Studying the evidence related to the burden of injury of a population is a critical component of developing strategies to prevent and reduce violence. In many countries around the world, national observatories have been established to collect data to measure and monitor armed violence in an effort to inform and strengthen evidence-based armed violence reduction initiatives.

Killings during ‘legal interventions’—the ‘killing of civilians by law enforcement officials, or killings of law enforcement officials on duty’—accounted for an estimated 19,000 violent deaths each year during 2007–2012; which is 4 per cent of the 508,000 total violent deaths each year during that period.

In 2013, the Small Arms Survey  estimated that there are around 440,000 civilian firearms in circulation in Nepal, only 55,000 of which are legally registered. The availability of firearms in the country is moderate by international standards, but the concentration of small arms in the hands of criminal groups poses a threat to law and order that has yet to be fully assessed and addressed.

Levels of handgun ownership and armed violence remain high in the Western Balkans region, despite decreased threat of armed conflict during the past fifteen years. Pervasive civilian ownership of firearms has been linked to elevated violent crime, and the homicide rate in the Western Balkans is higher than those of nearby countries. In addition, organized crime activities contribute to insecurity in the region.

Honduras has seen more than 42,000 people violently killed over the past nine years (2014), out of a population of 8.3 million. In 80 per cent of cases the weapon used was a firearm.

While the homicide rate has levelled off between 2011 and 2012, it still remains extremely high compared to the rest of the world.

This Small Arms Survey Research Note discusses the specific characteristics of armed violence in Honduras and explores some of the key areas for research needed in order to respond to the problem.

The volatile political situation in Nepal was the largest obstacle to business activities in 2012, according to the majority of businesses surveyed as part of a study by the Small Arms Survey’s Nepal Armed Violence Assessment (NAVA) project.  Direct losses from crime are relatively small compared to the indirect costs of instability. 

Geospatial technologies—ranging from GPS hardware to GIS software—are being used to fight crime in Jamaica. Analysts can use these tools to overlay various types of data—such as information about socio-economic conditions or infrastructure—on maps showing the incidence of crime, thereby shedding light on the dynamics at work. An improved understanding can lead to better crime-fighting policies and activities.

When a person is shot with a firearm, the result is not always fatal. Many victims of firearm violence survive, but suffer severe consequences, and their treatment and recovery place a heavy burden on these survivors, their families, communities, and on society.

When Nepal’s civil war ended in 2006, the country had changed fundamentally. Legacies of the war included the end of the monarchy and the accommodation of Maoist rebels (Unified Communist Party of Nepal–Maoist, UCPN-M), who were integrated into the government. A total of 1,462 Maoists (including 71 officers) were selected for integration into the Nepal Army (Pun, 2012). Like many post-conflict societies, Nepal is struggling to re-establish political stability and cope with post-conflict violence.

In the wake of a decade-long civil war that claimed more than 13,000 lives, Nepal’s uneasy peace has been plagued by uncertainties, tied to the volatile political environment, the gridlocks over the drafting of the new constitution, and the reported proliferation of criminal activities. This rapid succession of changes has raised new questions about the overall security situation in the country.