Jun 27, 2019 | Uncategorized
The United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC) continues to support State efforts to achieve effective implementation of the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT). Against this backdrop, UNLIREC and the Dominican Republic’s Ministry of Interior and Police organized two workshops. The first aimed at sensitizing public officials on different ATT provisions and models of National Control Authorities (NCA) (30 April-01 May), while the second, focused on deepening the dialogue and discussion on NCA implementation opportunities (25-26 June). Both workshops targeted national authorities from sectors in charge of controlling conventional arms transfers or from other areas responsible for ATT implementation.
In addition, UNLIREC presented the Treaty obligations regarding the establishment of a national control system. Such a system must include not only a national control authority responsible for evaluating arms transfers, but also a national control list.
The Dominican Republic’s current situation was analyzed alongside the ATT obligations at both events. Similar examples of other NCAs were then presented and served as the basis for identifying a series of models that could be implemented to best suit the country’s needs and resources.
The second workshop constitutes the fourth and final activity undertaken under this year ATT-VTF project, however, conversations are being held with the Dominican government in order to continue exploring cooperation opportunities and deepen ATT implementation.
Participants in both activities included the Ministry of Interior and Police; Ministry of Defense; Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Customs; the Army, Navy, Air Force, Attorney General’s Office and the Judiciary.
All project-related activities were funded by the ATT Voluntary Trust Fund (ATT-VTF), of which the Dominican Republic is a beneficiary and in which UNLIREC, at the request of the Dominican authorities, is an implementing partner.
Jun 21, 2019 | Uncategorized
From 18-20 June 2019, the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA), in cooperation with its Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America (UNLIREC), hosted a series of events related to the discussions on a future treaty banning the production of fissile material for nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices . The workshops took place in Lima, Peru.
13 Latin American State officials working in the areas of weapons of mass destruction and nuclear security, as well as representatives from six regional/international organizations (Autonomous University of Mexico, Caribbean Community – CARICOM, Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean – CELAC, NPS Global, Organization of American States – OAS, and Parliamentarians for Global Action – PGA), participated in the first of these events. The aim of which was to facilitate dialogue on the implications of a future treaty and its relationship with already existing global and regional instruments, as well as the impact a possible future treaty could have on nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, in general. State representatives included Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay.
The second workshop brought together members of the high-level FMCT expert preparatory group, experts from regional organisations, as well as from civil society and academia, to facilitate the contribution of regional expertise and experience into these future negotiations of a treaty banning the production of fissile material for nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices. Participants also identified possible avenues to further advance this matter at the regional and international levels.
Finally, the week concluded with an in-country event aimed exclusively at national authorities from Peru from 8 governmental institutions (Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Peruvian Institute of Nuclear Energy, Peruvian National Police, among others). As in the previous two workshops, national officials were provided with an overview on a treaty banning the production of fissile material for nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices, and insights were given on the respective work of the Conference on Disarmament, UN General Assembly and the (2014-2015) Group of Governmental Experts and (2017-2018) High Level Group of Experts. This national event finalized with a discussion on possible elements to be included in a future treaty and on the relevance of such a treaty to Latin American arms control efforts.
The workshops are made possible with financial support from the European Union pursuant to Council Decision 2017/2284 “to provide support to States in the African, Asia-Pacific and Latin America and Caribbean regions to participate in the high-level fissile material cut-off treaty expert preparatory group consultative process”. The three-year project is being implemented by the Geneva Branch of UNODA. The project activities comprise a series of Regional Workshops, expert meetings as well as in-country visits, carried out in Africa, Asia and the Pacific, as well as in Latin America and the Caribbean in cooperation with UNODA’s three Regional Centres.
Jun 20, 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 Public Security of Costa Rica, conducted a national seminar on ammunition control practices from 18-19 June.
The seminar was aimed at national authorities with responsibilities in the different phases of ammunition control, such as the General Directorate of Armament, Judicial Investigation Department, Public Force, Aerial Surveillance, Border Police, among others.
The controls on the production and sale of arms are much stricter that those on ammunition. Latin America and the Caribbean suffer from alarming levels of armed violence, which is disproportionate when compared to other regions. The high rates of firearms-related homicides is directly linked to the supply and constant availability of ammunition, which oftentimes lacks sufficient control.
Ammunition control measures are usually less stringent than those for firearms. Even though arms and ammunitions need one other for their operation, ammunition tend to be marked, registered, monitored and regulated less frequently than firearms, which facilitates their diversion and misuse. In addition, by their very nature, ammunition is more difficult to track. Stopping the adverse effects of the proliferation of munitions on human security and economic and social development is only possible if States include ammunition in their arms control policies, keeping in mind the differential treatment required by each.
During the two-day seminar, UNLIREC experts presented international guidelines and good practices vis-à-vis ammunition, which paved the way for debates on the challenges and opportunities for their control and regulation at the national level. In addition, participating institutions discussed needs and priorities in relation to the responsible management of ammunition.
The implementation of this project is possible thanks to the financial assistance received by the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany.
Jun 7, 2019 | Uncategorized
From 3-7 June 2019, UNLIREC held the Course on the Interdiction of Arms, Ammunition, Parts and Components (ISAAP) in San Jose, Costa Rica as part of the assistance offered to Latin American and Caribbean States. The objective of this specialized course is to aid in strengthening the capacity of States in their efforts to prevent and combat illicit firearm trafficking through the specialized training of X-ray machine operators, working in surveillance and inspection at points of entry, exit as well as land, air and sea border crossing.
In recent decades, the postal system as well as parcel and luggage shipments via airports have been identified as some of the methods used by criminal networks to traffic firearms and ammunition through countries in the region.
Within this context, around 40 X-ray operators were trained during the course. They came from different public institutions such as the Air Vigilance Service, Drug Control Police, Border Police, Penitentiary Police, Customs and the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, along with personnel from private security companies providing surveillance services at airports.
Using a theory-practice methodology, the participants received training on fundamental aspects related to the interpretation of X-ray images, technical specifications of small arms, their parts, components, ammunition and explosives; while paying special attention to the different factors which influence their visualization through X-ray technology. This course included training sessions using an online platform developed by the Center for Adaptive Security Research and Applications (CASRA), as well as a series of practical exercises on concealment methods.
This is the second edition of the ISAAP course that has been held in Costa Rica. This edition was organized in conjunction with the Ministry of Public Security and the National Postal Service, with financial support from the Federal Republic of Germany.
UNLIREC has designed this course to help Latin American and Caribbean States in their efforts to combat the illicit trafficking of arms in accordance with the international instruments on the subject. The objective is to reduce the undesirable effects of small arms proliferation and armed violence affecting the region.
Jun 1, 2019 | Uncategorized
The United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC) continues to assist States of the region with the objective of supporting their efforts to implement the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT). UNLIREC, with the collaboration of the International Organizations Directorate of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Paraguay, held an Arms Trade Treaty Implementation Course (ATT-IC), which took place in Asunción, in May 28-31.
Along four days, 23 participants, representing 9 institutions, analyzed the arms trade context in Latin America and the Caribbean, classified weapons and elements under the scope of the Treaty, expanded their knowledge on applicable regulatory provisions and became familiar with various topics such as end-use and end-user documentation, national control lists or export assessments, among other topics to which the ATT makes reference. The theoretical sessions were complemented, during the last day sessions, with two practical exercises, in which participants simulated the assessment of two transfer applications, one export and one transit, in line with the provisions of the ATT and from the perspective of the national control authority.
Participants included the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Directorate of War Material, National Police, Ministry of Interior, Public Ministry, National Anti-Drug Secretariat, National Defense Commission of the National Congress, Ministry of Industry and Trade and the National Directorate of Civil Aviation.
ATT-IC aims to provide States with sufficient tools to ensure the effective implementation of the Treaty, so that adequate control mechanisms are established for international transfers of conventional weapons, their ammunition and their parts and components, with the ultimate goal of reducing the undesired consequences of legal trade of these items as well as their diversion.
All project-related activities were funded by the ATT Voluntary Trust Fund (VTF), of which Paraguay is a beneficiary and in which UNLIREC, at the request of the Paraguayan authorities, is an implementing partner.
May 30, 2019 | Uncategorized
From 28 – 29 May 2019, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC), in collaboration with the Government of Trinidad and Tobago, conducted an Inter-institutional Roundtable Meeting to Enhance Firearms-related Investigations.
Phase 3 of the UNLIREC’s Combatting Illicit Firearms and Ammunition Trafficking in the Caribbean through Operational Forensic Ballistics, sought to identify and discuss existing gaps in the management of the lifecycle of a firearm, from the moment it is confiscated or obtained at the crime scene to court and ultimately its destruction. During the implementation of previous technical assistance in the Caribbean, distinct issues were brought to light, for instance, in some jurisdictions the communication between first responders and laboratory analysts and examiners needed to be strengthened; in other jurisdictions, it was found that ballistic intelligence leads provided to investigative units by ballistics experts are not actioned, or leads are submitted many years after the original gun crime. In one case it was found that weapons are confiscated and stored by Custom authorities were not sent for examination to ballistic experts, hence possibly allowing potential links to be missed. As such, the Roundtables were 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.
Twenty participants comprising Ballistic Experts, Crime Analysts, Homicide Investigators, Executive Law Enforcement Officers, Armourers, Crime Scene Investigators, Intelligence Officers, Customs Officials, Defence Force Officials and Policy Personnel from multiple National Security agencies participated in the roundtable meeting. UNLIREC officials and participants: reviewed current practices in Trinidad and Tobago re: crime gun intelligence management – specifically ballistics intelligence; presented ways in which ballistic intelligence can be more effectively utilized; discussed the usefulness of ballistic intelligence for enhancing investigations and disrupting trafficking networks. Participants ended by developing recommendations that would assist with combatting armed violence and firearms trafficking. During the Roundtable Meeting, process flows and data on the recovery, forensic processing, international tracing, investigation, prosecution and trafficking of illicit firearms were discussed.
This Inter Institutional Roundtable Meeting in Trinidad and Tobago 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 and non-proliferation instruments, in particular, the 2001 UN Programme of Action on Small Arms.
