On 24 February 2022, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC) hosted the regional webinar on ‘Building a Crime Gun Preventive Strategy in the Caribbean’ with seven CARICOM States. The purpose of the webinar was to discuss eight critical components for implementing preventive crime gun strategies.
Building a preventive crime gun strategy aims at effectively identifying and apprehending shooters and interdicting illicit firearms and ammunition, ultimately reducing the levels of armed violence. The following eight critical components of a successful crime gun preventive strategy were presented: stakeholder buy-in, regional approaches, ballistic imaging, overlaying technologies, knowing offenders and how they interact, using a single intelligence unit, public buy-in and, in the future, expanding a preventative strategy. UNLIREC also highlighted that collaborative efforts between relevant stakeholders, in particular law enforcement and prosecutorial agencies, innovation and ballistic imaging are cornerstones to implementing an effective crime gun preventive strategy.
A total of 58 officials, including 15 women, from ministries of National Security, Police Forces, Defence Forces, and Forensic Laboratories States of the Bahamas, Barbados, Grenada, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago participated in the regional webinar.
This regional webinar, carried out in line with the 2001 UN Porgramme of Action on Small Arms and Sustainable Development Goal 16.4, contributes towards the implementation of Goal 3, ‘Bolster law enforcement capacity to combat illicit firearms and ammunition trafficking and their illicit possession and misuse’ of the Caribbean Firearms Roadmap, to regional efforts prevent illicit trafficking of firearms and ammunition, and ultimately reducing firearms-related crimes and armed violence in the Caribbean.
This webinar was made possible thanks to the support of the Government of the United States of America. It forms part of a series of five regional webinars under the US-funded project to support the implementation of the Caribbean Firearms Roadmap.
UNLIREC, as the regional organ 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 15 February 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 of Haiti, and with support of the Government of Germany, hosted a virtual Executive Seminar for the Advancement of Haiti’s National Action Plan for the implementation of the Caribbean Firearms Roadmap.
Haiti has 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), which consolidates and builds upon the 2019 actions adopted by Caribbean Heads of Governments on addressing the illicit trafficking of firearms in the region.
The Roadmap serves as a base document for Haiti in the elaboration of its National Action Plan (NAP). It includes four main goals: (1) reinforce regulatory frameworks governing firearms and ammunition; (2) reduce the illicit flow of firearms and ammunition into, within and beyond the region; (3) bolster law enforcement capacity to combat illicit firearms and ammunition trafficking and their illicit possession and misuse; and (4) systematically decrease the risk of diversion of firearms and ammunition from government and non-government-owned arsenals. Each goal incorporates pre-defined actions and targets, recommended performance indicators, all in alignment with a timeline, which runs from 2020 to 2030, to coincide with the culmination of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Haiti therefore becomes the 12th State to commence concrete actions contemplated in the Caribbean Firearms Roadmap by taking steps to create its National Action Plan (NAP). A total of 18 representatives of the Office of the Prime Minister, Ministries of Justice and Public Security, Interior, Defense, Women’s Rights, Youth, Sports and Social action, National Commission for Disarmament, Dismantlement and Reinsertion, Airport Authorities, the Office de la protection du Citoyen (NHRC), Departmental delegations, with members of the German, Canadian and U.S. Embassies, and UNLIREC and CARICOM IMPACS participated in the NAP Executive Seminar. Participants discussed the Roadmap and steps needed to map out Haiti’s priorities, plans and timelines for implementing the Caribbean Firearms Roadmap. The successful implementation of the Roadmap will require both the concerted efforts of national authorities, as well as the timely, targeted and coordinated support of regional and international partners and donors.
UNLIREC and CARICOM IMPACS, as the main implementing partners, will lend technical assistance in the elaboration of the NAPs and in their successive implementation. The governments of Canada, Germany, United States of America and the United Kingdom have pledged support to the implementation of the Caribbean Firearms Roadmap.
UNLIREC, as the regional organ 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.
From 7 – 10 December 2021 and 15 – 18 February in Jamaica, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC), in collaboration with the Government of Jamaica hosted two Serial Number Restoration Courses.
Illicit trafficking, possession and use of firearms is a significant challenge across the Caribbean. Organized crime groups mask the origin of firearms by obliterating the serial numbers, facilitating both illegal use and armed violence. The absence of serial numbers on firearms recovered at ports of entry and crime scenes in the Caribbean hinders the ability of States to trace 100% of illicit firearms recovered, which impacts on a State’s ability to understand the illicit origins and routes the weapons take to their country.
As a result, UNLIREC developed national Serial Number Restoration courses that provide technical training to forensic firearms scientists, who are often required to restore the characters and numbers that have been obliterated. These courses are increasing States’ capacity to positively address the tracing of illicit firearms. It is a key and necessary tool to trace firearms back to their last known legal owner, either in Jamaica or in other jurisdictions, by making use of various regional and international tracing platforms. Throughout the region restoration techniques have been used to support criminal investigations, successfully trace firearms and disband trafficking networks.
In Jamaica, 6 women 7 men participated in two serial number restoration courses. Participants included ballistics experts from the Institute of Forensic Science and Legal Medicine, police officers from the Technical Services Division, Jamaica Constabulary Force and lecturers from the University of Technology. The theoretical and practical elements of the course included hands-on experience with various methodologies to recover obliterated serial numbers on firearms. During the courses, serial numbers were recovered on two dozen illicit firearms. Women in disarmament feature prominently in Jamaica where 46% of participants for the training were female, and now join 10 other women in the Caribbean trained to recover serial numbers on firearms.
The Serial Number Restoration course contributes towards the implementation of Goal 3 of the Caribbean Firearms Roadmap, ‘Bolster law enforcement capacity to combat illicit firearms and ammunition trafficking and their illicit possession and misuse, and ammunition, and ultimately reducing firearms-related crimes and armed violence in the Caribbean’. The course was made possible thanks to support of the government of the United States of America.
UNLIREC, as the regional organ 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.
From 25 – 28 January in St Kitts and Nevis, and from 31 January – 2 February in Trinidad and Tobago, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC), in collaboration with the Governments of both States, hosted 2 Serial Number Restoration Courses.
Obliterating serial numbers on firearms to mask their origin, is a common practice for criminals, facilitating both illegal use and illicit trafficking. The absence of serial numbers on firearms recovered at crime scenes in the Caribbean hinders the ability of States to trace all illicit firearms. The national Serial Number Restoration courses were developed to support States’ efforts to address the tracing of illicit firearms, through the provision of the technical training to forensic firearms scientists who are often required to restore the characters and numbers that have been obliterated.
In St Kitts and Nevis, 6 firearm examiners, including 2 women, from the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force participated in the training. Similarly, in Trinidad and Tobago, 1 firearm examiner from the Forensic Science Centre and 3 crime scene officers, 1 female, from the Police Service, participated in the course which consisted of hands-on use of Magnetic Particle Recovery and Chemical Etching Methods to recover obliterated serial numbers on firearms.
Serial number restoration has proven to be a key and necessary tool to trace firearms back to their last known legal owner and make use of the various regional and international tracing platforms. Throughout the region, restoration techniques have been used to support criminal investigations, successfully trace firearms and disband trafficking networks.
The Serial Number Restoration course contributes towards the implementation of Goal 3 of the Caribbean Firearms Roadmap, Bolster law enforcement capacity to combat illicit firearms and ammunition trafficking and their illicit possession and misuse, and ammunition, and ultimately reducing firearms-related crimes and armed violence in the Caribbean. The course was made possible thanks to support of the governments of Canada and United States of America.
UNLIREC, as the regional organ 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 20 January 2022, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC) hosted the regional webinar on ‘Building a Crime Gun Preventive Strategy in the Caribbean’. The objective of the webinar was to discuss the key components of implementing a successful crime gun preventive strategy in the Caribbean.
Six CARICOM states, Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Guyana, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and The Grenadines and Trinidad and Tobago were invited for the webinar. Over 45 officials (21 women) from ministries of Foreign Affairs, National Security/ Home Affairs, Ministry of Finance, Police Forces, Defence Forces, Forensic Laboratories, Intelligence Agencies and Customs of the 6 CARICOM States actively participated in the regional webinar.
The objective of this webinar was to discuss eight critical components of a successful crime gun preventive strategy. These included: stakeholder buy-in, regional approaches, ballistic imaging, overlaying technologies, knowing offenders and how they interact, using a single intelligence unit, public buy-in and, in the future, expanding a preventative strategy. UNLIREC highlighted that although no two strategies would be the same, and that innovation and ballistic imaging, are both fundamental to any effective crime gun preventive strategy. Furthermore, the importance of a collaborative effort between law enforcement agencies, customs agencies, forensic science laboratories and prosecuting offices was key.
This regional webinar, carried out in line with the 2001 UN Porgramme of Action on Small Arms and Sustainable Development Goal 16.4, contributes towards the implementation of Goal 3, ‘Bolster law enforcement capacity to combat illicit firearms and ammunition trafficking and their illicit possession and misuse’ of the Caribbean Firearms Roadmap, to regional efforts prevent illicit trafficking of firearms and ammunition, and ultimately reducing firearms-related crimes and armed violence in the Caribbean.
This webinar was generously sponsored by the Government of Canada. It forms part of a series of three regional webinars under the Canada-funded project ‘Support the Implementation of the Caribbean Firearms Roadmap’. UNLIREC, as the regional organ 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.
As part of the cycle of activities that UNLIREC has been carrying out between 2020 and 2021 to encourage conversation regionally and nationally about the phenomenon of firearms in schools, a webinar on ‘Firearms Prevention in Schools’ was held on the 16 December in collaboration with the Ministry of Education in El Salvador.
In this virtual event, UNLIREC shared the main findings of a study on Firearms in Schools in Latin America and the Caribbean: approaches, challenges and responses, presenting a regional overview of the main characteristics and developments of this phenomenon in recent years in the countries of the region, as well as sharing a series of initiatives and measures that have been implemented in some countries in the region to tackle and prevent the presence and use of firearms in schools.
To provide a national perspective on this phenomenon in El Salvador, the Ministry of Education gave a presentation in which many topics were highlighted, including the different types of risks to which schools are exposed, the current legal framework that prohibits carrying and bringing arms to schools, as well as the different measures and actions aimed at guaranteeing safe learning spaces which are free from violence.
As part of these measures, campaigns aimed at educational communities on issues of coexistence, continuous training for teachers, as well as inter-institutional coordination with the National Civil Police and other institutions to promote actions aimed at preventing the use of weapons in educational centres were highlighted.
This webinar was attended by around 175 participants, including staff from the Ministry of Education (such as educational and pedagogical advisors, coordinators, technicians, teachers, among others), as well as staff from the prevention areas of the National Civil Police.
This webinar was made possible thanks to the valuable financial contribution of the Government of Sweden.
