West and Central African States Meet in Lomé to Address Ammunition Management Challenges
LOMÉ, 4 September (Office for Disarmament Affairs) — On 4 and 5 September, States from West and Central Africa are meeting in Lomé, Togo, to discuss the implementation of the Global Framework for Through-life Conventional Ammunition Management, adopted in December 2023 by the United Nations General Assembly.
The meeting aims to identify priorities, needs and the unique challenges and opportunities of these two regions in translating the political commitments of the Global Framework into concrete actions. This will be crucial in shaping a regional approach ahead of next year’s Preparatory Meeting of States at the UN Headquarters in New York, where the follow-up and review process of the Global Framework will be launched.
The diversion and illicit trafficking of conventional ammunition plays a central role in initiating, facilitating and fuelling armed conflict, violence, crime and terrorism. The explosive nature of conventional ammunition makes it especially attractive for the manufacture of improvised explosive devices by non-State armed groups. Over the past decades, tens of thousands of people have been killed and injured due to unplanned explosions at munitions sites, often causing environmental damage and destroying livelihoods and infrastructure.
United Nations Member States adopted the Global Framework to address these challenges. Its endorsement by the General Assembly was a milestone in global efforts aimed at reducing the risks and human costs of illicit trafficking, diversion and misuse of ammunition and preventing unplanned explosions at munition sites. As part of a series of meetings aimed at raising awareness of the global instrument, States from West and Central Africa are meeting this week to discuss regional priorities and needs, as well as region-specific challenges and opportunities.
The meeting provides a platform for representatives from West and Central African States, alongside UN entities, international and regional organizations and civil society groups, to discuss the 15 objectives of the Global Framework. These objectives include specific measures to promote the sustainability, safety, and security of conventional ammunition management throughout its lifecycle — from manufacture, transfer and stockpiling to disposal.
Thematic presentations and group discussions will focus on good practices for reducing the risk of ammunition diversion and illicit trafficking. These will include promoting transparency across supply chains by implementing robust marking and record-keeping systems that enhance the traceability of ammunition.
Participants will explore how analysing diversion risks prior to transfers can prevent ammunition from reaching unauthorized users. The discussions will also emphasize improving investigations into ammunition diversion through enhanced data collection, regional and cross-regional cooperation and effective information-sharing mechanisms. Sessions will also discuss key measures for effective stockpile management that are critical to preventing unplanned explosions at munitions sites, such as the implementation of systematic surveillance and inventory systems, limiting the quantity of explosives stored in a single location and ensuring that depots are located away from populated areas to minimize the impact of any potential incidents.
Participants will exchange views on means to strengthen existing regional and subregional mechanisms and instruments in West and Central Africa, including the ECOWAS [Economic Community of West African States] Convention and the Kinshasa Convention, to support the implementation of the Global Framework. The discussions will emphasize needs-driven, integrative and sustainable approaches to international assistance, particularly through the application of the International Ammunition Technical Guidelines. Additionally, the meeting will focus on enhancing the meaningful participation of women in ammunition management and mainstreaming gender considerations into related policies and practices.
The meeting is organized by the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) and its Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Africa (UNREC). It is also an activity of the project by the Office for Disarmament Affairs, supported by Germany, to raise awareness and advance the implementation of the Global Framework. More information on the Global Framework for Through-life Conventional Ammunition Management is available at: https://disarmament.unoda.org/convarms/ammunition/#gfammunition.
For additional details on the regional meeting, please contact Nora Allgaier, Political Affairs Officer at email: nora.allgaier@un.org.