Launch of the African Fellowship Training Programme on Small Arms and Light Weapons

Excellencies,
Distinguished representatives of the African Union and the Government of Togo,
Dear colleagues, fellows, and partners,

It is a great pleasure and a profound honor to join you for the launch of the African Fellowship Training Programme on Small Arms and Light Weapons.

Today, we are witnessing an important milestone in our shared efforts to advance peace and security across the continent. 

This fellowship embodies the spirit of partnership and collaboration that lies at the heart of the United Nations work in Africa. 

It brings together governments officials that are committed to addressing one of the most persistent challenges to our collective stability, the illicit proliferation and misuse of small arms and light weapons.

As the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Togo, I see this fellowship not simply as a technical initiative, but as a powerful instrument for building peace from the ground up. 

The fellowship is timely aligned with the recommendations of the second edition of the Lome Peace and Forum, held two weeks ago here in Lome.

Heads of states and governments, representatives of the Africa Union, regional organizations and the United Nations, international experts, youth and women discussed opportunities to overcome complex security challenges in Africa. 

The uncontrolled spread of small arms undermines human security, disrupts development, and weakens governance. 

It affects every aspect of community life, from the safety of schools and markets to the trust that citizens place in their institutions.

By investing in capacity building, shared learning, and professional development, this fellowship helps transform our approach to peace and security. 

It connects the objectives of disarmament with those of sustainable development. 

It gives practical meaning to Goal 16 of the 2030 Agenda, the commitment to build peaceful, just, and inclusive societies.

And to the African Union Agenda 2063, which envisions an integrated, prosperous, and peaceful Africa.

I commend the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs and its Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Africa (UNREC) for implementing this important global mandate under General Assembly resolution 77/71. 

I express sincere appreciation to the Government of Togo for hosting this first in person edition, in Lome. 

I also express sincere appreciation to our partners in Benin for their collaboration and support.

Dear fellows, 

Welcome to Lome, 

Welcome to this first edition of the African Fellowship Training Programme on Small Arms and Light Weapons.

Kindly receive my warmest congratulations and encouragement for having been selected among dozens of applicants. 

You are the first generation to participate in this fellowship, a generation that will carry forward the principles of effective arms control, cooperation, and accountability. 

An amazing team of trainers and facilitators will guide you through these coming days and weeks. 

This is more than a course; it is an opportunity to build connections, to share experiences, and to create a lasting community of practice that strengthens peace and security across Africa.

The United Nations family stands beside you, across Africa, and globally. 

We are here to support, to accompany your efforts and ensure that the knowledge and partnerships forged during these weeks translate into tangible progress in your countries and regions.

Let me conclude by wishing you all a successful and inspiring learning experience. 

May your participation in this fellowship help turn Africa’s aspirations for peace into reality, for this generation and the generations to come.

Thank you.