From 27-28 November, UNLIREC carried out the third in a series of technical workshops on international stockpile management standards in Jamaica in order to strengthen the capacity of Private Security Company operational personnel and employees of other agencies responsible for firearms and ammunition stockpile management.
The mission forms part of UNLIREC´s German-funded Project to prevent and combat illicit arms and ammunition trafficking in Latin America and the Caribbean. This project, among other goals, aims at strengthening the oversight and build capacities for small arms control and non-proliferation in the private security sector in the region.
23 officials were trained on stockpile management and physical security measures for weapons and ammunition storage facilities in order to reduce diversion risks. Workshop content was based on the Modular Small Arms Control Implementation Compendium (MOSAIC) and the International Ammunition Technical Guidelines (IATGs). Participants included certified instructors from the Firearm Licensing Authority, Private Security Companies, Dealers and Shooting Range Operators.
On 29 November, UNLIREC also carried out an assessment of the weapon and ammunition storage practices and physical security measures of the Jamaica Rifle Association (JRA) in order to provide technical recommendations to avert possible risks of diversion.
UNLIREC, as the regional organ of the UN Office for Disarmament, seeks to advance the cause of practical disarmament in Latin America and the Caribbean as part of its commitment to support Member States in their implementation of international disarmament and non-proliferation instruments, in particular, the 2001 UN Programme of Action on Small Arms.