On 3 May 2022, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC) in collaboration with the Ministry of National Security hosted a webinar on “Measures to prevent armed violence against women”, which gathered close to 50 participants from different sectors of the Government and other organisations.
One of the main objectives of the event was to highlight the necessity of firearms control in efforts seeking to prevent and eliminate violence against women, considering that the Latin American and Caribbean region presents alarming figures of gender based intentional homicides of women and girls. According to the Observatory on Gender Equality in Latin America and the Caribbean of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), from 2019 to 2020, at least 4,091 femicides, or an equivalent of 11 crimes per day, were committed in 26 countries in the region while Jamaica reported a rate of 0,5 femicide per 100,000 inhabitants.
In this regard, the underlying challenges in identifying and measuring femicides were emphasized, especially in Jamaica, where a clear legal definition has not yet been integrated in the criminal code. The importance of measuring the collecting data on the use of firearms in cases of psychological, physical and sexual violence against women was also highlighted.
The main findings and recommendations of the “Normative study: making the link between norms on violence against women and small arms control and regulation norms: Analysis of CARICOM States” were presented. One of the recommendations made is the need to suspend and revoke firearms licenses in cases of gender-based violence, as well as seizing these weapons when they represent a danger for women. Likewise, the importance of ensuring the suitability of an applicant to a firearms license was highlighted, which should not be solely based on the lack of a criminal record, but also involve carrying out a risk profiling of the candidate.
The Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) presented their responses to domestic violence, including its most recent policy on the procedural approach taken by JCF members on domestic violence cases.
To complete the overview of national measures taken by the Government of Jamaica to prevent armed violence against women, the Bureau of Gender Affairs of the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sports presented the National Strategic Action Plan to Eliminate Gender Based Violence (GBV) in Jamaica (2017-2027), as well as recent legislative updates and other initiatives which seek to prevent GBV.
From the 25 April to 6 May 2022, the United Nations Regions Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC), in coordination with the Dominican Republic’s Ministry of Women, carried out the Specialised Course on Firearms Investigations from a Gender Perspective (FIGP).
This course, in addition to sensitising participants on the importance of applying gender perspectives in firearms-related criminal investigations, aims at strengthening their technical knowledge applicable to the scientific method of criminal investigation, as well as inter-institutional cooperation in these areas.
Twenty-nine (29) officials from different institutions such as the Judiciary, the Attorney General’s office, the National Police and the Ministry of Women were trained.
The training course took place virtually and comprised both synchronous and asynchronous sessions. The FIGP addressed theoretical and technical aspects of criminal investigations and the way in which applying gender perspectives, contributes to conclusions free from stereotypes. Case studies were carried out to shed light on the absence of gender approaches and how it negatively affects the rights of victims and their families.
During the training, attention was drawn to the use of firearms to commit different types of violence against women, such as threats, intimidations and coercion, among others. The importance of properly managing the crime scene and the collection of firearms and ammunition as evidence for the purpose of gender-sensitive criminal investigations was emphasised. Lastly, recommendations on gender-responsive procedures were shared and participants were urged to strengthen communication and cooperation among all actors involved in the different stages of the investigations, thus contributing to reduce the high level of impunity of violence against women.
On 25-27 April 2022, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC) and the Caribbean Community’s Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (CARICOM IMPACS), in collaboration with the Government Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, hosted an Executive Seminar and Inter-Institutional Roundtable meeting for the advancement of Saint Vincent & the Grenadines National Action Plan for the implementation of the Caribbean Firearms Roadmap.
The Executive Seminar presented the opportunity to introduce the context and process for the Caribbean Firearms Roadmap initiative; provided sensitization on the monitoring and evaluation elements of the Roadmap; and discussed the national issues and challenges around firearms and firearms related crime. CARICOM IMPACS provided regional context, information on regional mechanisms and the role of IMPACS in relation to firearms. The Roundtable meetings covered the four goals of the Caribbean Firearms Roadmap and included presentations on the legal aspects of the Roadmap, primarily related to Goal 1, and best practices as they relate to Goals 2, 3 and 4 respectively. The three days of inter-agency dialogue concluded with Saint Vincent and the Grenadines identifying its draft list of national priorities and a significant proportion of its baseline assessment.
A total of 27 national representatives, including 6 women took part in the 3-day event. Participants emanated from the Ministry of National Security, the Police Force, Forensic Laboratory, Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, Fire Department, Coast Guard, Customs and Immigration, Ministry of Attorney General and Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Executive Seminar and Inter-Institutional Roundtables were carried out in line with the 2001 UN Programme of Action on Small Arms and Sustainable Development Goal 16 and target 16.4, and contribute towards the implementation of the Caribbean Firearms Roadmap. The meetings were made possible thanks to support of the government of Canada.
UNLIREC, as the regional office of the UN Office for Disarmament, seeks to advance the cause of practical disarmament in Latin America and the Caribbean as part of its commitment to support Member States in their implementation of international disarmament and non-proliferation instruments, in particular, the 2001 UN Programme of Action on Small Arms.
On 21 April 2022, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC), in collaboration with the Government of Haiti and the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH), and with financial support of the Government of Germany, hosted the first preliminary inter-institutional roundtable meeting to advance Haiti’s National Action Plan (NAP) for the implementation of the Caribbean Firearms Roadmap.
The virtual meeting focused on Goal 4 of the Roadmap which seeks to systematically decrease the risk of diversion of firearms and ammunition from government and non-government owned arsenals. It covered the Modular Small-arms-control Implementation Compendium (MOSAIC) and the International Ammunition Technical Guidelines (IATG) as international best practices and valuable guidelines for physical security and stockpile management. UNLIREC also highlighted the importance of maintaining technical and administrative standards, conducting periodic risk assessments, and reviewing security plans to diminish the risk of loss, accidents, or diversion of weapons and ammunition in the region.
The Government of the United States of America has pledged financial support to the first phase of implementation of Goal 4 of the Caribbean Firearms Roadmap, specifically the destruction of weapon surpluses and relevant training and equipment. Therefore, UNLIREC also presented an overview of its technical assistance for the implementation of such activities.
Haiti adopted the ‘Roadmap for Implementing the Caribbean Priority Actions on the Illicit Proliferation of Firearms and Ammunition across the Caribbean in a Sustainable Manner by 2030’ (Caribbean Firearms Roadmap) following a regional meeting of Caribbean Heads of Governments in 2019. On 15 February 2022, Haiti became the 12th State to commence concrete actions under the Caribbean Firearms Roadmap and initiated the process to establish a NAP for its implementation.
UNLIREC, in tandem with the other co-custodia CARICOM IMPACS, is lending technical assistance to the development of the NAP in Haiti and its successive implementation.
UNLIREC, as the regional centre under the umbrella of the UN Office for Disarmament, seeks to advance the cause of practical disarmament in Latin America and the Caribbean as part of its commitment to support Member States in their implementation of international disarmament, arms control and non-proliferation instruments, in particular, the 2001 UN Programme of Action on Small Arms.
From 19 April to 6 May 2022, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC) delivered its Interdicting Small Arms, Ammunition, Parts and Components (ISAAPC) course in virtual format in Belize. Sixteen (16) officials, including one woman, from Customs and Excise Department and Belize Police Department actively participated in the virtual course. This course was delivered to officials in Belize for the first time.
The ISAAPC course forms part of the technical assistance provided by UNLIREC within its ‘Support in the Implementation of the project. The specialized course aims to strengthen the capacities of States to combat and prevent the illicit trafficking of small arms, ammunition and explosives that is carried out through postal shipments, packages, parcels and luggage at entry, exit, and transit points in the country.
Based on a mix of theory and practical elements, participants were trained on the fundamental aspects of X-ray technology, technical specifications of small arms, their parts and components, ammunition, explosives, and less lethal weapons. The course also included an interactive session on concealment methods being employed by traffickers in the region. Furthermore, participants received practical training on an X-ray simulation programme developed by the Centre for Adaptive Security Research and Applications (CASRA), thereby enhancing and developing their capacities to detect illicit trafficking through X-ray scanners.
This specialized course, developed in line with 2001 UN Programme of Action on Small Arms, the Arms Trade Treaty and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, in particular target 16.4, contributes towards regional efforts to prevent illicit trafficking of firearms and ammunition, thereby reducing firearms-related crimes and armed violence in the Caribbean. This course also contributes to Goal 2 of the Caribbean Firearms Roadmap, entitled ‘Reduce the illicit flow of firearms and ammunition into, within and beyond the region’.
The implementation of the ISAAPC course was made possible with the financial support from the Government of Canada.
On April 12, UNLIREC, together with the Ministry of Women of the Dominican Republic, held a virtual seminar on “Measures to prevent armed violence against women” in which more than 90 people from different sectors of government and civil society participated.
One of the main purposes of the event was to warn about the contribution of firearms control in the prevention of violence against women, taking into account that the region presents alarming figures of intentional gender-based homicides of women and girls. In 2019 there were 4,615 femicides in 18 countries in the region, representing 12 of these crimes per day. The Dominican Republic has 1 of the 5 highest femicide rates in the region (2.4 for every 100,000 women).
In this regard, emphasis was made on the challenges involved in measuring femicide, especially in countries where it is has not yet been criminalized in the penal code. The importance of measuring the use of firearms in psychological, physical and sexual violence against women, which can be collected at the time of reporting these acts, was also highlighted.
The webinar also served to share the main findings and recommendations of UNLIREC’s Normative Study: Making the link between norms on violence against women and small arms control and regulation norms. The importance of contemplating the suspension and revocation of firearms licences in cases of gender-based violence, as well as the seizure and confiscation of these weapons, since they represent a danger to women, were also noted. Likewise, it was highlighted how important it is to analyze the suitability of the applicant for a firearms license, not only based on the absence of a criminal record, but also on a risk profile of the candidate.
The Dominican Republic provided statistics on femicides and homicides committed against women in the country, results of the National Household Survey, the registry of complaints of violence against women, as well as the results of various studies of national scope that point to the prevalence of gender stereotypes and mandates that reproduce violence against women.
In this context, the Ministry of Women has presented the Strategic Plan “For a Life Free of Violence toward Women, Adolescents and Girls” which includes different strategic axes – prevention, care, punishment, reparation, legal framework and coordination – as well as the formation of an intersectoral cabinet chaired by the Ministry of Women and composed of different Ministries and state agencies: Interior, Defence, Health, Education, Youth, Labour, Economy, National Police, Attorney General’s Office, National Statistics Office.
In addition to the intersectoral approach, the inclusion of representatives of civil society organizations and universities is noteworthy.
The event concluded with the participation of the audience, who were interested in how to transfer this work at the educational level, especially in schools, work at the local level, legal assistance to women victims of violence, and on the next steps to follow.
The activity was made possible thanks to the support of the European Union within the framework of the project “Supporting gender mainstreamed policies, programmes and actions in the fight against small arms trafficking and misuse, in line with the Women, Peace and Security agenda”.
