Oct 19, 2015 | Uncategorized
From 19-24 October 2015, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC) carried out, in collaboration with the Government of Belize, a three-day training course on standard operating procedures awareness and an update of the technical assessment of national capabilities and infrastructure for forensic ballistics last undertaken by UNLIREC and the National Forensic Science Service in 2013. The cooperation was launched with an executive seminar for the institutional clients of firearms forensic ballistics in Belize.
The three-day training course on standard operating procedures in forensic ballistics enabled 12 participants, including forensic experts, firearms examiners and scenes of crime analysts to increase their knowledge on topics, such as bullet damaged items, range of fire, serial number restoration and others. The course included mapping and comparison microscopy exercises and understanding of wound ballistics by participating in an autopsy. This was also a key opportunity for participants to exchange best practices and challenges faced in the field.
The national assessment update, carried out in cooperation with the National Forensic Science Services, took into consideration the occupational health and safety of the firearms examiners (e.g. lead contamination), adequate protective equipment, firearms safety protocols, evidence management, as well as the continuing education plans for firearms and toolmark examiners and other laboratory personnel. The main recommendations of the assessment will be integrated in the two year capacity-building work plan for forensic ballistics.
The seminar raised the awareness of institutional clients (chief justice, heads of investigative and crime scene units, prosecutors, custom officers and magistrates among others) of firearms forensic ballistics on the strengths and shortcomings of forensic ballistics in support of building court cases, as well as in generating intelligence to identify sources and routes used for illicit arms trafficking. In addition, UNLIREC staff provided a review of best practices in forensic ballistics analysis and investigative techniques.
UNLIREC´s assistance to the Government of Belize is made possible thanks to a grant from the Government of Canada’s Anti-Crime Capacity-building Programme.
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 UN 2001 Programme of Action on Small Arms.
For more information on UNLIREC visit (www.unlirec.org). Please direct all questions or inquiries to Amanda Cowl, Political Affairs Officer (cowl@unlirec.org).
Oct 15, 2015 | Uncategorized
The United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC) donated 40 replica weapons to the Judicial Investigation Department of Costa Rica. This donation was made as a follow-up to UNLIREC’s delivery of a specialized course on the management of small arms and ammunition as evidence held earlier this year.
The course increased the participants’ knowledge of and techniques for appropriate crime scene management and the collection of firearms and ammunition as evidence in judicial proceedings, investigations, and intelligence gathering. The rubber dummy weapons were donated to be used in similar trainings where participants handle, transport, pack, and package firearms.
Given that they are identical to real firearms in size and weight, these replica weapons allow for safe and efficient simulations without detracting from the pedagogical component. Using real weapons for training can be dangerous, which makes this type of replica very useful for institutions whose tasks and responsibilities put them in contact with firearms.
The donation consists of 40 weapons (20 short and 20 long) of different types (rifles, pistols, shotguns, and revolvers), brands and models made from polymer material that are impact and rust resistant. The Judicial Investigation Department plan to use these replica guns in its trainings as of November 2015.
This specialized course forms part of UNLIREC’s regional project ‘Preventing Armed Violence in Central America through the Combat of Illicit Trafficking in Small Arms’, which is financed by Germany and Spain. By providing assistance to Latin American and Caribbean States, UNLIREC contributes to improving public security and supports States’ implementation of the UN 2001 Programme of Action on Small Arms (UN 2001 PoA).
For more information about UNLIREC, visit (www.unlirec.org), or contact Amanda Cowl, Political Affairs Officer (cowl@unlirec.org).
Oct 13, 2015 | Uncategorized
The United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC) continues to support States in the region to implement the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT). On 13 October, UNLIREC and Guatemala’s Ministry of National Defence, inaugurated UNLIREC’s Arms Trade Treaty Implementation Course in Guatemala City.
The 29 participants from 8 different institutions, increased their knowledge on the classification of conventional arms, identification of trends in the arms trade, and on national control systems of exportation and importation. Following the theoretical part of the course, an interactive practical exercise was conducted on arms transfer assessments in the regional context. During this activity, a model end-user certificate was presented to participants, which succeeds at standardizing international best practices to reduce the risk of arms, ammunition, parts and components being diverted to illicit channels. The course was imparted by UNLIREC experts in collaboration with the DIGECAM legal department, which shared its national experiences.
The four-day course aims to provide States with sufficient tools to ensure the effective implementation of the Treaty so that adequate control mechanisms can be established for all international transfers of arms, ammunition and their parts and components in order to avoid their illegal diversion and their use in criminal activities.
Thanks to the financial support from donors, the course and instruction materials are available to all ratifying States in Latin America and the Caribbean. To date, 16 countries in the region have ratified the Treaty, which entered into force 24 December 2014: Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belice, Costa Rica, Dominica, La República Dominicana, El Salvador, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, México, Panamá, Paraguay, Santa Lucia, San Cristóbal y Nieves, San Vicente y las Granadinas, Trinidad y Tobago, y Uruguay.
For more information on UNLIREC visit (www.unlirec.org). Please direct all questions or inquiries to Amanda Cowl, Political Affairs Officer (cowl@unlirec.org).
Oct 3, 2015 | Uncategorized
El Centro Regional de las Naciones Unidas para la Paz, el Desarme y el Desarrollo en América Latina y el Caribe (UNLIREC) continúa con el trabajo de apoyo a los Estados de América Latina y el Caribe con el objetivo de asistirles en la implementación del Tratado sobre el Comercio de Armas (TCA). El pasado 10 de Marzo, UNLIREC y el Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores de la República de El Salvador dieron por inaugurado el Curso de Implementación del Tratado sobre el Comercio de Armas (CITCA) en San Salvador.
En la ceremonia de inauguración, el Vice Ministro de Relaciones Exteriores, Integración y Promoción Económica, Carlos Castaneda agradeció el apoyo de UNLIREC, de la República Federal de Alemania y del Reino de España por hacer posible la capacitación técnica de 35 funcionarios de instituciones salvadoreñas. Al acto de inauguración, acudieron el Embajador de Alemania en el país, Heinrich Haupt; el encargado de Negocios de la Embajada de España en El Salvador, Fernando Villena; y la Oficial de Asuntos Legales de UNLIREC, Sonia Fernández. Todos ellos enfatizaron la importancia de una implementación efectiva del Tratado para ayudar a reforzar los controles que mantendrán las armas y sus municiones lejos de las manos de terroristas, criminales y violadores de los Derechos Humanos.
Las instituciones participantes fueron los Ministerios de la Defensa Nacional, Justicia y Seguridad Pública y Relaciones Exteriores, las Direcciones Generales de la Policía Nacional Civil y de Aduanas, el Comité Interinstitucional de Derecho Internacional Humanitario y miembros de la coalición Armas Bajo Control de la sociedad civil. Todos ellos tuvieron la oportunidad de analizar el contexto del comercio de armas en América Latina y El Caribe, clasificar armas y elementos bajo el ámbito de aplicación del Tratado, comprobar sus conocimientos sobre las disposiciones normativas a aplicar, familiarizarse con documentación de uso y usuario final y simular la toma de decisiones desde la perspectiva de la autoridad nacional de control. El Curso fue facilitado por profesionales expertos de UNLIREC y contó con la colaboración de funcionarios del gobierno mexicano y español, quienes compartieron sus experiencias nacionales.
El CITCA de una duración de 4 días tiene como objetivo proporcionar a los Estados las herramientas suficientes para asegurar la implementación efectiva del Tratado de manera que se establezcan los mecanismos de control adecuados en todas las transferencias internacionales de armas, municiones y sus partes y componentes de manera que se reduzca el paso de las armas a la ilegalidad y su uso por parte de criminales.
Gracias al apoyo de los donantes, el curso de capacitación y los materiales de instrucción están disponibles para los Estados ratificantes en toda América Latina y el Caribe. Hasta la fecha, 16 países de la región han ratificado el TCA, que entró en vigor el pasado día 24 de Diciembre de 2014: Antigua y Barbuda, Argentina, Bahamas, Costa Rica, República Dominicana, El Salvador, Granada, Guyana, Jamaica, México, Panamá, Santa Lucía, San Cristóbal y Nieves, San Vicente y las Granadinas, Trinidad y Tobago y Uruguay. En los próximos meses se espera que otros Estados de la región se sumen al grupo de Estados ratificantes.
For more information on UNLIREC visit (www.unlirec.org.) Please direct all questions or inquiries to: Ms. Amanda Cowl, Political Affairs Officer, at (cowl@unlirec.org).
Fuente: UNLIREC
Sep 28, 2015 | Uncategorized
From 28 September to 2 October 2015, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC), in collaboration with the government of Jamaica, delivered a three-day training course, a technical assessment of national capabilities and infrastructures, and a seminar for the institutional clients of firearms forensic ballistics in Kingston. These clients included heads of investigative and crime scene units, prosecutors, and magistrates, among others.
The training course on operational forensic ballistics enabled 18 participants, including firearms examiners, technicians and specialized Ministry of National Security personnel, to increase their knowledge on topics, such as firearms and ammunition identification and examination, comparison microscopy, and range of fire determination. The course included mapping and comparison microscopy exercises, double-casting demonstration and a simulation of the presentation of expert testimony of forensic ballistic evidence in a court of law. This was the opportunity for participants to exchange best practices and challenges faced in the field.
The national assessment, carried out in cooperation with the Firearms Licensing Authority and the Institute of Forensic Science and Legal Medicine, took into consideration the occupational health and safety of the firearms examiners (e.g. lead contamination), adequate protective equipment, firearms safety protocols, evidence management, as well as the continuing education plans for firearms and toolmark examiners and other laboratory personnel. The main recommendations of the assessment will be integrated into the two year capacity-building work plan for forensic ballistics.
The seminar raised the awareness of institutional clients of firearms forensic ballistics on the strengths and shortcomings of forensic ballistics in support of building court cases, as well as in generating intelligence to identify sources and routes used for illicit arms trafficking. In addition, UNLIREC staff provided a review of best practices in forensic ballistics analysis and investigative techniques.
This initiative forms part of the UNLIREC’s Caribbean operational forensic ballistics assistance package, made possible thanks to the support of the US Department of State.
UNLIREC, as the regional organ of the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs, 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 UN 2001 Programme of Action on Small Arms.
For more information on UNLIREC visit (www.unlirec.org). Please direct all questions or inquiries to Amanda Cowl, Political Affairs Officer (cowl@unlirec.org).
Sep 12, 2015 | Uncategorized
As part of its technical assistance package to strengthen the implementation of UNSCR 1540 (2004), the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC) partnered with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) from 19-20 August 2015 to conduct a risk management table top exercise in maritime security in collaboration with the Trinidad and Tobago Ministry of National Security. Over 15 stakeholders from various agencies and institutions engaged in active discussions around a series of potential threat scenarios and cases presented by the IMO experts. Participants addressed issues relating to inter-institutional coordination, adoption of preventive and reactive measures to certain threats, review of existing operating procedures at the various agencies and existing legal framework establishing roles, and responsibilities of relevant institutions.
This table top exercise, aimed specifically at addressing the obligations on adoption of border control measures contained in operative paragraph 3 of resolution 1540 (2004), complements UNLIREC’s work in Trinidad and Tobago in other critical areas, such as modernization of legislation, export controls and identification and handling of nuclear, chemical or biological material, which could be used for proliferation purposes.
This represents the fifth activity conducted by UNLIREC in the country since the beginning of the programme in early 2014, and forms an important part of the training component of the national action plan outline that UNLIREC has been discussing with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and all of the relevant stakeholders over the past few months. The basic action plan outline has several components, one of which is the provision of training in several fields relating to the implementation of the resolution, including in the area of border controls.
UNLIREC has reaffirmed its commitment to continued collaboration with the Government of Trinidad and Tobago to further strengthen the implementation of resolution 1540 (2004) in the country. Following a concrete request from the Ministry in December 2014 within the context of the broad assistance package that UNLIREC is rolling out in Trinidad and Tobago, specific work plans have been drafted with the Ministry of National Security’s anti money laundering division establishing activities and work sessions aimed at assisting the government’s efforts to adopt measures to prevent the financing of proliferation, and a work session with practitioners is being discussed for October. This is an area directly related to operative paragraph 2 and the obligation to refrain from financing any of the activities indicated in the previous operative paragraph of the resolution.
Consultations are also due to commence in the near future with the Ministry of Legal Affairs to discuss the legislative framework and the recommendations made by UNLIREC in the legal study presented in 2014.
UNLIREC will maintain its partnership with the IMO to deliver similar risk management courses in other target states in the Caribbean. Belize has indicated its interest in hosting training of this nature, and discussions are currently underway to establish a date for a two-day course in October 2015.
This exercise forms part of UNLIREC’s 1540 Assistance Package for Caribbean States with the financial support of the United States Department of State´s Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation.
For more information about UNLIREC, visit (www.unlirec.org) or contact Amanda Cowl, Political Affairs Officer, at (cowl@unlirec.org).
