12 February: UNLIREC and the Government of Haiti held an online legal workshop to modernize Haiti’s national legal framework on firearms, parts, components, ammunitions and explosives, an issue considered a priority by the current government.

This activity brought together the legal task force responsible for drafting a decree on the issue, UNDP in Haiti, BINUH and UNLIREC’s legal team. The task force is made of the following Haitian government entities: Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Defense, Armed Forces, National Police and National Disarmament and Dismantling and Reinsertion Commission.

Following UNLIREC’s previous online legal workshop, held in September 2020, national authorities requested legal and technical drafting assistance. Consequently, the objective of this additional session was to present the task force with recommendations on how to align the national legal framework with the provisions found in relevant international instruments on firearms and ammunition control. UNLIREC also shared the findings of the legal dictum and recommendations for improving the Haitian legal framework.

This activity forms part of UNLIREC’s project entitled “UNLIREC Technical Assistance Package for Weapons and Ammunition Management in Haiti” funded by UNDP and the Peacebuilding Fund.