Apr 5, 2018 | Uncategorized
On 5-6 April 2018, UNLIREC undertook a Sub-regional Seminar on “Progress and Challenges in Private Security Regulation and Oversight in Central America and the Dominican Republic”, held in San José, Costa Rica. This Seminar served as a forum for member countries of the Central American Integration System (SICA) to discuss issues of good governance and oversight in the private security sector.
This Seminar was attended by authorities and technical personnel from regulatory agencies responsible for private security in Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama and the Dominican Republic; representatives of SICA’s Secretary General and the Commission of Police Chiefs and Directors of Central America, Mexico, the Caribbean and Colombia. Representatives of the private security sector and civil society organizations were also present.
The participants engaged in an open and fruitful discussion, sharing information regarding their respective countries, as well as the progress and challenges witnessed in the regulation of private security services. They also proposed regulations, international standards and good guiding practices that promote effective governance and arms control in that sector so as to contribute to the enhancement of the public security efforts made by States both nationally and regionally.
During the seminar, participants acknowledged the need to address private security challenges – particularly arms and ammunition control in the sector – within existing sub-regional integration and cooperation mechanisms.
This Seminar was developed within the framework of the project entitled “Strengthening Oversight and Building Capacities for Small Arms Control and Nonproliferation in the Private Security Sector.” The United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC) launched this project in collaboration with the Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces (DCAF) and with the financial support of the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany.
Mar 13, 2018 | Uncategorized
On 13 March 2018, at the request of the Government of Mexico, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC), in conjunction with the Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces (DCAF), launched the assistance package entitled Strengthening Oversight and Building Capacities for Small Arms Control and Nonproliferation in the Private Security Sector in Guadalajara. This project launch took place during an Executive Seminar on Good Practices and International Standards in the Private Security Sector and was attended by various private security companies operating in Mexico, as well as by representatives of national agencies responsible for the oversight and regulation of this sector.
In recent years, the private security sector has expanded in Latin America with its level of professionalism improving in its offer of protective and security services with the use of firearms. This growth has led to the increase in demand for legal firearms and ammunition required by these companies. These private security companies and their agents, similar to the government institutions that handle arms, are also vulnerable to insecurity (thefts, attacks) and corruption (illegal sales, unlawful use of arms), which can in turn lead to the diversion of arms, and their potential use in violent and criminal activities with serious impacts on public security.
This UNLIREC-DCAF project helps to reduce these risks through the promotion of arms control measures among the national authorities responsible for overseeing the sector and the private security companies themselves. This initiative also supports authorities in the review and enhancement of good governance in the sector through the promotion of international standards and good regulatory practices. The joint effort with the Government of Mexico is based on internationally accepted standards, good practices and initiatives, such as the International Code of Conduct for Private Security Service Providers (ICoC), as well as the International Small Arms Control Standards (ISACS) and the International Ammunition Technical Guidelines (IATG). With the launch of this project, the private security sector in Mexico and the governmental authorities that regulate and supervise it will benefit from a series of technical assistance activities aimed at capacity-building in the sector over the next few months.
This project is made possible through the financial support of the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany. By providing assistance to Latin American and Caribbean States, UNLIREC contributes to the enhancement of public security and the implementation of the UN Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects (UN 2001 PoA).
For more information on UNLIREC, please visit (www.unlirec.org) or contact Ms. Amanda Cowl, Political Affairs Officer (cowl@unlirec.org).
Mar 12, 2018 | Uncategorized
From 12-16 March, 2018, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC) held two training workshops on “International Standards for the Management of Arms and Ammunition Warehouses of Private Security Companies” in Guadalajara for representatives of private security companies in Mexico. These two-day technical workshops were attended by operational staff of security companies active in various states throughout the country.
In order to mitigate the risk of arms diversion, training was centred on physical security measures for the weapons storage facilities of security companies. It is well known that a major source of criminal possession of weapons is the theft and loss of arms and ammunition from both State-owned and private arms depots. These risks can be significantly reduced through the implementation of internationally-recognized standards and good practices. Therefore, a key component of effective arms control and armed violence prevention is the training of those in charge of stockpile management within their respective companies.
The UNLIREC Public Security Programme team led the workshop, focusing on, inter alia, firearms and ammunition classification, effective stockpile management, risk assessment, security plans and incident notification.
This workshop forms part of the recently launched UNLIREC project entitled Strengthening Oversight and Building Capacities for Small Arms Control and Nonproliferation in the Private Security Sector, funded by the Governments of Mexico and the Federal Republic of Germany. One of the main objectives of this project, developed in collaboration with the Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces (DCAF), is the promotion of internationally accepted standards, good practices and initiatives to strengthen good governance and arms control in the private security sector.
By providing assistance to Latin American and Caribbean States, UNLIREC contributes to the enhancement of public security and the implementation of the UN Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects (UN 2001 PoA).
For more information on UNLIREC, please visit (www.unlirec.org) or contact Ms. Amanda Cowl, Political Affairs Officer (cowl@unlirec.org).
Oct 7, 2017 | Uncategorized
The United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC) is making progress in Guatemala with the implementation of activities for the project entitled Strengthening capacities for effective and transparent management of small arms and ammunition in the private security sector. This assistance is provided jointly with the Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces (DCAF).
During the week of 10-14 July 2017, UNLIREC carried out a series of activities to promote good governance in the private security sector. During an Executive Seminar for national authorities and private security entrepreneurs, good practices, standards and international regulations were presented which strengthen arms control and contribute to better regulation of the private security sector as well as to its professionalisation.
In order to educate security companies’ technical staff, UNLIREC provided a two-day technical workshop for employees in charge of overseeing and caring for arms warehouses. The participants of the workshop received training aimed at incorporating physical security procedures for arms and ammunition in warehouses in order to minimise the risks of them being diverted for illicit use. The content of the workshop is based on the International Small Arms Control Standards (ISACS) and the International Ammunition Technical Guidelines (IATGs).
Additionally, UNLIREC carried out voluntary visits to several security companies to assess the level of compliance with the standards and made specific recommendations to adjust the management of the arms and ammunition warehouses and thereby improve their security and avoid diversion of arms to illegal markets. Finally, UNLIREC delivered devices commonly known as bullet-traps which allows for weapons security checks, thus avoiding the fatal consequences of involuntary firing.
This project is made possible thanks to the financial support of the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany. Through its assistance to Latin American and Caribbean States, UNLIREC supports States in the improvement of public security and in the implementation of the United Nations Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate Illicit Trafficking of Small and light Arms in all its aspects (UN 2001 PoA).
May 17, 2017 | Uncategorized
The United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC), in partnership with the Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces (DCAF) organized a regional seminar entitled “The Use of the Force in Private Security Companies” on May 17, 2017 in Lima. This activity was carried out within the framework of the project entitled ‘Strengthening capacities for the effective and transparent management of small arms and ammunition in the private security sector’, which is funded by the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany.
The seminar was attended by representatives from various sectors in Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala and Peru, such as governmental entities in charge of regulating private security, entrepreneurs within the sector, civil society and academia. The objective of this meeting was to present concepts and tools to enrich the debate and provide inputs to establish norms and policies in the field of the use of force in the provision of private security services. UNLIREC and DCAF held this event with a view to discussing this issue given the recurring news on the use of force and, in particular, the use of firearms by private security agents during and after working hours in the countries of the region, which pose challenges to citizen security.
Throughout the various working sessions, several aspects were discussed such as the international normative framework for the use of force and its flaws vis-à-vis private security, the limitations that private security companies are mandated to have on the use of force, the challenges and opportunities posed by the use of alternative devices such as the least lethal weapons used by security agents while on duty, as well as the various roles and responsibilities of governments and the private sector in regulating the use of force in this field.
During the seminar, the participants exchanged views and detailed their national experiences. There was consensus that aspects such as incident investigation, the continuous selection and evaluation of staff, training (theoretical and practical), working conditions, operational planning, equipment, supervision and monitoring during operations were some of the fundamental elements that must be taken into account to prevent the excess use of force by private security agents.
Since 2015, UNLIREC and DCAF have provided technical assistance to national authorities and security companies in these four countries of the region in order to support both the regulation of private security and the control of weapons in this sector by promoting standards, good practices and globally recognised initiatives such as the International Code of Conduct for Private Security Service Providers (ICoC), the International Small Arms Control Standards (ISACS) and the International Ammunition Technical Guidelines (IATGs).
UNLIREC supports States in strengthening public security and in implementing the United Nations Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects (UN PoA 2001).
