GD Review Conference 2011

Reduce armed violence, enable development.

The Geneva Declaration on Armed Violence and Development is a high-level diplomatic initiative designed to support states and civil society actors to achieve measurable reductions in the global burden of armed violence in conflict and non-conflict settings by 2015 and beyond. To date more than one hundred states have endorsed the Declaration.

Review Conferences are held to assess progress concerning the process and implementation of the Geneva Declaration. The 1st Ministerial Review Conference, held on 12 September 2008, offered a forum for discussion on how to strengthen the relations between the security and development communities and helped build political support for a UN General Assembly resolution entitled ‘Promoting Development through the Reduction and Prevention of Armed Violence’ (A/RES/63/23). The Conference Statement reaffirmed that armed violence is a major impediment to sustainable development and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals, and that practical measures aimed at preventing and reducing the negative impact of armed violence on development should be continued and intensified. At the Ministerial Review Conference 2008 delegates agreed to reconvene for a review conference no later than 2011.

The 2nd Ministerial Review Conference on the Geneva Declaration on Armed Violence and Development was held in Geneva on 31 October and 1 November 2011. The conference, hosted by the Government of Switzerland and by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), took place at the Geneva International Conference Centre (CICG), attended by nearly 500  participants, including accredited national delegations from 96 countries, as well as invited international and civil society organisations.