Researching and campaigning Against the illicit Proliferation and Misuse of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW);
The campaign against SALW has been one of CAMYOSFOP’s outstanding programs which started in 2001 when the UN Program of Action against SALW (UNPoA) was adopted by the member states of the UN. CAMYOSFOP has worked in partnership with the International Action Network on Small Arms (IANSA), Control Arms Coalition, Parliamentary Forum on Small Arms, UN Regional Centre for Peace and Development (UNREC), Institute of Security Studies, Regional Centre on Small Arms for the Great Lakes and the Horn of Africa (RECSA), Pan African Strategy and Peace Research Group (PANAFSTRAG), Economic Community of Central Africa States (ECCAS) in promoting the implementation of the UNPoA. CAMYOSFOP has therefore become a major stakeholder and Expert in the domain of SALW and consulted by the government and other institutions working in the sector.
In 2004, CAMYOSFOP was one of the lead organizations including, the Ecumenical Service for Peace, Trauma Centre, Fondation Paul Engo Ela amongst others that created the Cameroon Action Network on Small Arms (CANSA). With the departure of the pioneer coordinator of the network, Mr Jack Eno Eben in 2005 to the West Africa Peace Initiative (WANEP) in Ghana, the Executive Director of CAMYOSFOP, Mr Ngalim Eugine Nyuydine replaced him as the Coordinator of the network. Equally, in 2004 Mr Ngalim was appointed as the Focal Point of IANSA for Cameroon and in 2010 with the creation of the Central Africa Action Network on Small Arms (RASALAC) by the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) he was again elected as the pioneer Secretary General of RASALAC.
CAMYOSFOP has been a lead organization in the organisation of the Global Weeks of Actions Against Armed Violence initiated by IANSA since 2003. She was also part of the pilot group that drafted the global principles on the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT). The ATT was finally adopted in 2013. CAMYOSFOP has also been a lead organization in advocating with the government on revising it firearms law, ratifying the Kinshasa Convention on Small Arms and Light Weapons in Africa and signing the ATT. CAMYOSFOP has also created a pact with members of Parliament by facilitating their participation in parliamentary platforms on SALW issues. One of those platforms is the Parliamentary Forum on Small Arms where Cameroon is represented by Hon Nji Tumansang, Hon Vincent de Paul Emah ETOUNDI, Hon Nintcheu Jean Michel and Hon Rose Abunaw. It should be noted that Hon Rose Abunaw was elected into the board of the forum from 2011 – 2013.
For details about SALW log on www.iansa.org and www.parlforum.org