The National Commission on Small Arms and Light Weapons is a Commission established by an Act of Parliament; Act 736 of 2007, to advise on the issue and possession of small arms and light weapons (particularly the control of their illegal proliferation; production, trade, transfer and cross boundary movement which leads to their easy availability, accessibility, misuse and the fueling of crime) and to provide for related matters. The Commission is also by extension mandated to coordinate national implementation of the ECOWAS Convention, United Nations Firearms Protocol, UN Programme of Action (UNPoA) & other International Instruments on Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) and report on Ghana’s compliance of the obligations therein.This is expected to lead to a reduction in illegal importation, exportation, manufacture, trade, circulation and trafficking of small arms, as well as their misuse in the country.
Definition of Small Arms and Light Weapons:
Small Arms are arms designed for use by one person such as pistol, pump action gun, single and double barrel gun, revolver, AK47, bomb, and grenade missile.
Light Weapons are portable arms designed to be used by two or several persons working together in a team such as heavy machine guns, portable grenade launchers and portable aircraft missile launchers.