Monrovia – The Liberia National Commission on Small Arms (LiNCSA) continues to make significant gains to ensure the domestication of the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) in Liberia.
Of recent, and having attracted funding and technical assistance from Expertise France, the leadership of the Small Arms Commission has been meeting, in constructive sessions with influential government institutions, mainly relevant Committees of the national legislature, civil society stakeholders and the Liberian Media to solicit their buy-in and support for a number of amendment proposals to the current Firearms and Ammunition Control Act and the Act creating the Small Arms Commission.
The draft amendment proposals seek to harmonize the two domestic firearms legislations with the global Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) by integrating key provisions of the ATT on trade and transfer of conventional arms in the existing Firearms and Ammunition Control Act and further expanding the mandate of the Small Arms Commission beyond small arms and light weapons to cover all conventional arms.
More besides, these efforts of having engagement sessions were anticipated to speedily ensure the passage of the proposed law as indicated earlier. If this is done, Liberia will be the first country in West Africa to domesticate the ATT into its national law as far as the control and regulation of firearms are concerned.
The Chairman of the Liberia National Commission on Small Arms Atty. Teklo Maxwell Grigsby II, speaking during these separate on-site and virtual technical sessions, first thanked Expertise France for the partnership and collaboration and the European Union for the support towards the Commission’s determination to domesticate the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) in Liberia.
Chairman Grigsby mentioned his gratitude to have been supported by Expertise France, an initiative that has provided him the privilege to engage Members of the Honorable House of Representatives and the Liberian Senate, as well as civil society Organizations and the Liberian Media.
The Small Arms Boss, providing basic historical insight said, the Small Arms Commission started the ATT process with support from ECOWAS since 2018, with the Commission engaging national actors as well as international partners to ensure that Liberia live up to those different international instruments and treaties.
Speaking further, Chairman Grigsby said that the Commission had to engage the Law Makers especially newly elected, to bring them up to speed with the ATT process and the amended portion of the Firearm and Ammunition Control Act (FACA) for speedy enactment.
Expressing his gratitude, Chairman Grigsby said that the Commission was grateful to have prominent members of the national Legislature, Civil Society organizations and the Media to attend the engagement and advocacy sessions.
The Chairman lauded what he noted the irreplaceable contributions of all key national partners particularly; the Office of the President, the Board of the Small Arms Commission, State Security Institutions and Agencies in the quest to see Liberia become an armed freed society, and to regulate conventional arms as well.
Speaking to Civil Society and the Media, Chairman Grigsby said, he was highly impressed with the advocacy and engagement session because the Fourth Estate and Civil Society Organizations are a very powerful group of people who are instrumental in shifting the opinions and decisions of the social, economic and political conditions of the society.
Atty. Grigsby, describing both entities as watch dogs of the Liberian Society, noted that he would like to listen more to the opinions of Civil Society and Media Actors, stressing that the Commission sees it as an obligation to share the full content of what is being sent to the National Legislature regarding the amendment of the Firearm law of Liberia.
The Small Arms Boss Cautioned members of Civil Society and the Fourth Estate to review the work of government, and correcting where necessary, for the betterment of the society.
In response during the legislative session, the Co- Chair on Ways, Means and Finance at the Senate, newly elected Senator of Bong County Prince Moye, expressed gratitude to LiNCSA for the great initiative as well as the presenters for their brilliant presentations, and appreciated them for the level of work done so far.
Looking at the two instruments that have come to be harmonized, Senator Moye said, that it was a good concept and saw no reason why the Senate will not act on the harmonization of the two different Acts.
Senator Moye asserted, that on the part of the Ways, Means and Finance Committee in the Liberian Senate and in his capacity as Co-Chair, LiNCSA can be assured that the Committee will do everything within its might to provide the necessary financial assistance through budgetary appropriation so that the Commission can perform its work effectively.
The Commission, according to the Senator, needs empowerment to put in place all of the relevant mechanisms to do its work across the country, because according to him a lot of people are in possession of illegal firearms.
Also addressing the advocacy and sensitization session with Members of the Honorable Liberian Senate, Senator Comany B. Wesseh of River Gee and Former Chairman of the Small Arms Commission thanked the Grigsby administration for the progress of domesticating the ATT in Liberia; stressing that this is a remarkable achievement in the history of the Commission.
As part of the political process of legislation, Senator Wesseh, who is member of the Senate Committee on Defense, Security and Veteran Affairs assured the Commission of his support for the enactment of the proposed law.
The Senator also acknowledged the contributions of Mr. Mohamed Kolibaly of Expertise France, Dr. Adama Sanii of ECOWAS and others whom he had worked with for at least twenty (20) years to ensure the prevention of illicit trading of small arms and light weapons across the region.
Authorities of ECOWAS, especially its Small Arms Division expressed appreciation to Expertise France for the support toward the Liberia National Commission on Small Arms to ensure the speedy passage of the law.
The technical session with Law Makers, ECOWAS emphasized is an important milestone in moving forward with the amended portions of the Firearm laws, especially the one that commensurate with Arms Trade Treaty.
In similar gesture, authorities of Expertise France lauded the Liberia National Commission on Small Arms for the historic effort to meet members of the Honorable National Legislature, Civil Society Organizations and the Liberian Media to acquaint them with the draft proposed laws.
The session with key national stakeholders, Expertise France observed, was a significant step in a joint effort to ensure that all relevant provisions of the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) are fully incorporated into the national legal frameworks for firearms control in Liberia.
At the technical on-site virtual session, two distinguished Liberian Personalities in different field provided their respective presentation.
The Liberia Action Network on Small Arms (LANSA), Executive Secretary T. Nicholas Faryombo presented Civil Society’s perspective of arms control activities in Liberia and how the Liberian Government through the Small Arms Commission had made significant strides in curbing illicit trade of guns. While on the other hand, LiNCSA Legal National Consultant, Cllr. Jamal C. Dehtho presented the amended portion of the Firearms Act and its relevance to the ATT.
Civil Society and Media Representatives attending the engagement sessions expressed optimism of the passage of the proposed law. They expressed the desire of working with the Commission in other areas, especially providing public education to curb the illicit flow of small and light weapons in Liberia and the Africa Region. The Commission was assured of the fullest support and commitment by heads of Civil Society and Media Institutions.
The Technical on-site and virtual sessions, which were held on June 16, and 18, as well as the 29th and 30th of June at the Boulevard Palace and the Monrovia City Hall in Sinkor respectively, brought together around 150 participants in total from the relevant Committees of the Senate and House of Representatives, Civil Society Organizations and the Liberian Media.
The Government of Liberia through the Liberia National Commission on Small Arms was granted ad hoc partnership under the second phase of EU ATT Outreach Project following an official request for support to promote the domestication of the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) in Liberia.
Under the ad hoc partnership, the Liberia National Commission on Small Arms (LiNCSA) in collaboration with Expertise France organized the following engagement sessions.