June 2023. The Department of Public Security of the Organization of American States (DPS/OAS) and the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC) have initiated the development process of the Central American Road Map to Prevent the Illicit Trafficking and Proliferation of Arms and Ammunition. Based on this initiative, Central American States will establish shared priorities, objectives and actions aimed at increasing the effectiveness of actions to tackle these issues.
In October 2022, the OAS General Assembly requested the DSP/OAS, in collaboration with UNLIREC, to develop a proposal for a Central American Road Map to promote coordinated strategies in preventing and combating the illicit trafficking and proliferation of arms and ammunition. With the financial support from the European Union, both OAS and UNLIREC will be pursuing the development of this sub-regional initiative, which will be integrated into the Central American Security Strategy (ESCA).
For the development process of the Road Map, a series of national and sub-regional meetings are planned with Central American countries and the Dominican Republic. The Road Map process initiated with a series of inter-institutional meetings at the national level addressed to representatives of different State entities with responsibilities in arms control and combatting its illicit trafficking.
During these meetings, both OAS and UNLIREC briefed the authorities on the background, objectives, scope, methodological aspects and next steps for the development of the Road Map. Participating entities learnt also about existing sub-regional road maps and action plans in the Caribbean, the Western Balkans and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) region. In turn, national authorities shared their expectations, needs and priorities on this topic and emphasized the importance of advancing on such initiative, taking into account the transnational nature of illicit firearms trafficking, which requires coordinated strategies at both national and sub-regional levels.
These first meetings mark the beginning of the consultation and development process of the Central American Road Map to Prevent the Illicit Trafficking and Proliferation of Arms and Ammunition. This process will have the technical accompaniment of the DSP/OAS and UNLIREC, with the financial support of the European Union.
From 20 June – 29 June, 2023, close to thirty (30) law enforcement officers and public officials from Suriname will enhance their skills on gender-sensitive firearms-related criminal investigations with the support of the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC), in collaboration with The Directorate National Security of Suriname for the virtual Specialised Course on Firearms Investigations from a Gender Perspective (FIGP).
The FIGP is aimed at strengthening participants’ technical knowledge on gender-sensitive firearms-related criminal investigations. Members of The Korps Police Suriname, Attorney General’s Office, Directorate National Security and Military Police are participating in the course.
During the opening, the representative of National Coordination of the Ministry of Public Security of Suriname,Ms Jennifer Harnandan said that “Almost one third of the number of killings in the country are a result of domestic violence, the majority of which are perpetrated against women”. In view of this and other facts, she also highlighted that “This course will allow for collaboration between actors from the Suriname Police Force, National Security and police prosecutors.”
The course will train participants to apply gender perspectives to criminal firearms investigations as a complementary method of analysis, thereby contributing to formulating hypotheses that are free from stereotypes, as well as to identifying evidence of gender-based violence, and ensuring the respect of human rights of the victims and survivors. The use of firearms to perpetuate violence against women can not only lead to fatalities, but the weapons are also used to threaten, intimidate, and coerce women.
This activity is part of the Canada funded project in support of the implementation of the Caribbean Firearms Roadmap.
With initiatives such as this one, the Government of Suriname, with the technical assistance of UNLIREC, demonstrates its commitment to the prevention and elimination of violence against women.
From 5 to 9 June 2023, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC), alongside the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Guatemala (MINEX) of Guatemala, held the Combating Trafficking in Arms and Ammunition (CTAM) Course. This course brought together 30 officers from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGAC), the Directorate General of Arms and Ammunition Control of the Ministry of National Defence (DIGECAM), the Directorate General of Civil Intelligence (DIGICI), the Public Prosecutor’s Office (MP), Minex Guatemala, the Superintendence of Tax Administration (SAT), as well as representatives of the Institute of Education for Sustainable Development (IEPADES).
The course commenced with opening remarks by representatives of UNLIREC and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who highlighted the importance of the course, as demonstrated by the significant proliferation of illicit arms in the country.
The CTAM is a specialised course that provides both theoretical and practical knowledge on the global and regional stateof arms trafficking; methods of illicit arms manufacture; systems for the control and documentation of international transfers of firearms and ammunition, including brokering, as well as tools and mechanisms for international cooperation against firearms trafficking.
In this CTAM session, national representatives presented the characteristics, trends and challenges of arms trafficking in Guatemala, and shared some of the measures and policies implemented to tackle this problem. In addition, INTERPOL also presented its Firearms Programme, sharing the main resources available for the registration and tracing of weapons, and highlighting the main results of its recent operations in Latin America. Strengthening national capacity through a specialised course such as the CTAM, contributes to the efforts of Guatemalan institutions to combat and prevent arms trafficking.
This course took place in the context of the project in support of the implementation of UNLIREC’s Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons, funded by the European Union.
Jamaica’s Ministry of Education and Youth (MoEY) and the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC) are collaborating to strengthen measures to tackle the presence of firearms in schools and youth-related violence in general.
During a recent seminar organised by the MoEY’s Safety and Security in Schools’ Unit, UNLIREC and the Planning Institute of Jamaica, participants including representatives of UN agencies, civil society members and youth representatives noted the challenges of youth-related armed violence, inside and outside of school campuses as well as measures being implemented to address the problem. They also highlighted the need for the education and security sectors to provide coordinated responses and comprehensive solutions to ensure the well-being of communities, given that violence affects almost all aspects of life in society.
The discussions focused on preventive approaches across Latin America and Caribbean. While Jamaica has not had many incidents involving the use of firearms in schools, it is seen as crucial for stakeholders to work together from a prevention angle. “Prevention is better than cure” was a key sentence repeated throughout the seminar by participants and panellists.
“Firearm-related and other types of violence is an unfortunate reality of our society that often spills over onto school campuses. Violence by and among students in schools and elsewhere often result from many contributing factors including community disputes, dysfunctional family relations, maladaptive behaviours by students and sometimes the easy access to weapons. We need to address the elements that put children at risk, including access to firearms. We need to create a positive and inclusive school environment assisting students to build upon their strengths,” said Mrs. Fayval Williams, Minister of Education and Youth in her remarks.
Mrs. Soledad Urruela, UNLIREC’s Director stated in her remarks that “The mere presence of a firearm in a school setting – for whatever reason – is a transgression and an affront to everything schools represent. Weapons have no place in spaces that exist for peaceful coexistence, socializing and most of all for learning, in which girls, boys, and adolescents are taught to be good citizens and where indispensable core values are transmitted. We must all work toward preventing this scourge through an inclusive, whole of society approach. We must all do our duty to guarantee safe schools for a just, peaceful and sustainable future for our children and societies”.
During the Seminar, UNLIREC officially launched the Guidelines for the Development of Protocols to Tackle the Presence and Use of Firearms in Schools, which will serve as the basis for national discussions among different stakeholders for the development and implementation of action and response protocols to firearms incidents in school settings.
The initiatives and recommendations presented and discussed during the Seminar will serve as practical references to strengthen the efforts already being made by Jamaican institutions in the violence prevention sector, particularly school violence.
Dr. Anna Paolini, Director of UNESCO’s Office for the Caribbean expressed on behalf of the UN Resident Coordinator that “the national seminar gives evidence to the capacity of the UN system to collaborate for development by leveraging the multinational expertise of its agencies and taking them to the shores of member States. Jamaica recognizes that the issue of violence in schools requires a multi-stakeholder approach, and the UN welcomes the opportunity to play its role as partner”.
This Seminar forms part of the activities carried out under the Saving Lives Entity (SALIENT) fund initiative in Jamaica, which seeks to operationalize and mainstream small arms control into development efforts and policies in Jamaica and marks the end of UNLIREC´s firearms in schools’ component under the Salient project.
The SALIENT fund initiative is implemented in Jamaica by the Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) and its Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), as well as the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
From 22 to 26 May 2023, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC), in collaboration with El Salvador’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, conducted the Interdicting Small Arms, Ammunition, Parts and Components Course (ISAAPC). Thirty X-ray operators, of which 11 were women, participated in the course.
The course, conducted virtually, was the second edition of the ISAAPC in El Salvador bringing together officials from the General Directorate of Customs, the National Civil Police, the General Directorate of Penal Centres, the Autonomous Executive Port Commission, and the Salvadoran Postal Service.
Confronted with the challenges posed by arms and ammunition trafficking in the region and its constant changes, UNLIREC seeks to assist El Salvador and States in the region in their efforts to combat and prevent the illicit trafficking of firearms, ammunition, parts, components and explosives that occurs through postal consignments, parcels, packages and luggage. The ISAAPC was developed specifically as a training for X-ray operators who carry out controls and inspections at strategic points.
Over the course of five days participants learned in theory and praxis about weapons, their parts and components, ammunition and explosives. The course included hands-on training on a dedicated online platform, which allows participants to practice their skills in identifying threats such as weapons, their parts and components, ammunition, as well as improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
Participants from different national organizations also shared their own experiences in detecting firearms and ammunition, thus further enriching the training.
The Course on Interdicting Small Arms, Ammunition, Parts and Components Course (ISAAPC) is part of the technical assistance provided by UNLIREC in support of the implementation of the Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons, funded by the European Union.
From 15 to18 May 2023, close to 50 Salvadoran officials from institutions tasked with weapons and ammunition control participated in the Course on Combating Trafficking in Arms and Ammunition (CTAM), organized by the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC) in collaboration with El Salvador’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Representatives from the following organizations participated and shared their experiences and challenges in tackling this issue: the Ministry of Justice and Public Security; the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; the Ministry of National Defense; Customs; the National Civil Police; the Salvadoran Postal Service; the Autonomous Executive Port Commission (CEPA); the Attorney General’s Office; and the General Directorate of Customs. During opening remarks, the Director General of Foreign Policy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of El Salvador, Mr. Jorge Alberto Umaña García, expressed his gratitude to UNLIREC and the German Government for the assistance provided. In particular, he highlighted the importance of strengthening the capacities of participants, who – in their areas of expertise – contribute towards the prevention and combating of firearms and ammunition trafficking.
The CTAM provided national authorities with theoretical knowledge and technical tools to implement strategies seeking to prevent and combat the illicit trafficking of firearms and their ammunition in line with international instruments. In this regard, the following themes were presented at the CTAM: an overview on trafficking trends in Latin America and the Caribbean; the different methods used for the illicit manufacturing and trafficking of firearms; as well as the key role of the control and documentation system for international transfers of firearms and ammunition in preventing and combating this type of crime. Measures to prevent illicit brokering and international cooperation mechanisms against illicit firearms trafficking were also addressed.
The course included a presentation by the Directorate for Democratic Security of the Central American Integration System (SICA) on illicit firearms trafficking in all of Central America, sparking dialogue among the participants. The course therefore provided a space for interinstitutional dialogue and information sharing on effective practices, as well as promoting international cooperation.
The CTAM course is part UNLIREC’s project “Supporting the implementation of sub-regional, regional and global instruments and frameworks relating to small arms control and ammunition management in Latin America and the Caribbean”, funded by Germany.
