The United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC), as a member of the United Nations Joint Programme “Strengthening Human Security and Community Resilience by Fostering Peaceful Coexistence in Peru”, participated as a speaker at a seminar entitled, “Citizen Security from a Human Security approach” held on April 15, 2016 in Trujillo, the capital city of the northern department of La Libertad.
This seminar, which was organized by the UN Joint Programme for Human Security in collaboration with the Provincial Municipality of Trujillo, shared, through a series of presentations, the different activities and approaches of institutions and organizations involved in citizen security in Trujillo.
Among the issues discussed in the seminar, prevention strategies against drugs and violence, alternative measures for juvenile offenders and measures for arms control were highlighted. This last issue was extensively explained by UNLIREC in a presentation that detailed options on public policies for arms and ammunition control and armed violence prevention and reduction.
Furthermore, UNLIREC presented the results of a survey that the Centre conducted at the end of 2015 about values, norms, and attitudes towards violence and the use of firearms among the population of the Province of Trujillo. This survey also studied the views of the population on a possible Voluntary Surrender of Weapons (PEVA) Programme. The results of the survey showed that about 90% of the respondents consider that the possession of a weapon must be authorized by the government and that they would encourage their acquaintances to participate in the aforementioned proposed PEVA Programme.
Finally, UNLIREC stressed that arms control policies must be coordinated with other initiatives since armed violence is not just a security and justice issue. Often, problems of citizenship security involve the presence of firearms and have multidimensional aspects, therefore it must be addressed in a multi-sectoral manner.
UNLIREC, as part of the UN Joint Programme for Human Security, conducted this seminar in accordance with other actions that UNLIREC develops in conjunction with public institutions and local authorities of Trujillo in order to prevent and reduce crime, gender-based violence and adolescent involvement in criminal activities.
For more information on UNLIREC visit (www.unlirec.org). Please direct all questions or inquiries to Amanda Cowl, Political Affairs Officer (cowl@unlirec.org).