UNLIREC receives support from Canada and the United Sates to continue projects being implemented in the Andean and Caribbean region
	(Lima, April- 2011) – After months of hard work and numerous activities, the UNLIREC team successfully culminated the implementation of the first phase of its Caribbean project focusing on stockpile management and weapons destruction, as well as the second phase of its Andean project aimed at enhancing public security and promoting firearms control. The conclusion of the activities coincide with the announcement made by the governments of Canada and The United States of their intention to continue supporting the implementation of these projects in their subsequent phases. The assistance packages for both sub-regions form part of UNLIREC’s strategy to provide specific assistance to the sub- regional needs and problems of Latin America and the Caribbean. The first phase of the Caribbean assistance package “Stockpile Management and Weapons Destruction” was carried out from January 2010 to March 2011 with the support of the United States Government. This first phase benefited a total of eight Caribbean States; a number expected to increase in the following phase. Among the activities carried out, baseline studies in each island were elaborated to identify State needs in relation to the improvements necessary in stockpile management and weapons destruction. At the same time, a sub-regional seminar was organized to share the studies and promote regional cooperation and information exchange. In relation to the Andean Region, the Project “Enhancing Public Safety through Crime Prevention and Firearms Control”, funded by the Canada Government, began its implementation in 2010 in the four Andean States: Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. In this context, Inter-institutional Training Course on Combating Illicit Firearms Trafficking (IITC) were carried out in each of the four Andean States, as were comparative legal studies, technical assistance for the strengthening and/or creation of national firearms commissions, high-level seminars on international instruments, legal assistance, support in the implementation of the Andean Decision 552 and support to local authorities responsible for firearms control. The overall results included improvements in the national capacities to face the legal firearms trade control problem and the prevention of illicit firearms trafficking, along with enhancement in regional cooperation and coordination in this area. Currently, the UNLIREC team is finalizing details of the preliminary calendar of activities to be developed in the Caribbean and the Andean regions during 2011 and 2012. Initiatives are to include technical assistance and/or inter-institutional training courses (IITC), in addition to seminars on armed violence and specific training for journalists on firearms. Canada, the main benefactor of the Project for the Andean region, has decided to broaden its geographical scope and as of mid-2011 will also fund the organization of inter-institutional training courses (IITC) in the Caribbean. UNLIREC is the only United Nations entity with a mandate to work specifically on firearms control problems in Latin America and the Caribbean. According to its mandate, UNLIREC receives technical assistance requests from States of the region and then initiates the search for funds among the donor community in order to respond to these requests. UNLIREC would like to extend its gratitude to Canada for the trust bestowed unto it and to the United States for supporting it in a stable and permanent manner. UNLIREC does not receive funds from the United Nations regular budget and therefore funding is constantly being sought in the form of voluntary contributions from the donor community to implement all of its activities. Thanks to the cooperation of Canada and the United States, 14 States of the Andean and Caribbean region will be in a position to improve their national capacities to combat firearms problems and thus contribute to a safer Latin America and Caribbean region for the benefit of all. For further information: Bárbara Ortiz +51.1.625.91.13 - ortiz@unlirec.org