Mar 18, 2021 | Uncategorized
On 18 March 2021, UNLIREC, in collaboration with the Colombian government’s Ministry of the Interior, delivered a national virtual seminar on ‘measures to prevent armed violence against women’.
The virtual seminar’s central objectives were to explain the problems with armed violence and violence against women (VAW), to present the links between the two and their impact on society, to highlight the importance of connecting regulation of arms control to the prevention of VAW, and to promote an interinstitutional approach towards tackling and preventing gender-based armed violence (GBV) against women.
Firstly, the Colombian government’s Ministry of the Interior presented the state of gender-based violence across the nation, including statistics and the regulatory framework of policy, programmes and national initiatives in place to prevent and tackle this phenomenon. During the presentation, the Ministry made special reference to its protective measures related to arms control that have been established to protect women in cases of GBV.
UNLIREC also highlighted the disparity between firearms’ impact on men and women at a global level, as well as a regional and national one. It also emphasised the influence of firearms on different types of GBV in the region and in Colombia, including femicide. The presentation identified a firearm as a risk factor – not only because of its lethal potential – but also due to its power to threaten or suppress victims, making them more vulnerable.
Finally, UNLIREC presented the findings of the Regulatory study on the links between regulation of gender-based violence and regulation and control of small weapons: an analysis of Central America, Colombia, Mexico and the Dominican Republic. The study analyses different countries in the region’s approach, and special mention was given to the region’s good work on the subject.
The virtual event, open to the general public, was attended by over 330 people, including a strong majority of women (263). The audience included representatives from administrative institutions and national security organisations, such as the Ministry of the Interior, State Prosecution Service, the Health Secretary, the Office of the High Commissioner for Peace, Office of the Attorney General, and departmental and local authorities, civil society, academy, and the United Nations System in Colombia.
This initiative forms part of a series of activities that the UNLIREC is leading to empower nations to develop and take a sensitive approach to gender in the context of reducing armed violence. The initiative was made possible thanks to funding from the Canadian government.
Here are links to a recording of the virtual seminar and the presentations.
Mar 18, 2021 | Uncategorized
Canada’s Global Affairs’ Anti-Crime Capacity Building Program (ACCBP) provided a 2-million-dollar grant at the beginning of 2021 to the UN Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC) to support Caribbean States in their implementation of the ‘Roadmap for Implementing the Caribbean Priority Actions on the Illicit Proliferation of Firearms and Ammunition across the Caribbean in a Sustainable Manner by 2030’. Through this initiative, Canada is strengthening regional cooperation to build a stronger more resilient region, as well as safeguarding the security of Canadians and Canadian interests at risk, both at home and abroad.
The Roadmap – under which the Canadian-funded project will be carried out – is made up of four Goals: (1) reinforcing regulatory frameworks; (2) reducing the illicit flow of firearms and ammunition; (3) bolstering law enforcement capacity; and (4) decreasing the risk of diversion of firearms and ammunition. The main technical implementing partners are UNLIREC and CARICOM IMPACS.
The over 30 Canadian-funded project activities range from specialized courses for law enforcement officials on detecting arms and ammunition illegally entering or exiting their countries to how to conduct the ‘gendered’ investigation of crimes against women. To complement these capacity-building initiatives, UNLIREC will also deliver operational tracing courses; trainings on how best to manage firearms and ammunition being stored as evidence at ballistic laboratory depots; and a region-wide technical armoury management workshop at project end.
Efforts to make the Caribbean region a safer one – through implementation of the Roadmap – is being supported by other members of the international donor community, in addition to Canada,
including the Federal Republic of Germany, The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the United States of America. This multiple-donor funding to UNLIREC will allow for a strategic division of labour on the ground and avoid any duplication of funding.
Since 2010, Canada has contributed more than 10 million Canadian dollars to UNLIREC in addressing the scourge of illicit arms and ammunition trafficking in a sub-region that suffers inordinately from the catastrophic impact of armed violence.
UNLIREC forms part of the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) in NY, USA, and is mandated to support 33 States in Latin America and the Caribbean in achieving and maintaining peace and security through disarmament. For more information on the Caribbean Firearms Roadmap, please contact, Ms Amanda Cowl, Political Affairs Officer, at [cowl@unlirec.org].
Mar 15, 2021 | Uncategorized
On 15 March 2021 and then from 16 – 19 March 2021, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC), in collaboration with the Governments of the United Kingdom and Trinidad and Tobago, hosted an online National Firearms Tracing Workshop followed by in person Serial Number Restoration Course.
In the Caribbean, several factors hinder the ability of States to trace 100% of illicit firearms recovered. The age of the firearm, ineffective procedures and absence of serial numbers on firearms are three such factors. Obliterating serial numbers on firearms is a common practice for criminals to mask their origin and facilitate trafficking and illegal use. The national workshop on tracing and serial number restoration were developed in an effort to support States’ efforts to trace firearms and to address the fact that the forensic firearms scientist is often required to restore the characters and numbers that have been removed from firearms in a variety of ways.
Fifty-three firearm examiners, firearm technicians, police officers and scientific officers from the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service, Forensic Science Centre, Strategic Services Agency and Ministry of National Security took part in the National Tracing workshop. Participants included operational police officers and analysts responsible for recovering illicit firearms, retrieving trace evidence, analysing firearm crime data, tracing firearms and collating information on criminal groups. Twelve Police Officers took part in the Serial Number Restoration course which consisted of hands-on use of Magnaflux and Chemical Etching Methods to recover obliterated serial numbers from firearms.
Serial restoration has proven to be a key and necessary tool to conduct tracing and make use of the various regional and international tracing platforms. Throughout the region, restoration techniques have been used to support criminal investigations and successfully trace weapons and even disband trafficking networks.
This course complemented recent initiatives undertaken by Trinidad and Tobago including its adoption of the Caribbean Firearms Roadmap. The activities were made possible thanks to support of the government of the United Kingdom and included experts from the UK’s National Ballistics Intelligence Service, the US Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives and the International Police Organization (INTERPOL).
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.
Mar 8, 2021 | Uncategorized
From 8-12 March 2021, 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, the Government of the United Kingdom (UK) hosted an Executive Seminar and on-line National Forensic Ballistic Intelligence Course in Trinidad and Tobago.
The one-day Executive Seminar (8 March) focused on Ballistic Intelligence and how this is applied in several national jurisdictions. Members of the Executive and Senior Leadership from the Police Service, Forensic Science Centre, Customs and Excise Department, Strategic Services Agency and Ministry of National Security participated in the event. The on-line National Forensic Ballistic Intelligence Course was delivered to operational personnel, investigators, analysts and scientific officers (9-12 March). The virtual training focused on enhancing the role of forensic laboratories in firearms investigations. The course sought to strengthen coordination between forensic laboratories and criminal investigation units and showcased how ballistics intelligence can provide key insight into criminal investigations and generate investigative leads. In total, 35 male and 20 females attended the Ballistics Intelligence activities.
Technological advances in the field of forensic firearm identification have enhanced forensic analysis in the same way that a comparison microscope improved human capacity for observation in past decades. It has improved the ability of forensic units to manage large volumes of information generated therein. Despite technological development, there is and will always be a fundamental requirement for skilled examiners and laboratory personnel, capable of examining, analyzing and handling firearms and ammunition evidence.
Hence, it is essential that the results of the ballistics section are disseminated and analyzed together with the information and intelligence from other analytical and investigative units, for example, geographical data on firearm incidents, or information found on the outside of a firearm, to support and improve investigations.
These activities were made possible thanks to the support of the UK government and included experts from the UK’s National Ballistics Intelligence Service, the US Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives and the International Police Organization (INTERPOL).
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.
Feb 18, 2021 | Uncategorized
On Thursday 18 February 2021, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC), in coordination with the International Cooperation Office and the Technical Secretariat for Gender and Access to Justice in Costa Rica, held a webinar on “Measures preventing armed violence against women”.
A total of 252 representatives from different branches of the judiciary participated, including the Supreme Court of Justice, the Judicial Investigation Department, Public Prosecutor’s Office and specialized prosecutor’s offices, as well as from executive branches, like the Ministry of Justice and Peace, Ministry of Public Security, National Institute for Women, among others. Representatives from civil society organizations and sectors of academia also participated. Given that one of the purposes of UNLIREC’s Women, Disarmament, Non-proliferation and Arms Control Programme, supported by the European Union, is to promote the participation and training of women in the aforementioned areas, it is important to highlight that 57% of the participants were women.
The webinar began with an overview and analysis of statistics on armed violence and violence against women at national, regional and global levels, emphasizing how firearms-related incidents are not only confined to feminicides, but also different types of gender-based violence, whether physical, sexual and psychological. The presence of a firearm in a context of gender-based violence should be considered a risk factor not only because of its lethality, but also because it is used to threaten and intimidate victims, increasing their vulnerability.
Furthermore, UNLIREC presented the main findings and recommendations from its Normative Study on the necessary link between rules on gender-based violence and small arms control and regulatory standards. The study analyzed the national regulations of different countries in the region. During the webinar, special reference was made to the case of Costa Rica.
In order to promote a comprehensive and inter-institutional approach to the problem, UNLIREC invited two national experts. Firstly, the head of investigation at the Homicide Section of the Judicial Investigation Department of Costa Rica, who not only shared statistical information on firearms related to homicides and feminicides at the national level, but also her experience intervening in the investigation of acts of violence against women and feminicides. Secondly, the Deputy Prosecutor for Gender also gave a presentation on national regulations and institutional guidelines applicable in cases involving violence against women and firearms. The strategies outlined by the Prosecutor included the Inter-institutional Protocol for Intervention and Risk Assessment in Situations of Violence Against Women (Circular 197 2014) and the actions of Local Committees for Immediate Care (Clais).
Finally, it should be noted that this activity took place in the framework of the campaign launched by IANSA and supported by UNODA: “Gun Free Valentine”. The campaign is running from 14 February to 8 March. Under the slogans Disarm domestic violence and Love does not include guns, the main purpose is to raise awareness about the risks of having a gun in the home, intimate partner violence and how, with more effective laws, lives can be saved.
The webinar forms part of the project Supporting gender mainstreamed policies, programmes and actions in the fight against trafficking and misuse of small arms, in line with the Women, Peace and Security Agenda, supported by the European Union.
Feb 17, 2021 | Uncategorized
On Wednesday 17 February 2021, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC), in coordination with the Guatemalan Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the Presidential Secretariat for Women, held a webinar on “Measures preventing armed violence against women”.
49 representatives from different public bodies and civil society organizations dealing with the issue of armed violence and preventing violence against women participated in the webinar. Given that one of the purposes of UNLIREC’s Women, Disarmament, Non-proliferation and Arms Control Programme, supported by the European Union, is to promote the participation and training of women in the aforementioned areas, it is important to highlight that 70% of the participants were women.
The webinar began with an overview and analysis of statistics on armed violence and violence against women at national, regional and global levels, emphasizing how firearms-related incidents are not only confined to feminicides, but also different types of violence against women, whether physical, sexual and psychological. The presence of a firearm in a context of gender-based violence should be considered a risk factor not only because of its lethality, but also because it is used to threaten and intimidate victims, increasing their vulnerability.
Furthermore, UNLIREC presented the main findings from its Normative Study on the necessary link between rules on gender-based violence and small arms control and regulatory standards. The study analyzed the national regulations of different countries in the region. During the webinar, special reference was made to the case of Guatemala.
In order to promote a comprehensive and inter-institutional approach to the problem, UNLIREC invited the Guatemalan Presidential Secretariat for Women (SEPREM) to present and discuss the different policies on the prevention of violence against women carried out at the national level. In this regard, it is important to highlight that Guatemala is one of the seven countries in the region to present a National Action Plan to implement Security Council Resolution 1325 on “Women, Peace and Security”. The SEPREM panelist mentioned the main guidelines of the NAP launched in 2017.
Finally, it should be noted that this activity took place in the framework of the campaign launched by IANSA and supported by UNODA: “Gun free Valentine”. The campaign is running from 14 February to 8 March. Under the slogans Disarm domestic violence and Love does not include guns, the main purpose is to raise awareness about the risks of having a gun in the home, intimate partner violence and how, with more effective laws, lives can be saved.
The webinar forms part of the project Supporting gender mainstreamed policies, programmes and actions in the fight against trafficking and misuse of small arms, in line with the Women, Peace and Security Agenda, supported by the European Union.
