Acting as the regional arm in the field of the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs and its Regional Disarmament Branch, UN-LiREC seeks to advance the cause of sustainable disarmament in Latin America and the Caribbean.

UN-LiREC - as a specialized regional Centre - strives to address the peace and security needs of the region, in coordination with its partners, through the enhancement of public security; promotion of confidence-building measures; engagement in advocacy efforts; and assistance in the elaboration of policy-making and implementation of international instruments. It also aims at increasing national capacities for self-sustaining peace and development to contribute to a better quality and standard of life for its citizens.




The United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UN-LiREC) was created by a GA resolution in 1986 with its headquarters in Lima, Peru. The Centre acts as a platform for outreach activities of the Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) in the region by providing "...on request, substantive support for the initiatives and other activities of the Member States of the Latin American and the Caribbean (A/43/76H) region for the implementation of measures for peace and disarmament and for the promotion of economic and social development (A/41/60)."

The agenda of the United Nations in disarmament is determined by its Member States. Most of UN-LiREC’s mandates come from the General Assembly, such as the resolution creating the Centre, however some also come from the Security Council, such as Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security (2001), while others come to us pursuant to our responsibilities under—or relating to—multilateral treaties and international instruments.




The activities of the Centre cover 33 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean: Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay and Venezuela.



Each year a resolution is adopted by the General-Assembly on the Centre as part of the Reports of the First Committee on Disarmament and International Security. These resolutions are available here.

The UN Secretary-General reports to the Assembly on many issues called for by resolutions. Since creation of the Centre in 1986, the Secretary-General issues a report each year on the activities of the Centre, which can be found below.

The full text of recent reports of the Secretary-General can be retrieved through UNBISnet as well as the Official Document System of the United Nations (ODS). From the 55th session onwards, the full text is also posted at the UN Documentation Centre.