Feb 13, 2018 | Uncategorized
On 13-14 February, representatives from 18 Latin American States attended a Regional Preparatory Meeting for the Third Review Conference on the United Nations Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects (RevCon3).
Through the support of the European Union, the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) and its regional arm, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC) were able to organize this meeting held at the United Nations Common House in Peru.
During the two-day discussions, the participating States deliberated on the key features of the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons in the region, as well as the strategies to counteract this phenomenon. They also devised plans to identify priorities in view of the upcoming RevCon3 that will take place in New York City on 18-29 June of this year.
These discussions were fuelled by the contributions of the President-designate of the RevCon3, Ambassador Jean-Claude Brunet, representatives of UNODA and the Non-Governmental organization Small Arms Survey. The main topics addressed were the prevention of the diversion of small arms and light weapons; stockpile management; marking, registration and destruction of firearms; mechanisms to facilitate information exchange among the States; ammunition controls; and the challenges that arise in the effort to counteract the illicit arms trafficking that is associated with the development of new technologies.
The Meeting concluded with the national delegations’ being given the opportunity both to interact with Ambassador Brunet in an informal setting and to privately discuss their future plans.
Feb 5, 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 facilitate the effective implementation of the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT). On 5-6 February, UNLIREC and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Guatemala held a Technical Workshop on the Evaluation of Transfers and Reports of conventional arms.
During the mission, focus was placed on national authorities from sectors in charge of controlling conventional arms transfers or from other areas responsible for ATT implementation. As such, 25 representatives from various state entities participated, including the Directorate-General for the Control of Arms and Ammunition (DIGECAM), National Civil Police, Customs Authorities (SAT), the Ports, Airports and Border Checkpoints Division (DIPAFRONT), the Ministry of National Defence, as well as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The UNLIREC team likewise presented the obligations arising out of the ATT, in particular those concerning export assessment. Guidelines were presented on how to establish an evaluation system aligned with the ATT and with conventional arms importation. Furthermore, the requirements of presenting the initial and annual reports established under the Treaty were addressed, as were the steps to be taken in the upcoming months in order to advance the practical application of the ATT, both at the policy level and in other relevant areas.
This event further served to formally launch the joint ATT project in Guatemala, sponsored by the Arms Trade Treaty Secretariat’s Voluntary Trust Fund, of which Guatemala is a beneficiary and in which UNLIREC, at the request of the Guatemalan authorities, is an implementing partner. Through this project, Guatemala and UNLIREC are building on the activities and efforts to effectively implement the Treaty that were introduced in a previous assistance and cooperation package in 2015.
Jan 23, 2018 | Uncategorized
The United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC) remains committed to supporting State efforts to effectively implement the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT). As such, on 23-24 January, UNLIREC and the Ministry of Defence of El Salvador, held a workshop on the “Identification of Conventional Arms and Ammunition.”
This represents the second of three activities in the country, which form part of the assistance package sponsored by the Arms Trade Treaty Secretariat’s Voluntary Trust Fund. El Salvador called on UNLIREC to serve as its main implementing partner in all project-related activities with a view to strengthening implementation of the Treaty.
The UNLIREC ATT team presented the specific regulations as related to the Treaty, with a particular focus on the technical characteristics of conventional arms, ammunition and their parts and components. The team also led discussions on the principles governing the different categories of conventional arms mentioned in the ATT, given that they will necessarily form part of the respective National Control List of El Salvador and, in turn, could be the subject of international exchange enshrined in the Treaty.
The workshop targeted 23 representatives from various state entities, with mainly technical responsibilities in controlling conventional arms transfers. Entities included the Joint General Staff, Customs Authorities, National Civil Police, INTERPOL, the Policy Directorate and the Logistics Directorate of the Ministry of National Defence, as well as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Dec 12, 2017 | Uncategorized
The United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean undertook its first “Symposium on Women and Security” from 12 to 13 December in Lima, Peru.
With more than 40 women from the region who dedicate their work to advancing the global peace and security agenda, the Symposium provided a forum to present future strategies of the United Nations system to promote women and security in the region; to deliberate on how 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) can contribute to improving the lives of women in the region; and to explore different approaches to strengthening arms control to that end. Throughout the event, ample time was dedicated to identifying and sharing new ideas on empowering women working in the fields of peace and security.
The Symposium also served as a platform to launch “Forces of Change III: Latin American and Caribbean Women Share Experiences on Disarmament, Security and SDG Implementation”, a publication by UNLIREC and the third edition of an innovative initiative highlighting the role of women as agents of change in the field of disarmament, arms control, and non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Izumi Nakamitsu, High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, noted in her foreword: “[…] it is clear that the region is at the forefront of progress toward the full and equal engagement of women in peace and security discussions and decision-making”. The publication is available at www.unlirec.com
The Symposium was made possible thanks to generous financial support from the Governments of Sweden and Canada.
For more information on the Symposium or “Forces of Change”, please contact Amanda Cowl, Political Affairs Officer, at email: cowl@unlirec.org.
Dec 5, 2017 | Uncategorized
From 5-7 December, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC), together with the government of the Dominican Republic, delivered its third inter-institutional Firearms and Ammunition Evidence Management Course (EMC).
Harmonized efforts are fundamental in developing a sound national strategy to investigate and prosecute firearms-related cases and illicit trafficking in firearms and ammunition. Consequently, UNLIREC convened this initiative to strengthen coordination among security sector officials, share knowledge on key aspects of the chain of custody process, provide practical training on best practices to manage a scene under investigation, and increase the knowledge base of the relevant legal framework.
The EMC was led by international subject matter experts and contained training modules on ‘Firearms and Ammunition Identification’, ‘Legal Considerations in Criminal Investigations’, ‘Evidence Management at the Crime Scene’, ‘Evidence Examination and Analysis in the Laboratory’, ‘Intelligence and Investigation Tools’, as well as practical exercises. Participants also benefitted from presentations by INTERPOL on addressing firearms trafficking, firearms tracing and investigative tools available and by a Public Prosecutor from Santiago de los Caballeros on the national legislative context.
30 national justice and law enforcement participants, including firearms examiners, forensic laboratory personnel, scenes of crimes and intelligence police officers, and public prosecutors, were trained during this course. Participants represented each of the 15 districts that make the north of the Dominican Republic. Training on best practices for collecting, packaging, and transferring firearms and ammunition found at a scene under investigation increases the capacity of security sector officials to manage potential evidence in a way that is deemed admissible in a court of law, and ultimately allows for a reduction in impunity in firearms-related cases.
The EMC is part of UNLIREC’s Caribbean Operational Forensic Ballistics Assistance Package, which is made possible thanks to the support of the governments of Canada, Germany, and 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.
Nov 28, 2017 | Uncategorized
On 28 November, UNLIREC´s Caribbean Control List was presented as part of a sub-regional workshop on Strategic Trade Controls Enforcement co-organized by the World Customs Organization and the UN Regional Centre on Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC). The four-day workshop held in the Dominican Republic brought together customs and law enforcement officials from over ten countries in the Caribbean region.
The purpose of the workshop was to train the participants in detecting strategic trade items and to support participating states in fulfilling their obligations under United Nations Security Council Resolution 1540 (UNSCR 1540). The resolution requires states to put in place relevant regulatory national mechanisms to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. In 2017, UNLIREC launched a sub-regional guide to control lists, specifically addressing the needs of the states in the Caribbean region. The guide analyses the trade patterns in the region and directly supports effective implementation of UNSCR 1540. UNLIREC presented the adjoined Control and Focus Lists during the workshop, concentrating on the strategic goods and technology featured most prominently in Caribbean trade.
Furthermore, the Dominican Republic presented their national experience in the enforcement of strategic trade controls. The state representative noted, in particular, the valuable support provided by UNLIREC´s legal team and trade control experts during the legislative review and in developing a tailor-made national control list.
