Oct 23, 2013 | Uncategorized
From 23 to 24 October 2013, the National Regulatory Entity for Security Services, Firearms, Ammunition and Explosives for Civil Use (SUCAMEC) and the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC) organized a training workshop on firearms control in Lima, Peru. The event provided a forum for almost 50 SUCAMEC officials to delve into this issue with particular emphasis on the identification and classification of firearms, ammunition and explosives; national and international disarmament-related instruments; disarmament campaigns; firearms and ammunition marking; stockpile management; among others.
This workshop forms part of an on-going series of collaborative initiatives being undertaken by SUCAMEC and UNLIREC aimed at strengthening firearms control in Peru and to support its efforts to implement the Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects (UN 2001 PoA). The next event in this series is set to take place on 21 November whereby 15 SUCAMEC officials will be trained on weapons destruction preparation techniques (planning, packaging, labeling, transport) and monitoring and verification processes. The actual destruction event will take place on 11 December in which 3,500 weapons are expected to be destroyed via melting.
For more information on UNLIREC visit (www.unlirec.org). For enquiries, please contact Amanda Cowl, Political Affairs Officer (cowl@unlirec.org).
Oct 21, 2013 | Uncategorized
Del 21 al 26 de octubre de 2013, el Centro Regional de las Naciones Unidas para la Paz, el Desarme y el Desarrollo en América Latina y el Caribe (UNLIREC), en estrecha colaboración con el Ministerio de Defensa de Surinam, brindó apoyo en la destrucción de cerca de 700 armas excedentes y obsoletas y 0.2 toneladas de municiones de armas pequeñas. Todas las armas pequeñas fueron destruidas utilizando un equipo de cizallas que UNLIREC proporcionó al Ministerio de Defensa de Surinam, mientras que las municiones fueron incineradas usando el Tanque de Quemado de Municiones de armas pequeñas (TAQUEMU). Se registraron todas las armas y municiones destruidas en conformidad con los procedimientos operativos estandarizados basados en normas de la ONU: Normas Internacionales para el Control de Armas Pequeñas (ISACS, por sus siglas en inglés) y los Lineamientos Técnicos Internacionales de Municiones (IATG, por sus siglas en inglés).
UNLIREC también proporcionó capacitación sobre técnicas de destrucción de armas de fuego y municiones a diecisiete funcionarios de las fuerzas del orden con el objetivo de establecer capacidades técnicas y de recursos humanos de manera permanente para realizar destrucciones independientes.
La asistencia de UNLIREC a Surinam forma parte de un programa de UNLIREC para los países Caribeños en la destrucción de armas de fuego y manejo de arsenales, destinado a luchar contra el tráfico ilícito, reduciendo el riesgo de robo y desvío de armas de fuego, municiones y explosivos en propiedad del gobierno.
La asistencia brindada por UNLIREC a Surinam fue posible gracias a una donación del Gobierno de los Estados Unidos de América.
UNLIREC sirve a 33 países de la región para asistir en el desarrollo de las políticas de desarme y en la implementación de los instrumentos internacionales de desarme, en particular el Programa de Acción sobre Armas Pequeñas de la ONU (2001).
Para mayor información sobre UNLIREC visite su página web [www.unlirec.org]. Si tuviese alguna consulta comuníquese con: Amanda Cowl, Oficial de Asuntos Políticos, a [cowl@unlirec.org].
Oct 14, 2013 | Uncategorized
The Government of Ecuador – under the coordination of the National Technical Team for Chemical and Biological Weapons and the Biological Weapons Convention Implementation Support Unit (ISU) – held a workshop on implementing the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) in the city of Quito on 14 October 2013. The objective of this event was to outline the activities in the national plan of action for the period 2013-2014 with funding from the European Union. Thus, it was agreed that the assistance provided by the ISU, in addition to consolidating these activities, would provide support in the drafting of a law concerning biological weapons as part of the comprehensive legislative reform on weapons, ammunitions, and explosives with technical assistance from VERTIC (the Verification Research, Training and Information Centre) and UNLIREC.
In this regard, a three-day meeting was held from 15-17 October with the National Authority on the matter, legal advisors from the ministry, VERTIC and UNLIREC, with a view to drafting a law on weapons, ammunitions and explosives which includes specific provisions on biological weapons in compliance with the provisions found in BWC, of which Ecuador has been a State Party since 1975.
Additionally, upon request from the National Authority, UNLIREC and VERTIC supported the drafting of a proposal to incorporate criminal penalties (crimes) on illicit activities relating to biological and chemical weapons and also in the manufacturing and illicit trafficking of firearms, their parts and components, ammunitions and explosives in the new Organic Penal Code (currently in the process of debate and approval in the Ecuadorian Legislative Assembly). The activity ended with the final draft of the project on the biological weapons law.
For more information about UNLIREC, visit its web page [www.unlirec.com]. For any questions, contact Amanda Cowl, Political Affairs Officer at [cowl@unlirec.org].
Oct 6, 2013 | Uncategorized
From 10 – 14 June 2013, the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affair’s Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC) and the Government of Guyana conducted a joint national baseline assessment on capacities and needs in the area of stockpile management and destruction. This mission is the first step in the formulation of a national action plan (NAP) for weapons and ammunition destruction to be jointly implemented by UNLIREC and the Government.
The draft NAP will include recommendations for assistance in the areas of stockpile management, firearms and ammunition destruction; legal and policy review and development; and training and capacity-building of law enforcement officials, including Guyanese participation in a Caribbean Regional Armoury Management Training Course. The assistance provided by UNLIREC will contribute to the combat of illicit trafficking of firearms, ammunition and explosives and thus to greater security in Guyana and in the region. UNLIREC assistance to the Government of Guyana is made possible thanks to a grant from the U.S. Department of State.
UNLIREC, the regional arm of the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs, is based in Lima, Peru and serves 33 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. A key element of UNLIREC’s mandate is to assist States in the implementation of arms control and disarmament programmes, such as the implementation of the 2001 UN Programme of Action on Small Arms.
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].
Oct 5, 2013 | Uncategorized
A series of destruction initiatives in the Dominican Republic resulted in over 30,000 firearms and 30 tonnes of ammunition being destroyed in a collaborative effort between the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC) and the Ministry of the Armed Forces of the Dominican Republic (MAF-DR). These achievements demonstrate the success in the implementation of a National Action Plan for Stockpile Management and Firearms and Ammunition Destruction – jointly developed by UNLIREC and MAF-DR in 2010 – thanks to a grant provided by the Office for Weapons Removal and Abatement at the U.S. Department of State.
Since 2010, UNLIREC has provided the Dominican Republic with pioneering destruction equipment and technical know-how on managing stockpiles and destroying weapons according to internationally-accepted best practices and guidelines. By providing the Dominican Republic with permanent technical and human resource capacity as well as infrastructure, this Caribbean State advances one step further toward independent stockpile management and destruction measures plus avoidance of possible weapons re-entry into illicit trafficking rings.
When asked to comment on the impact of the destruction measures, Mélanie Régimbal, Director of UNLIREC, commented that “if each firearm and bullet destroyed in the Dominican Republic represents the potential to kill, hurt or threaten someone, then the United Nations, together with the MAF-DR, have contributed to preventing tens of thousands of gun-related crimes”. Régimbal praised the pro-active participation by two female officials from the munitions depot in their role as technical team leaders in the final phase of the destruction process giving life to UN General Assembly resolution 65/69 on “women, disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control”.
Over the last 3 years, UNLIREC has also helped to enhance the security of 40 weapons and ammunition stockpile facilities belonging to the Dominican Army, Navy and Air Force. UNLIREC trained over 50 officials in stockpile management and in destruction standards and operations. The next phase of UNLIREC assistance to the Dominican Republic, to begin in July 2013, will include specialized training of judges and prosecutors to reduce impunity in cases of illicit firearms and ammunition trafficking.
UNLIREC, the regional arm of the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs, based in Lima, Peru, assists 33 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean in their implementation of arms control and disarmament programmes and instruments, such as 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: Ms. Amanda Cowl, Political Affairs Officer at (cowl@unlirec.org).
Sep 17, 2013 | Uncategorized
The United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC) in collaboration with the Dominican Republic’s Ministry of Interior and Police, held a seminar on Inter-Institutional Coordination Mechanisms to combat illicit firearms trafficking on 17 September 2013 in Santo Domingo.
The seminar brought together 16 representatives from different institutions including the Armed Forces Ministry, Ministry of Interior and Police, National Police, Ministry of Industry and Commerce, Chamber of Deputies, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, National Arms System, and the Directorate General of Customs. The event was chaired by the Deputy Ministers of Social Management and Public Security of the Ministry of Interior and Police, as well as UNLIREC representatives, and included the participation of representatives from the Central American Programme on Small Arms Control (CASAC).
The seminar, which coincided with the Global Week of Action against Gun Violence, addressed issues closely related to the prevention and reduction of violence committed with firearms, as well as the national mechanisms aimed at coordinating inter-institutional efforts to tackle public safety challenges, such as armed violence and the illicit trafficking of firearms. Discussion focused on the gaps and difficulties in dealing with the scourge of illicit trafficking, while at the same time on good practices adopted in the region. Finally, this activity offered a platform for dialogue on reforming the current legal framework – a process currently under way – with a view to adopting a new firearms law.
This initiative forms part of an overall sub-regional assistance package that UNLIREC offers to Caribbean States, which initiated in the Dominican Republic in 2010. The assistance package contains activities aimed at improving stockpile management and weapons destruction; providing legal assistance; and training security sector representatives. This assistance is made possible thanks to the generous contribution from the United States Government.
As the Regional Centre of the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs, UNLIREC serves 33 States in the region in assisting them in the development of disarmament policies and the implementation of international disarmament instruments, most notably the UN 2001 Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons.
For more information on UNLIREC visit (www.unlirec.org). For enquiries, please contact Amanda Cowl, Political Affairs Officer (cowl@unlirec.org).
