Oct 23, 2017 | Uncategorized
From 23 – 27 October, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC) delivered its pilot Shooting Incident Reconstruction training in the Caribbean, in Trinidad and Tobago.
Six participants, among them Firearm Examiners and Crime Scene Investigators of the Trinidad and Tobago Forensic Science Centre (TTFSC) and the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) participated in the 5-day Training.
The Caribbean region continues to face persistent levels of armed violence, illicit trafficking of firearms and ammunition, and impunity in firearm related crimes. The increase of organized crime-related cases, sophisticated criminal networks and lack of trust in state institutions have made the general population less likely to come forward when witnessing firearms-related cases, thereby increasing the caseloads and responsibilities of firearms and tool mark examiners, crime scene officers and investigators. Strengthening countries’ forensic ballistic investigative capabilities is essential to advancing the rule of law and to decrease impunity in firearms related cases.
The shooting incident reconstruction course was designed for firearms and tool mark examiners, crime scene and other law enforcement personnel who are responsible for investigating or overseeing the investigation of shooting incidents. The course will assist national authorities to connect all the pieces of forensic evidence necessary for the reconstruction of shooting crime scenes, including: documenting physical evidence at shooting crime scenes; determining the flight path of projectiles; examining firearm discharge residue to estimate distance from the shooter to the victim/ and or final target.
The Pilot Exercise is subject to review, modification and correction by national authorities and by UNLIREC where necessary. Topics covered included health and safety in the forensic process, collecting and preserving evidence, diagraming the shooting scene, computer uses in shooting reconstruction, identifying bullet holes, determining bullet trajectory, exterior ballistics and bullet impacts and ricochet and sequence of fire, amongst others.
Equipment used in the training, resource material and reference targets with sample bullet holes were handed over to the Government of Trinidad and Tobago.
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.
Oct 13, 2017 | Uncategorized
On 13 October 2017, UNLIREC hosted a special workshop in Belize City focusing on the delivery of the Caribbean Control List construct to Belizean national authorities. In total, there were 18 workshop participants in attendance, with the majority attending as representatives of Belize’s Customs and Excise Department.
In addition to presenting the concept of the Caribbean Control List, sessions of the workshop were also devoted to learning about the identification of particular dual-use and WMD sensitive items that my present themselves at Belizean borders. The workshop provided a forum for discussion about how a national control list might practically be implemented from an operational perspective.
The workshop was able to take place thanks to generous funding provided by the Government of Canada as part of the strengthening implementation of UNSCR 1540 programme in the Latin American and Caribbean region.
Oct 7, 2017 | Uncategorized
From 10 – 13 July, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC), together with ARQUEBUS Solutions Ltd, delivered Double Cast training to five participants from Guyana in Georgetown.
The participants, among them firearm examiners from the Guyana Police Force and Scientific Officers from the Guyana Forensic Science Laboratory, participated in the 4-day Training, based on INTERPOL’s Double Casting methodology.
Double casting increases the ability of national authorities to make connections between crime and crime scenes, nationally, regionally and internationally. The training sought to build capacity in the region to create microscopic replicas of projectiles and cartridge cases that can be peer reviewed and uploaded to a Ballistics Identification Network or shared across jurisdictions for comparison without disturbing the chain of custody of the original evidence.
Equipment used in the training as well as consumables to conduct further, practical double casting of projectiles were handed over to the Government of Guyana.
Double Cast Training is part of UNLIREC’s Caribbean Operational Forensic Ballistics Assistance Package, which is made possible thanks to the support of the US Department of State and the Government of Canada. This training was the sixth and final double cast training delivered by UNLIREC. Four similar activities were delivered to national authorities in Bahamas, Barbados, Belize and Trinidad and Tobago as well as a sub-regional workshop to participants from Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, St Lucia and St Vincent and the Grenadines.
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.
Oct 7, 2017 | Uncategorized
The United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC) is making progress in Guatemala with the implementation of activities for the project entitled Strengthening capacities for effective and transparent management of small arms and ammunition in the private security sector. This assistance is provided jointly with the Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces (DCAF).
During the week of 10-14 July 2017, UNLIREC carried out a series of activities to promote good governance in the private security sector. During an Executive Seminar for national authorities and private security entrepreneurs, good practices, standards and international regulations were presented which strengthen arms control and contribute to better regulation of the private security sector as well as to its professionalisation.
In order to educate security companies’ technical staff, UNLIREC provided a two-day technical workshop for employees in charge of overseeing and caring for arms warehouses. The participants of the workshop received training aimed at incorporating physical security procedures for arms and ammunition in warehouses in order to minimise the risks of them being diverted for illicit use. The content of the workshop is based on the International Small Arms Control Standards (ISACS) and the International Ammunition Technical Guidelines (IATGs).
Additionally, UNLIREC carried out voluntary visits to several security companies to assess the level of compliance with the standards and made specific recommendations to adjust the management of the arms and ammunition warehouses and thereby improve their security and avoid diversion of arms to illegal markets. Finally, UNLIREC delivered devices commonly known as bullet-traps which allows for weapons security checks, thus avoiding the fatal consequences of involuntary firing.
This project is made possible thanks to the financial support of the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany. Through its assistance to Latin American and Caribbean States, UNLIREC supports States in the improvement of public security and in the implementation of the United Nations Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate Illicit Trafficking of Small and light Arms in all its aspects (UN 2001 PoA).
Sep 25, 2017 | Uncategorized
On 25 August, UNLIREC and the Government of Peru held a working meeting on the national implementation of the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) and the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1540. This activity brought together 23 representatives from 12 state entities, including Ministries and other institutions, such as: Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Defense, Health, Agriculture, Justice and Human Rights, Interior, Environment, Production, INDECI, among others.
The objective of the session was to present to the working table the main comments from UNLIREC’s legal team regarding the “Bill on the Prohibition of Biological and Toxin Weapons and on their Destruction”. The strengthening of the national regulatory framework in the field of non-proliferation of biological weapons was considered a priority by Peru in its Roadmap on the implementation of Resolution 1540. This activity is part of UNLIREC’s 1540 assistance package currently in execution thanks to the financial support from Canada.
As a result, the representatives from the different sectors began the debate on the basic issues to be considered in the preliminary analysis of the bill and its effective adaptation to the international obligations assumed by Peru in the field of non-proliferation of biological arms. In addition, basis were set for the next working meeting, the second in a series aimed at accompanying the Government of Peru in its national efforts to align and adapt the national legal framework with the mandates of the BWC and Resolution 1540.
Sep 21, 2017 | Uncategorized
In observance of the International Day of Peace and as part of the activities designed by the Joint United Nations Human Security Programme, young volunteers involved in the “Youth Volunteerism for Peacebuilding and Disarmament: Youth Measuring Community Security Through Participatory Indicators” project led various initiatives to promote peace and to raise awareness about disarmament in the “Youth for Peace” Festival. In 2001, the General Assembly declared the 21st September, the day for encouraging peacebuilding ideas among nations and peoples, as a day of non-violence and ceasefire.
This Festival, therefore, not only met the objective of empowering the more than 60 young volunteers involved in the project, but also represented a forum for interaction with the community, one in which the volunteers shared the knowledge acquired during their training. Activities were developed based on four central themes: the 2030 Agenda, Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16, peace and disarmament.
In particular, interventions were held, such as the “Journey for Peace” photo exhibition, where there was a display of the activities that the Joint United Nations Human Security Programme has been developing in Trujillo since 2014. Furthermore, the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals were presented in an entertaining way, with members of the audience being rewarded for their involvement with tokens designed by the volunteers.
One of the most popular activities was the graphic reinterpretation of the winning entries of the “United Nations Posters for Peace” Competition where attendees were invited to draw their own version of peace and disarmament.
At the same time, there were artistic productions such as a skit, a dance performance and a participatory mural, where members of the public were invited to leave their mark as a sign of their commitment to the creation of a safe and peaceful community. Both the event and the Festival were brought to a close in grand style with a flashmob, also involving young people from the three target communes of the Joint Human Security Programme and the Cultural Association D1 with the piece “Stories of Fire,” which addresses the risks and consequences of illegal trafficking and armed violence.
Source: UNLIREC
