The Regional Centre on Small Arms in the Great Lakes Region, Horn of Africa and Bordering States (RECSA) is an intergovernmental organization established in June 2005 to coordinate action against the proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW).

The organization’s primary objective is to implement the Nairobi Declaration, which addresses the issue of illicit SALW proliferation in the Great Lakes Region and the Horn of Africa. The declaration was signed on March 15th, 2000, by ten countries: Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda.

In 2004, twelve countries, including the original ten, along with Seychelles and Somalia, signed the Nairobi Protocol for the Prevention, Control, and Reduction of Small Arms and Light Weapons. This number later expanded to include the Republic of Congo, the Central African Republic, and South Sudan.

Under the Nairobi Declaration, the Nairobi Secretariat is mandated to coordinate efforts by National Focal Points in the Great Lakes Region and the Horn of Africa to prevent, combat, and eradicate stockpiling and illicit trafficking in SALW. RECSA remains committed to promoting peace and security in the region through effective coordination and cooperation among member states.

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