From 4 to 25 September 2024, authorities from Surinameparticipated in a specialized training course on Interdicting Small Arms, Ammunition, Parts and Components (ISAAPC), organized by the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC).
Twenty-one officials, including five women, from various agencies — such as the Ministry of Defence, the Suriname Armed Forces, the Korps Militaire Politie, Airport Authorities and the Suriname Police Force— actively engaged in this hybrid course: This marks the first national ISAAPC training delivered in Suriname, aimed at enhancing the country’s capacity to detect trafficked weapons and ammunition.
The ISAAPC course combined virtual theoretical sessions with in-person practical presentations and exercises. Participants received hands-on training using an X-ray simulation programme, an interactive platform designed to teach users to identify concealment methods employed by traffickers in the region. This platform was developed by the Centre for Adaptive Security Research and Applications (CASRA).
Through this training, participants learned essential fundamental aspects of X-ray technology for detecting and identifying small arms, their parts and components, ammunition, and explosives placed or concealed in postal shipments, packages, parcels, and luggage at entry, exit, and transit points across the country.
The ISAAPC course UNLIREC’s technical assistance under the ’‘Combating Illicit firearms and Ammunition Trafficking in the Caribbean” project, funded by the United States. It aligns with the 2001 UN Programme of Action on small arms, the Arms Trade Treaty, and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, particularly target 16.4. This initiative also supports regional efforts to prevent illicit trafficking of firearms and ammunition, as outlined in the Caribbean Firearms Roadmap.
From 2 to 27 May, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC), in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Worship of Costa Rica and with the support of the Ministry of Public Security and the Costa Rican Post Office, is conducting the Course on Interception of Arms, Ammunition, Parts and Components (CIAMP), with the participation of 32 x-ray operators, 10 of them women.
This is the second edition of CIAMP in Costa Rica, this time in a hybrid format (with virtual and face-to-face sessions) bringing together officials from the Costa Rican Postal Service, the National Customs Service, the Penitentiary Police, the Airport Police, the Drug Control Police, the Border Police and the Air Surveillance Service.
In response to the challenges posed by trafficking of arms and ammunition in the region, a constantly evolving crime, UNLIREC seeks to contribute to the efforts of Costa Rica and all States in the region to combat and prevent the illicit trafficking of firearms, their parts, components, ammunition, and explosives that occurs through postal shipments, parcels, packages, and luggage. Notably, the CIAMP was developed as specialized training for X-ray operators responsible for control and inspection at strategic points.
During the training, participants are strengthening their skills identifying weapons, their parts, components, ammunition, and explosives, through a combination of theoretical and practical methodologies. The course includes practical training on a specialized virtual platform that allows participants to improve their ability to identify threats such as firearms, their parts and components, ammunition, and improvised explosive devices.
To enrich this training and promote knowledge exchange, participants from various national institutions will share their experiences in detecting firearms and ammunition using x-ray technology.
The Interdicting Small Arms, Ammunition, Parts and Components Course (CIAMP) is part of the technical assistance provided by UNLIREC under the project “Support to the Implementation of Subregional, Regional and Global Instruments and Frameworks related to Small Arms Control and Ammunition Management in Latin America and the Caribbean”, funded by the Federal Republic of Germany.
From 10 July to 4 August, 30 national x-ray operators, including 5 women, will participate in the second Interdicting Small Arms, Ammunition, Parts and Components Course (ISAAPC) in Guatemala, organised by the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC), in coordination with the Guatemalan Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
In this second edition of the GuatemalaISAAPC , officials from the General Directorate of Civil Aeronautics, the Department of Tax Administration, the Division of Ports, Airports and Border Posts (Dipafront) of the National Civil Police and COMBEX IM of Guatemala have been invited to attend both virtual and in-person sessions.
Faced with the constantly evolving issue of arms and ammunition trafficking in the region (, UNLIREC seeks to support the efforts of Guatemala and all Latin American and Caribbean States to combat and prevent the illicit trafficking of firearms, their parts, components, ammunition, and explosives through postal deliveries, parcels, packages, and luggage. ISAAPC was developed as a specialised training for X-ray operators who carry out control and inspection tasks at security checkpoints.
Over the next few days, the group of participants will strengthen their abilities in the identification of weapons, their parts andcomponents, as well as ammunition and explosives. This course is taught by a combination of theoretical and practical methodology. They will receive practical training on a specialised platform to improve their ability to identify threats such as weapons, their parts and components, and ammunition, as well as improvised explosive devices, or IEDs.
To complement and enrich this training and foster inter-agency collaboration,participants from different national institutions will also share their experiences in the detection of firearms and ammunition through x-rays.
The Course on Interdicting Small Arms, Ammunition, Parts and Components (ISAAPC) is part of the technical assistance provided by UNLIREC in the context of the project Support to the implementation of sub-regional, regional and global instruments and frameworks related to small arms control and ammunition management in Latin America and the Caribbean, funded by the Federal Republic of Germany.
From 22 to 26 May 2023, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC), in collaboration with El Salvador’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, conducted the Interdicting Small Arms, Ammunition, Parts and Components Course (ISAAPC). Thirty X-ray operators, of which 11 were women, participated in the course.
The course, conducted virtually, was the second edition of the ISAAPC in El Salvador bringing together officials from the General Directorate of Customs, the National Civil Police, the General Directorate of Penal Centres, the Autonomous Executive Port Commission, and the Salvadoran Postal Service.
Confronted with the challenges posed by arms and ammunition trafficking in the region and its constant changes, UNLIREC seeks to assist El Salvador and States in the region in their efforts to combat and prevent the illicit trafficking of firearms, ammunition, parts, components and explosives that occurs through postal consignments, parcels, packages and luggage. The ISAAPC was developed specifically as a training for X-ray operators who carry out controls and inspections at strategic points.
Over the course of five days participants learned in theory and praxis about weapons, their parts and components, ammunition and explosives. The course included hands-on training on a dedicated online platform, which allows participants to practice their skills in identifying threats such as weapons, their parts and components, ammunition, as well as improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
Participants from different national organizations also shared their own experiences in detecting firearms and ammunition, thus further enriching the training.
The Course on Interdicting Small Arms, Ammunition, Parts and Components Course (ISAAPC) is part of the technical assistance provided by UNLIREC in support of the implementation of the Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons, funded by the European Union.
From 9 to 25 November 2022, authorities from Dominica were trained in Interdicting Small Arms, Ammunition, Parts and Components (ISAAPC) in a course delivered by the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC).
Twenty-five (25) officials, including five (5) women, from the following agencies actively participated in the hybrid course: Dominica Air and Seaports Authority, Commonwealth of Dominica Police Force and the Dominica Customs and Excise Division. This was the first national ISAAPC course delivered to officials in Dominica, which seeks to strengthen national capacities to detect trafficked weapons and ammunition.
The ISAAPC course was carried out via virtual theoretical sessions and in-person practical presentations and exercises. The practical sessions included training on an X-ray simulation programme which is an interactive platform that trains users to identify concealment methods employed by traffickers in the region. The platform was developed by the Centre for Adaptive Security Research and Applications (CASRA).
This training allowed participants to learn about fundamental aspects of X-ray technology to detect and identify small arms, their parts and components, ammunition, and explosives that are placed in or concealed in postal shipments, packages, parcels and luggage at entry, exit, and transit points in the country.
The ISAAPC course forms part of the technical assistance provided by UNLIREC within the ’‘Combating illicit firearms and ammunition trafficking in the Caribbean’ project, funded by the United States of America. It was developed in line with 2001 UN Programme of Action on small arms, the Arms Trade Treaty, and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, in particular target 16.4. It also contributes towards regional efforts to prevent illicit trafficking of firearms and ammunition as set out in the Caribbean Firearms Roadmap.
