Sep 21, 2016 | Uncategorized
The United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC), in collaboration with the Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces (DCAF), launched its project aimed to strengthen capacities for effective and transparent management of small arms and ammunition within the private security sector (PSS). The launch of this project took place on 21 of September in San Jose during an executive seminar on good practices and international standards in the PSS upon request from the government of Costa Rica. Several private security companies operating in Costa Rica, and representatives of national agencies, in charge of the control and regulation of this sector, participated in the event.
The PSS in Latin America has expanded and become more professional over the last years, providing services that include security and protection with small arms. The growth in this sector caused an increase in the legal demand of small arms and ammunition. The State institutions using arms, as well as the private security companies and their agents are vulnerable to considerable insecurity (robberies, attacks) and corruption (illegal sales and unlawful use of arms) that can cause diversion of arms into illegality, and their potential use in violent and criminal actions with serious impacts on citizen security.
The UNLIREC project, in collaboration with DCAF, helps to reduce these risks through the promotion of arms control measures between the national authorities responsible for the control and audit of the sector, and the private security companies. Likewise, the assistance provides support to the authorities in order to review and strengthen good governance in the sector by promoting regulatory initiatives. The technical assistance that UNLIREC and DCAF offer as part of this project,is based on international standards, good practices, and globally recognized initiatives, such as the International Code of Conduct for Private Security Providers (ICoC), the International Small Arms Control Standards (ISACS) and the International Ammunition Technical Guidelines (IATG). With the launch of this project, the PSS of Costa Rica and the governmental authorities that regulate and supervise it, can benefit from a series of activities aimed at strengthening capacities throughout this sector through technical support.
This project is possible due to the financial support of the Federal Republic of Germany. Through this assistance package, UNLIREC supports Latin American and Caribbean States in strengthening public security and the implementation of the UN Programme of Action on the illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All its Aspects (UN 2001 PoA).
Sep 21, 2016 | Uncategorized
News article to be posted on Monday, 10 October 2016.
Sep 19, 2016 | Uncategorized
From 19 to 22 September, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC), in collaboration with the Government of Barbados, carried out its pilot forensic ballistics collaborative competency testing exercise. These exercises are part of the third round of implementation within the framework of the 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.
These exercises comprise a series of practical and multiple choice questions on the competencies of: forensic examination of small arms ammunition, forensic examination of firearms and their components and trigger pull and travel examination. The exercises – based on UNLIREC’s standard operating procedures – were developed as a preparatory step for a regional framework of competency testing. These exercises may also be used as an internal assessment tool for the forensic science institutes and laboratories of the region in an independent and continual manner.
During this process, four firearms examiners from the Royal Barbados Police Force were assessed. These assessments also support the internal identification of existing gaps in skills, knowledge and procedures within Firearms Units in each State.
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.
Sep 12, 2016 | Uncategorized
On 9 December, UNLIREC held consultations with the Government of Belize to discuss its Draft National Action Plan on Implementation of UNSCR 1540(2004). This meeting brought together 12 representatives from eight institutions and agencies (including the Belize Coast Guard, Defence Force, Immigration, Belize Agricultural Health Authority (BAHA), Police Department, National Security Council Secretariat, Customs & Excise Department and Port Authority).
UNLIREC presented summaries of the resolution and its main obligations, as well as of UNLIREC’s national legal study and its main recommendations for better aligning 1540 obligations with national provisions. In turn, Belize delivered a presentation on the status of implementation of the resolution in the country to date. CARICOM also provided a presentation on the relevance of the implementation of 1540 Resolution in the region, with special emphasis on Belize.
During the intense one-day workshop, the group identified and established a series of official focal points from each of the stakeholder institutions present, and discussed the content of a Voluntary National Action Plan that is to be presented to the 1540 Committee in the near future. Issues relating to the modernization of legislation, training and equipment needs, as well as assignment of specific roles and responsibilities, were addressed throughout the day.
Prior to this workshop, in July 2015, UNLIREC assisted Belize in the preliminary discussions for the drafting of the National Action Plan.
This meeting forms part of UNLIREC’s 1540 Assistance Package for Caribbean States with the financial support of Canada.
Aug 31, 2016 | Uncategorized
The United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC), provided technical and legal assistance to the Dominican Republic, from 31 August to 1 September 2016, as part of its support to States in the region towards strengthening the implementation of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1540 (2004). This resolution imposes binding obligations on all States to adopt legislative measures to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and their delivery systems, and establish appropriate national controls over related materials aimed at preventing their illicit trafficking.
During the mission, UNLIREC, accompanied by a former member of the Group of Experts of the 1540 Committee, provided comments and recommendations about the draft bill against the proliferation of WMD that the country has been developing since September 2015. Based on the inputs of UNLIREC, legal advisers and representatives of different government sectors, present in the session, undertook a further revision of the draft bill to ensure a proper consistency with the provisions of Resolution 1540. The discussions focused mainly on the development of a roadmap for the preparation of future regulatory provisions, an area in which UNLIREC will continue supporting the Dominican Republic thanks to the financial contribution of Canada.
This draft bill and its future regulation constitute a significant step forward in the country’s efforts to strengthen the implementation of UNSCR 1540 (2004), as it will provide the country with a solid legal basis for establishing trade controls of related materials and adopting measures to counter WMD proliferation.
Aug 23, 2016 | Uncategorized
From 23 to 25 August, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC), in collaboration with the Government of Trinidad and Tobago, held a series of hands-on forensic ballistics training exercises in Port of Spain. These exercises represent the second round of assistance to the country, within the framework of UNLIREC’s Caribbean Operational Forensic Ballistics Assistance Package, made possible thanks to the support of the US Department of State and the Government of Canada.
The training exercises enabled twelve participants, including firearms examiners, armourers and Integrated Ballistics Identification System (IBIS) technicians from the Trinidad and Tobago Forensic Science Centre and the Police Service to refresh their knowledge on specific UNLIREC standard operating procedures (SOPs), such as validation of scientific methods, test firing procedures, comparison microscopy and range of fire for bulleted cartridge firearms and shot guns.
The activities also included a series of practical exercises comparing cartridge cases and bullets using a comparison microscope, exploring the creation of a specific SOP on test fire samples, as well as determining range of fire with bulleted cartridge firearms and shot guns. The exercises provided participants with the opportunity to exchange best practices, improve inter-institutional coordination and discuss challenges faced in the field.
For the third round of project assistance to the Government of Trinidad and Tobago, UNLIREC will be implementing a series of collaborative exercises derived from forensic ballistic SOPs as a tool for determining staff competencies in key functional areas.
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.
