On 19-20 February, representatives from 9 Caribbean States attended a Regional Preparatory Meeting for the Third Review Conference on the United Nations Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects (RevCon3).
Through the support of the European Union, the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) and its regional arm, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC) were able to organize this meeting held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Trinidad.
During the two-day discussions, the participating States deliberated on the key features of the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons in the region, as well as the strategies to counteract this phenomenon. They also devised plans to identify priorities in view of the upcoming RevCon3 that will take place in New York City on 18-29 June of this year.
These discussions were fuelled by the contributions of the President-designate of the RevCon3, Ambassador Jean-Claude Brunet, representatives of UNODA and the Non-Governmental organization Small Arms Survey. The main topics addressed were the fight against illicit arms trafficking; border controls at sea and in transit and transshipment; the prevention of the diversion of small arms and light weapons; stockpile management; the marking of firearms; reporting on national instruments; mechanisms to facilitate information exchange among the States; ammunition controls; and the challenges that arise in the effort to counteract the illicit arms trafficking that is associated with the development of new technologies.
The Meeting concluded with the national delegations’ being given the opportunity both to interact with Ambassador Brunet in an informal setting and to privately discuss their future plans.