On 15 December 2021, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC), in collaboration with the Ministry on Women’s Condition and Women’s Rights in Haiti and with the support of the United Nations Development Programme in Haiti, held a national virtual seminar on “Measures to Prevent Armed Violence against Women”.
The main objectives of the webinar were to present the issue of armed violence and violence against women, the links between the two and their impacts on society; sensitize about the importance of linking the legal framework on firearms and ammunition control with the prevention of violence against women, as well as promoting an inter-institutional and collaborative approach to address and prevent gender-based armed violence against women.
In her opening remarks, the Minister on Women’s Condition and Women’s Rights emphasized the fact that the issue of armed violence against women was a priority for the Government as girls and women were particularly affected by violence perpetrated by criminal groups.
The first presentation, given by UNLIREC, made visible the differentiated impact of firearms on men and women, at the global, regional and national levels. It also emphasized the incidence of firearms on the different types of gender-based violence, including femicides. The presentation pointed to the presence of a firearm as a risk factor not only because it can be lethal but also because it is an element that can be used to threaten and coerce victims, therefore increasing their vulnerability.
UNLIREC’s second and last presentation for this activity focused on the findings of the Legal Study on the Making the link between norms on violence against women and small arms control and regulation norms: analysis of Haiti which analyzes Haiti’s norms in both thematic areas. During the seminar, references were made to good practices that were found in different countries’ legal framework in the region. A special emphasis was made on the importance of including and defining the crime of femicide in the national legal framework, as well as several types of measures to prevent and protect women from being victims of violence committed with firearms. The presentation also referred to the possibility of conducting a risk analysis from the very moment a person requests to possess a firearm as a prevention measure.
The virtual event was open to government officials, civil society organizations, including women and youth organizations, academia and international and regional cooperation agencies and programs. 59 people, including a large majority of 40 women, attended the event. The audience included government officials and mostly civil society organizations and agencies and programs of the United Nations System in Haiti.
This initiative is part of a series of activities that UNLIREC carried out to strengthen national capacities to develop and implement gender-sensitive approaches to issues related to the reduction of armed violence. This initiative was possible thanks to the financial support of the Government of Canada.
10 Dec 2021 – Within the framework of UNLIREC’s project on women, youth and disarmament, funded by the Kingdom of Sweden, the Regional Centre hosted a roundtable discussion with youth in their role as forces of change. Topics discussed included disarmament, arms control and non-proliferation, as well as specific means of addressing armed violence in Latin America and the Caribbean.
The virtual Roundtable Discussion provided a space for exchange and dialogue with young people who lead and implement initiatives to combat disarmament in different parts of the region: El Salvador, Peru, Colombia, Brazil, Honduras and Argentina.
The exchange of experiences on the actions that these young leaders put into practice proved to be extremely enriching. Activities ranged from training in vulnerable communities to the promotion of peace-building programs driven by young people at the local level, and from collaboration with universities to conduct research related to security to the development of artistic strategies with communities for peaceful coexistence.
This discussion provided an opportunity to present and learn about their main achievements, difficulties and challenges. Through the exchange of experiences, both panelists and participants had the opportunity to identify opportunities, visualize partnerships and make recommendations.
This event was intended to contribute to the implementation of General Assembly Resolution 74/64 on youth, disarmament and non-proliferation, as well as Security Council Resolution 22/50 on youth, peace and security, which promotes youth participation and inclusive representation.
The adoption of General Assembly resolution 74/64 on youth, disarmament and non-proliferation reaffirms the importance and positive contribution of youth in promoting and achieving sustainable peace and security in the field of disarmament and non-proliferation. Young people play a key role in raising awareness and developing new approaches to making a difference in reducing gun violence.
On the 9 November, UNLIREC and the National Agency for Controlled Materials (ANMaC) of Argentina held a national dialogue on the prevention of firearms prevention in schools. The main objectives of this virtual event were to share the principal findings of the regional study conducted by UNLIREC on firearms in schools, as well as to promote the intersectorall dialogue regarding impacts, challenges and routes for action to prevent the presence and use of arms in schools.
As part of the agenda of this meeting, UNLIREC shared the main findings from the study Firearms in Schools in Latin America and the Caribbean: approaches, challenges and answers. In this vein, UNLIREC presented the regional overview of the main characteristics 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 address and prevent the presence and use of firearms in schools.
ANMaC held a presentation in which they highlighted the specific policies developed by the Agency in this area in recent years, highlighting the different actions that were implemented to raise awareness in educational communities about the risks and impacts of the proliferation and misuse of firearms. Of these activities, the workshops “Beliefs that kill” and “Disarming Masculinities” aimed at students from secondary schools from different provinces in Argentina were highlighted.
This national perspective was complemented by a presentation led by the Alfredo Marcenac Civil Association from the Argentinian Network for Disarmament, which highlighted some underlying cultural elements in societies that influence the phenomenon in question, such as the symbolic value assigned to weapons as mechanisms for conflict resolution. During this intervention the experience developed in the framework of the Educational Programme for Disarmament Awareness and Peacebuilding aimed at educational institutions at different levels in the Province of Buenos Aires was also shared.
This virtual meeting was possible thanks to the generous financial contribution from the Government of Switzerland.
9 December 2021 – In the framework of the project on Combatting the Illicit Trafficking of Arms and Ammunition in Latin America and the Caribbean, UNLIREC held a webinar on Small Arms and Ammunition Marking for members of national institutions with responsibilities in the control of firearms and ammunition in Latin American countries.
The regional workshop highlighted the importance of marking as a measure which provides basic information that facilitates the tracing of weapons and ammunition from their manufacture to their last legal holder. Similarly, marking at different points in a weapon’s life cycle allows for better record-keeping at a national level; it also helps establish possible links between weapons and crimes, thus facilitating criminal investigation processes and the identification of illicit trafficking trends.
The activity addressed international obligations, standards and best practices on marking as contained in relevant international instruments and the Modular Small-Arms Control Implementation Compendium. Likewise, UNLIREC’s technical proposal for firearms and ammunition marking was presented in order to contribute to the standardisation of marking protocols. Finally, a demonstration was given on one of the marking methods in order to strengthen the skills of personnel who have responsibilities in these matters from Latin American institutions.
Several institutions participated in the webinar, including, inter alia, Police, Armed Forces, control bodies, investigative agencies, Ministries of security and Foreign Affairs, forensic institutions, customs, public prosecutors’ offices, and various civil society organisations.
The implementation of this project is made possible thanks to the financial support of the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany.
On 8 December 2021, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC) held the Symposium ‘Female Forces for Change’ to celebrate the 11th anniversary of the General Assembly Resolution 65/69 on Women, Disarmament, Non-Proliferation and Arms Control, which urges State Parties, regional and sub-regional organisations, the United Nations, its agencies and programmes, to promote the equal representation of women in all decision-making processes related to these issues.
The Symposium’s objective was to raise awareness and celebrate the contribution of women in the region. Eight women from different countries and diverse backgrounds in the field shared their experiences in line with the four pillars of the United Nation’s Secretary General’s Agenda for Disarmament “Securing our common future”.
Pillar 1, ‘Disarmament to save humanity’, which advocates to reduce and eliminate weapons of mass destruction, featured María Antonieta Jáquez (Mexico), Political Coordinator of the Permanent Mission of Mexico to the United Nations, and Soledad Urruela Arenales (Guatemala), Programme Manager and Regional Coordinator for the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1540.
Pillar 2 “Disarmament to save lives”, which calls for reducing and mitigating the impact of conventional weapons, was represented by two government officials with responsibilities in the control and regulation of small arms and light weapons. They are María del Pilar Noriega López (Peru), General Manager of the National Superintendence for the Control of Security Services, Arms, Ammunition and Explosives for Civilian Use (SUCAMEC) and Samantha Allen (Jamaica), Executive Director, Safety, Security and Small Arms Unit, Ministry of National Security.
Pillar 3 “Disarmament to save future generations”, which calls for vigilance regarding new and emerging weapons technologies, featured María Pía Devoto (Argentina), Coordinator of the Human Security Network of Latin America and the Caribbean (SEHLAC) and member of the Stop Killer Robots Campaign, and Hazel Villalobos (Costa Rica), Technical Manager and Researcher at the Foundation for Peace and Democracy (FUNDAPEM).
Finally, Pillar 4, “Strengthening Partnerships for Disarmament”, is a call to revitalise disarmament institutions and partner with governments, civil society, women and youth. It was represented by Carolina de Mattos Ricardo (Brazil), Executive Director of Sou da Paz and Delia Chatoor (Trinidad and Tobago), an expert in International Humanitarian Law, former diplomat and former Vice President of the Trinidad and Tobago Red Cross Society.
In addition to celebrating the contribution of these women, the event served as a platform to officially launch the audio visual material produced by UNLIREC to support the dissemination of the important progress achieved by women in the region in the four Pillars that make up the Disarmament Agenda. Eighty three persons from across the region attended the Symposium, with 80% of the audience being women.
The event was part of the Project “Advancing Regional Implementation of UN General Assembly Resolution 65/69 on Women, Disarmament, Non-Proliferation and Arms Control”, funded by the Government of Canada.
On 7 December 2021, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC), hosted a regional webinar on Privately Made Firearms and Implications for Forensic Analysis with 10 CARICOM States. The purpose of the webinar was to discuss how to obtain forensic data from privately made firearms, also known as ‘ghost guns’, using toolmark examination and the potential value of comparing toolmarks with recovered tools for investigative purposes.
‘Ghost guns’ refers to unregulated and untraceable firearms that are built by unassembled and partially manufactured parts. Although illicitly manufactured firearms are not a prevalent phenomenon in the Caribbean, as it is in North America and Europe, several countries in the region have reported seizures of these firearms in the past years. Such seizures signal an alarming trend that may increase the levels of armed violence in Caribbean countries if not prevented.
A total of 68 national officials, including 27 women, from ministries of National Security and Home Affairs, Police Forces, Defence Forces, Forensic Labs and Customs Departments of Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Bahamas, Belize, Guyana, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago participated in the regional webinar.
UNLIREC presented on various tool operating processes and how resulting toolmarks may appear on illicitly fabricated or converted firearms. It also highlighted how the comparison and identification of toolmarks can provide firearms investigators with information concerning the type and size of tools used to fabricate weapons. In addition, the participants discussed the value of creating a database for privately made firearms recovered in the region to facilitate information sharing among forensic labs and investigators, recognize firearms, trace recovered cartridge cases and prove links between cases. Such a database would include the toolmarks on firearms, the type of tools used to make them, high definition photographs of these marks and the type of firearms recovered.
This 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 of the Caribbean Firearms Roadmap: “Bolster law enforcement capacity to combat illicit firearms and ammunition trafficking and their illicit possession and misuse”.
The Regional Webinar on Privately Made Firearms and Implications for Forensic Analysis was generously sponsored by Canada. It followed another regional webinar on Combatting “ghost guns” on 15 November 2021 and is part of a series of regional thematic webinars organized and delivered by UNLIREC to prevent and combat crime gun and illicit trafficking in the region.
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.
