The United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC) continues to support State efforts to facilitate the effective implementation of the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT). On 5-6 February, UNLIREC and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Guatemala held a Technical Workshop on the Evaluation of Transfers and Reports of conventional arms.
During the mission, focus was placed on national authorities from sectors in charge of controlling conventional arms transfers or from other areas responsible for ATT implementation. As such, 25 representatives from various state entities participated, including the Directorate-General for the Control of Arms and Ammunition (DIGECAM), National Civil Police, Customs Authorities (SAT), the Ports, Airports and Border Checkpoints Division (DIPAFRONT), the Ministry of National Defence, as well as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The UNLIREC team likewise presented the obligations arising out of the ATT, in particular those concerning export assessment. Guidelines were presented on how to establish an evaluation system aligned with the ATT and with conventional arms importation. Furthermore, the requirements of presenting the initial and annual reports established under the Treaty were addressed, as were the steps to be taken in the upcoming months in order to advance the practical application of the ATT, both at the policy level and in other relevant areas.
This event further served to formally launch the joint ATT project in Guatemala, sponsored by the Arms Trade Treaty Secretariat’s Voluntary Trust Fund, of which Guatemala is a beneficiary and in which UNLIREC, at the request of the Guatemalan authorities, is an implementing partner. Through this project, Guatemala and UNLIREC are building on the activities and efforts to effectively implement the Treaty that were introduced in a previous assistance and cooperation package in 2015.