Glossary and Definitions

acquisition of SALW located in one third country for the purpose of transfer to another third country;

mediation between sellers and buyers of SALW to facilitate the transfer of these arms from one third country to another;

the indication of an opportunity for such a transaction to the seller or buyer (in particular, the introduction of a seller or buyer in return for a fee or other consideration).

The term ‘demobilization’ refers to ending a child’s association with armed forces or groups. The terms ‘release’ or ‘exit from an armed force or group’ and ‘children coming or exiting from armed forces and groups’ rather than ‘demobilized children’ are preferred.

Child demobilization/release is very brief and involves removing a child from a military or armed group as swiftly as possible. This action may require official documentation (e.g., issuing a demobilization card or official registration in a database for ex-combatants) to confirm that the child has no military status, although formal documentation must be used carefully so that it does not stigmatize an already-vulnerable child.

Based on an analogy with the definition set out in the Third Geneva Convention of 1949 relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War in relation to persons engaged in international armed conflicts, a combatant is a person who:

is a member of a national army or an irregular military organization; or

is actively participating in military activities and hostilities; or

is involved in recruiting or training military personnel; or

holds a command or decision-making position within a national army or an armed organization; or

arrived in a host country carrying arms or in military uniform or as part of a military structure; or

having arrived in a host country as an ordinary civilian, thereafter assumes, or shows determination to assume, any of the above attributes.

Process employed by States with the aim of diffusing tensions and building sustainable peace.

Conflict reduction strategies may include programmes designed to build national and local capacity to settle disputes; encouraging the establishment of coordinated conflict prevention policies among international actors, and assisting countries in reducing the spread of arms.

A process that contributes to security and stability in a post-conflict recovery context by removing weapons from the hands of combatants, taking the combatants out of military structures and helping them to integrate socially and economically into society by finding civilian livelihoods.

Also see separate entries for ‘disarmament’, ‘demobilization’ and ‘reintegration’.

Criteria that establish who will benefit from DDR assistance and who will not. There are five categories of people that should be taken into consideration in DDR programmes: (1) male and female adult combatants; (2) children associated with armed forces and groups; (3) those working in non-combat roles (including women); (4) ex-combatants with disabilities and chronic Illnesses; and (5) dependants.

When deciding on who will benefit from DDR assistance, planners should be guided by three principles, which include: (1) focusing on improving security. DDR assistance should target groups that pose the greatest risk to peace, while paying careful attentions to laying the foundation for recovery and development; (2) balancing equity with security. Targeted assistance should be balanced against rewarding violence. Fairness should guide eligibility; and (3) achieving flexibility.

The eligibility criteria are decided at the beginning of a DDR planning process and determine the cost, scope and duration of the DDR programme in question.

Policies that utilize gender analysis in their formulation and design, and recognize gender differences in terms of needs, interests, priorities, power and roles. They further recognize that both men and women are active development actors for their community. Gender-aware policies can be further divided into the following three policies:

Gender-neutral policies use the knowledge of gender differences in a society to reduce biases in development work in order to enable both women and men to meet their practical gender needs.

Gender-specific policies are based on an understanding of the existing gendered division of resources and responsibilities and gender power relations. These policies use knowledge of gender difference to respond to the practical gender needs of women or men.

Gender-transformative policies consist of interventions that attempt to transform existing distributions of power and resources to create a more balanced relationship among women, men, girls and boys by responding to their strategic gender needs. These policies can target both sexes together, or separately. Interventions may focus on women’s and/or men’s practical gender needs, but with the objective of creating a conducive environment in which women or men can empower themselves.

Counselling support generally offered before and after a test in order to help individuals understand their risk behaviour and cope with an HIV-positive result or stay HIV-negative. The counselling service also links individuals to options for treatment, care and support, and provides information on how to stay as healthy as possible and how to minimize the risk of transmission to others. Test results shall be confidential.

Usually, a voluntary counselling and testing service package ensures that: the HIV test is voluntary; pre-test counselling is offered; informed consent is obtained (agreement to a medical test or procedure after clear explanation of risks and benefits); and HIV tests are performed using approved HIV test kits and testing protocols.

“A mercenary is any person who:

(a) Is specially recruited locally or abroad in order to fight in an armed conflict;

(b) Is motivated to take part in the hostilities essentially by the desire for private gain and, in fact, is promised, by or on behalf of a party to the conflict, material compensation substantially in excess of that promised or paid to combatants of similar rank and functions in the armed forces of that party;

(c) Is neither a national of a party to the conflict nor a resident of territory controlled by a party to the conflict;

(d) Is not a member of the armed forces of a party to the conflict; and

(e) Has not been sent by a State which is not a party to the conflict on official duty as a member of its armed forces.

A mercenary is also any person who, in any other situation:

(a) Is specially recruited locally or abroad for the purpose of participating in a concerted act of violence aimed at:

(i) Overthrowing a Government or otherwise undermining the constitutional order of a State; or

(ii) Undermining the territorial integrity of a State;

(b) Is motivated to take part therein essentially by the desire for significant private gain and is prompted by the promise of payment of material compensation;

(c) Is neither a national nor a resident of the State against which such an act is directed;

(d) Has not been sent by a State on official duty; and

(e) Is not a member of the armed forces of the State on whose territory the act is undertaken” (International Convention Against the Recruitment, Use, Financing and Training of Mercenaries, 1989).

The Millennium Development Goals summarize the development goals agreed on at international conferences and world summits during the 1990s. At the end of the decade, world leaders distilled the key goals and targets in the Millennium Declaration (September 2000).

The Millennium Development Goals, to be achieved between 1990 and 2015, include:

halving extreme poverty and hunger;

achieving universal primary education;

promoting gender equality;

reducing under-five mortality by two-thirds;

reducing maternal mortality by three-quarters;

reversing the spread of HIV/AIDS, malaria and TB;

ensuring environmental sustainability;

developing a global partnership for development, with targets for aid, trade and debt relief.

Quick-impact projects are small, rapidly implemented projects intended to:

help create conditions for durable solutions for refugees and returnees through rapid interventions;

through community participation, provide for small-scale initial rehabilitation and enable communities to take advantage of development opportunities;

help strengthen the absorptive capacity of target areas, while meeting urgent community needs (UNHCR, Quick Impact Projects (QIPs): A Provisional Guide, Geneva, May 2004).

Defined in the 1951 UN Convention relating to the Status of Refugees as a person who:

“Is outside the country of origin;

Has a well founded fear of persecution because of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion; and

Is unable or unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country, or to return there, for fear of persecution.”

In Africa and Latin America, this definition has been extended. The 1969 OAU Convention Governing the Specific Aspects of Refugee Problems in Africa also includes as refugees persons fleeing civil disturbances, widespread violence and war. In Latin America, the Cartagena Declaration of 1984, although not binding, recommends that the definition should also include persons who fled their country “because their lives, safety or freedom have been threatened by generalised violence, foreign aggression, internal conflicts, massive violations of human rights or other circumstances which have seriously disturbed public order”.

A process that encourages the adoption of safer behaviours by at-risk groups and by SALW holders, and which provides the links among affected communities, other SALW components and other sectors. SALW risk education can be implemented as a stand-alone activity, in contexts where no weapons collection is taking place. If an amnesty is to be set up at a later stage, risk education activities will permit an information campaign to take place efficiently, using the networks, systems and methods in place as part of the risk education programme and adapting the content accordingly.

SALW risk education is an essential component of SALW control. There are two related and mutually reinforcing components: (1) community involvement; and (2) public education.

Generally, SALW risk education programmes can use both approaches, as they reinforce each other. They are not, however, alternatives to each other, nor are they alternatives to eradicating the SALW threat by weapons collection and destruction. The use of those approaches will also depend on whether a weapons collection programme is taking place or not.

An individual’s or State’s feeling of safety or well-being, protected from attack or violent conflict.

OR

The control of threat, integrated with an appropriate response capability.

Sensitization within the DDR context refers to creating awareness, positive understanding and behavioural change towards: (1) specific components that are important to DDR planning, implementation and follow-up; and (2) transitional changes for ex-combatants, their dependants and surrounding communities, both during and post-DDR processes. For those who are planning and implementing DDR, sensitization can entail making sure that specific needs of women and children are included within DDR programme planning. It can consist of taking cultural traditions and values into consideration, depending on where the DDR process is taking place.

For ex-combatants, their dependants and surrounding communities who are being sensitized, it means being prepared for and made aware of what will happen to them and their communities after being disarmed and demobilized, e.g., taking on new livelihoods, which will change both their lifestyle and environment. Such sensitization processes can occur with a number of tools: training and issue-specific workshops; media tools such as television, radio, print and poster campaigns; peer counselling, etc.