ECOWAS small arms experts at the weekend reviewed

and adopted a new draft Standardised Form and Computerized Database for the management of the exemption procedures and the draft plan of action for the Convention on Small Arms and Light Weapons.

The small arms experts meeting at the ECOWAS Commission in Abuja, Nigeria, reviewed and adopted the draft standardized form and computerized database for the management of the exemption procedures.

A statement from Abuja received in Accra on Monday said the experts also reviewed the draft Plan of Action for the ECOWAS Convention on small arms and light weapons, their ammunition and other related materials.

Mr. Napoleon Abdulai, a small arms expert who chaired the meeting, charged the ECOWAS Commission and member states to rise up to the challenges around the issues of small arms and show leadership by ensuring that there was no vacuum in any area of implementation.

Col. Mahamane Toure, ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, had described the exemption procedure as the cornerstone of ECOWAS policy on implementation of the Convention.

The adopted documents will be presented to government experts from member states in June 2008 for their input.