On 27 March 2023 the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC) hosted the first regional Monitoring, Evaluation & Data Collection webinar. The aim of the webinar was to sensitize States on the Caribbean Firearms Roadmap Monitoring and Evaluation Framework, focusing on the practical steps States will need to take to collect and enter their annual reporting data in order to measure their progress in the implementation of the Roadmap.
Sixteen officials from Trinidad & Tobago, Guyana and St Kitts and Nevis participated, representing the Trinidad and Tobago Ministry of National Security, Trinidad and Tobago Ministry for Foreign and CARICOM Affairs, Trinidad and Tobago Police Force, Trinidad and Tobago Forensic Science Centre, Trinidad and Tobago Customs and Excise, Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force, Strategic Services Agency, Trinidad and Tobago Ministry of the Attorney General and Office of Legal Affairs, Judiciary of Trinidad and Tobago and Trinidad and Tobago Prison Service, Guyana Ministry of Home Affairs, and St Kitts and Nevis Forensic Laboratory.
The Monitoring and Evaluation Reporting Platform was presented, showcasing how States, through their Monitoring and Evaluation focal points, will be able to generate their State National Action Plans and report against their national Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) annually and with greater ease.
The Caribbean Firearms Roadmap is a regional umbrella framework adopted by CARICOM States and the Dominican Republic in 2020, in which States commit themselves to implement actions against illicit firearms trafficking and make the Caribbean a safer region. To date, 16 countries in the region have formally adopted the Roadmap and begun the process of identifying their national priorities via a National Action Plan (NAP). There is commitment across the region to implement sustainable solutions to the prevention and combat of illicit proliferation of firearms and ammunition that are consistent with international norms and the Caribbean context.
This activity was made possible with funding from the Government of Canada and was carried out in line with the 2001 UN Programme of Action on Small Arms and with 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, in particular Goal 16 and target 16.4.
From 13 to 15 March 2023, officials from the Barbados Police Service, Barbados Defence Force and Customs and Excise Department participated in the virtual Physical Security and Stockpile Management (PSSM) Training Workshop which sought to strengthen States’ capacities to reinforce national mechanisms to reduce and prevent the diversion of conventional weapons and ammunition and improve law enforcement capacity to secure stockpile facilities.
As a result of this workshop national officers are now more knowledgeable on international standards and best practices in physical security and stockpile management, marking and recordkeeping. The topics covered addressed the relevance of national mechanisms to reduce and prevent the diversion of firearms and ammunition from national stockpiles.
The PSSM Training Workshop forms part of the technical assistance provided by the Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC) within the “Preventing Diversion of Conventional Arms and Ammunition in the Caribbean” funded by the United States of America.
It should be noted that this course also contributes to Goal 4 of the Caribbean Firearms Roadmap, “Systematically decrease the risk of diversion of firearms and ammunition from government- and non-government-owned arsenals”, and thus aids regional efforts to prevent illicit trafficking in firearms and ammunition and armed violence in the Caribbean.
From 6 to 8 December 2022, officials from the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force of St. Kitts and Nevis and the Saint Kitts and Nevis Defence Force participated in the virtual Physical Security and Stockpile Management (PSSM) training workshop.
Through presentations and practical exercises, participants were introduced to international standards and best practices in stockpile management, physical security and stockpile management, marking and recordkeeping as well as firearms and ammunition destruction procedures.
The PSSM training workshop forms part of the technical assistance provided by UNLIREC under the ‘Preventing Diversion of Conventional Arms and Ammunition in the Caribbean’ project, funded by the United States of America. This specialized workshop aims at strengthening States’ capacities, on this occasion in St. Kitts and Nevis, to reinforce national mechanisms to reduce and prevent the diversion of conventional weapons and ammunition and improve security sector forces’ capacities in securing stockpile facilities.
It should be noted that this workshop contributes to Goal 4 of the Caribbean Firearms Roadmap, entitled ‘Systematically decrease the risk of diversion of firearms and ammunition from government- and non-government-owned arsenals’, thus aiding regional efforts to prevent illicit trafficking in firearms and ammunition and armed violence in the Caribbean.
29 November 2022 – For the second consecutive year, representatives from the Caribbean met to discuss progress in the implementation of the Caribbean Firearms Roadmap. This meeting was organized by the United Nations Regional Center for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC) and the CARICOM Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (IMPACS) to discuss progress in its implementation during this year.. Over 50 representatives from beneficiary Caribbean States, partners and the donor community participated in this online event to take stock of the progress made to date.
The Roadmap aims to accelerate and bolster States’ efforts to prevent and combat the illicit proliferation of small arms and light weapons among the 15 CARICOM States and the Dominican Republic. The Roadmap serves as a guiding document for commonly agreed levels of performance at the strategic, policy and operational levels. It was developed in 2019 under the auspices of the Federal Republic of Germany and the United States of America and formally adopted in October 2020.
It is worth noting that during 2022 the 16 States participating in the Roadmap made significant efforts; seven of them: Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Grenada, Guyana, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia and Haiti, completed and formally approved their National Action Plans on firearms; and are now beginning its implementation. In addition, five States – Barbados, Jamaica, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago-, completed the drafting process.
These Plans outline States priorities in combating the illicit trafficking in firearms and ammunition and help to track progress by serving as a monitoring and tracking tool. Remaining States are also well on their way to progressing towards formal adoption of these Action Plans and thus contributing to enhanced firearms control in the region. Close to USD5 million has been invested in the region over the past three years allowing the delivery of over 200 activities designed to support the four Goals of the Roadmap.
The annual meeting was preceded by preparatory exchanges, organized by UNLIREC and CARICOM IMPACS – as the co-custodians and main implementing partners of the Caribbean Roadmap. The first included the different key implementing partners on the Roadmap, namely the UN Development Programme, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, the World Customs Organization, the Organization of American States, INTERPOL, and Small Arms Survey, to inform and collaborate on upcoming partner activities in support of the Roadmap. While the second was aimed at the donor community, including Germany, Canada, the United States , the European Union, and the United Kingdom that provides essential financial support to partners and beneficiary States.
The Roadmap takes into consideration the provisions included in the UN Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All its Aspects. Its implementation also contributes to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, in particular Goal 16 and target 16.4 which seeks to significantly reduce illicit arms flows.
From 28 to 30 November 2022, thirty representatives from various sectors involved in arms control in Jamaica participated in the course to combat illicit trafficking of arms and ammunition in maritime contexts. The course was jointly organized by the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC) and the Global Programme against Maritime Crime of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
The objective of the course was to provide national authorities with the theoretical knowledge and technical tools necessary to implement strategies seeking to prevent and combat illicit trafficking in firearms and their ammunition, in line with international instruments. The Implementation Agency for Crime and Security of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM IMPACS) also participated in the course.
Representatives from the Ministry of National Security, Police, Defense, Customs, Port Authority, Migration, and the Institute of Forensic Sciences participated and shared their experiences and challenges in addressing this problem.
The course provided an opportunity to focus on maritime contexts in the fight against illicit arms trafficking and contributed to strengthening the capacities of various sectors. The training activity also provided an opportunity for inter-institutional best practices and information sharing, as well as for the development of international cooperation, which are essential in the fight against this crime.
This training was developed in cooperation with the Ministry of Security of Jamaica and is part of SALIENT (The Saving Lives Entity) Jamaica, the United Nations multi-agency initiative for arms control and the prevention of armed violence.
From 9 to 25 November 2022, authorities from Dominica were trained in Interdicting Small Arms, Ammunition, Parts and Components (ISAAPC) in a course delivered by the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC).
Twenty-five (25) officials, including five (5) women, from the following agencies actively participated in the hybrid course: Dominica Air and Seaports Authority, Commonwealth of Dominica Police Force and the Dominica Customs and Excise Division. This was the first national ISAAPC course delivered to officials in Dominica, which seeks to strengthen national capacities to detect trafficked weapons and ammunition.
The ISAAPC course was carried out via virtual theoretical sessions and in-person practical presentations and exercises. The practical sessions included training on an X-ray simulation programme which is an interactive platform that trains users to identify concealment methods employed by traffickers in the region. The platform was developed by the Centre for Adaptive Security Research and Applications (CASRA).
This training allowed participants to learn about fundamental aspects of X-ray technology to detect and identify small arms, their parts and components, ammunition, and explosives that are placed in or concealed in postal shipments, packages, parcels and luggage at entry, exit, and transit points in the country.
The ISAAPC course forms part of the technical assistance provided by UNLIREC within the ’‘Combating illicit firearms and ammunition trafficking in the Caribbean’ project, funded by the United States of America. It was developed in line with 2001 UN Programme of Action on small arms, the Arms Trade Treaty, and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, in particular target 16.4. It also contributes towards regional efforts to prevent illicit trafficking of firearms and ammunition as set out in the Caribbean Firearms Roadmap.
