IUHEI: Small Arms Survey (SAS)

• Research unit: PHRD
• Project number: 532410

Key words (English)

Small Arms, Light Weapons, proliferation and misuse, armed violence

Short description (English)

The Geneva-based Small Arms Survey was established on the initiative of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) in 1999 and is conducted under the tutelage of The Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies (IHEID). It is today internationally recognized as the primary source of independent information on small arms and light weapons (SALW) issues. Moreover, it is also a major node in the network of efforts to address SALW issues providing a forum for the sharing of knowledge and the dissemination of experience with measures to reduce the availability of, demand for, and misuse of SALW. It also houses and supports the Secretariat of the Geneva Declaration on Armed Violence and Development (Geneva Declaration) and takes a lead role in the implementation of its measuring and monitoring pillar. This proposal awards Small Arms Survey a new credit line, as defined and agreed in the 2005 Memorandum of Understanding between the FDFA and IHEID, thus ensuring a continued and slightly increased core contribution of Switzerland to its strategic partner.

http://www.smallarmssurvey.org/

Project aims (English)

The core mission of the Survey is policy-relevant research and analysis on all aspects of small arms and light weapons proliferation and misuse, including on the distribution, causes and effects of armed violence. The Survey has the following objectives:

• to contribute to international efforts to constrain the proliferation and misuse of small arms and light weapons, in particular through the publication of the annual Survey and related publications, and through the wide dissemination of reliable and impartial information and analysis on all aspects of small arms and armed violence;
• to enhance international transparency in this issue area;
• to constitute a permanent centre of reflection and research of international standard;
• to encourage the development of reliable methods for tracking the production, stockpiling, holdings, distribution, transfers and effects of small arms and light weapons proliferation, and for the mapping and monitoring of armed violence worldwide;
• to contribute to the training of researchers and the development of capacities, especially in the developing world
• to organize or participate in conferences, seminars, workshops and public presentations to meet these objectives.