Jun 22, 2017 | Uncategorized
On the 22nd and the 23rd June, national authorities from the different sectors involved in the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction attended a planning mission held in Santo Domingo.
The objective of this meeting was to pool the strategic trade mapping of elements that could be controlled by the Dominican Republic in compliance with Resolution 1540 of the United Nations Security Council and to receive feedback from the authorities on risk analysis and profiling processes from the perspective of the customs sector in that State.
On the 21st and the 22nd June, UNLIREC experts and the heads of the customs sector convened preliminary meetings and visits to familiarize themselves with the national risk management procedures, as well as the profiling process, if any, with the purpose of having an overview of these very processes that will help to provide better assistance in the preparation of the Focus List.
A second meeting was held on the 23rd June with the “Multisectoral Coordination Committee for the Implementation of Resolution 1540,” comprising representatives of various sectors that had jurisdiction in the matter. This meeting introduced the specific objectives of the workshop which will be held in September and which is designed to serve as a practical support tool for officers working at the entry and exit points of the country as it will enhance controls on dual-use items.
Source: UNLIREC
Jun 19, 2017 | Uncategorized
From 19-23 June, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC), together with ARQUEBUS Solutions Ltd, delivered its third Double Cast training and consequent donation of equipment in Belize.
Four participants, among them firearms examiners, assistant firearms examiners, and IBIS Technicians of the National Forensic Science Service (NFSS), participated in the training. Participants were trained on INTERPOL’s Double Casting methodology.
Double Casting is a two step-process that requires a silicone mould to be made of the fired bullet or cartridge case and then making a resin cast using the mould created. Ballistic projectiles are mounted in a secured cup or mould box before pouring the silicone to make the mould. The moulds are then placed in a vacuum degassing chamber to remove air bubbles, taken out of the chamber, and cured for 15 hours. The cured mould is then removed from the cup or box and the specimen extracted. Next, the silicone mould is filled with casting resin, pressurized in a pressure pot, removed and the cured resin cast demoulded. The resin bullet and cartridge castings are then ready for ballistics imaging or microscope examination and comparison.
Equipment used in the training, as well as consumables to conduct further double casting of cartridge cases or projectiles, were handed over to the Government Belize.
Double Cast Training is part of UNLIREC’s Caribbean Operational Forensic Ballistics Assistance Package, which is made possible thanks to the support of the US Department of State and the Government of Canada.
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.
Jun 13, 2017 | Uncategorized
The United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC) and the United Nations Volunteers Programme (UNV) conducted its first training workshop for young volunteer leaders in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago from 13-15 June. Colombia, Honduras, Peru and Trinidad and Tobago will be the four countries from the region to benefit from this initiative.
The purpose of this project is to contribute to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and to improve the skills of young volunteer leaders with regards to SDG 16, peace, security and disarmament so that they may be able to propose indicators (developed through participatory methodology) to measure these phenomena. SDG 16 is dedicated to the promotion of peaceful and inclusive societies, access to justice for all, and the creation of effective and accountable institutions at all levels. It includes targets for reducing illicit arms flows, all forms of violence and related deaths, and ensuring participatory decision-making. Specifically, goal 16.4 establishes the intrinsic relationship between development and flows of illicit arms.
The pilot workshop in Trinidad and Tobago was attended by fifteen young volunteers representing volunteer organisations who are leading the promotion of the 2030 Agenda at the community level in Trinidad and Tobago. The sessions were facilitated by UNLIREC, the UNV Regional Office, and the young volunteer who serves as focal point for this project. The workshop addressed the different dimensions and scope of violence, peace, human security and disarmament and introduced practical tools to convert their perceptions of these phenomena into valuable indicators for their measurement.
The workshop initiates the project, whose activities will continue until December 2017 in the four countries. During this time, not only will participatory indicators for SDG 16 be developed, but these will be validated by the youth in their communities and presented to the main local and regional government authorities with the aim of giving greater visibility and recognition to the role the youth can play in the promotion of more peaceful, just and inclusive societies through volunteering.
Jun 12, 2017 | Uncategorized
On 6 December, UNLIREC organized a seminar entitled “International Initiatives for Prevention and Action regarding Presence of Firearms in Schools” in Trujillo, Peru. The seminar formed part of the United Nations Joint Programme for Human Security.
In the course of the past years, the different forms of violence that affect school environments in Latin America and the Caribbean have attracted the attention and concern of governments, international organizations, and the society in general. A number of studies have identified the presence of firearms in schools as a risk factor for violence, impacting negatively the physical and psychological security of both children and youth, as well as the teachers in the region.
The seminar organized by UNLIREC sought to create deeper understanding of this phenomenon and to develop solutions to address the challenge of firearms in schools, with attendance from roughly 80 participants.
The seminar outlined the series of initiatives and best practices found in Peru and in other countries in region that deal with the issue of firearms in schools. The emphasis was placed on exploring protocols, guidelines, and intervention mechanisms regarding the presence, carrying, and use of firearms in schools, drawing from the national experiences of Costa Rica, Argentina, and Mexico. Furthermore, the seminar also presented the participants with additional tools used in Peru and Guatemala, such as surveys and registers of violent incidents.
The seminar had broad participation, with representatives from the Ministries of Education, Foreign Affairs, and Interior, as well as from the regional, municipal, and district levels of the department of La Libertad. Also school directors, teachers, parents associations, youth from Trujillo were present and shared their views about combatting the challenge of firearms in schools.
Jun 11, 2017 | Uncategorized
From 6 – 10 November, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC), conducted two activities in Jamaica. The first was an Executive Seminar for eight executives of institutional clients of Forensic Ballistics on 6 November and the second, a pilot Shooting Incident Reconstruction training for seven Ballistic Experts of the Institute of Forensic Science and Legal Medicine in Kingston, Jamaica.
The Caribbean region continues to face persistent levels of armed violence, illicit trafficking of firearms and ammunition, and impunity in firearm related crimes. The increase of organized crime-related cases, sophisticated criminal networks and lack of trust in state institutions have made the general population less likely to come forward when witnessing firearms-related cases, thereby increasing the caseloads and responsibilities of firearms and tool mark examiners, crime scene officers and investigators throughout the region. Strengthening countries’ forensic ballistic investigative capabilities is essential to advancing the rule of law and to decrease impunity in firearms related cases.
The Executive Seminar with senior leadership of the Ministry of National Security discussed the recommendations made in UNLIREC’s 2015 National Assessment of Jamaica’s forensic ballistics capabilities. The seminar also reviewed the recommendations that have been implemented as well as areas for future assistance.
The shooting incident reconstruction course was designed for firearms and tool mark examiners, crime scene and other law enforcement personnel who are responsible for investigating or overseeing the investigation of shooting incidents. The course will assist national authorities to connect all the pieces of forensic evidence necessary for the reconstruction of shooting crime scenes, including: documenting physical evidence at shooting crime scenes; determining the flight path of projectiles; examining firearm discharge residue to estimate distance from the shooter to the victim/ and or final target.
The Pilot Exercise is subject to review, modification and correction by national authorities and by UNLIREC where necessary. Topics covered included health and safety in the forensic process, collecting and preserving evidence, diagraming the shooting scene, computer uses in shooting reconstruction, identifying bullet holes, determining bullet trajectory, exterior ballistics and bullet impacts and ricochet and sequence of fire, amongst others.
Equipment used in the training, resource material and reference targets with sample bullet holes were handed over to the Government of Jamaica.
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.
Jun 7, 2017 | Uncategorized
The United Nations Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC) held a Practical Seminar: Fulfilling Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) reporting obligations in the CARICOM region from 6-7 July in Bridgetown, Barbados.
The purpose of this Seminar was to provide practical insights into the Arms Trade Treaty’s reporting requirements in order to increment the submission rate and quality of ATT and other relevant reports on an annual basis by CARICOM States. Fifteen representatives from ten CARICOM states participated in the activity (Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Guyana, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Suriname.)
The Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Attorney General in Barbados, Deborah Payne, participated in the opening ceremony of the Seminar, where she stated: “As representatives from a small island developing state, we can relate to the reporting burden which treaties demand. This concern has been raised by several member states….The adoption of comprehensive reporting templates and the making of public reporting mandatory have been key objectives of some member states. Barbados shares that view, but also asserts that consideration must be given to those states for whom reporting is a challenge”
The seminar was delivered by the UNLIREC Non-Proliferation and Arms Control Programme team and participants benefitted from technical experts from the governments of Sweden and Costa Rica, and the CARICOM Implementing Agency for Crime and Security. Presentations and practical exercises were designed to support them in preparing the initial and annual reports and understanding how to set up an ATT national control system.
This seminar forms part of UNLIREC’s Arms Trade Treaty Assistance Package and was entirely funded by the Government of Sweden. Through its assistance to Latin American and Caribbean States, UNLIREC supports improvements in peace, security, and in implementing the Arms Trade Treaty.
