WAANSA Ghana, UNDP SALIENT Project to host third media engagement in Tamale

The West Africa Action Network on Small Arms (WAANSA Ghana), in partnership with the UNDP Saving Lives Entity (SALIENT) Fund Project, will host the third edition of its media empowerment workshop in Tamale, Northern Region, on Friday, April 25.

This initiative aims to provide media professionals in the region with the essential knowledge and tools to effectively report on issues related to small arms and light weapons.

Mr. Francis Ameyibor, the WAANSA Ghana/UNDP SALIENT Fund Project Coordinator and Facilitator, explained that the workshop is part of a broader strategy to improve media understanding, encourage responsible reporting, and advance advocacy efforts toward the timely passage of the National Small Arms Bill 2023.

“It will also enhance personnel understanding of the national small arms and light weapons legislation, policies, and regulations as well as existing international, regional, and sub-regional instruments,” Mr. Ameyibor stated.

Mr. Ameyibor, who also serves as Vice President of the West Africa Network of Journalists for Security and Development, said the event will raise awareness among media practitioners, positioning them to become effective advocates and lobbyists for policy reforms around small arms regulation.

He emphasises that media empowerment seeks to enhance the capacity of media personnel to play an active role in the advocacy for legal reforms on small arms and light weapons control in Ghana.

The workshop will feature Mr. Johnson Asante-Twum, Managing Director of the International Action Network on Small Arms (IANSA), as the lead resource person. He underscored the importance of equipping journalists with a comprehensive understanding of the pending legislation and its broader implications.

He said to address the proliferation of small arms, light weapons, and ammunition in Ghana and the ECOWAS sub-region, Ghana has commenced the implementation of interventions to address the illicit trafficking of small arms, light weapons, and improvised explosive devices within the prevailing context of the increasingly volatile security situation in the Sahel and neighbouring countries under the SALIENT Project.

He added that the Saving Lives Entity (SALIENT) Fund, a United Nations initiative under the Peacebuilding Fund, supports states in addressing armed violence and illegal arms flows through a holistic approach to peace and sustainable development.

The MD of IANSA stressed that SALIENT responds to the multifaceted nature of the illicit proliferation of small arms and light weapons and addresses the root causes of armed violence.

In Ghana, the SALIENT Project is being implemented under the coordination of the UN Resident Coordinator through collaboration with agencies such as UNDP, UNODC, the National Commission for Small Arms, the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC), and WAANSA Ghana.

Key workshop topics will include:

• 
  “A Case for Legal Reforms in Small Arms and Light Weapons in Ghana”

• “The Role of the Media in Shaping National Discourse on Small Arms”

• “Understanding the National Small Arms Bill 2023: Implications and Challenges”

• “Effective Reporting on Small Arms and Light Weapons: Challenges and Best Practices”

• “Empowering Media and Enhancing Accountability in Reportage of Small Arms and Light Weapons”

The training is expected to play a vital role in fostering informed media coverage and bolstering national efforts to control the spread of small arms.