Apr 24, 2015 | Uncategorized
The United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC) conducted a training workshop on Best International Stockpile Management Practices and Standards in Santo Domingo from 22-23 April 2015.
The objective of this technical workshop was to provide specialized knowledge to government institutions with responsibilities in management and protection of firearms and ammunition. Through this event, UNLIREC trained 24 officials from the Department of Defense, Ministry of Interior and Police, Directorate General of Customs, Office of the General Prosecutor, National Police, and National Arms System in the implementation of UN International Small Arms Control Standards (ISACS) and International Ammunition Technical Guidelines (IATGs) regarding the stockpile management and storage of small arms and ammunition.
The workshop highlighted the definition and classification of firearms, ammunition and explosives; arms proliferation; dangerous materials; small arms and ammunition stockpile management; as well as risk management and security planning. Participants were able to combine theory with dynamics through a unique practical exercise.
Stockpile management is a crucial element in firearms control since it reduces the risk of theft and loss of arms and ammunitions and their diversion into illegal trafficking. Similarly, appropriate management and security of arms and ammunition reduce the risks of explosions and other human errors and/or natural disasters. It is expected that the workshop will contribute to the standardization of norms for state facilities to minimize the possibility of arms and ammunition leakage.
Upon culmination of the workshop, Dalma Diaz, Director of the Evidence Control Office in the Public Ministry in Santo Domingo, made the following announcement: “What has impacted me is to realize the amount of risks we take daily at our job. From this day on, we will start taking the necessary measures to minimize them.”
The technical workshop forms part of UNLIREC’s regional project ‘Preventing Armed Violence in Central America and the Dominican Republic through the Combat of Illicit Trafficking in Firearms’ financed by the Federal Government of Germany. By providing assistance to Latin America and Caribbean, UNLIREC contributes to improving public security and supports States implementation of the UN Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects (UN 2001 PoA).
For more information about UNLIREC, visit (www.unlirec.org) or contact Amanda Cowl, Political Affairs Officer, at (cowl@unlirec.org).
Mar 25, 2015 | Uncategorized
The United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC), in collaboration with the Judicial Investigation Office (JIO) of Costa Rica, delivered a Specialized Course in the Management of Small Arms and Ammunition as Evidence from 25-27 March 2015 in San Jose.
To further prepare Costa Rica’s security and justice representatives, UNLIREC trained 28 of its officials during a three-day on crime scene management and small arms and ammunition confiscation as key components for judicial proceedings, investigation and gathering of intelligence. The programme stressed the articulation and collaboration among all the actors involved in the process of ammunition and small arms custody ranging from intelligence operators and crime scene managers to prosecutors in the judicial system.
The content of the workshop included topics, such as identification and classification of small arms and ammunition; proliferation and illicit trafficking of small arms and ammunition; investigation and intelligence tools; as well as national legislation on the matter. Additionally, at the end of the course, participants engaged in a practical exercise consisting of processing a fictional crime scene in which small arms and ammunition were the main pieces of evidence. Through this exercise, participants put into practice the theoretical knowledge learned throughout the course.
An adequate gathering of information and collection of physical evidence of small arms and ammunition depends on crime scene management and the chain of custody, as well as information that could be used in the subsequent stages of the criminal investigation. Judges rely on this information to pronounce sentences on behaviour that constitutes a crime, improving the efficacy of the judicial system and avoiding impunity.
UNLIREC, within the framework of assisting Latin American and Caribbean States in the control of small arms and ammunition, has observed that errors made at the investigation site or during the handling and transporting of evidence may render evidence invalid. These mistakes preclude their use during the investigation, resulting in impunity and high expenditures within the judicial and criminal system. This specialized course was designed to respond to existing gaps in the training and education of field researchers and first responders to crime scenes.
This specialized course forms part of UNLIREC’s regional project ‘Preventing Armed Violence in Central America and the Dominican Republic through the Combat of Illicit Trafficking in Firearms’ financed by the Federal Government of Germany. By providing assistance to Latin America and Caribbean, UNLIREC contributes to improving public security and supports States implementation of the UN Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects (UN 2001 PoA).
For more information about UNLIREC, visit (www.unlirec.org) or contact Amanda Cowl, Political Affairs Officer (cowl@unlirec.org).
Mar 23, 2015 | Uncategorized
On 23-24 March 2015, UNLIREC convened a two-day workshop within the context of its assistance package for Caribbean States on the Implementation of Resolution 1540(2004). This package, currently funded by the United States Department of State, targets five countries: Belize, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago.
Discussions focused on national implementation experiences, particularly on strategic trade controls and related policies and legislation, as well as on the creation of control lists, industry engagement, border controls, issues relating to proliferation financing and national action plans. States also had the opportunity to provide feedback on cooperation with UNLIREC, share experiences, and exchange ideas on possible measures to be taken in order to effectively implement the resolution.
Officials stressed the importance of implementing strategic trade controls in order to ensure that the region´s vulnerabilities are not leveraged for proliferation purposes. Discussion also revolved around the implementation of an effective legislative and regulatory framework which would establish not only an effective licensing system, but also the requisite control lists for related materials.
UNLIREC adopted a different approach for the workshop, encouraging a non-traditional format, whereby focus was placed on open dialogue, practical exercises, and exchange of ideas. As a result, the meeting allowed for active engagement with Member States, as well as with technical implementing partners and academia.
Special mention was made by one of the representatives of the Group of Experts that, on 20 March 2015, Grenada formally submitted its voluntary national action plan to the 1540 Committee making it the first Caribbean State to submit a plan of this nature. During the workshop, States acknowledged the utility of a voluntary national action plan as a key tool through which governments could establish priorities in order to effectively implement the obligations under the resolution. Presentations were delivered by the delegations of Colombia, Grenada and Mexico informing participants of the process that was followed to prepare their respective national action plans as well as the main priorities and principles that were included.
The workshop was the culmination of fifteen months of ongoing consultations with Member States and brought together both technical partners and government officials with whom the Centre has interacted over the past months. Representatives from Belize, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Jamaica, Mexico, South Africa, Trinidad and Tobago, as well as from the Group of Experts assisting the 1540 Committee, the Department of Energy’s Argonne Laboratory, CARICOM, the Center of International Trade and Security (University of Georgia), the International Maritime Organization, the Organization of American States, the Stimson Center, the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs, private law practice Wilmer Hale, the US Department of State and VERTIC were all present during the two-day meeting.
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).
Mar 6, 2015 | Uncategorized
The First Regional Meeting on the Control of Firearms and Explosives for Civil Use was held in Lima from 3-5 June, 2015, within the framework of the South American Council of Citizen Security, Justice and Coordination of Action against Transnational Organized Crime of the Union of South American Nations (USAN). This activity was organized by the National Regulatory Entity for Security Services, Firearms, Ammunition and Explosives for Civil Use (SUCAMEC) of Peru.
The United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament, and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC) was invited to the event which aimed at strengthening the levels of collaboration on the control of firearms and explosives for civil use among USAN members. UNLIREC participation included the presentation of two lectures; one on the control of explosives for civil use, and the other on programmes for voluntary surrender of weapons.
The UNASUR State’s representatives attending this event presented their regulatory frameworks and experiences on the control of weapons and ammunition of civilian use. UNLIREC’s presentations, as well as those of the other invited institutions, provided inputs for the debate on good practices and exchange of experiences on the topic among participating States.
Through its assistance to Latin American and the 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 the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects (UN 2001 PoA) and the 2014 Arms Trade Treaty (ATT).
For more information about UNLIREC, visit (www.unlirec.org) or contact Amanda Cowl, Political Affairs Officer, at (cowl@unlirec.org).
Source: UNLIREC
Mar 3, 2015 | Uncategorized
As part of the integral technical assistance package that UNLIREC is delivering in Trinidad and Tobago for strengthening the implementation of resolution 1540 (2004), the UNLIREC team worked together with officials from Interpol and FBI to provide training for law enforcement officials for the detection and handling of sensitive dual use chemical materials and improvised explosives from 3-5 March 2015 in the country’s capital, Port of Spain.
During the three-day workshop, participants from the Police Force, Defense Force, Customs and Excise, Port Authority, Special Forces and Fire Department, among others, had the opportunity to study some of the main chemicals and potential explosive material that is readily available in the island. The theoretical sessions included a basic introduction to explosives and improvised explosives, detection of sensitive chemicals, processing of crime scenes and post blast scenarios. These sessions were further complemented by practical demonstrations at the range, where instructors conducted controlled explosions to demonstrate the potential risks of some of the elements procured.
Issues such as the importance of interagency collaboration for effective border controls, dialogue and outreach with the relevant industry, control lists for dual use chemicals and sustained training were highlighted during the course. UNLIREC will work with the government of Trinidad and Tobago and its course partners to explore avenues for conducting further training in this field at the subregional level and seek to include delegations from other countries.
The United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC) forms part of the Regional Disarmament Branch (RDB), one of five branches of the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA). UNLIREC is the only UN regional entity specialized in disarmament and non-proliferation in the Latin American and Caribbean region. Its main function is to translate the decisions, instruments and commitments of Member States in the field of disarmament and non-proliferation into action, at national, sub-regional and regional levels. In short, UNLIREC supports Latin American and Caribbean States in achieving and maintaining peace and security through disarmament.
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).
Source: UNLIREC
Feb 28, 2015 | Uncategorized
The United Nation Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC) continues to support Latin American and Caribbean States with the aim of assisting them in the implementation of the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT). In this regard, UNLIREC delivered a new course on ATT implementation from 28-30 January in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, with the financial support of Germany, Spain and Australia.
Officials from the Ministries of Interior and Police, Defense, as well as staff of the Directorate of Customs, Senate of the Republic, National System of Arms, National Police and General Attorney participated in the intense three-day training event. All participants increased their knowledge on classification of conventional arms, identification of trends in arms trade, and analysis of 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.
Both the Brigadier General Ricardo Rosa Chupany, Vice Minister for the Arms Control of the Ministry of Interior and Police, and the Director of UNLIREC, Melanie Régimbal, highlighted the need to strengthen capacity to ensure robust implementation of the Treaty, greater success in combating illicit trafficking in conventional arms, and improved security across the region.
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, Bahamas, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama, Saint Lucia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago and Uruguay. In the coming months, it is expected that other countries in the region will join the group of ratifying States.
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).
