May 15, 2012 | Uncategorized
El Centro Regional de las Naciones Unidas para la Paz, el Desarme y el Desarrollo en América Latina y el Caribe (UNLIREC) de la Oficina de Asuntos de Desarme de las Naciones Unidas, con el apoyo financiero de la Oficina para la Eliminación y Reducción de Armas del Departamento de Estado de Estados Unidos, ha procurado y enviado al gobierno de las Bahamas un equipo de cizallas hidráulicas con el fin de asegurar que gobierno tiene una capacidad permanente de recursos humanos y técnicos para destruir las armas de fuego excedentes, decomisadas u obsoletas.
La entrega de estas cizallas forma parte del Paquete de Asistencia para la Destrucción de Armas de Fuego y Gerencia de Arsenales de UNLIREC que se orienta a la lucha contra el tráfico ilícito de armas al reducir el riesgo de robo, desvío de la posesión del gobierno de armas de fuego, municiones y explosivos excedentes, decomisados u obsoletos. De acuerdo al Paquete de Asistencia, UNLiREC ya ha realizado una evaluación nacional en línea base y ha proporcionado candados estándares internacionales para mejorar los niveles de almacenamiento y seguridad en los arsenales claves del gobierno.
La Fuerza Real de la Policía de las Bahamas recibió las cizallas para su instalación. El 14 de mayo de 2012, UNLIREC proporcionó capacitación de éstas a 16 oficiales de la Fuerza Real de la Policía, la Fuerza Real de Defensa, las Prisiones de Su Majestad, Aduanas e Inmigraciones de las Bahamas que resultó en la simbólica destrucción de 42 armas.
Adicionalmente, la asistencia por parte de UNLIREC al Gobierno de las Bahamas y a los demás países del caribe beneficiados, de acuerdo al Paquete de Asistencia para el periodo Junio 2012 – Mayo 2013, incluye entre otros:
Desarrollo de metodologías de verificación y seguimiento de armas independientes.
Establecimiento de métodos seguros y eficientes para la destrucción y disposición de armas de fuego, municiones y explosivos excedentes basados en estándares de la ONU.
Examinación legal de la legislación nacional y regulaciones en el Caribe para asegurar al Estado conforme a los instrumentos internacionales claves.
May 14, 2012 | Uncategorized
(Lima) – Within the cooperation framework established between the Organization of American States (OAS) and UNLIREC, a study has been undertaken to ascertain the extent to which the Inter-American Convention Against Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Ammunition, Explosives and Other Related Materials (CIFTA) has been implemented. UNLIREC completed a comparative legislative study for 12 States in the region. The studies will be presented at the Third Conference of the States Parties to be held in Washington DC on 14-15 May 2012.
Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela all formed part of the study. In the case of Guatemala and Panama, having already participated in the 2010 Central American study, they were updated to reflect the new national legislation on firearms, ammunition and explosives. The studies on the Central American States were presented by the OAS and UNLIREC in connection with the working meeting entitled “legislative progress to prevent and combat illicit firearms trafficking in Central America” in September 2011 at the SICA headquarters in El Salvador.
It is important to note that CIFTA is currently the only legally binding regional instrument for Latin America and the Caribbean, and has been ratified by 31 States in the region. The Convention emphasizes the need for permits or licenses for export, import and transit and the strengthening of checkpoints for exports, among others.
May 12, 2012 | Uncategorized
On 29-30 November 2012, the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs, through its Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC) in collaboration the Ministry of Security of the Republic of Argentina trained 30 officials on firearms and ammunition stockpile management risk assessment and security planning. Officials were trained from the key federal law enforcement agencies including the Federal Police, Airport Police, National Gendarmerie and the Coast Guard.
In August 2012 UNLIREC signed an agreement with the Ministry of Security of the Republic of Argentina to provide technical assistance in the area of small arms, light weapons and ammunition stockpile management. To date, UNLIREC has supported the Ministry in undertaking baseline assessments of federal stockpile facilities and in making recommendations for essential improvements to infrastructure, standard operating procedures and the training of personnel.
The assistance that UNLIREC provides to the Government of Argentina is based on the draft UN International Small Arms Control Standards (ISACS) and the UN International Ammunition Technical Guidelines (IATG). Efforts to build government officials’ stockpile management capacities and improve infrastructure of facilities where weapons, ammunition and explosives are stored are essential measures for preventing theft, loss and diversion, as well as accidents. Such measures are key commitments taken on by States within the framework of the United Nations Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects.
For more information on UNLIREC, please visit: www.unlirec.org.
Please direct all inquiries to: Ms. Carina Van Vliet, Political Affairs Officer (vanvliet@unlirec.org).
Apr 16, 2012 | Uncategorized
On 16 April 2012, the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs, through its Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC), launched a training course to combat illicit firearms trafficking for security sector officers of Member States of the Caribbean region.
The 10-day training course is scheduled to run until 27 April 2012, in Port of Spain, with the support of the Government of Trinidad and Tobago.
This regional Inter-Institutional Training Course on Combating the Illicit Trafficking in Firearms, Ammunition and Explosives (IITC) will train more than 50 security sector and law enforcement officers from 12 Member States of the Caribbean region: Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago.
Participants will learn interactive firearms investigation techniques, technical aspects of weapons and ammunition identification, intelligence gathering and crime scene management, tracing and preparation of evidence in criminal proceedings, as well as practical disarmament measures such as weapons destruction and stockpile management. The course also covers cross–cutting issues related to the use of force, gender awareness and child protection. The sub-regional course will introduce new issues, such as maritime security, container search and identification of armed individuals.
Since 2004, UNLIREC has trained over 3,000 law enforcement officers in Latin America and the Caribbean, strengthening the capacities of States in the region to address the problem of the proliferation of and trafficking in illicit firearms.
This training course is part of UNLIREC’s Firearms Assistance Package to Caribbean States, which began in 2010, with the financial support of Canada and the United States of America.
UNLIREC´s Assistance Package strengthens State capacity to implement relevant international and regional disarmament instruments such as the United Nations Programme of Action on Small Arms and the CIFTA Convention.
In parallel to this sub-regional training course, UNLIREC will also provide technical assistance to the Government of Trinidad and Tobago in the destruction of surplus and obsolete firearms and ammunition.
Mar 9, 2012 | Uncategorized
Legal practitioners in Guatemala received focused training on combating illicit firearms trafficking through UNLIREC’s Specialized Training Course celebrated in the country’s capital. In parallel, UNLIREC held a regional best practice seminar on policy development in firearms control and armed violence prevention with policy-makers on 5 September. Both activities were carried out in collaboration with the Technical Secretariat of the National Security Council.
During the four-day specialized course, 28 legal practitioners and judicial officials were exposed to relevant national and international legal frameworks, inter-institutional and international cooperation mechanisms; and technical aspects of firearms and ammunition, including ballistic information. All participants are now better equipped with the necessary technical and practical knowledge and legal tools to assist them in their efforts to more effectively combat the scourge caused by illicit trafficking in firearms. Participants came from a variety of governmental institution, including the Office of the Public Prosecutor, National Civilian Police, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the National Firearms Control Directorate.
The high-level policy seminar, on the other hand, brought together 26 high level representatives to contextualize the phenomenon of armed violence in Latin America and expose decision-makers to a wide range of policies related to firearms control measures and armed violence prevention and reduction initiatives. Two emblematic regional “best practices” were presented during the one-day seminar, namely, the Weapons Free Zone (WFZ) Programme from El Salvador, implemented in more than 30 municipalities across the country, and Brazil´s well-known Disarmament Campaign and Statute, which – to date – represents the most important disarmament campaign undertaken in the continent. Participants from the Technical Secretariat of the National Security Council, Ministry of Government, Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Parliamentarians, CSOs, and advisor in the public security sector used the information acquired to contribute to their resolve in combating illicit firearms trafficking in their country and the region.
These activities form part of the technical assistance provided by UNLIREC to the Latin American region in support of these countries’ efforts to enhance public security and aid in State implementation of the UN Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All its Aspects (UN 2001 PoA).
For more information on UNLIREC visit [www.unlirec.org]. Please direct all questions or inquiries to Ms Amanda Cowl,
Political Affairs Officer, at [cowl@unlirec.org].
Feb 7, 2012 | Uncategorized
(Kingston) – As part of the project currently being implemented in the Caribbean, UNLIREC and the Government of Jamaica carried out the destruction of approximately 2,000 firearms. The event, which took place on 7 February at a cement factory in Kingston, was coordinated and executed in conjunction with the Jamaican authorities. As is the case with all weapons destruction events in which UNLIREC is involved, the process complied with all international requirements for safety and verification. Part of the weapons destroyed were seized during lawenforcement operations. The remainder included obsolete weapons, which belonged to the police and armed forces. Within the coming weeks, UNLIREC will provide the Government of Jamaica with hydraulic shears especially adapted to disable the seized and obsolete firearms until such time as they are destroyed, thus avoiding their possible re-entry into illicit trafficking rings.
Additionally, 12,000 rounds of ammunition were destroyed on 10 February at the Jamaica Police Academy using a tank specifically-designed for the safe destruction of ammunition while ensuring minimal environmental impact. Jamaica is the third such country to use this tank, which has already been implemented by UNLIREC in Ecuador and Trinidad and Tobago.
During the weapons-destruction ceremony, Jamaica’s Minister of National Security, Peter Bunting, stated that “the destruction of these weapons will help reduce the risk of diversion to illicit trafficking.” The Minister, in thanking UNLIREC for the assistance being offered to Jamaica, noted that “The Ministry of National Security considers these actions important first steps towards effectively monitoring and regulating the number of
firearms available for illicit use. Gun crimes represent a major threat to the safety and security of our society, so we’re therefore grateful for the meaningful support to help reduce the availability of firearms and thus help to protect our democracy.”
Additionally, as part of this project, UNLIREC conducted an Inter-Institutional Training Course on Combating Illicit Firearms Trafficking (IITC) which resulted in the training of 60 officers with direct responsibility in the fight against illicit firearms trafficking. As a direct impact, these agents will be better equipped to combat the illicit trafficking of firearms, ammunition and explosives, prevent legal weapons from entering illicit trafficking rings and reduce the levels of impunity among arms dealers.
Jamaica has one of the highest firearmrelated homicide rates in the region. The initiatives undertaken by this island State demonstrate their commitment to the fight against illicit trafficking and reducing armed violence on the Caribbean island. In recent years, the quality of weapons used by criminal groups in Jamaica has been equal to or has surpassed what the law enforcement authorities possess. This has resulted in an increase in fatal crimes.
Over the past year, UNLIREC has been working with the Government of Jamaica to develop a national action plan on stockpile management and firearms destruction. The project activities outlined in this plan will be carried out throughout the year. The implementation of this action plan, funded by the Governments of Canada and the United States, includes the delivery of tools to improve the security of national stockpiles, develop training courses for combating illicit firearms trafficking and improving stockpile management and firearms destruction. Legal assistance will also be improved so that legislation may be harmonized with the related provisions found in the various international disarmament-related instruments.
