Brazil: Fewer guns means fewer deaths
Global Week of Action against Gun Violence starts on 10 May
South Africa: Death of activist Sheena Duncan
Spain: Disarm Domestic Violence campaign launched

New Zealand: Pacific voices will be present in ATT meetings
Other news: UN Secretary-General supports arms control in Central Africa; Parliamentarians discuss gun policies in the Americas; New GRIP Director; New staff in IANSA Secretariat; IANSA Women’s Network bulletin; German forces in Afghanistan.

New research reveals that gun homicides in the state of São Paulo (Brazil) dropped 70% between 1999 and 2008. The report argues that the strong 2003 gun law (the Disarmament Statute) was vital to this decrease, especially the prohibition on carrying guns, which was enforced effectively in São Paulo state. The study was produced by Instituto Sou da Paz, an IANSA member in Brazil. The study also shows that commercial sales of firearms decreased by 90% and that over half a million guns have been collected in the country. According to Daniel Mack, from Sou da Paz, “the study confirms the undeniable success of Brazil’s gun control law, but also pinpoints areas in which its implementation is lacking, betraying the legislation’s potential to save even more lives. Brazil can’t afford to rest on its laurels, but rather must push towards full and effective implementation.” More

From 10 to 16 May IANSA members in more than 90 countries will mark the Global Week of Action against Gun Violence. From Fiji to Pakistan to South Ossetia civil society will show their support for a principled Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) and other measures to reduce and prevent armed violence. Remember that you can follow the Week of Action events on IANSA’s website, Twitter and Facebook pages. More.

We are sad to report the death of Sheena Duncan on 4 May. Sheena was a founder and Patron of Gun Free South Africa as well as being a stalwart of Black Sash and honorary life president of South Africa Council of Churches. "Sheena was a dedicated, quiet, soft spoken person, but when she spoke, nobody could challenge her, not even the gun lobby", said Joseph Dube, IANSA Africa Coordinator. She will be missed by GFSA, the IANSA Secretariat, and many others.

IANSA members in Spain, Platforma per la Pau Lloret in Catalunya, launched the Disarm Domestic Violence campaign on 23 April. Amongst other campaign goals, Platforma per la Pau Lloret is urging the police to consult the spouses or ex-spouses of anyone applying for a firearms license. Meanwhile, Canadian singer Noya has given her song 'No' to the Disarm Domestic Violence campaign to empower those who suffer from abuse and inspire them to say NO! More.

The Pacific Small Arms Action Group (PSAAG) held their first workshop in Wellington (New Zealand) on 29-30 April. Members from Australia, Fiji, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea began developing a 2-year strategy on how they can best support their governments to reduce armed violence. The Group also met members of the New Zealand Parliament and Ministry of Foreign Affairs. A key focus of PSAAG’s strategy will be to ensure that Pacific voices are well represented at key international fora in the lead up to the ATT negotiations in 2012.

Other news:

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon encouraged Central African governments to adopt a regional legal instrument to combat illicit arms trafficking, during a ministerial meeting in Kinshasa (DR Congo) on 30 April. He said the instrument should reflect regional cross-cutting challenges such as the security sector, gun proliferation, violence against women and illegal exploitation of natural resources by armed groups. More.

60 legislators, government officials and civil society leaders from Colombia, El Salvador, Haiti, Nicaragua, Uruguay and US participated in an inter-parliamentary seminar on the illicit transfer of small arms. The seminar, at the US Congress in Washington DC on 27 April, aimed to promote a common understanding among legislators to develop effective policies to tackle illicit arms trafficking from US to Mexico, Central America and the Andean region. More.

Xavier Zeebroek has been appointed as the new director of Brussels-based GRIP (Group for Research and Information on Peace and Security). Xavier is a specialist in conflict and peace keeping missions in sub-Saharan Africa. Bernard Adam, who directed GRIP for 31 years, will become president of GRIP’s board. More

A new staff member has joined the IANSA Secretariat. James Mudd will be our new Office Manager from May 2010. James, who has worked in the NGO sector for several years, will have the opportunity to work closely with IANSA members as he will coordinate travel, finance and other logistical aspects of the network's operations. We thank former Office Manager Irene Amore and wish her the best in her career.

The latest bulletin of the IANSA Women’s Network is now available. It has articles on guns and acts of intimidation, torture and terror in Canada; the Control Arms campaign; and IANSA women’s activism around the world. More

Members of the German armed forces in Afghanistan have publicly criticised the weapons they are using. But can more weapons really bring sustainable peace in Afghanistan? The situation is analysed in the latest DAKS-Newsletter. More

Please send your news and stories for the Update to adriana.medina@iansa.org