From 10 to 13 September 2024, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC), in collaboration with the Dominican Republic Ministry of Defence, carried out a firearms laser marking workshop in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
UNLIREC, thanks to the generous support of the State Department of the United States, has donated a laser marking machine to Dominican Republic Ministry of Defence, with the aim to enhance the national capacities and efficiency in the marking of firearms. An adequate marking, in line with international standards, is essential for an adequate control of firearms in circulation in the country and more effectively countering illicit trafficking.
Ten officers from Dominican Republic Armed Forces, including (…), participated in this workshop, which allowed them to build their knowledge about the international guidelines for marking firearms and their practical skills to mark firearms using the laser marking machine donated by UNLIREC.
The four-days workshop featured a number of lectures on topics such as the international guidelines for marking firearms as a control measure, methods of marking firearms, technical recommendations for Latin American and Caribbean states to mark firearms, Dominican Republic legal framework and policy on marking firearms, and the techniques to restore and trace serial numbers on firearms. Participants also benefited from hands-on practical exercises to mark firearms with the laser marking machine.
This initiative aligned with Goal 4 of the Caribbean Firearms Roadmap, which seeks to systematically reduce the risk of diversion of firearms and ammunition from government and non-government-owned arsenals.
The workshop was conducted within the framework of UNLIREC’s project “Preventing Diversion of Conventional Arms and Ammunition in the Caribbean”, funded by the U.S. Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement in the State Department’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs.