June 2023. The Department of Public Security of the Organization of American States (DPS/OAS) and the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC) have initiated the development process of the Central American Road Map to Prevent the Illicit Trafficking and Proliferation of Arms and Ammunition. Based on this initiative, Central American States will establish shared priorities, objectives and actions aimed at increasing the effectiveness of actions to tackle these issues.
In October 2022, the OAS General Assembly requested the DSP/OAS, in collaboration with UNLIREC, to develop a proposal for a Central American Road Map to promote coordinated strategies in preventing and combating the illicit trafficking and proliferation of arms and ammunition. With the financial support from the European Union, both OAS and UNLIREC will be pursuing the development of this sub-regional initiative, which will be integrated into the Central American Security Strategy (ESCA).
For the development process of the Road Map, a series of national and sub-regional meetings are planned with Central American countries and the Dominican Republic. The Road Map process initiated with a series of inter-institutional meetings at the national level addressed to representatives of different State entities with responsibilities in arms control and combatting its illicit trafficking.
During these meetings, both OAS and UNLIREC briefed the authorities on the background, objectives, scope, methodological aspects and next steps for the development of the Road Map. Participating entities learnt also about existing sub-regional road maps and action plans in the Caribbean, the Western Balkans and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) region. In turn, national authorities shared their expectations, needs and priorities on this topic and emphasized the importance of advancing on such initiative, taking into account the transnational nature of illicit firearms trafficking, which requires coordinated strategies at both national and sub-regional levels.
These first meetings mark the beginning of the consultation and development process of the Central American Road Map to Prevent the Illicit Trafficking and Proliferation of Arms and Ammunition. This process will have the technical accompaniment of the DSP/OAS and UNLIREC, with the financial support of the European Union.