Bangkok--May 15--MFA
On 8 and 9 May 2008, the Royal Thai Government, the Government of Switzerland and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) hosted the Asia-Pacific Meeting on Armed Violence and Development in Bangkok, Thailand. The Asia-Pacific Meeting was a follow up to the Geneva Declaration on Armed Violence and Development adopted on 7 June 2006 by 42 States and endorsed by further 30 States by April 2008. The main objectives of the Meeting were to raise awareness of the causal linkage between armed violence and development and to provide all stakeholders with an opportunity to exchange views and perspectives on concrete programmes and initiatives to address armed violence and promote development. The Meeting was attended by 27 governments from the Asia-Pacific region, 8 governments from outside the region that support the Geneva Declaration, 9 international organizations as well as representatives from 13 non-governmental organizations.
At the end of the meeting, 23 States adopted the Asia-Pacific Declaration on Armed Violence and Development. By doing so, they agreed to promote a comprehensive approach to armed violence prevention and reduction as a means to enhance development and the achievement of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, as well as to affirm their support for the Geneva Declaration on Armed Violence and Development.
By endorsing the Asia-Pacific Declaration on Armed Violence and Development, States recognized the linkage and mutual reinforcement between development, peace, security and human rights. They acknowledged the complex and differing manifestations of armed violence in the Asia-Pacific region. They also affirm that governments have the primary responsibility for preventing and reducing armed violence within their jurisdiction through appropriate mechanisms.
The 23 states also agreed to some practical measures such as:
- Creating an enabling environment for sustained socio-economic development, through, inter alia, promoting confidence building measures, good governance, democratic institutions, socio-economic equity, human rights and the rule of law.
- Promoting the exchanges of views, best practices and information that highlight the linkage between armed violence and development and contribute to more effective armed violence prevention and reduction.
- Ensuring that armed violence prevention and reduction initiatives place emphasis on specific root causes and groups within societies, both those that are affected by and those that perpetrate armed violence.
- Encouraging a culture of peace, tolerance and diversity by, inter alia, promoting access to education for all and by incorporating peace-oriented values into education curricula for young persons from an early age.
- Preventing and reducing the uncontrolled circulation, illicit trade and trafficking and misuse of small arms and light weapons and their ammunition through initiatives to regulate the production, transfer, acquisition, and possession of small arms and light weapons.
- Promoting cooperation and partnerships among public sector, private sector, civil society and governments at all levels to prevent and reduce armed violence and enhance development.
Regional meetings for the countries in the Middle East and South-Eastern Europe will be held later in 2008. The first regional meeting for the countries in Latin America and the Caribbean took place in Guatemala on 23-24 April 2007, and a regional meeting for the countries in Africa was held in October 2007. Progress in the implementation of the Geneva and regional declarations on armed violence and development will be reviewed at a Ministerial Summit in Geneva, Switzerland, on 12 September 2008.
Prime Minister at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Press Division, Department of Information Tel.(02) 643-5170
Fax. (02) 643-5169 E-mail : div0704@mfa.go.th End.
-PM-
On 8 and 9 May 2008, the Royal Thai Government, the Government of Switzerland and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) hosted the Asia-Pacific Meeting on Armed Violence and Development in Bangkok, Thailand. The Asia-Pacific Meeting was a follow up to the Geneva Declaration on Armed Violence and Development adopted on 7 June 2006 by 42 States and endorsed by further 30 States by April 2008. The main objectives of the Meeting were to raise awareness of the causal linkage between armed violence and development and to provide all stakeholders with an opportunity to exchange views and perspectives on concrete programmes and initiatives to address armed violence and promote development. The Meeting was attended by 27 governments from the Asia-Pacific region, 8 governments from outside the region that support the Geneva Declaration, 9 international organizations as well as representatives from 13 non-governmental organizations.
At the end of the meeting, 23 States adopted the Asia-Pacific Declaration on Armed Violence and Development. By doing so, they agreed to promote a comprehensive approach to armed violence prevention and reduction as a means to enhance development and the achievement of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, as well as to affirm their support for the Geneva Declaration on Armed Violence and Development.
By endorsing the Asia-Pacific Declaration on Armed Violence and Development, States recognized the linkage and mutual reinforcement between development, peace, security and human rights. They acknowledged the complex and differing manifestations of armed violence in the Asia-Pacific region. They also affirm that governments have the primary responsibility for preventing and reducing armed violence within their jurisdiction through appropriate mechanisms.
The 23 states also agreed to some practical measures such as:
- Creating an enabling environment for sustained socio-economic development, through, inter alia, promoting confidence building measures, good governance, democratic institutions, socio-economic equity, human rights and the rule of law.
- Promoting the exchanges of views, best practices and information that highlight the linkage between armed violence and development and contribute to more effective armed violence prevention and reduction.
- Ensuring that armed violence prevention and reduction initiatives place emphasis on specific root causes and groups within societies, both those that are affected by and those that perpetrate armed violence.
- Encouraging a culture of peace, tolerance and diversity by, inter alia, promoting access to education for all and by incorporating peace-oriented values into education curricula for young persons from an early age.
- Preventing and reducing the uncontrolled circulation, illicit trade and trafficking and misuse of small arms and light weapons and their ammunition through initiatives to regulate the production, transfer, acquisition, and possession of small arms and light weapons.
- Promoting cooperation and partnerships among public sector, private sector, civil society and governments at all levels to prevent and reduce armed violence and enhance development.
Regional meetings for the countries in the Middle East and South-Eastern Europe will be held later in 2008. The first regional meeting for the countries in Latin America and the Caribbean took place in Guatemala on 23-24 April 2007, and a regional meeting for the countries in Africa was held in October 2007. Progress in the implementation of the Geneva and regional declarations on armed violence and development will be reviewed at a Ministerial Summit in Geneva, Switzerland, on 12 September 2008.
Prime Minister at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Press Division, Department of Information Tel.(02) 643-5170
Fax. (02) 643-5169 E-mail : div0704@mfa.go.th End.
-PM-