UNLIREC, in collaboration with the Royal St. Vincent and Grenadines Police Force (RSVGPF), facilitated the destruction of 164 seized and obsolete weapons and over 37,000 rounds of small arms ammunition from 20 to 24 May 2013. All weapons and ammunition were destroyed and documented in accordance with UNLIREC Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). Eleven law enforcement officials were also trained by UNLIREC on firearms and ammunition destruction in order to guarantee permanent national capacities in this area.
All small arms were destroyed using a set of hydraulic shears donated by UNLIREC to the RSVGPF in 2012, while the small arms ammunition was burned using the UNLIREC-patented small arms ammunition burning tank (SAABT) delivered to the Caribbean island in 2013. Larger calibre ammunition and time-expired pyrotechnics were destroyed through an open detonation process following established UNLIREC SOPs based on the International Ammunition Technical Guidelines (IATG).
UNLIREC assistance to St. Vincent and the Grenadines forms part of a larger UNLIREC programme for firearms destruction and stockpile management support to Caribbean States aimed at combating illicit trafficking by reducing the risk of theft and diversion from government holdings of firearms, ammunition and explosives.
Prior to providing this assistance, UNLIREC undertook a detailed baseline assessment of the country’s capacity to destroy weapons and manage weapons and ammunition stockpiles, which served as a foundation for the formulation of the country’s national plan of action in this area. Forty international standard padlocks were also provided by UNLIREC to enhance levels of storage and security at key government stockpiles. The activities carried out were made possible thanks to the financial support of the Government of the United States of America.
UNLIREC serves 33 countries in the region in assisting them in the development of disarmament policies and the implementation of international disarmament instruments, most notably the UN 2001 Programme of Action on Small Arms.
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).