The Small Arms Survey (SAS) is an independent research project located at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva , Switzerland . It provides information on all aspects of small arms and armed violence, as a resource for governments, policy-makers, researchers, and activists, as well as research on small arms issues.
16-410: The survey monitors national and international initiatives (governmental and non-governmental), and acts as a forum and clearinghouse for the sharing of information. It also disseminates best practice measures and initiatives dealing with small arms issues. SAS's mandate is to look at all aspects of small arms and armed violence. It provides research and analysis by which to support governments to reduce
32-757: A more secure environment in North Africa and the Sahel-Sahara region. The project produces evidence-based research and analysis on the availability and circulation of small arms, the dynamics of emerging armed groups, and related insecurity. The research stresses the effects of the recent uprisings and armed conflicts in the region on community safety. In 2018, Small Arms Survey reported that there are over one billion small arms distributed globally, of which 857 million (about 85 percent) are in civilian hands. According to Small Arms Survey's estimates, U.S. civilians alone account for 393 million (about 46 percent) of
48-481: A series of Regional Review Conferences have been organized not only to review the process in implementing the Geneva Declaration but also to reflect and gather support in integrating meaningfully armed violence reduction in national and international development processes, including the post-2015 development agenda. By signing the Geneva Declaration states commit to: Understanding that the fight against
64-551: Is an obstruction to achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) . Armed violence reduction is therefore essential for the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals . 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
80-706: Is based on three pillars: A Core Group of 14 signatory states and affiliated organizations is responsible for steering the process and guiding the implementation of the Geneva Declaration. Affiliated organizations include the Bureau for Crisis Prevention and Recovery (BCPR) of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Small Arms Survey —which also hosts the Geneva Declaration Secretariat—,
96-510: The Small Arms Survey publishes a wide range of periodical research findings. These include a Book Series, Occasional Papers, Special Reports, Working Papers, and short Issue Briefs and Research Notes. These publications present substantial research findings on data, methodological, and conceptual issues related to small arms or detailed country and regional case studies. Most of these are published in hard copy and are also accessible on
112-426: The effects of small arms, and national, bilateral, and multilateral measures to deal with the problems associated with small arms. Published by Cambridge University Press, it is recognized as the principal international source of impartial and reliable information on all aspects of small arms. It is widely used by policy-makers, government officials and non-governmental organizations. In addition to its annual yearbook,
128-652: The figures involve "some degree of estimation", and estimates for certain countries are highly uncertain. In response to a report about the number of firearms in Finland, the Finnish Ministry of the Interior issued a statement saying that the number was inflated and completely wrong. The project's flagship publication is the Small Arms Survey , an annual review of global small arms issues such as production, stockpiles, brokering, legal and illicit arms transfers,
144-444: The global scourge of armed violence and the prospects for sustainable development are closely linked, the signatories recognize that armed violence constitutes a major obstacle to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals . They agree to strengthen their efforts to integrate armed violence reduction and conflict prevention programs into national, regional, and multilateral development frameworks and strategies. The approach
160-510: The global total of small arms. American civilians own over 393 million guns. "Americans made up 4 percent of the world's population but owned about 46 percent of the entire global stock of 857 million civilian firearms." That is three times as many guns as the combined stockpile of the world's armed forces. American civilians own more guns "than those held by civilians in the other top 25 countries combined." The Small Arms Survey's reports are widely used and considered to be accurate, though all of
176-416: The incidence of armed violence and illicit trafficking through evidence-based analysis. The project's staff includes international experts in security studies, political science, law, international public policy, development studies, economics, conflict resolution, and sociology. The staff works closely with a worldwide network of researchers and partners. The Small Arms Survey was established in 1999 "on
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#1732765679500192-496: The initiative" of Switzerland's Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) and "in conjunction with other interested governments". They placed the project under the tutelage of the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies (IHEID). In July 1999, Keith Krause (born 1960) became the founder and programme director. The Canadian political scientist , who wrote his PhD thesis at Oxford University on
208-853: The issue of international arms transfers and has been a professor of international politics at the IHEID since 1994, remained in that position until December 2015. The Small Arms Survey hosts the Geneva Declaration on Armed Violence and Development Secretariat. The Small Arms Survey's Human Security Baseline Assessment for Sudan and South Sudan project supports violence reduction initiatives, including disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration programmes, incentive schemes for civilian arms collections and security sector reform, and arms control interventions across Sudan. The Security Assessment in North Africa project supports efforts to build
224-475: The project's web site. Armed violence reduction The concept of armed violence reduction (AVR) has gained significant in importance after the 2006 Geneva Declaration on Armed Violence and Development . According to OECD , more than 740,000 people die each year as a result of the violence associated with armed conflicts and large- and small-scale criminality . Furthermore, armed violence impedes humanitarian and socio-economic development and, hence, it
240-511: The worldwide total of civilian held firearms. This amounts to "120.5 firearms for every 100 residents." According to the report, the world's armed forces control about 133 million (about 13 percent) of the global total of small arms, of which over 43 percent belong to two countries: the Russian Federation (30.3 million) and China (27.5 million). And, the world's law enforcement agencies control about 23 million (about 2 percent) of
256-451: Was adopted on 7 June 2006 and is now endorsed by 113 states. It is the strongest political statement to date that addresses the impact of armed violence within a development context. Regular high-level diplomatic regional meetings and ministerial review conferences take place to assess progress concerning the process and implementation of the Geneva Declaration; the first two ministerial review conferences took place in 2008 and 2011. During 2014
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