Dec 11, 2019 | Uncategorized
As part of the Canada-funded project “Building Momentum for the Regional implementation of A/RES/65/69 on Women, Disarmament, Non-Proliferation and Arms Control”, UNLIREC – in cooperation with the Ministry of National Security of Trinidad and Tobago – undertook a sub-regional seminar on preventing armed violence against women through arms control, from 26- 27 November 2019 in Port of Spain.
The seminar brought together government representatives from 12 Caribbean States with responsibilities in addressing arms control, gender-based violence and violence against women and girls; as well as leading non-governmental organizations specialized in prevention on gender-based violence and reduction of gun violence in the Caribbean. Also participating were officials and experts from UNDP, UNODC, the Organization of American States, the Delegation of the European Union to Trinidad and Tobago, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), and the Center of Excellence for Statistical Information on Government, Crime, Victimization and Justice.
The sub-regional event strengthened convergence across the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Secretary General’s Agenda for Disarmament, along with the Women, Peace and Security Agenda, and the Small Arms control framework. UNLIREC led discussions on the differentiated impact of armed violence on women and the link between violence against women (VAW) and small arms control. In addition, discussions revolved around the importance of mainstreaming gender into small arms control measures, legal responses, criminal investigation and effective policing, statistics and information management, as well as prevention, education and advocacy campaigns. UNLIREC presented the findings and recommendations born of its sub-regional legal review, which cross-references small arms legislation with domestic violence provisions.
In addition to increasing awareness on small arms control as a main aspect in preventing violence against women, the importance of strengthening cooperation and coordination between experts, institutions and civil society in order to develop more gender-responsive and evidence-based small arms policies and programming, in line with international commitments and guidance, was also a major take-away from the seminar.
During the practical exercises, participants actively engaged on identifying a genuine convergence of agendas by ensuring the collection of disaggregated data on femicide perpetrators, arms involved, risk factors, and reporting on all forms of gender-based violence in order to achieve the sustainable development goals (SDGs), in particular SDG5 (gender equality) and SDG16 (peace, justice and strong institutions).
This event is the second of a series of two sub-regional seminars. The first was held in El Salvador in March for Central American States.
Dec 11, 2019 | Uncategorized
From 6-7 November 2019, in collaboration with the Government of Belize and with financial support of the Government of Canada, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC) organized the “Caribbean Seminar on United Nations Security Council 1540 (2004): Focus List, Licensing Protocols and Risk Assessment” addressed to customs officers from Caribbean States. This Seminar was held in Belize City and delivered by specialists from the 1540 Committee Group of Experts of the UN Security Council, the Export Control and Related Border Security Program of the U.S. Department of State, the World Customs Organisation (WCO), the Stimson Center and UNLIREC.
During the Seminar -attended by 24 representatives (including 10 women) from customs agencies of 10 Caribbean States-, the attendees participated in a dialogue on the importance of implementing United Nations Security Council 1540 (2004) -dealing with non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMDs)- in the Caribbean region and to reflect on the role of customs agencies in countering proliferation of WMDs with a focus on strategic trade controls. Participants also learnt to use UNLIREC’s Guide to Control List as a practical tool in their daily work in preventing the proliferation of goods that can be used to develop WMDs. Using this Guide as a basis, UNLIREC presented its Caribbean Focus List that can be adapted to national context in order to support customs officers to identify materials that can be used for both peaceful purposes and proliferation of WMDs.
Moreover, UNLIREC presented its Licensing Guide aimed at providing States with an easy-to-read guide to implement national licensing frameworkds to regulate strategic trade flows. Additionally, during the session on risk assessment, the WCO presented its Strategic Trade Atlas, a practical tool to help understand the global trade flows of strategic goods. Additionally, WCO led a practical exercise focused on what administrative, legal and intelligence elements a customs officer should consider during the importation/exportation process of strategic goods. UNLIREC’s Caribbean Focus List was used as a tool to guide participants in identifying specific dual-use materials.
Participants concurred that the greatest benefit of the Seminar was being exposed to the existing 1540 tools to assist in their daily functions, becoming more aware of the real threat of dual-use goods entering/exiting their countries, and the strengthened relationship with customs officials from other Caribbean States.
This activity is part of UNLIREC’s Assistance Programme to support the Latin American and Caribbean States in developing disarmament policies and implementing international disarmament instruments, including Resolution 1540 (2004).
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).
Dec 7, 2019 | Uncategorized
From 2-4 December 2019, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America (UNLIREC), in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of El Salvador, conducted the Firearms and Ammunition Evidence Management Course (EMC) in the National Public Security Academy (ANSP, in Spanish) – at the headquarters in San Luis Talpa.
UNLIREC has designed this course with the general objective of strengthening the capacities of first responders, personnel from specialized areas, experts, justice operators, among others, to carry out an adequate processing of the crime scene and to guarantee an adequate evidence management for those crimes in which firearms and ammunition are present.
In this edition of the EMC, held for the first time in El Salvador, 25 officials from specialized areas of the National Civil Police, personnel from the National Public Security Academy, the Attorney General of the Republic and the Ministry of Defence were trained.
During this courses, participants received theoretical and practical training on the identification of firearms and ammunition, legal aspects related to the adversarial system of criminal justice, good practices for proper management of the crime scene and for the evidence processing and analysis, the chain-of-custody system, among other topics and specific guidance to strengthen the investigation and intelligence processes related to cases involving firearms and ammunition. In addition, the course included a series of practical exercises through which participants had the opportunity to apply the knowledge acquired during the course.
As a cross-cutting theme of the EMC, a series of technical elements were shared to incorporate the gender perspective in criminal investigation processes. Participants were urged to strengthen coordination and cooperation among all actors involved in the different stages of the judicial investigation in order to optimize their individual and collective efforts to cope with firearm related crimes with special attention to cases of violence against women.
This activity is part of the project “Building Momentum for the Regional implementation of A/RES/65/69 on Women, Disarmament, Non-Proliferation and Arms Control”, which is implemented thanks to the financial support of the Government of Canada.
Dec 5, 2019 | Uncategorized
From 19-21 November 2019, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC), in collaboration with the Government of Guyana, help to build State capacity to conduct firearms-related investigations. This event forms part of the response to effectively addressing existing gaps in the overall management of the lifecycle of a firearm. This lifecycle ranges from the moment a firearm is confiscated or found at the crime scene to the moment it is presented in court as evidence and – ultimately – to its final destruction.
Caribbean States concur that other existing challenges exist throughout the region, such as inadequate communication between investigators and laboratory analysts; ballistic intelligence leads provided to investigative units that are not actioned; leads submitted many years after the original gun crime; and insufficient firearm examiners to analyse the firearms-related evidence. As such, the UNLIREC-led event was intended to enhance coordination, as well as to carry out deeper analysis among the key stakeholders to address any existing gaps and consequently reduce impunity in firearms-related cases.
12 security practitioners, including representatives from the Guyana Police Force, Guyana Revenue Authority and Director of Public Prosecutions Chambers actively participated in the three-day meeting, culminating in the roundtable. During the event, UNLIREC led discussions on reviewing current practices in Guyana regarding crime gun intelligence management, specifically ballistics intelligence, and presented ways in which ballistic intelligence can be more effectively utilized. The usefulness of ballistic intelligence for enhancing investigations and disrupting trafficking networks was also the focus of dialogue, as were process flows and data on the recovery, forensic processing, international tracing, investigation, and prosecution and trafficking of illicit firearms. The event concluded with the development of recommendations that can assist in combatting armed violence and firearms trafficking.
On 19 November, UNLIREC concluded its webinar on Gunshot Residue Analysis targeted at Caribbean forensic firearm examiners, laboratory personnel and related security officials. Close to 30 persons from across the Caribbean tuned in to this webinar and took part in the lively discussions thereafter. This concluded UNLIREC’s operational forensic ballistic webinar series which was delivered by international and Caribbean experts. The webinars improved access to firearms examination related knowledge, ballistic information, and best practices across the Caribbean.
The Inter Institutional Roundtable in Guyana and Webinars were made possible thanks to the support of the government of the United States of America.
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 instruments, in particular, the UN 2001 Programme of Action on Small Arms.
Dec 5, 2019 | Uncategorized
From 4-8 November 2019, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC), in collaboration with the Government of The Bahamas, led discussions on enhancing firearms-related investigations. This event forms part of the response to effectively addressing existing gaps in the overall management of the lifecycle of a firearm. This lifecycle ranges from the moment a firearm is confiscated or found at the crime scene to the moment it is presented in court as evidence and – ultimately – to its final destruction.
Caribbean States concur that other existing challenges exist throughout the region, such as inadequate communication between investigators and laboratory analysts; ballistic intelligence leads provided to investigative units that are not actioned; leads submitted many years after the original gun crime; and insufficient firearm examiners to analyse the firearms-related evidence. As such, the UNLIREC-led event was intended to enhance coordination, as well as to carry out deeper analysis among the key stakeholders to address any existing gaps and consequently reduce impunity in firearms-related cases.
6 senior law enforcement officials – comprised of the heads of the Police Scientific Support Service, Central Intelligence Bureau, Drug Enforcement Unit, Firearms Tracing & Investigation Unit, Strategic Policy, Planning & Research Branch and Communication &Technology Branch and the Customs Enforcement Division – actively participated in the three-days of meetings, culminating in the roundtable. During the event, UNLIREC led discussions on reviewing current practices in the Bahamas regarding crime gun intelligence management, specifically ballistics intelligence, and presented ways in which ballistic intelligence can be more effectively utilized. The usefulness of ballistic intelligence for enhancing investigations and disrupting trafficking networks was also the focus of dialogue, as were process flows and data on the recovery, forensic processing, international tracing, investigation, and prosecution and trafficking of illicit firearms. The Bahamas also presented on its use of technology to combat firearms criminality. The event concluded with the development of recommendations that can assist in combatting armed violence and firearms trafficking.
This Inter Institutional Roundtable in The Bahamas was made possible thanks to the support of the government of the United States of America.
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 instruments, in particular, the UN 2001 Programme of Action on Small Arms.
Nov 19, 2019 | Uncategorized
Within the framework of the “Combating the Illicit Trafficking in Arms and Ammunition in Latin America and the Caribbean” project, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America (UNLIREC), in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Colombia, carries out a national seminar on ammunition control practices from 13-14 November.
The Seminar brought together different national institutions responsible for the control, regulation and management of conventional weapons ammunition, such as the Department of Control Trade of Arms, Ammunition and Explosives (DCCAE, in Spanish), the Department of Logistics of the National Army, the Directorate of Criminal Investigation and Interpol of the National Police of Colombia and the Colombian Military Industry (INDUMIL, in Spanish). International experts from the Ministry of the Interior and Dominican Republic National Police and the Federal Police of Brazil also participated, who addressed the topics of marking and tracing ammunition, respectively.
In Latin American and the Caribbean, the constant supply, availability and proliferation of ammunition to all potential actors who commit violence are a sine qua non for having the highest rates of armed violence in the world. Not only are firearms used more frequently in homicides in Latin America and the Caribbean than in other parts of the world, the same applies to ammunition.
Ammunition control measures are usually less stringent than those for firearms. Even though arms and ammunition are needed for each other to operate, ammunition tends to be less marked, registered, monitored and regulated than firearms, which facilitates their diversion and misuse. The lack of harmonized regulation and limited control over the purchase, sale and transfer of small arms ammunition are the main reasons of their diversion to unauthorized users. Diversion often occurs due to transfers without proper controls, unauthorized re-transfers or leaks/robberies/theft to both state and private arsenals. On the other hand, conventional firearms ammunition (with explosive charges) represents an inherent danger to communities given the risk of Unplanned Explosions at Munitions Sites (UEMS).
In addition, by their very nature, ammunition is more difficult to track. Curbing the adverse effects of the proliferation of ammunition on human security and economic and social development is only possible if States include ammunition in their arms control policies, with the differential treatment that they require.
During the seminar, international guidelines and recognized good practices on conventional ammunition control were presented, which allowed to discuss relevant challenges and opportunities for the control and regulation of ammunition at the national level. Furthermore, this space allowed national authorities with responsibilities for ammunition control to discuss needs and priorities for safe and responsible ammunition management, and, if necessary, open a space for cooperation and mutual coordination.
The implementation of this project is possible thanks to the financial support of the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany.
