Apr 16, 2024 | Conventional Arms Programme
From 16 to 18 April 2024, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC), in collaboration with the Government of Jamaica, carried out a firearms laser marking workshop in Kingston, Jamaica.
Twenty officials from key Jamaican agencies, including the Firearms Licensing Authority, Institute of Forensic Science and Legal Medicine, Jamaican Defense Force, Jamaica Constabulary Force, Jamaica Customs Agency, Ministry of National Security and Major Organized Crime and Anti-Corruption Agency, participated in the workshop. They built their knowledge about the international guidelines for marking firearms and practical skills to mark firearms using laser marking machines.
The three-day workshop featured a number of lectures on topics such as the international guidelines for marking firearms as a control measure, methods of marking firearms, technical recommendations for Latin American and Caribbean states to mark firearms, Jamaican Firearms law and policy on marking firearms, and the techniques to restore and trace serial numbers on firearms. Additionally, participants engaged in hands-on exercises focused on laser marking firearms.
Adequate marking of firearms is an essential step to ensure arms control and record-keeping, as well as to facilitate the tracing and investigation of illicit firearms. As such, it is crucial for an effective response to prevent diversion and counter illicit trafficking in firearms.
This initiative aligns with Goal 4 of the Caribbean Firearms Roadmap which seeks to reduce the risk of diversion of firearms and ammunition from government and non-government-owned arsenals.
The workshop was conducted within the framework of UNLIREC’s project “Preventing Diversion of Conventional Arms and Ammunition in the Caribbean”, funded by the U.S. Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement in the State Department’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs.
Apr 16, 2024 | Conventional Arms Programme
On 16 April 2024, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC), in collaboration with the Caribbean Community Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (CARICOM IMPACS), hosted the year’s first Partner Coordination meeting for the Caribbean Firearms Roadmap (CFRM).
This virtual meeting provided Implementing Partners with the opportunity to discuss progress made in the implementation of the Roadmap, and future support to be provided to States. This was done with the aim of furthering partner collaboration and coordination of activities.
During the session, topics discussed included: the status of National Action Plans and Monitoring and Evaluation processes; Outcomes of the 3rd Annual Meeting of States for the CFRM, held in Saint Lucia in November 2023; and the tools being used by partners to coordinate efforts. As part of the meeting, partners also discussed activities and support to be offered to States in 2024.
Sixteen persons participated in the event, including ten women. A wide range of partner organizations were present, including the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL), Mines Advisory Group (MAG), Organization of American States (OAS), Small Arms Survey (SAS), United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), and World Customs Organization (WCO).
The Partner Coordination meeting was conducted in line with Goal 1 of the CFRM, to reinforce regulatory frameworks governing firearms and ammunition, particularly Target 1.3.3, as well as Sustainable Development Goal 16: Peace, justice and strong institutions, with particular relevance to Target 16.4. The meeting was made possible to generous funding from the government of Germany.
UNLIREC, as the regional centre for the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs, seeks to advance the cause of practical disarmament in Latin America and the Caribbean as part of its commitment to support Member States in their implementation of international disarmament and non-proliferation instruments, in particular, the 2001 UN Programme of Action on Small Arms (UN PoA).
Apr 8, 2024 | Conventional Arms Programme
8 APRIL 2024 – CONVENTIONAL ARMS PROGRAMME
From 8 to 11 April, twenty-five military and police officers reinforced their knowledge on physical security and stockpile management (PSSM) through a virtual training organized by the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC).
Effectively managing weapons and ammunition stockpiles not only mitigates the risk of loss and theft but also prevents accidents, helps to identify obsolete or surplus weapons, and, in turn, contributes to overall peace and security. As such, the main goal of the training was to enhance national capabilities in managing and securing stockpiles of weapons, ammunition, and explosives in accordance with international norms and standards, through theoretical lectures, practical exercises, and group discussions covering crucial aspects of PSSM.
Key topics included International Standards and Best Practices in Stockpile Management, including the Modular Small-Arms-Control Implementation Compendium (MOSAIC) and International Ammunition Technical Guidelines (IATGs). The sessions also delved into standard operating procedures and security plans, marking and recordkeeping, inventory management, and firearms and ammunition destruction procedures.
This workshop is linked to the Caribbean Firearm Roadmap, which foresees in its Goal 4 to systematically decrease the risk of diversion of firearms and ammunition from stockpiles. Moreover, adequate PSSM practices contribute to the implementation of international instruments, as well as the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which provide the umbrella framework for violence prevention, arms control and peace and security.
This activity is part of the technical assistance provided by UNLIREC in the framework of its project “Preventing Diversion of Conventional Arms and Ammunition in the Caribbean”, funded by the United States State Department, through its Weapons Removal and Abatement Bureau.
Dec 13, 2023 | Conventional Arms Programme
Between 12 and 13 December 2023, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC) conducted a technical assessment of two Haitian National Police armouries in Port-au-Prince.
Reinforcing the physical security and stockpile management of its national stocks is one of the priorities identified by Haiti in its National Action Plan adopted in the framework of the Caribbean Firearms Roadmap, and UNLIREC is supporting the country in these efforts.
The overarching goal of this initiative is to enhance the physical security and stockpile management practices within Haiti, by reducing the risk of accidents and of diversion of firearms, ammunition and explosives from government stockpiles into illicit markets.
During the assessment, UNLIREC’s technical expert reviewed weapons and ammunition management practices and provided recommendations for the Haitian National Police , in accordance with international guidelines approved by the United Nations, such as the Modular Implementation Compendium for Arms Control (MOSAIC) and the International Technical Guidelines on Ammunition (IATG). The assessment was organised in close coordination with the UN Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH), and a UNPOL officer specialised in weapons and ammunition management in Haiti also took part in the assessment.
In addition to the technical visits, UNLIREC also met with government representatives to present preliminary findings from the visit and to coordinate future activities in line with the Caribbean Firearms Roadmap and Haiti’s National Action Plan to reduce illicit firearms trafficking.
As the regional centre of the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) in Latin America and the Caribbean, UNLIREC remains steadfast in its mission to promote practical disarmament in this region. This initiative reflects the centre’s dedication to supporting Member States in the effective implementation of international disarmament and non-proliferation instruments, in particular the 2001 UN Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons.
This assistance was made possible with the generous financial support of the government of the United States of America.
Dec 8, 2023 | Conventional Arms Programme
From 6 to 8 December, thirty-five (35) Haitian National Police officers bolstered their capacities and knowledge on physical security and stockpile management (PSSM) through virtual training organized by the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC). Police officers tasked with arms control from various departments, including Artibonite, Grand Anse, North-East, North-West, North, Centre, Nippes, South and South-East, along with specialized units including the Intervention and Maintenance Corps, Motorized Intervention Brigade and Research and Intervention Brigade, gathered for this training.
The main goal of the training was to enhance the Haitian National Police’s capabilities in managing and securing stockpiles of weapons, ammunition, and explosives in accordance with international norms and standards, through theoretical lectures, practical exercises, and group discussions covering crucial aspects of PSSM.
Key topics included International Standards and Best Practices in Stockpile Management, incorporating the Modular Small-Arms-Control Implementation Compendium (MOSAIC) and International Ammunition Technical Guidelines (IATGs). The sessions also delved into standard operating procedures and security plans, marking and recordkeeping, inventory management, and firearms and ammunition destruction procedures.
This initiative aligns with Haiti’s priorities within the Caribbean Firearms Roadmap, specifically under Goal 4, which aims to systematically decrease the risk of diversion of firearms and ammunition from government- and non-government-owned arsenals. Effectively managing weapons and ammunition stockpiles not only mitigates the risk of loss and theft but also prevents accidents, helps to identify obsolete or surplus weapons, and, in turn, contributes to overall peace and security.
The training forms part of the technical assistance provided by UNLIREC in the framework of its project “Preventing Diversion of Conventional Arms and Ammunition in the Caribbean”, funded by the Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement in the United States.
Nov 13, 2023 | Conventional Arms Programme
Saint Lucia. From 14 to 15 November 2023, officials from the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Dominican Republic will gather in Saint Lucia for the 3rd Annual Meeting of States of the Caribbean Firearms Roadmap.
The meeting, organized by the CARICOM Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (IMPACS) and the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC) in collaboration with the government of Saint Lucia, will bring together national officials as well as Ministers of Security and other high level representatives from the Caribbean region and the international community to discuss ongoing efforts to combat the illicit proliferation and misuse of firearms and ammunition.
The trafficking and misuse of illicit firearms and ammunition continue to result in high homicide and crime rates in many Caribbean States, negatively impacting human and public security. They also greatly affect socioeconomic development across the region, including the public health implications of gun deaths and injuries and the impact of crime on business development and investment. To address those challenges, in 2020, all fifteen (15) CARICOM States and the Dominican Republic adopted the Caribbean Firearms Roadmap, formally known as ‘Roadmap for Implementing The Caribbean Priority Actions on the Illicit Proliferation of Firearms and Ammunition across the Caribbean in a Sustainable Manner by 2030’, with the vision of creating a safer Caribbean region. Since then, the Roadmap has served as a guiding document to achieve the commonly agreed goals and actions, which include strengthening regulatory frameworks on firearms and ammunition; reducing the illicit flow of firearms into, within and beyond the region, and strengthening law enforcement capacity to combat illicit firearms trafficking. To achieve these goals, States are developing National Action Plans (NAPs), which set out States’ national priorities and timelines.
For the past years, States, together with partners and donors from the international community, have gathered in virtual format to discuss the Roadmap’s implementation. This year for the first time they will meet in-person over two days to take stock and renew their commitment to the full and effective implementation of the Roadmap’s goals.
The first day of the meeting on 14 November is dedicated to the Roadmap’s operational aspects, including the importance of evidence-based policy making based on data collection efforts and a robust monitoring and evaluation framework. Participants will also share best practices and lessons learned from national flagship initiatives to address armed violence across the region. Various other stakeholders, including the co-custodians of the Roadmap, CARICOM IMPACS and UNLIREC, as well as implementing partners such as the Organization of American States (OAS), International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the Small Arms Survey (SAS) and the World Customs Organization (WCO) will also make interventions.
Ministers and officials from CARICOM States, the Dominican Republic and the international community gather in a high-level plenary on day two of the Conference, with a view to taking stock of the significant progress and important achievements made under the Roadmap to date, while examining ways to achieve further progress to overcome existing implementing gaps in order to further strengthen the security of the Caribbean region and its communities. Expected to participate is Izumi Nakamitsu, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, as well as Ministers from several CARICOM States. It is anticipated that the meeting will conclude with the adoption of a joint statement.
The meeting is funded with the generous support of the Government of Canada.
Media representatives cannot be accommodated to attend the meeting. For further information on the press encounter, the Roadmap, and the Annual Meeting of States, please visit www.unlirec.org or contact Melissa Yi, Communications Officer, UNLIREC, at melissa.yi@unlirec.org.
