Title: IANSA: International Action Network on Small Arms

Source/Sponsoring Agency: International Action Network on Small Arms

URL: http://www.iansa.org/

Date Checked: 4/10/2008      Status: Active

Date Annotated: 4/10/2008

Topics: Comparative Law; Foreign Law; Human Rights Law; International Law; International Trade

Other keywords: Legislation; Statistics; United Nations; Small arms; Violence prevention; Guns; Firearms; Arms trade; Arms control

Contents: The International Action Network on Small Arms (IANSA) is a network of 800 organizations in 120 countries, seeking "stronger regulation of guns in society and better controls on arms exports." The website provides coverage of the activities of the member organizations and tracks current developments and news items related to small arms and light weapons (SALW) including the manufacture, licit and illicit trade, use, control and destruction of these weapons. The site seems very much "by and for" activists and advocates of arms control; the global breadth of the organization and its nature as a consortium of independent partners makes for some unevenness in content. The pages for some regions or specific campaigns are updated much more frequently than others. The site features a Google-based search engine which helps to locate specific content but also suffers from the usual problems of Google's algorithms. Multiple "rolls" of links and feeds along with minimal editorship make for a somewhat overwhelming feel. IANSA's website seems best used as an aggregation site for news items and links to member organizations and as a general survey of arms control issues. Users seeking in-depth, specialist coverage of specific issues on small arms control would do better to consult the Small Arms Survey (also reviewed in this issue of InSITE).

Author of Annotation: J. P. Cusker