The United Nation Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC) continues to support Latin American and Caribbean States with the aim of assisting them in the implementation of the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT). In this regard, UNLIREC delivered a new course on ATT implementation from 28-30 January in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, with the financial support of Germany, Spain and Australia.
Officials from the Ministries of Interior and Police, Defense, as well as staff of the Directorate of Customs, Senate of the Republic, National System of Arms, National Police and General Attorney participated in the intense three-day training event. All participants increased their knowledge on classification of conventional arms, identification of trends in arms trade, and analysis of national control systems of exportation and importation. Following the theoretical part of the course, an interactive practical exercise was conducted on arms transfer assessments in the regional context. During this activity, a model end-user certificate was presented to participants, which succeeds at standardizing international best practices to reduce the risk of arms, ammunition, parts and components being diverted to illicit channels.
Both the Brigadier General Ricardo Rosa Chupany, Vice Minister for the Arms Control of the Ministry of Interior and Police, and the Director of UNLIREC, Melanie Régimbal, highlighted the need to strengthen capacity to ensure robust implementation of the Treaty, greater success in combating illicit trafficking in conventional arms, and improved security across the region.
Thanks to the financial support from donors, the course and instruction materials are available to all ratifying States in Latin America and the Caribbean. To date, 16 countries in the region have ratified the Treaty, which entered into force 24 December 2014: Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Bahamas, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama, Saint Lucia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago and Uruguay. In the coming months, it is expected that other countries in the region will join the group of ratifying States.
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).