Small Arms Survey

1) Ongoing research on a range of thematic areas - from small arms, light weapons and ammunition issues, to armed violence prevention/reduction, disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) and security sector reform (SSR), armed groups and gangs, and measurement of the humanitarian and development effects of arms. 2) The Small Arms Survey: The Small Arms Survey is an annual review of global small arms issues such as production, stockpiles, brokering, legal and illicit arms transfers, the effects of small arms, and national, bilateral, and multilateral measures to deal with problems associated with small arms. The Survey is published by Oxford University Press. 3) The Book Series, Occasional Papers, Special Reports, and Working Papers: Published periodically, these publications present substantial research findings on data, methodological, and conceptual issues related to small arms or detailed country and regional case studies. The series is published in hard copy and is also accessible on the project's web site. 4) Commissioned Research: The project commissions work from independent researchers, collaborators, and partner institutions. It has commissioned field research in various parts of the world, including Southern Africa, Central Africa, West Africa, South Asia, South East Asia, East and Central Europe, the Newly Independent States of the former Soviet Union, Central America, and Latin America. These research findings are featured in the Small Arms Survey's various publications. 5) Joint Projects: The Small Arms Survey undertakes joint research projects with independent researchers, international organsations, World Bank, UN agencies, research organisations, NGOs, and partner institutions. 6) Secretariat for the Geneva Declaration on Armed Violence and Development - a multilateral initiative to generate measurable reductions in armed violence by 2015 (see www.genevadeclaration.org). 7) Electronic / Hard-Copy Databases: The electronic and hard-copy databases contain information on various small arms issues, including country-specific data. These are available for use by researchers and other interested parties at the project's office in Geneva. 8) Resource Centre: The Resource Centre at the project's office in Geneva contains a number of electronic information sources as well as a comprehensive collection of print material--such as journals, magazines, official publications, and grey literature--and is accessible to researchers and other interested parties.

The Small Arms Survey is an independent research project located at the Graduate Institute of International Studies in Geneva, Switzerland. It serves as the principal international source of public information on all aspects of small arms and as a resource for governments, policy-makers, researchers, and activists. The project has an international staff with expertise in security studies, political science, international public policy, law, economics, development studies, conflict resolution, and sociology. The staff works closely with a worldwide network of researchers and partners. Objectives 1) To serve as the principal international source of impartial and public information on all aspects of small arms and light weapons. 2) To act as a resource for governments, policy-makers, researchers, and activists in terms of information and research on small arms issues. 3) To be an independent monitor of national and international governmental and non-governmental policy initiatives on small arms. 4) To be an outlet for policy-relevant research on small arms issues. 5) To act as a forum and clearinghouse for the sharing of information as well as the dissemination of best practice measures and initiatives dealing with small arms issues.

  • Civil Society
  • Civilian Small Arms Control
  • Community Conflict Resolution
  • DDR
  • Defence Institutions
  • Gender
  • Good Offices and Peace Support
  • Humanitarian Assistance
  • Humanitarian Protection
  • Law Enforcement Institutions
  • Local Governance
  • Mine Action
  • Security Sector Governance
  • Transitional Justice

DDR
The primary value added of the Small Arms Survey is its focus on evidence-based research to inform and shape policy priorities. It is not an advocacy organisation and has an international reputation for excellence in real time and analytic insight on a broad spectrum of issues ranging from 'arms control' (production, trade, brokering, effects and international/regional measures) to 'armed violence reduction' (focusing on supply and demand reduction) to discrete issues such as peace-keeping, DDR, SSR, civilian disarmament and a host of related interventions. The second comparative advantage of the Small Arms Survey is its extensive network of local partners in over 80 countries - many of whom are actively engaged in more conventional peace-building activities ranging from conflict resolution to transitional justice. The Survey actively nurtures these networks and builds on them to enhance its outputs.
Between 50.000 to 1 million CHF per annum
  • Capacity and development training
  • Direct project implementation
  • Financial support
  • Monitoring and Evaluation
  • Policy advice
  • Research and policy development
  • Technical assistance
Description of activities
Sustained capacity support to NGOs, CBOs and local research institutes in over 20 countries to undertake reliable/valid field-based research on DDR, armed violence and other topics of concern; Creation and strengthening of regional 'nodes' to nuture research talent (Brazil, Colombia, Sri Lanka, South Africa), Solomon Islands, Burundi, etc)/ International.
Documents and findings regularly used in the preparation of Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers, United Nations Development Assistance Frameworks, and related peace-building and reconstruction frameworks by major multilateral agencies and bilateral donors. Data also routinely used in countries such as Sudan and Haiti for the purposes of baseline data to design programmes, monitor progress and measure outcomes.
Interventions in countries such as the Sudan, Republic of Congo, Haiti, Guatemala, Burundi and Timor-Leste have contributed to the raising of funds for multilateral and non-governmental agencies, including UNDP/BCPR and partners such as UNICEF, UNIFEM, and others.
Supported the production of IDDRS (integrated DDR standards) and several other international norm setting exercises to monitor and evaluate interventions. Currently developing a system to monitor implementation of the UN Programme of Action in multiple regions and countries.
Ongoing advisory support to DPKO, UNDP, UNHCR, UNICEF and other UN agencies to support DDR and weapons collection programmes - as well as armed violence reduction activities; Support to multilateral treaty processes on arms control, police use of force and other issues / International
Baseline studies for UN and bilateral DDR operations drawing on a combination of methods (household surveys and focus groups); Sustained intelligence and support for the design, preparation and monitoring/evaluation of DDR and civilian weapons collection programmes / Africa, Southeast Asia, Latin America/Caribbean, South Asia, Balkans
Seconded to UN, regional organisations and bilateral missions to support roll-out of DDR and peace-support operations; Country-assessments of DDR capacity for governments; Support for the design of M&E systems to monitor outcomes/effects of interventions over time / Africa; Westerns Europe; Balkans; Caribbean

Civilian Small Arms Control

Security Sector Governance
  • Africa
    • Central Africa
      • Angola
      • Democratic Republic of the Congo
      • Chad
      • Central African Republic
    • Eastern Africa
      • Mauritius
      • Uganda
      • Mozambique
      • Kenya
      • Somalia
      • Sudan
      • Burundi
      • Rwanda
      • United Republic of Tanzania
      • Ethiopia
      • Eritrea
    • Northern Africa
      • Egypt
    • Southern Africa
      • South Africa
    • Western Africa
      • Ghana
      • Senegal
      • Nigeria
      • Liberia
      • Mauritania
      • Niger
      • Sierra Leone
      • Cape Verde
      • Cote d’Ivoire
  • Americas
    • Caribbean
      • Haiti
      • Jamaica
      • Trinidad and Tobago
    • Central America
      • Panama
      • El-Salvador
      • Guatemala
      • Nicaragua
    • North America
      • Mexico
      • United States of America
      • Canada
    • South America
      • Argentina
      • Brazil
      • Colombia
      • Peru
      • Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of)
      • Guyana
  • Asia
    • Central Asia
      • Tajikistan
      • Uzbekistan
    • East Asia
      • Japan
    • South Asia
      • Nepal
      • Afghanistan
      • India
      • Pakistan
      • Sri Lanka
      • Bangladesh
      • Bhutan
    • South East Asia
      • Cambodia
      • Indonesia
      • Philippines
      • Thailand
      • Timor-Leste
    • Western Asia
      • Georgia
      • Jordan
      • Lebanon
      • Turkey
      • Yemen
      • Azerbaijan
      • Iraq
      • Palestine
  • Europe
    • Eastern Europe
      • Kosovo
      • Russian Federation
      • Ukraine
      • Belarus
    • Northern Europe
      • United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
      • Sweden
      • Denmark
      • Finland
      • Norway
      • Ireland
    • Western Europe
      • France
      • Switzerland
      • Belgium
      • Netherlands
      • Germany
    • Southern Europe
      • Montenegro
      • Spain
      • Italy
      • Bosnia and Herzegovina
      • Croatia
      • Serbia
      • (The former Yugoslav) Republic of Macedonia
  • Oceania

Sierra Leone

Types of activity: 
Research and policy development
Other
Other: 
Publication
Description: 

Sustained research on arms control/DDR since 2001 as well as for OECD DAC Guidelines on Armed Violence Reduction. Small Arms Survey publication in English in July 2001 and review of programming for OECD Guidelines on Armed Violence Reduction for 2008.

Burundi

Sectors of activity: 
Security Sector Governance
Law Enforcement Institutions
Defence Institutions
Civilian Small Arms Control
Transitional Justice
Judicial and Legal Reform
Human Rights
Community Conflict Resolution
Political Parties
Civil Society
Media
Humanitarian Protection
Gender
Employment Generation
Types of activity: 
Research and policy development
Technical assistance
Policy advice
Capacity and development training
Other
Other: 
Publication
Description: 

A large-scale baseline assessment of the scale/distribution of arms in the country but also trends in victimisation

Support to UNOB and UNDP in preparation of arms control and disarmament policy

Support to the government of Burundi and UN agencies in framing arms control and disarmament

Working with local institutions such as the Ministry of Health, MSF and League Iteka - a local human rights organisation - to enhance surveillance capacities

Small Arms Survey publication in English/French issued in July 2007

Launch of final report in English/French in Bujumbura in 2009 with Interior Ministry, Ministry of Public Security

Launch of final report to Inter-Ministerial conference of the ECA in 2009

Development of new UNDAF arrangement on the basis of data collected for 2010-2014

Development of concrete programming options in Burundi.

Central African Republic

Sectors of activity: 
Security Sector Governance
Law Enforcement Institutions
Defence Institutions
DDR
Civilian Small Arms Control
Transitional Justice
Human Rights
Types of activity: 
Research and policy development
Technical assistance
Policy advice
Description: 

We have worked in CAR with the World Bank in relation to DDR (in 2003 and 2004), including provision of data and technical expertise

We produced a volume on CAR in 2009 which was released at www.smallarmssurvey.org – it considers the history, dynamics and causes of armed violence in the country, together with focused field-based assessments of arms availability, trafficking, smuggling, and misuse.

We provided routine advice and inputs to high-level forums on PBC and PBF countries in New York via the UNDPKO or other non-governmental forums such as the SSRC.

Sierra Leone

Types of activity: 
Research and policy development
Other
Other: 
Publication
Description: 

Sustained research on arms control/DDR since 2001 as well as for OECD DAC Guidelines on Armed Violence Reduction. Small Arms Survey publication in English in July 2001 and review of programming for OECD Guidelines on Armed Violence Reduction for 2008.

Burundi

Sectors of activity: 
Security Sector Governance
Law Enforcement Institutions
Defence Institutions
Civilian Small Arms Control
Transitional Justice
Judicial and Legal Reform
Human Rights
Community Conflict Resolution
Political Parties
Civil Society
Media
Humanitarian Protection
Gender
Employment Generation
Types of activity: 
Research and policy development
Technical assistance
Policy advice
Capacity and development training
Other
Other: 
Publication
Description: 

A large-scale baseline assessment of the scale/distribution of arms in the country but also trends in victimisation

Support to UNOB and UNDP in preparation of arms control and disarmament policy

Support to the government of Burundi and UN agencies in framing arms control and disarmament

Working with local institutions such as the Ministry of Health, MSF and League Iteka - a local human rights organisation - to enhance surveillance capacities

Small Arms Survey publication in English/French issued in July 2007

Launch of final report in English/French in Bujumbura in 2009 with Interior Ministry, Ministry of Public Security

Launch of final report to Inter-Ministerial conference of the ECA in 2009

Development of new UNDAF arrangement on the basis of data collected for 2010-2014

Development of concrete programming options in Burundi.

Central African Republic

Sectors of activity: 
Security Sector Governance
Law Enforcement Institutions
Defence Institutions
DDR
Civilian Small Arms Control
Transitional Justice
Human Rights
Types of activity: 
Research and policy development
Technical assistance
Policy advice
Description: 

We have worked in CAR with the World Bank in relation to DDR (in 2003 and 2004), including provision of data and technical expertise

We produced a volume on CAR in 2009 which was released at www.smallarmssurvey.org – it considers the history, dynamics and causes of armed violence in the country, together with focused field-based assessments of arms availability, trafficking, smuggling, and misuse.

We provided routine advice and inputs to high-level forums on PBC and PBF countries in New York via the UNDPKO or other non-governmental forums such as the SSRC.

Small Arms Survey
Avenue Blanc 47
Geneva CH-1202
See map: map.search.ch, Google Maps
http://www.smallarmssurvey.org
Research/ Academic
From 3 to 10 years
Between 1 million to 50 million CHF per annum
25
Avenue Blanc 47
Geneva CH-1202
See map: map.search.ch, Google Maps
Headquarters

The Small Arms Survey's headquarters are located in Geneva at the Graduate Institute of International Studies. It coordinates a network of researchers around the world.

25
Professor
Keith Krause
Programme Director
Robert Muggah
Research Director
3

Network

ACLET

Type: 
Other
Other: 
World Bank
Description: 

PRIO initiative to track violence

Geneva Declaration Civil Society Networks

HiCN (Households in Conflict Network)

IDDRS

Type: 
United Nations / IOs
Description: 

UN-led process to establish guidelines/standards on DDR (leading to the production of a 24-part module issuing best practice and principles for practitioners).

IISS

Type: 
Academic
Description: 

Largely military/security studies community and supporting a review of extent DDR operations in relation to PSOs and 'exit-strategies'.

MICROCON

SSRC

Type: 
Academic
Description: 

A large-scale US-based network of scholars with regional/thematic specialties on peacebuilding.