During a course organised by the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC) held from 21 to 26 August 2022, Colombian authorities shared their experiences in combatting arms and ammunition trafficking.
The course provided a space for inter-institutional exchange including on good practices, as well as on the importance of international cooperation, which is essential to combatting the illicit trade of arms and ammunition in all its aspects to in address its transnational nature.
This Course on Combating Arms and Ammunition Trafficking (CTAM) was delivered in coordination with the Working Group on Disarmament and Non-Proliferation of the Directorate General for Multilateral Political Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Colombia and provided national authorities with theoretical knowledge and necessary technical tools to implement strategies seeking to prevent and combat the illicit trafficking of firearms and their ammunitions in line with international arms control instruments.
The CTAM course was attended by a total of 29 participants representing the Colombian Foreign Ministry, General Command of the Military Forces, National Administrative Department of Statistics (DANE), National Tax and Customs Directorate (DIAN), National Intelligence Directorate, National Planning Department (DNP), Attorney General’s Office, Military Industry (INDUMIL), Ministry of National Defence, Ministry of Justice and Law, and the National Police (PONAL).
The CTAM course consists of a series of content-specific modules including general concepts and regional context of illicit trafficking in firearms and ammunition, illicit manufacturing of firearms, control and documentation systems in international transfers, illicit brokering in firearms and ammunition, and tools and mechanisms for international cooperation.
The course encompassed national presentations from the Criminal Investigation and Interpol Directorate of the National Police, as well as the Working Group on Disarmament and Non-Proliferation of the Directorate General of Multilateral Political Affairs of the Colombian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
For Columbia, as well as other countries in the region, the illicit trafficking of firearms and ammunitions represents a pressing challenge that puts national and public security at risk.
UNLIREC developed the CTAM course to strengthen States’ capacities in the fight against this transnational crime.
The training will assist Colombia with the implementation of international instruments and commitments in the field of arms control.
The course CTAM was funded by Federal Republic of Germany within the framework of the regional project Combatting the illicit trafficking of arms and ammunitions in Latin America and the Caribbean.
