Global Arms Control Advocates joins WAANSA Ghana to accelerate advocacy for National Small Arms Bill

The Global Arms Control Advocates (GACA) have formally joined the West Africa Action Network on Small Arms, Ghana Chapter, in a renewed push to strengthen Ghana’s regulatory framework and accelerate the passage of the National Small Arms Bill.

WAANSA Ghana President Mr. Ken Kinney said the expanded partnership brings together global expertise and local advocacy to address what he described as “outdated laws struggling to contain modern threats.”

“Controlling Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) is still a crucial developmental issue that calls for a strong regulatory framework in order to address arms governance concerns effectively and save lives,” Mr. Kinney stated.

"We cannot use a 1962 law to fight a 2025 crime,” he added, referencing gaps in the current legislation and stressing the need for swift passage of the bill, which has been unduly delayed.

WAANSA Ghana membership includes The Development Institute (The DI), Global Arms Control Advocates (GACA); the Centre for Rural Women in Peace, Security, and Development; the Greater Accra Youth Network; BADEC; Nutifafa Foundation; the Care-Love Charity Foundation; and The Peace Africa.

Others are the Foundation for Security and Development in Africa (FOSDA); the Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition (GACC); the Center for Democratic Development Ghana (CDD-Ghana); and the West Africa Network of Journalists for Security and Development.

The rest are the Orphans and Widows Association; the Security Warehouse; West Africa Lead; the Nurture Nature Foundation; Youth for Peace and Security in Africa; and the Jatikay Centre for Human Security and Peace Building.

Mr. Kinney noted that while Ghana has signed major international instruments such as the ECOWAS Convention on Small Arms and Light Weapons and the Arms Trade Treaty, domestic law has not kept pace.

WAANSA Ghana highlighted critical loopholes: no legal limit on the number of weapons an individual can own, no mandatory competency training for weapon owners, and no regulation of ammunition purchases. The rise of 3D-printed and polymer weapons was also flagged as a threat the current law is ill-equipped to address, and therefore there is an urgent need to pass the National Small Arms Bill, which addresses all the challenges.

Mr. Kinney said the National Small Arms Bill, when passed, would empower the Commission of Small Arms and Light Weapons with full regulatory authority and align Ghana’s framework with international best practices.

Stakeholders expressed optimism that sustained advocacy and political will could position Ghana as a regional leader in arms governance and conflict prevention.

With illicit proliferation and armed violence increasing across West Africa, the group argues that a robust Ghanaian law will also reinforce ECOWAS security objectives.

WAANSA Ghana reaffirmed its commitment to support state institutions to ensure that the bill is passed to protect communities, uphold Ghana’s international obligations, and embed peace and security within broader development planning.

WAANSA Ghana also reiterated its call on chiefs and traditional authorities to collaborate actively with the government to curtail the proliferation of small arms and light weapons within their traditional jurisdictions.

WAANSA Ghana acknowledged that traditional leaders occupy a unique position of influence and moral authority at the grassroots, making them critical partners in the government's quest to stop the illegal circulation, use, and display of weapons in communities.

“If the government aims to stop the proliferation of small arms, chiefs must play a significant role. Their leadership, customs, and community structures can. WAANSA Ghana stated that communities can leverage their leadership, customs, and structures to enforce norms that reject the presence of arms in civilian spaces. to enforce norms that reject the presence of arms in civilian spaces,” WAANSA Ghana stated.

Mr. Obuabi Mpaboa, Technical lead of Global Arms Control Advocates, commended WAANSA Ghana for the leading role it is playing towards the passage of the National Small Arms Bill and highlighted the need for state and non-state actors in the security space to work together for the passage of the bill.

He said Global Arms Control Advocates have monitored the activities of WAANSA Ghana over a long period and decided to join forces to accelerate the national efforts towards a gun-controlled Ghana and the ECOWAS sub-region.

Mr. Mpaboa stressed the need for coordinated efforts to strengthen the civil society front and move forward in unity and commended the leadership of WAANSA Ghana for creating a holistic, credible, and authoritative national platform for civil society, media, traditional leaders, and others to voice out on national issues, especially those relating to small arms.

WAANSA Ghana is a network of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and media entities working within the peace, security, and governance space and serves as the local chapter of the sub-regional body of the West Africa Action Network on Small Arms.

WAANSA Ghana is the Ghana chapter of the West Africa Action Network on Small Arms, a sub-regional civil society network working to promote peace and human security through arms control advocacy, research, and community engagement.