 was the first Hague Convention in 1899){kind=link}
The first international assembly that addressed the issue of arms control (among other issues) was the first Hague Convention in 1899, leading to many other treaties and thereby compelling sovereign countries such as Botswana the leverage to follow suit and reinforce and adopt international practices in human rights law and international humanitarian law.
The adoption of the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) by the United Nations General Assembly in April 2013 represented a key milestone in global efforts to regulate trade in conventional arms.
The EU is committed to supporting the universalization of the Treaty. It, therefore, has set up and funded EU ATT Assistance Projects for Partners all over the world since 2013. The German Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control (BAFA) and Expertise France (EF) have been mandated by the European Union to implement EU activities in support of the implementation of the ATT.
Since Botswana acceded to the Treaty in September 2019, it has shown its commitment to its implementation, including by submitting the required initial and yearly reports. Botswana has expressed its strong interest in joining the ATT Outreach Project implemented by BAFA in the follow-up to the regional conference held in Zambia in June.
On the 25th of August 2023, Botswana became a Partner of the EU and BAFA under the ATT Outreach Project, leading to a first online kick-off event held in September.
In light of the above, the Ministry of Defence and Security, together with the European Union, hosted a two-day workshop with an objective for the EU to facilitate and capacitate the Ministry on issues relating to Arms Trade Treaty Outreach Programmes.
Noting with special reference the fact that Botswana signed the Arms Treaty in June 2016. The objective of Arms Treaties is essentially the reduction or elimination of weapons; arms-control agreements aim to encourage countries to manage their weapons in limited cooperation with each other.
In light of the above, the meeting was critical in that it will help the Ministry to understand international best practices, facilitate and provide information and also a healthy space to engage in dialogue.
In his welcome remarks, Secretary for Defence Brigadier Mokuedi Sianang said that Botswana will forever be grateful for the support rendered by the European Union (EU) for their unwavering support.
Additionally, the EU’s presence and assistance are highly significant, particularly at this time when the country is encouraging the development of a local Defence Security industry. Brigadier Sianang emphasized the commitment to the objectives of the Arms Trade Treaty, adding that ‘development and trade in the defence industry has to be preceded by an effective regulatory framework for arms control’. He informed the meeting that the assistance of the EU will enable the Ministry to develop a watertight arms control regime.
Brigadier Sianang took the opportunity to also thank the EU for having accepted Botswana as an official partner country under the ATT (Arms Trade Treaty) Outreach Project 3.
Special reference was made to all Ministry of Defence official partners (Botswana Investment & Trade Centre-BITC, Ministry of Trade, Attorney General Chambers, Botswana Police Service, Botswana Defence Force and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs formed part of the stakeholder delegates.
Currently, the arms control framework supports two independent Authorities within the National Control framework that being:
i) Chemical Biological Nuclear and Radiological Management Authority (CBRMA)
ii) Arms and Ammunition Board
Workshop participants called for a customized arms control framework, Expertise audit, Capacity building, continued technical assistance and ultimately benchmarking to the country of interest as a way through which the endeavour could be assisted. An official dinner has been scheduled for Thursday, the 2nd of November 2023, at 1800 hours, at Avani Resort.