On 3 December 2021, in collaboration with the Ministry of Defense of Argentina, UNLIREC held a virtual workshop on physical Security, storage and management of firearms and ammunition for over 142 Argentinian officials from the defense sector, with responsibilities on stockpile management.
The workshop strengthened national capacities for an effective and safe stockpile management given the impact of the proliferation and diversion of firearms and ammunition on armed violence and illicit trafficking in the region.
UNLIREC shared international standards and good practices on stockpile risk management and security plans, as well as presented self-assessments templates for firearms and ammunition stockpiles developed by UNLIREC based on international technical guidelines such as IATG and MOSAIC regarding physical security aspects, storage and management of firearms and ammunition, in order to provide the defense sector a self-assessment tool that contributes to strengthening its stockpile management procedures.
During the workshop, UNLIREC highlighted the importance of developing periodic risk assessments and having standardized operating procedures for effective management of firearms and ammunition. Likewise, efficient stockpile management is an essential component of any arms and ammunition control programme. It assists in detecting loss or theft of firearms and ammunition from stockpiles and facilitates the identification and disposal of surplus weapons.
This virtual workshop forms part of UNLIREC’s “Combatting Illicit Firearms and Ammunition trafficking in Latin America and the Caribbean” project and was made possible thanks to the financial support of the Government of Germany. For more information on UNLIREC, visit www.unlirec.org. Please direct all questions or inquiries to Ms. Amanda Cowl, Political Affairs Officer at cowl@unlirec.org.
As part of the project on “Combatting Illicit Firearms and Ammunition trafficking in Latin America and the Caribbean”, UNLIREC offered a two-day virtual workshop on measures to prevent the illicit trafficking in firearms and ammunition in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Honduras.
The purpose of the workshop was to strengthen national capacities to prevent and combat illicit firearms and ammunition trafficking by providing context-specific information, tools for ballistic data collection and analysis, as well as a presentation of existing international cooperation mechanisms.
The workshop was aimed at criminal investigators, forensic analysts, ballistic experts, intelligence agents, international arms transfers control officers, customs, public prosecutor’s office and other institutions that contribute to the fight against trafficking illicit arms in Honduras. It was attended by close to 40 Honduran representatives (9 women) of national institutions involved in investigating and prosecuting offences committed with firearms.
The first set of presentations were given by UNLIREC, the Central American Integration System (SICA), and the Police of Honduras. They gave participants an overview of the regional, sub-regional and national context of illicit trafficking of firearms, including specific trends, modus operandi, routes, and challenges.
The second set of presentations were given by UNLIREC and the UK National Ballistics Intelligence Service. These provided information and research tools to strengthen intelligence processes through data collection and analysis on cases of illicit arms trafficking and crimes committed with firearms. It was complemented by a presentation on international cooperation mechanisms to prevent and reduce illicit flows of firearms.
The workshop contributed to bringing together national agencies involved in preventing illicit trafficking in firearms and ammunition and highlighted the importance of multi-sectoral coordination and cooperation among national agencies.
This virtual workshop was possible thanks to the financial support of the Government of Germany. For more information on UNLIREC, visit www.unlirec.org. Please direct all questions or inquiries to Ms. Amanda Cowl, Political Affairs Officer at cowl@unlirec.org.
On 28 October 2021, in collaboration with the Ministry of Defense of Argentina, UNLIREC held a virtual workshop on managing and controlling firearms and ammunition inventories for over 80 Argentinian officials from the defense sector, with responsibilities on stockpile management.
The workshop strengthened national capacities for an effective and safe stockpile management given the impact of the proliferation and diversion of firearms and ammunition on armed violence and illicit trafficking in the region.
UNLIREC presented best practices and international technical guidelines on stockpile and inventory management, with an emphasis on accounting, registers, stock checks, separation of powers and notification of losses and investigations.
During the workshop, UNLIREC highlighted the relevance of the implementation of inventory management measures as a fundamental component of stockpile management, which assists in detecting loss or theft of firearms and ammunition from stockpiles and facilitates the identification and disposal of surplus weapons.
Representatives of the Argentinean Army presented the inventory control measures implemented in the defense sector in areas such as the requirement of firearms and ammunition, trade, storage, distribution, and final disposal. Likewise, they presented an inventory management system that controls firearms and ammunition stocks, including the option to get stock reports in cases where weapons and ammunition are removed from stockpiles.
This virtual workshop forms part of UNLIREC’s “Combatting Illicit Firearms and Ammunition trafficking in Latin America and the Caribbean” project and was made possible thanks to the financial support of the Government of Germany. For more information on UNLIREC, visit www.unlirec.org. Please direct all questions or inquiries to Ms. Amanda Cowl, Political Affairs Officer at cowl@unlirec.org.
On 21 October 2021, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC), in collaboration with the Government of Antigua and Barbuda, hosted an online National Tracing Workshop and Roundtable Meeting.
In the Caribbean, thousands of illicit firearms are seized annually. However, not all illicit firearms are traced to identify their last known legal owners. Ineffective procedures and the absence of serial numbers on firearms are factors that hinder the ability of States to trace firearms recovered. These challenges are by the Caribbean Firearms Roadmap, which Antigua and Barbuda have adopted. In this sense, the National Tracing Workshop and Roundtable Meeting were developed to support the State’s efforts to trace firearms and implement the Caribbean Firearms Roadmap.
Over 20 national officials from the Royal Police Force of Antigua and Barbuda, the Customs and Excise, Antigua and Barbuda Forensic Services, the Office of National Drug and Money Laundering Control Policy, the Ministry of Public Safety and Labour, and the Department of Immigration took part in the National Tracing Workshop and the Roundtable Meeting. Participants included operational police officers and analysts responsible for recovering illicit firearms, retrieving trace evidence, analysing firearm crime data, tracing firearms and collating information on criminal groups. The Workshop included presentations from UNLIREC, Antigua and Barbuda, and partners, including the United Kingdom’s National Ballistics Intelligence Service and the International Police Organization (INTERPOL).
The tracing workshop precedes a serial number restoration course that was undertaken for representatives of the Antigua and Barbuda Forensic Service and the Royal Police Force to enhance the State’s capacity to successfully trace weapons. The workshop and the roundtable meeting were made possible thanks to the financial support from the Federal Republic of Germany.
UNLIREC, as the regional organ of the UN Office for Disarmament, 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.
On 18-20 October 2021, UNLIREC offered a virtual workshop on control measures to prevent the illicit trafficking in firearms and ammunition in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Panama. The workshop was attended by 48 Panamanian officers (10 women) from national institutions with responsibilities in implementing controls on international transfers of firearms and ammunition, including the National Customs Authority, the Institutional Directorate in Public Security Affairs, the Specialized Prosecutor Office against Organized Crime, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Public Security, the National Police Department, and the National Border Service.
The purpose of the workshop was to strengthen national capacities to prevent and combat illicit firearms and ammunition trafficking by sharing key implementing legal and practical control measures to be applied during international transfers of such goods.
During day 1 of the workshop, UNLIREC, the Central American Integration System (SICA), and a representative of the Police Department of Panama presented trends, modus operandi, routes, and challenges regarding illicit trafficking in firearms which are faced at the regional, sub-regional and Panamanian context.
Based on international instruments and technical guidelines, UNLIREC presented on day 2 the main aspects regarding national control systems and documentation for international transfers of firearms and ammunition, as well as legal and practical measures to prevent illicit brokering in such goods.
On day 3, the World Customs Organisation (WCO) delivered presentations and conducted practical exercises on the role of customs authorities in preventing illicit trafficking in firearms and ammunition.
The workshop contributed to bringing together national agencies involved in preventing illicit trafficking in firearms and ammunition and highlighted the importance of multi-sectoral coordination and cooperation among national agencies.
This virtual seminar was part of the “Combatting Illicit Firearms and Ammunition trafficking in Latin America and the Caribbean” project and it was possible thanks to the financial support of the Government of Germany.
For more information on UNLIREC, visit www.unlirec.org. Please direct all questions or inquiries to info@unlirec.org.
From 30 August to 10 September 2021, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC), in cooperation with the National Institute of Women and the Secretariat of International Relations of Mexico, carried out the Specialised Course on Gender Perspective in the Investigation of Crimes involving Firearms (CEGAF).
Thanks to the collaboration of the Attorney General’s Office, it was possible to summon more than 40 prosecutors, prosecutors, criminal experts and investigative police from the Attorney General’s Offices of 28 States of Mexico (units specialized in femicide, gender-based crimes, criminalistics and expert services) to attend the meeting.
The CEGAF course, in addition to helping sensitize participants about the importance of gender perspective in crimes committed with firearms, also strengthens the technical knowledge applicable to the scientific method of criminal investigation, as well as interinstitutional cooperation in these areas.
The federal composition of the group’s members made it possible to exchange different realities and challenges they face. Emphasis was also placed on the need to strengthen the coordination and cooperation of the participating personnel in order to optimize their individual and collective efforts to deal with crimes related to violence against women (VAW) and firearms.
The course was developed virtually and distributed in six interactive meetings, in which the participants were able to contribute their experiences and speak with UNLIREC instructors. The theoretical and technical aspects of criminal investigations were addressed and the way in which the gender perspective – as a method of analysis – contributes to the formulation of stereotype-free conclusions, supported by objective technical or scientific studies based on the appropriate theory. Case studies were also used throughout the training to raise awareness of the absence of a gender perspective and the violation of rights that it causes in the victims and their families.
During the training, emphasis was placed on the use of firearms to commit different types of VAW, that is, not only when it is involved as a murder weapon, but also when it is used as an instrument to threaten, intimidate and coerce. The importance of the correct handling of the crime scene and of firearms and ammunition as physical evidence in the investigation with a gender perspective of crimes against women was highlighted. Finally, good practices were shared and participants were urged to strengthen the articulation and cooperation between all the actors involved in the different stages of the judicial investigation in order to optimize their individual and collective efforts to deal with crimes related to firearms with special attention to cases of gender-based violence, thus helping to reduce the levels of impunity and strengthen the capacities of the institutions of the justice and security sectors.
This activity forms part of the project entitled “Support for the integration of the gender perspective in policies, programs and actions in the fight against trafficking and misuse of small arms” funded by the European Union.
