From 23 to 24 October 2013, the National Regulatory Entity for Security Services, Firearms, Ammunition and Explosives for Civil Use (SUCAMEC) and the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC) organized a training workshop on firearms control in Lima, Peru. The event provided a forum for almost 50 SUCAMEC officials to delve into this issue with particular emphasis on the identification and classification of firearms, ammunition and explosives; national and international disarmament-related instruments; disarmament campaigns; firearms and ammunition marking; stockpile management; among others.

This workshop forms part of an on-going series of collaborative initiatives being undertaken by SUCAMEC and UNLIREC aimed at strengthening firearms control in Peru and to support its efforts to implement the Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects (UN 2001 PoA). The next event in this series is set to take place on 21 November whereby 15 SUCAMEC officials will be trained on weapons destruction preparation techniques (planning, packaging, labeling, transport) and monitoring and verification processes. The actual destruction event will take place on 11 December in which 3,500 weapons are expected to be destroyed via melting.

For more information on UNLIREC visit (www.unlirec.org). For enquiries, please contact Amanda Cowl, Political Affairs Officer (cowl@unlirec.org).