing the Geneva Declaration; 2. Country based armed violence mapping and monitoring to identify entry-points and opportunities for interventions; and 3. Practical programming on armed violence prevention and reduction

Core group members:

- Brazil - Finland - Guatemala - Indonesia - Kenya - Morocco - The Netherlands - Norway - The Philippines - Spain - Switzerland (coordinating country) - Thailand - United Kingdom

State signatories: - Afghanistan (2006) - Angola (2007) - Argentina (2007) - Australia (2006) - Austria (2006) - Bangladesh (2008) - Benin (2007) - Bosnia and Herzegovina (2006) - Brazil (2006) - Brunei (2008) - Bulgaria (2006) - Burkina Faso (2007) - Burundi (2007) - Cameroon (2007) - Canada (2006) - Chile (2006) - Congo, Democratic Republic of the (2007) - Costa Rica (2006) - Croatia (2008) - Dominican Republic (2007) - Ecuador (2007) - El Salvador (2006) - Ethiopia (2007) - Fiji (2008) - Finland (2006) - France (2006) - Germany (2006) - Ghana (2006) - Greece (2006) - Guatemala (2006) - Holy See (2006) - Honduras (2006) - Hungary (2006) - Iceland (2007) - Indonesia (2006) - Ireland (2006) - Italy (2007) - Ivory Coast (2007) - Jamaica (2006) - Japan (2006) - Jordan (2006) - Kazakhstan (2008) - Kenya (2006) - Korea, Democratic People's Republic of (2008) - Korea, Republic of (2006) - Kyrgyz Republic (2008) - Lebanon (2006) - Lesotho (2007) - Liberia (2006) - Libya (2007) - Madagascar (2007) - Malawi (2007) - Malaysia (2008) - Mali (2006) - Mauritius (2007) - Mexico (2006) - Mongolia (2008) - Morocco (2006) - Mozambique (2006) - Nauru (2008) - Nepal (2008) - The Netherlands (2006) - New Zealand (2006) - Niger (2007) - Nigeria (2006) - Norway (2006) - Palau (2008) - Panama (2007) - Papua New Guinea (2006) - Peru (2007) - Philippines (2008) - Portugal (2006) - Qatar (2006) - Romania (2008) - Rwanda (2007) - Samoa (2008) - Senegal (2006) - Serbia (2008) - Sierra Leone (2006) - Slovenia (2006) - Solomon Islands (2008) - South Africa (2006) - Spain (2007) - Sudan (2007) - Sweden (2006) - Switzerland (2006) - Tajikistan (2008) - Thailand (2006) - Timor-Leste (2006) - Uganda (2007) - United Kingdom (2006) - Uzbekistan (2008) - Vanuatu (2008) - Zambia (2007) - Zimbabwe (2007)

See also: www.genevadeclaration.org