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).