SALIENT | The Savings Lives Entity

SALIENT is a joint initiative of the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), established in coordination with the Peacebuilding Support Office (PBSo), which is dedicated to supporting Member States tackle armed violence and illicit small arms and light weapons as part of a holistic approach to sustainable security and development. SALIENT works on the principle that small arms control and armed violence reduction must be nationally led, people-centred, anticipatory and responsive.

Informed by more than twenty years of experience on small arms control and armed violence prevention, SALIENT offers the international community a vehicle for sustained financing of small arms control measures in settings that have been most affected. By supporting catalytic activities to mainstream small arms control in both development and security efforts, SALIENT responds to the multi-faceted nature of the illicit proliferation of small arms and light weapons and addresses root causes of armed violence. SALIENT is made possible through contributions from the following donors: Finland, France, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, Sweden and Switzerland.

Frequently Asked Questions on SALIENT

Rationale

Easily available illicit small arms disrupt communities across the globe. Armed violence perpetuated with them kills and maims scores of people every hour. It rips the social fabric of communities and makes public health costs soar. It is a major reason why people flee their homes and a key cause of food insecurity. It undermines social and economic development – the threat of armed violence is an important factor behind businesses deciding not to invest in a country. Illicit firearms threaten electoral processes, erode police authority, and hinder peacekeeping. They facilitate sexual violence and the recruitment of child soldiers. Countries where weapons are poorly controlled consistently struggle to make progress on their development goals.

Within the United Nations, more than twenty entities deal with the problems posed by the proliferation of illicit small arms in a variety of contexts, including arms regulation, human rights, counter-terrorism, peacekeeping, humanitarian aid, aviation safety, economic development, refugees, public health, organized crime, gender and children’s rights. However, short-term and compartmentalized funding streams to address various aspects of small arms control are not keeping up with the seriousness and magnitude of the problem. In the most affected countries this issue needs sustained, integrated funding, providing all stakeholders – governments, donors, implementers – with more opportunity, more coherence, and more return on investment

Policy Directives

Over the past two decades, the colossal problem of the diversion, illicit ownership and misuse of small arms has seen sound progress in
global policy-setting:

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) designated small arms control measures as falling under official development assistance (2005)
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development includes a commitment on significantly – and measurably – reducing illicit arms trafficking (SDG 16.4)
In the context of the UN Programme of Action on small arms and light weapons, all States have agreed that “the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons has implications for the realization of several Sustainable Development Goals, including those relating to peace, justice and strong institutions, poverty reduction, economic growth, health, gender equality, and safe cities and communities”
The Secretary General’s Disarmament Agenda has, as one of its three pillars, “Disarmament that Saves Lives,” which among other things called for a new approach for supporting action at the country level to end the illicit trade in small arms and their ammunition.

SALIENT offers governments and the UN system a way to follow through with these commitments.

Sustained Financing & Partnerships

SALIENT is designed to prioritize national ownership and to foster collaboration on holistic approaches to small arms control, as well as open new doors for sustainable financing.

In contrast to traditional project-based approaches, SALIENT takes a portfolio approach and is intended to be the common framework through which the UN addresses armed violence and small arms and light weapons issues on the ground. It enables affected states to tackle small arms issues through innovative, integrated, multi-dimensional programmes and, critically, as part of their wider development plans.

Transformative Impact

SALIENT provides a singular entry point to address all dimensions of the illicit small arms problem. Practical arms control and armed-violence-reduction measures (e.g., weapons collection and destruction) are combined and reinforced with adequate legal and policy frameworks, institutional arrangements (e.g., national commissions, national action plans), proper stockpile management, safer humanitarian space, education and awareness-raising, law enforcement measures and capacity building (including in weapons marking, record-keeping and tracing), data- and evidence collection and analysis.

Responses aim not only to address specific problems, but also to change cultural attitudes and perceptions regarding small arms and armed violence, including involving women in decision-making, and addressing masculinity in reference to gun ownership. SALIENT commits to channeling at least 30% of its programme funds to gender-related activities and has a Project Gender Marker score of 2, reflecting that gender equality is identified a significant objective. Since inception, over 30 percent (US$1.7 million) of SALIENT funds have been committed to tackling gender-based violence, promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment.

National and Local Engagement

National ownership and engagement by host country governments and their benefitting communities is crucial for the success of SALIENT programmes – from design to implementation to monitoring and evaluation. In addition, the Resident Coordinator will have a vital role in ensuring that UN agencies are able to coordinate to enact an intervention that responds to national priorities.

Technical inputs, advisory support from and collaboration with civil society partners will be sought, including to inform SALIENT’s programmatic decisions and ensure coherence.

*Community engagement in South Sudan. Photo credit: UNDP*

Added Value

Sovereignty-enhancing, cross-sectional, and sustained support to diminish the destructive consequences of illicit small-arms trade and firearms misuse
Focused implementation of SDG 16.4 to “significantly reduce illicit arms flows”, filling the current scarcity of development-relevant work on this target
Sustained attention to countries most eager to improve their small arms situation
High levels of ownership in recipient states and meaningful donor involvement in strategic direction
Efficient use of funds, with low overhead costs
More coordination, better insight in developments and trends, and less duplication.