Jun 7, 2017 | Uncategorized
Within the framework of the United Nations’ Joint Programme on Human Security, UNLIREC held a legal seminar on firearms control on 6 July, 2017 in the city of Trujillo (Northern Peru). With a view to contributing to the training needs of legal practitioners, UNLIREC trained more than 30 judges, prosecutors and public defenders in the province.
Firearms control norms are part of efficient regulatory frameworks for the appropriate regulation of legal trade and for combating the illicit trafficking of weapons. It is recommended that these norms comply with the related international instruments and treaties. Under this premise, the legal seminar shed light on the main international requirements for firearms and their equivalence within national regulations.
The event was attended by speakers from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in its capacity as President of the National Commission Against Illicit Trafficking in Firearms (CONATIAF), and the National Superintendence for the Control of Security Services, Arms, Ammunition and Explosives for Civilian Use (SUCAMEC).
During the seminar participants shared the challenges they face in prosecuting illicit arms trafficking cases due to the lack of information on the mechanisms available to process this specific crime. They also highlighted existing challenges in prosecuting the crime of illegal possession of firearms. In addition to knowledge sharing, discussions during the event contributed to strengthening the coordination, communication and cooperation of legal practitioners at the operational level.
UNLIREC is part of the United Nations’ Joint Programme for Human Security which works with public institutions and local authorities in Trujillo to reduce and prevent crime in general, gender violence and the involvement of adolescents in criminal activities.
Jun 4, 2017 | Uncategorized
The United Nations Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC) held a Practical Seminar for the Implementation of the Arms Trade Treaty from 6-7 April in Bogota, Colombia.
Representatives of the institutions that make up the National Coordination Committee for the Prevention, Combat, and Eradication of Illicit Trafficking in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All its Aspects (Comité TIA), participated in this seminar held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The seminar was delivered by the UNLIREC Non-Proliferation and Arms Control Programme team and attended by officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the National Directorate of Tax and Customs (DIAN, for its initials in Spanish), the National Police, the Arms Trade Control Department, The Military Industry (INDUMIL, for its initials in Spanish) and other representatives of the Ministry of Defense.
Participants received information aimed at incorporating treaty obligations into the national system that controls the international transfers of conventional arms, their ammunition, and their parts and components. UNLIREC presented various illustrations of control systems with a focus on the operations to be undertaken, their composition and functioning, as well as inter-institutional cooperation mechanisms, and examples of practices in other States at the regional and international levels.
In addition, a working session was devoted to presenting the methodology of an export evaluation, prepared by UNLIREC, which gathers a series of criteria and sources of information to analyze prior to authorizing an export request in accordance with the requirements of the Treaty.
This seminar forms part of UNLIREC’s project entitled ‘Mitigating the Risk of Arms Divergence to Reduce Armed Violence in Latin America and the Caribbean’, which is funded by the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany. Through its assistance to Latin American and Caribbean States, UNLIREC supports improvements in peace, security, and in implementing the Arms Trade Treaty.
May 29, 2017 | Uncategorized
From 29 May – 1 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 first Double Cast training in the Caribbean, in Trinidad and Tobago
Five participants, among them firearm examiners, IBIS Technicians and Armourers of the Trinidad and Tobago Forensic Science Centre (TTFSC) and Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) participated in the 4-day Training, based on INTERPOL’s Double Casting methodology.
Double casting increases the ability of national authorities to make connections between crime and crime scenes, nationally, regionally and internationally. The training sought to build capacity in the region to create microscopic replicas of projectiles and cartridge cases that can be peer reviewed and uploaded to a Ballistics Information Network or shared across jurisdictions for comparison without disturbing the chain of custody of the original evidence.
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 pressure pot to remove air bubbles, taken out of the pot, and cured for 15–24 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 imagining or microscope examination and comparison.
Equipment used in the training as well as consumables to conduct further, practical double casting of projectiles were handed over to the Government of Trinidad and Tobago.
Double Cast Training are part of the fourth round of implementation under the framework of the 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.
May 17, 2017 | Uncategorized
The United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC), in partnership with the Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces (DCAF) organized a regional seminar entitled “The Use of the Force in Private Security Companies” on May 17, 2017 in Lima. This activity was carried out within the framework of the project entitled ‘Strengthening capacities for the effective and transparent management of small arms and ammunition in the private security sector’, which is funded by the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany.
The seminar was attended by representatives from various sectors in Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala and Peru, such as governmental entities in charge of regulating private security, entrepreneurs within the sector, civil society and academia. The objective of this meeting was to present concepts and tools to enrich the debate and provide inputs to establish norms and policies in the field of the use of force in the provision of private security services. UNLIREC and DCAF held this event with a view to discussing this issue given the recurring news on the use of force and, in particular, the use of firearms by private security agents during and after working hours in the countries of the region, which pose challenges to citizen security.
Throughout the various working sessions, several aspects were discussed such as the international normative framework for the use of force and its flaws vis-à-vis private security, the limitations that private security companies are mandated to have on the use of force, the challenges and opportunities posed by the use of alternative devices such as the least lethal weapons used by security agents while on duty, as well as the various roles and responsibilities of governments and the private sector in regulating the use of force in this field.
During the seminar, the participants exchanged views and detailed their national experiences. There was consensus that aspects such as incident investigation, the continuous selection and evaluation of staff, training (theoretical and practical), working conditions, operational planning, equipment, supervision and monitoring during operations were some of the fundamental elements that must be taken into account to prevent the excess use of force by private security agents.
Since 2015, UNLIREC and DCAF have provided technical assistance to national authorities and security companies in these four countries of the region in order to support both the regulation of private security and the control of weapons in this sector by promoting standards, good practices and globally recognised initiatives such as the International Code of Conduct for Private Security Service Providers (ICoC), the International Small Arms Control Standards (ISACS) and the International Ammunition Technical Guidelines (IATGs).
UNLIREC supports States in strengthening public security and in implementing the United Nations Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects (UN PoA 2001).
May 12, 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.
May 8, 2017 | Uncategorized
The United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC) and the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) Programme have been developing a regional project aimed at young volunteers in Peru, Colombia, Honduras and Trinidad and Tobago. The objective of this project is to support the States – through the empowerment of young people – in advancing the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. Throughout the project, young volunteer leaders will enhance their skills pertaining to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), specifically SDG 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions, and participatory indicators will be developed. Multiple training sessions have been structured within that framework, focusing on issues of youth, peace, security, disarmament and volunteerism in the city of Trujillo, Peru. On this occasion, about 70 young volunteers were trained on Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th August 2017.
Theoretical and practical tools were provided during these training sessions for the future development of participatory indicators which will complement the SDG 16 indicators. The purpose of these indicators will be to highlight a local projection of the young people of Trujillo as to how to measure the level of human security and armed violence in their region. Young people were educated, through three workshops, on the theme, with emphasis being placed on the steps to be taken in creating indicators. After this initial overview, the methodology developed for the project is expected to be applied in future workshops, and the group of volunteers will remain to outline the valid indicators and the proxies.
On the other hand, during the work sessions, the first audiovisual product of the project was presented in Peru in recognition of International Youth Day, 12th August. This year, special emphasis was placed on young people’s ability to participate in the “configuration of true peace and to contribute to conflict prevention and transformation, inclusion, social justice, reconciliation and sustainable peace.” As part of the celebration, the young volunteers prepared a video which depicted each participant’s view of peace. The video was posted on social media using the main hashtag #SayUrPeace.
Source: UNLIREC
