Jun 28, 2021 | Conventional Arms Programme
Between 28 June and 9 July, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC), in collaboration with the Honduran Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, delivered a specialised course on firearms investigations from a gender perspective (CEGAF) in Honduras.
The course aims to sensitise participants on the importance of considering gender perspectives in tackling crimes committed with firearms, to strengthen their technical knowledge of the scientific methods behind criminal investigation, and to encourage interinstitutional cooperation in these fields.
The course was delivered to close to 40 officials (27 women) belonging to the Honduran police force, the public prosecutor’s office, and the presidential programme ‘Women’s City’ through six virtual sessions, with audiovisual resources and extra reading on each topic. It included a regional overview of the proliferation of firearms, as well as armed violence and its impacts, paying special attention to femicides and other forms of violence against women. The course covered the scientific, judicial and technical grounds for using the gender perspective in criminal and forensic investigations, and also discussed the importance of correctly processing the crime scene and managing firearms and ammunition as evidence of crimes against women.
The final session, which consisted of a practical group exercise, invited participants to analyse different investigation scenarios and think about recurrent features in firearms investigations, such as the preservation of the crime scene or the prioritisation of evidence a gender perspective.
The present course is the seventh that UNLIREC has delivered in the region since the beginning of the year and forms part of a series of initiatives to empower countries to investigate crimes committed with firearms from a gender perspective.
The course has been devised in light of the region’s worrying femicide rates. 14 of the 25 countries with the highest femicide rates worldwide are in Latin America and the Caribbean, with a particularly high rate of 6.2 per 100,000 women in Honduras.
This initiative was made possible thanks to funding from the Canadian government.
Jun 15, 2021 | Conventional Arms Programme
From 15-25 June, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC), in collaboration with the Colombian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, delivered a specialised course on firearms investigations from a gender perspective (FIGP) in Colombia.
The course aims to sensitise participants on the importance of the gender perspective in tackling crimes with firearms, to strengthen their technical knowledge of the scientific method behind criminal investigations, and to encourage interinstitutional cooperation in these fields.
26 officials (8 women), belonging to the National Police of Colombia, the National Insitute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Science, and the Office of the Attorney General of Colombia, formed part of the group who virtually attended the course, which was carried out in six virtual sessions, each with audiovisual resources and extra reading on each topic. It included a regional overview of the proliferation of firearms, as well as armed violence and its impacts, paying special attention to femicides and other forms of violence against women. The course covered the scientific, judicial and technical grounds for using the gender perspective in criminal and forensic investigations, and also discussed the importance of correctly processing the crime scene and managing firearms and ammunition as evidence of crimes against women.
The group also had the opportunity to put into practice the theoretical aspects of the course during a practical group exercise, whereby participants were encouraged to analyse different investigative scenarios and consider recurrent activities in firearms investigations, such as the preservation of the crime scene or the prioritisation of evidence, but from a gender perspective.
The course is a reminder that 14 of the 25 countries with the highest femicide rates worldwide are in Latin America and the Carribean, with a rate of 0.6 per 100,000 women in Colombia. 53% of homicides against women are committed with a weapon in Colombia. Poor management of the crime scene or evidence found there, poor treatment of victims, and preconceived ideas about women, have increased levels of impunity in acts of violence against women.
This initiative forms part of a series of initiatibves that UNLIREC is delivering to empower countries to investigate crimes committed with firearms from a gender perspective.
This initiative was possible thanks to funding from the Canadian government.
Dec 8, 2020 | Uncategorized
On 8 December 2020, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC) launched the fourth edition of the Forces of Change publication to celebrate the contributions of women in the region to disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control, ten years after Resolution 65/69 on Women, Disarmament, Non-Proliferation and Arms Control was passed by the United Nations General Assembly on 8 December 2010.
The publication’s launch took place within the framework of the Virtual Conference “Women Forces of Change”, which had the objective of highlighting the contributions, challenges and achievements of women in the region in disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control issues, as well as providing different perspectives for strengthening the participation of women in these fields.
During the main session of the Virtual Conference, women leaders in the region working in these areas spoke about their experiences on the path to eliminating nuclear weapons, the process of laying down of weapons in the framework of the Peace Agreement signed by the Colombian Government and the FARC-EP in 2016, the challenges in cybersecurity in the region, and the work of civil society in Central America for arms control and violence prevention. They also shared their reflections on the role of women in these issues.
The publication, Forces of Change IV, explores the stories, experiences and reflections of women who, in one way or another, are promoting the implementation of the pillars established in the Secretary-General’s Disarmament Agenda, namely: “disarmament to save humanity”, which focuses on weapons of mass destruction; “disarmament to save lives” through stricter control of conventional weapons; “disarmament for future generations”, which examines the challenges posed by new technologies; and “strengthening partnerships for disarmament”, which seeks to establish channels of cooperation between different sectors in support of disarmament. Forces of Change IV included more than 80 women from the Latin American and Caribbean region, coming from diverse cultural and professional backgrounds. The publication can be downloaded here: https://bit.ly/2LiOLEh
The Virtual Conference was open to the public and was attended by more than 100 people, including representatives from security, interior, defense and foreign relations sectors, as well as United Nations agencies, civil society organizations, specialists and the public interested in this topic.
This activity forms part of a series of activities that UNLIREC carries out to promote the regional implementation of Resolution 65/69 on Women, Disarmament, Non-Proliferation and Arms Control. This initiative was made possible thanks to the funding from the Government of Canada and the Government of Sweden.
Watch the Virtual Conference here.
Nov 25, 2020 | Uncategorized
On Wednesday 25 November, on the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and in the framework of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence Campaign, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC) and the Women’s Office of the Supreme Court of Justice in Argentina held a video conference on “Firearms and Gender-Based Violence: Bridging the Gap”.
The event was aimed at judges, prosecutors and officials of the Judicial Branch of the various jurisdictions in the country. More than 70% of the 280 participants were women. This is very encouraging given that promoting greater participation, representation and training of women in firearms control is one of the purposes of UNLIREC’s Program on Women, Disarmament, Non-Proliferation and Arms Control.
In this regard, the following international guidelines were mentioned: 2030 Agenda: SDG 5 and SDG 16; Res. AG 65/69; Res. CS 1325; CEDAW; UNPoA; among others. These not only underpin UNLIREC’s promotion of the greater participation of women in the sector, but also warn about the influence of firearms on gender-based violence against women and promote regulatory and policy changes that will account for and address this scourge.
In recent years, UNLIREC has conducted various Legal Studies that analyze and compare the national regulations of different countries in the region, on control and regulation of firearms and ammunition; regulations to prevent violence against women; and criminal and procedural codes. The purpose of the studies is to observe whether there is a regulatory crossover, for example, whether laws for the protection of women include specific measures for cases of firearms use, or whether arms control includes the variable of family and/or gender-based violence within its restrictions when issuing permits.
The conference highlighted the case of Argentina, its advances and regulatory crossovers, the policies implemented by the firearms control agency, the importance of producing disaggregated, statistical information on feminicides according to the commission mechanism and even according to the characteristics of the firearm.
Attendees were able to share concerns and interest in the subject matter addressed via the platform’s chat function. At all times, emphasis was placed on the importance of coordination and cooperation among the institutions with responsibilities in both areas: prevention of violence against women and care for victims, and control and regulation of firearms and ammunition.
This activity formed part of UNLIREC’s Program on Women, Disarmament, Non-Proliferation and Arms Control, supported by the Government of Canada and the European Union.
Oct 15, 2020 | Uncategorized
On 15 October 2020, 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 of El Salvador, conducted a seminar on measures for preventing armed violence against women.
Approximately 40 officials from the ministries of Foreign Affairs, Justice and Security, and Defense (Arms Registry Department), the National Civil Police (Gender Unit) and the Salvadoran Institute for the Development of Women (ISDEMU) participated in the one-day virtual event.
UNLIREC launched the seminar with an overview and analysis of statistics on armed violence and violence against women (VAW) in El Salvador and the wider Latin American and Caribbean region, emphasizing feminicides and the impact influence of firearms on the various types of VAW (physical, sexual and psychological). Subsequently, UNLIREC presented the findings from its legal study on the link between rules on gender-based violence and small arms control and regulatory standards.
ISDEMU participated in discussions in order to promote a comprehensive and interinstitutional approach to the problem by exploring the various policies implemented in El Salvador vis-à-vis the prevention of VAW.
Finally, there was a walkthrough of the various strategies selected by the countries of the region to prevent and address VAW during social isolation and confinement measures throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, and recommendations on how to integrate firearms control into these initiatives, and vice versa; that is, recommendations to integrate gender perspectives and prevention of VAW into firearms control measures. The need to evaluate the continued implementation of some measures and recommendations beyond the pandemic was also addressed.
A common theme of the event was the importance of coordination and cooperation among institutions with responsibilities in the prevention of VAW and care for victims, and the control and regulation of firearms and ammunition.
This activity forms part of UNLIREC’s ‘Women, Disarmament, Non-proliferation and Arms Control Programme’, supported by the Government of Canada and the European Union.
