Programme

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DAY 1 | TUESDAY 8 JULY

08:00

Participants registration [Main hall of CICG]

09:15

Opening Address

  • Sabrina Dallafior, Minister, Deputy Head of Human Security Division, Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA)
  • Neil Bühne, Director, UNDP BCPR Liaison Office and ad interim Director, UNDP Representational office in Geneva


09:30

Key-note Intervention as introduction to the high level panel

  • Yves Rossier, State Secretary, Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA)
    [Speech]

 

09:50

Plenary Session - High Level Panel   

Current challenges to armed violence reduction and prevention

This session will highlight current challenges in armed violence reduction and prevention in Europe, the Caucasus, and Central Asia, and in relation to the rest of the world.

The session will be a moderated conversation between panelists and conference participants.


Panelists

Moderator

  • Rebecca Peters, Senior Associate at Surviving Gun Violence Project (SGVP)

 

11:00

Coffee break  

11:30

Additional statements by states 

 

12:30

 

Lunch break

12:45

Side event [Room 15, Level -1]

LGBTI, armed violence, and security: advancing a research agenda

 14:00

Plenary Session

Dimensions of armed violence and insecurity  in Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia

The panel will discuss the main characteristics, trends, and impacts of armed violence, crime, and insecurity in the region.


Panelists

Moderator

  • Tiziano Balmelli, Human Security Division, Federal Department of Foreign Affairs

 

15:30

Coffee break  

16:00-

17:45

Parallel Thematic Session 

 

 

Session 1    [Rooms 3 +4  | Level 0]

Measuring for results in conflict, crime and violence affected situations

This panel shares emerging best practices in measuring the outcomes of security and justice initiatives in situations affected by armed conflict, crime, and violence. Building on the positive experiences gained through an ongoing joint initiative between a donor government and a discrete group of organizations with established expertise in monitoring and evaluation, the panel discusses innovations in measuring for results, as well as the potential for successful partnerships between governments and non-governmental actors in making progress towards reducing the global burden of armed violence.


Panelists

Moderator

 

 

Session 2    [Room 15 | Floor Level -1]
*
Sponsored by the City of Geneva*

Cities as actors of armed violence prevention and reduction (AVPR)

Urban insecurity and violence are major preoccupations of policymakers, planners, and development practitioners in cities around the world. Many cities and municipalities have experiences of partnerships involving multiple stakeholders to prevent violence, thereby developing innovative approaches which support and go beyond strict policing. Such approaches are often based on systems to assess and monitor insecurity, while gauging the impact of interventions. The main objective of this session is to share experiences, best practices, and case studies involving urban approaches to reduction and prevention of violence.


Panelists

Moderator

 

 

Session 3     [Room 16 | Floor Level -1]

Women, peace and security and small arms

In recent years several international agendas—involving women, peace, security, and small arms—have found important points of convergence, addressing issues such as gender-based violence and  the participation and representation of women in small arms policymaking. The convergence of agendas is apparent in the outcome document of the 2012 Review Conference of the UN Programme of Action, in the ATT, the 2013 Security Council Resolution on small arms and, in parallel, in the two 2013 resolutions on women, peace, and security (both reaffirming the gender provisions of the ATT). While such commitments are clear at the international level, in many contexts their actual implementation at the national level is far from being achieved.

This session will discuss the challenges in aligning national action plans for the implementation of UN resolution 1325 on women, peace, and security, and policies related to small arms and light weapons, in response to the unprecedented convergence of agendas at the international level.


Panelists

Moderator

  • Nicola Williams, Global Alliance on Armed Violence (GAAV)

 

18:30

Official Reception Dinner  at Restaurant le Vieux Bois
offered by Switzerland and by the Canton of Geneva

 

 

DAY 2 | WEDNESDAY 9 JULY 2014

08:45

Launch of the Handbook Implementing the Geneva Declaration  

 

09:15

 

 

Plenary Session 

Armed violence reduction within the post-2015 agenda

The session will highlight the importance of linking armed violence reduction with programming policies and interventions to the development agenda, at national, regional and international levels. The panel will also focus on the importance of supporting the inclusion of peace and reduction of violence in the debates leading to the post-2015 development agenda.

The session will be a moderated discussion, with panelists offering insights and examples, as well as interaction with conference participants.


Panelists

Moderator

  • Keith Krause,  Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies

 

10:30

Coffee break

11:00

Parallel Sessions  

The sessions will focus on experiences and lessons learned in programming in the following areas:

 

Session 1     [Room 15 | Floor Level -1]

Working with victims and survivors of armed violence

Every year thousands of persons are injured by armed violence, often with life-long consequences for them and their families. The session will explore some of the issues that should be addressed when considering the question of survivors of armed violence, in order to respond more effectively to their rights and needs, and to deal with the legacies of the experience of armed violence.


Panelists

Moderator

 

 

Session 2     [Room 16  | Floor Level -1]

Youth as change factor

This panel will reflect on the role of youth in relation to themes such as security, small arms, violence and crime prevention, and rehabilitation and reintegration. The session will consider experiences in which the youth are central actors in innovative approaches to increasing security and ‘living together’ in Europe, the Caucasus, and Central Asia.


Panelists

Moderator

 

 

Session 3     [Rooms 3  + 4 | Floor Level 0]

From data collection to action: what data is needed for global policies?

 Measuring and monitoring armed violence and development data is one of the main pillars of the Geneva Declaration. Efforts to effectively reduce and prevent armed violence require clear diagnosis of its scope, distribution, and drivers. Data-driven initiatives are often developed at local or national level, where they can more easily translated into interventions. At the global level, how can data be provided that can be relevant for processes dealing with armed violence reduction and prevention? How are these data relevant for international policy-making? Are they relevant for the post-2015 development agenda? What are the conditions and capacities needed for a successful integration of data into multi-lateral policy processes?

The session will debate the role and use of data on violence and insecurity for policy making at the global level.


Panelists

Moderator

 

12:30

Lunch break & possible side events  

14:00

Plenary Session   

Armed violence reduction: between disarmament and development

Effective armed violence reduction and prevention is responsibility of several actors, often coming from different backgrounds, such as ‘development’ and ‘disarmament’. Is effective collaboration between these communities actually possible given different institutional responsibilities and funding lines and cycles? Why and how did development and peace policy actors include this issue in their programming? What are the current challenges?


Panelists

Moderator

  • Sara Sekkenes, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

 

15:00

Parallel Sessions 

 

Session 1     [Room 16  | Level -1] 

Engaging the private sector for armed violence reduction and prevention (AVRP) and development

Private sector activities that exacerbate conflict often receive attention, yet little attention has been paid to the sector’s positive impacts in reducing violence. The private sector plays a highly significant role in the context of security. Conflict-affected states and communities need economic activity, and foreign and domestic investments help these states recover from conflict. Investment creates jobs, which can prevent and reduce the likelihood of post-conflict violence. The private sector makes an essential contribution to establishing a long-term climate of security.

The panel will focus on how the private sector can engage in reducing and preventing armed violence to foster peace and development.


Panelists

Moderator

  • Rémy Friedmann, Human Security Division, Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs

 

 

Session 2     [Rooms 3 + 4 | Level 0]

Controlling the tools of violence

The session will share the experiences of firearms control programmes that have or could have a positive impact on armed violence reduction.  The discussion will focus on strategies for control of institutional inventories, regulation of privately-owned guns, reducing availability of illicit firearms, and prevention of illicit manufacturing of and trafficking of firearms.


Panelists

Moderator

  • Jacques Baud, Political Affairs and Security Policy Division, NATO

 

 

Session 3     [Room 15 | Level -1]

The role of diasporas for the reduction and prevention of armed violence

Diasporas have a role to play in violence–affected situations. The session will focus on examples of how diasporas have been positively engaging in processes leading to a reduction of armed violence.


Panel Discussion

 

16:30

Coffee break   

17:00

Plenary Session

An agenda for action

Speakers will suggest an agenda for action in order to address the challenges of reducing and preventing armed violence.

  • Mia Gandenberger, Reaching Critical Will, on behalf of the civil society
    [Civil Society Statement]
  • Sara Sekkenes,  Senior Policy Advisor, UNDP
  • Luigi De Martino, Coordinator of the Geneva Declaration Secretariat

 

17:30

Closing remarks and presentation of the Chair’s summary

  • Sabrina Dallafior, Minister, Deputy Head of Human Security Division, Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs

17:45

End of Conference