On 5 May 2021, in collaboration with the Ministry of Defense of Argentina, UNLIREC held a virtual seminar on “Ammunition Control Measures” for over 47 Argentinian officials from the defense sector, with responsibilities in ammunition control.
The seminar’s objective was to present the findings of UNLIREC’s legal study on small arms ammunition control measures adopted by Latin American and Caribbean States in their legal frameworks, and to promote dialogue among agencies on the needs and priorities in relation to safe and responsible ammunition management. The study focused on the legal norms that Latin American and Caribbean States have enacted vis-à-vis ammunition control and thus, it does not include an analysis of how these provisions are applied in the region.
During the seminar, UNLIREC emphasized the need for the establishment and effective implementation of ammunition control measures, given the impact of the proliferation and diversion of ammunition on armed violence and illicit trafficking throughout the Latin American and Caribbean region.
UNLIREC presented the international instruments and technical guidelines that address ammunition controls and shared some key provisions contained in the legal frameworks of the region with an emphasis on aspects, such as: regulations on ammunition production/manufacturing, international transfer controls of ammunition, security measures in ammunition transportation, ammunition stockpile security measures, ammunition marking and final disposal.
Representatives of the Army and the Military Industry of Argentina (Fabricaciones Militares SE) presented ammunition control measures implemented in the defense sector on stockpile management, ammunition tracing and security measures during transportation and manufacturing, among others.
UNLIREC’s Legal Study: “Ammunition Control Measures in Latin America and the Caribbean: A Legal Approach” is available in Spanish here.
This virtual seminar was part of the “Combatting Illicit Firearms and Ammunition trafficking in Latin America and the Caribbean” project and it was possible thanks to the financial support of the Government of Germany.
For more information on UNLIREC, visit www.unlirec.org. Please direct all questions or inquiries to info@unlirec.org.