Jan 31, 2019 | Uncategorized
From 29-30 January 2019, the CARICOM Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (IMPACS), in its role as the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI) Secretariat, in partnership with the US Department of State and UNLIREC, hosted a meeting in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, for national authorities on the prevention of firearms trafficking.
This meeting, which falls under the 2010 CBSI framework, sought to strengthen cooperation among Caribbean states on regional security issues, as well as international partners, with a view to addressing firearms trafficking and building forensic ballistics capabilities. Moreover, participants sought to reach a consensus on the relevant actions needed to address this scourge. In-depth deliberations focused on, inter alia, firearms legislation reform, trafficking trends, improving coordination and ballistic information sharing among agencies and strengthening the CARICOM Regional Integrated Ballistic Information Network (RIBIN).
Close to 60 State representatives and officials from CARICOM Member States, the Dominican Republic and international organizations, including UNODC, the OAS and INTERPOL were present.
The final draft of an updated list of Priority Actions for CARICOM Member States will be forwarded for consideration by the CARICOM political directorate for implementation.
Dec 3, 2018 | Uncategorized
Lima, Peru. From 3 to 7 December, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC) in coordination with the National Superintendence for the Control of Security Services, Arms, Ammunition and Explosives for Civilian Use (SUCAMEC, in Spanish) and the company SECURITAS carried out the Course for Interdicting Small Arms, Ammunition, their Parts and Components (ISAAP), which was aimed at X-ray scanner operators with responsibilities in the control of postal packages, couriers, luggage and others, assigned at entry, exit and other strategic points in Peru.
This course, held for the first time in Peru, trained about 40 participants from the National Superintendence of Tax Administration (SUNAT, in Spanish), the Peruvian Postal Services (SERPOST, in Spanish), the National Penitentiary Institute (INPE, in Spanish), as well as personnel from private security companies of SECURITAS and Hermes.
Through a theoretical-practical methodology, participants were trained to strengthen their capacities in the interpretation of X-ray images with a focus on the identification of small arms, ammunition, their parts and components that can be transported in packages, parcels and luggage. The course for ISAAP also included a series of online training sessions through the platform developed by the Center for Adaptive Security Research and Applications (CASRA), as well as a series of practical exercises and concealment methods.
UNLIREC has designed this course to assist Latin American and Caribbean States in their efforts to combat illicit arms trafficking in line with international instruments on the subject, thus contributing to reducing the undesirable effects of small arms proliferation and armed violence in the region.
This edition of the course for ISAAP was made possible thanks to the financial support of the Federal Republic of Germany.
Nov 28, 2018 | 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 implementa-tion of the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT). In that context, UNLIREC and Paraguay’s Ministry of For-eign Affairs organized an Executive Workshop. The two-day activity (28-29 November) held at the Diplomatic and Consular Academy, aimed at increasing technical knowledge on the obligations of the Arms Trade Treaty. The Workshop targeted officials from sectors in charge or linked to con-trolling conventional arms transfers and ATT implementation.
In addition, UNLIREC presented the regional and international context of conventional arms trans-fers, Treaty obligations regarding the establishment of a national control system, a national control list and the available mechanisms to present initial and annual reports before the ATT Secretariat.
Paraguay’s current situation was analyzed alongside the ATT obligations at the executive work-shop. The information gathered from this encounter served as the basis for future discussions and as a source of inputs to identify the next steps implementing the Treaty.
The discussions held during the Workshop will continue in February (2019), at a second Executive Workshop on good practices, in the areas of arms control and prevention of the diversion of weap-ons, ammunition, parts and components, aimed to officials with responsibilities related to the pre-vention of diversions.
Participants included the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Directorate of War Material, National Police, Ministry of Interior, Public Ministry, National Customs Directorate, National Anti-Drug Secretariat, National Defense Commission of the National Congress, the Money Laundering Prevention Secre-tariat and the National Secretariat for the Administration of Seized and Confiscated Assets.
All project-related activities were funded by the ATT Voluntary Trust Fund (VTF), of which Para-guay is a beneficiary and in which UNLIREC, at the request of the Paraguayan authorities, is an implementing partner.
Nov 27, 2018 | Uncategorized
From 27-28 November, UNLIREC carried out the third in a series of technical workshops on international stockpile management standards in Jamaica in order to strengthen the capacity of Private Security Company operational personnel and employees of other agencies responsible for firearms and ammunition stockpile management.
The mission forms part of UNLIREC´s German-funded Project to prevent and combat illicit arms and ammunition trafficking in Latin America and the Caribbean. This project, among other goals, aims at strengthening the oversight and build capacities for small arms control and non-proliferation in the private security sector in the region.
23 officials were trained on stockpile management and physical security measures for weapons and ammunition storage facilities in order to reduce diversion risks. Workshop content was based on the Modular Small Arms Control Implementation Compendium (MOSAIC) and the International Ammunition Technical Guidelines (IATGs). Participants included certified instructors from the Firearm Licensing Authority, Private Security Companies, Dealers and Shooting Range Operators.
On 29 November, UNLIREC also carried out an assessment of the weapon and ammunition storage practices and physical security measures of the Jamaica Rifle Association (JRA) in order to provide technical recommendations to avert possible risks of diversion.
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.
Nov 26, 2018 | Uncategorized
Within the framework of the technical assistance that the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC) provides to the Dominican Republic in the implementation of the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), UNLIREC held a Technical Workshop on International Standards on Physical Security and Firearms and Ammunition Stockpile Management with the support of the Ministry of Interior and Police (MIP) of the Dominican Republic.
The workshop was held at the headquarters of the Ministry of Interior and Police in Santo Domingo on November 26 and 27 and was aimed at representatives of national institutions responsible for the physical security, management and control of state stockpile of firearms, ammunition and explosives. This workshop was attended by authorities and officials from the Ministry of the Interior and Police, Ministry of Defense, members of the National Police, Army, Navy and Air Force, General Directorate of Customs, members of the Ballistic and Biometric Laboratory of the National Weapons System (LABBS, in Spanish), the Attorney General’s Office and representatives of the Judicial Branch with competence in the safeguarding of firearms, ammunition and explosives.
During the course of the workshop, the technical aspects and classifications of Small Arms and Light Weapons, ammunition, explosives and hazardous materials were addressed, the International Standards for the Control of Small Arms (ISACS/MOSAIC), the International Ammunition Technical Guidelines (IATGs) were presented, and special mention was made of risk assessment in stockpiles, security plans and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
Participants had the opportunity to be trained in the efficient management of firearms, ammunition and explosives stockpiles, in order to minimize the possibility of theft and loss of weapons, ammunition or explosives, and their diversion into illegality. The workshop also included a practical component aimed at applying the theoretical instruction received and reducing to the minimum acceptable level the security risks of storage facilities in terms of natural disasters, explosions and other incidents.
The Workshop fostered an in-depth exchange of ideas among the participants, favoring the identification of areas of vulnerability and challenges of inter-institutional work to strengthen physical security and stockpile management as arms control measures.
The technical assistance provided by UNLIREC included the Technical Workshop and subsequent visits to different state and judicial arms and ammunition depots at the national level.
Since 2015 UNLIREC has been supporting the efforts of the Dominican Republic to implement its obligations under the Arms Trade Treaty through various projects. This Workshop is part of the ATT Voluntary Trust Fund (VTF) project, of which UNLIREC is a technical implementing partner of the Dominican Republic in the ATT implementation.
Nov 23, 2018 | Uncategorized
The Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC), with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of El Salvador, developed the Workshop on the Evaluation of Conventional Arms Transfers, with special focus on the gender criterion outlined in the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT).
The Workshop took place at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on 21 and 22 November, and it was aimed at representatives of the national institutions responsible for authorizing arms transfers, as well as those institutions or departments with jurisdiction and knowledge in matters concerning human rights, international humanitarian law, gender and childhood. Authorities and civil servants from the Chancellery of El Salvador, the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Justice and Public Security, the General Directorate of Customs, the National Council for Childhood and Adolescence and the Armed Violence Survivors Network also participated.
During the Workshop, the main obligations of the ATT were addressed, especially those related to export assessment, with particular attention being placed on art. 7.4 of the treaty and the layers of protection for gender and childhood which can be applied in an export control system.
Based on the theoretic instruction received and the evaluation of two fictitious cases focused on the gender criterion outlined in the Treaty, participants assessed the risk of conventional arms and other elements included in the Treaty being used to commit or facilitate serious acts of gender-based violence or serious acts of violence against women and children. Thanks to the wide variety of institutions participating and the ideas shared throughout the day, the Workshop made it possible to identify future challenges and areas for joint effort to strengthen export risk controls and assessments.
Since 2015 UNLIREC has been supporting El Salvadorian efforts to effectively implement the Arms Trade Treaty through various projects. This Workshop is part of the regional Project entitled Women, Disarmament, Non-Proliferation and Arms Control, through which UNLIREC contributes to the implementation of Resolution 65/69 of the United Nations General Assembly.
The implementation of this Project is possible thanks to financial support from the Government of Canada.
