Action on Armed Violence (AOAV) works locally, nationally, regionally and globally to reduce – and ultimately prevent – armed violence. We work with communities affected by armed violence, removing the threat of weapons, reducing the risks that provoke violence and conflict, and supporting the recovery of victims and survivors.

We work with civil society partners and with governments, to strengthen international laws and norms on the availability and use of conventional weapons, to build recognition of the rights of victims and survivors of armed violence, and to research, understand and act effectively on the root causes of armed violence in affected countries.

AOAV was founded in 1992 as the UK arm of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL). Between 1997 and 2009, we played a leading role, in the UK and internationally, in a number of landmark humanitarian disarmament agreements:

•The Antipersonnel Mine Ban Treaty (1997)

•The Convention on Conventional Weapons, Protocol V (2003)

•The Geneva Declaration on Armed Violence and Development (2006)

•The Convention on Cluster Munitions (2008)

•The Oslo Commitments on Armed Violence (2010)

These international treaties and agreements save lives. They strengthen the commitment of the international community to reduce the incidence and limit the effects of armed violence. They support people, communities and countries struggling to recover from conflict. And they promote development that reduces the risk of violence in the future.

A key to our unique contribution is the combination of international policy advocacy, supporting the power of global civil society, with work on the ground supporting practical programmes with communities affected by armed violence.