Data on costs associated with Defence Loan Service Personnel to 85 countries, including human rights priority nations, reveal global cost of up to £40m in 2022.

It is well established that the United States is the source of many of the weapons used by Mexican drug trafficking groups. But the proliferation of American weaponry deeper into Latin America has not received the same kind of attention. Nevertheless, American weapons – particularly larger, more powerful small arms – have become common amongst […]

Renato Sérgio de Lima has a Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of São Paulo and took his Post-Doctorate at the Institute of Economics at UNICAMP, also in São Paulo. He is the Secretary General of the Brazilian Forum on Public Safety and Editor of the Brazilian Journal on Public Safety.  AOAV: What is the Brazilian […]

Melina Risso, Director of the Instituto Sou da Paz, explains the organisation’s efforts in reducing armed violence in Brazil, particularly by strengthening the country’s approach towards gun control. What is the Instituto Sou da Paz? The Instituto Sou da Paz is a Non Government Organization with headquarters in São Paulo, that for over 10 years has […]

There are powerful arguments supporting the monitoring of violence around the world. The current situation in Syria is kept on the front pages in part because journalists are able to report on the terrible numbers impacted by the ongoing civil war. In the Balkans, post-conflict resolution was often only possible because of comprehensive attempts to […]

Robert Muggah Research Director and Program coordinator for violence reduction at Igarapé Institute Robert Muggah is the Research Director at the Igarapé Institute, a Brazilian think tank focusing on security and development and a Principal of the SecDev group, an operational consultancy. He has written extensively on the issue of armed violence including research on […]

Ruben César Fernandes Founder of Viva Rio Ruben César Fernandes founded Viva Rio after his father was shot in a robbery. The organisation works closely with the civilian and military police command of Rio di Janeiro to reduce armed violence. Sharing on their experiences, they have also begun work in Haiti and expanded to work […]

Melina Risso and Luciana Guimarães Directors of Sou da Paz Meaning “I’m for peace”, Sou da Paz are a Brazilian organisation based in Sao Paulo who were heavily involved in the passing of Brazil’s Disarmament Statute and have been working to support its implementation. Their other projects include revitalising the outdoor spaces of São Paulo […]

Former Presidents Fernando Henrique Cardoso of Brazil, Ernesto Zedillo of Mexico, and César Gaviria of Colombia Latin American Commission on Drugs and Democracy The Latin American Commission on Drugs and Democracy is an effort chaired by the former presidents of Brazil, Mexico and Colombia. In 2009, the commission produced an influential report which urged states […]

Dr Nancy Cardia works for the Centre for the Study of Violence at the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Her work on urban violence in Brazil spans decades and she is a leading expert on the research of armed violence in Latin American. AOAV caught up with her in Brazil to find out more. AOAV: […]

Did you think armed violence only affected war-torn countries? Think again. Half a million people die violent deaths every year, but only one in 10 are killed in conflict zones. Using data from the Geneva Declaration’s latest report, our infographic reveals this and many more surprising facts about the global burden of armed violence.

This report looks at national capacities to address the issue of armed violence of 12 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. In particular, the report documents states’ efforts to: – Measure, monitor and analyse the phenomenon of armed violence – Develop and implement legal instruments and programmes to address victims’ rights – Develop and […]