Mar 6, 2013 | Uncategorized
From 3 – 7 June 2013, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament Development in Latin America the Caribbean (UNLIREC), the Ministry of National Security (MNS) and the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) collaborated in the destruction of 6.8 tonnes of surplus and obsolete small arms and light weapons ammunition. Eighteen Jamaican officials were trained on the safe operation of the UNLIREC-designed small arms ammunition burning tank (SAABT). Additionally, six JDF officials were trained in light weapons ammunition destruction operations according to the UN International Ammunition Technical Guidelines.
In December 2010, UNLIREC and the MNS jointly formulated a National Action Plan for Firearms and Ammunition Stockpile Management and Destruction resulting in the destruction of 1,972 surplus, obsolete and confiscated weapons and nearly seven tonnes of small arms and light weapons ammunition. Additionally, as part of the National Action Plan, security was enhanced at government stockpile facilities with the installation of international standard padlocks and 57 officials were trained in techniques to combat illicit trafficking in firearms, ammunition and explosives.
UNLIREC assistance to the Government of Jamaica is made possible thanks to a grant from the U.S. Department of State, which forms part of a wider US-funded Caribbean Assistance Package. To date, UNLIREC and the Member States of the Caribbean have destroyed more than 40,000 weapons and 57 tonnes of ammunition as part of this package.
Sound stockpile management practices and the regular destruction of surplus, obsolete and confiscated weapons and ammunition are key measures called for in the UN 2001 Programme of Action on Small Arms for combating proliferation and preventing armed violence. UNLIREC, the regional arm of the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs, is based in Lima, Peru, and provides technical assistance to the 33 countries of Latin America and the Caribbean.
For more information on UNLIREC visit (www.unlirec.org). Please direct all questions or inquiries to: Ms. Amanda Cowl, Political Affairs Officer (cowl@unlirec.org).
Feb 27, 2013 | Uncategorized
The United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC) and the Centre for Research and Promotion of Human Rights (CIPRODEH) partnered to support the Secretariat of Security of the Republic of Honduras in organizing a Legal Seminar on the Draft Law for the Control of Firearms, Ammunition, Explosives and other Related Materials in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. The seminar was held thanks to the generous contribution of the Federal Republic of Germany.
The seminar brought together 62 participants (22 women) from various institutions including the Secretariat for Security, the Secretariat of Defence, the Presidency of the Republic, the National Assembly, civil society organizations, private security companies and shooting sports associations. The seminar was presided over by the Minister of Security Pompeyo Bonilla, while the Honourable Deputy Mario Pérez, President of the Security Commission of the National Congress, moderated the open discussions.
During the seminar, UNLIREC presented a legal report on the draft law vis a vis the international instruments in the global and regional contexts and the International Small Arms Control Standards. It is worth mentioning that this draft bill has been revised and agreed upon by the security and defence sectors of the Government as well as civil society organizations, and is currently awaiting government approval in the National Congress.
The Deputies will have to deliberate and come to a consensus on positions regarding controversial issues, such as the number of licenses and firearms per person and the possession and carrying of these weapons; the minimum age limit for obtaining a firearms license; calibres authorized for civil use and calibres restricted for use by law enforcement authorities; the organization and functioning of ballistic records; and stricter controls for private security companies and their firearms, among others. The draft bill is expected to be debated in the National Congress in the coming weeks.
This activity forms part of the assistance package entitled “Preventing Armed Violence in Central America through the Combat of Illicit Trafficking in Firearms,” which supports the efforts made by the States in the region to improve public security and enhance their implementation of the United Nations Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trafficking in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All its Aspects (UN 2001 PoA).
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].
Feb 25, 2013 | Uncategorized
From 25 February to 8 March 2013, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC) – in close collaboration with the Government of Belize – conducted a 10-day training course to combat illicit firearms trafficking for Belizean security and justice sector officials.
The Inter-Institutional Training Course on Combating the Illicit Trafficking in Firearms, Ammunition and Explosives (IITC), the first of its kind in Belize, was held at the Police Academy in Belmopan and resulted in the training of more than 40 law enforcement officers and justice operators. Course participants bolstered their ability to carry out interactive firearms investigative techniques in keeping with international standards and best practices. Participants received specialized training in the following areas: technical aspects of weapons and ammunition identification, intelligence gathering and crime scene management, tracing and preparation of evidence in criminal proceedings, as well as practical disarmament measures, such as weapons destruction and stockpile management. The course also covered cross-cutting issues related to the use of force, gender awareness and child protection.
Since 2004, UNLIREC has trained over 3,500 law enforcement officers throughout Latin America and the Caribbean, strengthening the capacities of States in the region to address the problem of the proliferation of and trafficking in firearms and ammunition.
On this occasion, UNLIREC also provided technical assistance to the Government of Belize for the destruction of more than 15,000 rounds of surplus small arms ammunition from 7-8 March 2013. The destruction of ammunition was carried out in collaboration with the Belizean Defence and Police Forces using UNLIREC’s patented SAABT (Small Arms Ammunition Burning Tank). In 2012, UNLIREC joined forces with the Belize Police and Defence Force in destroying more than 1,300 obsolete and seized firearms. All of the destruction activities contribute to reducing the risk of both diversion and unplanned explosions at munitions sites.
These activities, aimed at strengthening the capacity of the security forces and reducing armed violence in Belize and the region, form part of UNLIREC’s Firearms Assistance Package for Caribbean States. The activities carried out in Belize were made possible thanks to the financial support of the Government of the United States of America.
UNLIREC serves 33 countries 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.
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].
Feb 18, 2013 | Uncategorized
On 14-15 February 2013, UNLIREC and the Verification, Research, Training and Information Centre (VERTIC), joined forces to assist Colombia in its implementation of the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC). This two-day workshop was the result of an official request by the country and was carried out in collaboration with the Colombian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The workshop brought together national representatives from all sectors of the Government including the health, commerce as well as the security and justice sectors. Several research and investigation organizations as well as private industry representatives also participated in this innovative workshop to discuss and review the main obligations contained in the BTWC.
Representatives from UNLIREC, VERTIC and the BTWC Implementation Support Unit provided national authorities with technical and legal guidance for the drafting of new legislation related to biological weapons. VERTIC’s comprehensive legal diagnostic served as the basis for the debate. The 2012 study compares current national legislation with the provisions found in the BTWC. The Seminar also provided an opportunity to discuss the creation of a national commission which would be responsible for the coordination and monitoring of the implementation of the BTWC. As a result of the Workshop, an informal working group chaired by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was formed. This working group will spearhead the establishment of the national commission and legal reform process. The working group will also be responsible for the preparation and submission of Colombia’s 2013 Confidence Building Measures Forms.
The UNLIREC and VERTIC partnership will continue to focus on raising awareness among States in the region of the obligations set out under the BTWC and providing legal assistance in the revision and drafting of national legislation to ensure consistency with the obligations found in the BTWC Convention, as well as other non-proliferation instruments.
For further information on UNLIREC, visit (www.unlirec.org). For inquiries please contact: Amanda Cowl, Political Affairs Officer mailto:cowl@unlirec.org
Feb 18, 2013 | Uncategorized
From 18 – 22 February 2013 the United Nations Office for Disarmament’s Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC) conducted a national firearms baseline assessment mission in Suriname. This mission is the initial segment of technical cooperation between UNLIREC and Suriname.
UNLIREC Experts were in Paramaribo at the request of the Government of Suriname as the first step in UNLIREC assistance to this country under Phase II of its Caribbean Firearms Stockpile Management and Destruction Assistance Package, made possible with the financial support of the US Department of State Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement.
UNLIREC´s Caribbean Assistance Package was launched in April 2010 and offers assistance and support to fourteen Caribbean countries. While in Suriname, the UNLIREC Team met with senior government officials including the Ministers of Defence, Justice and Police, and Finance; the Director of the National Security Agency; the Prosecutor General; the Commander of the Suriname Armed Forces; and the Commander of the Suriname Police Force. The Team also made site visits to weapons and ammunition stockpile facilities.
The Team will submit a baseline assessment report and a draft National Action Plan (NAP) to the Government of Suriname by the end of March 2013. The draft NAP will make 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 an Inter-Institutional Training Course on Combating Illicit Firearms Trafficking (IITC) and Surinamese 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 Suriname and the region.
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 further information on UNLIREC visit (www.unlirec.org). For inquiries please contact: Amanda Cowl, Political Affairs Officer: cowl@unlirec.org
Nov 26, 2012 | Uncategorized
As part of UNLIREC’s efforts to support to the Government of Honduras in improving public security and implementing the Security Strategy of the Central American Integration System (SICA), UNLIREC undertook two initiatives in November 2012, thanks to the financial support provided by the Governments of Finland and Germany.
From 5 to 16 November, UNLIREC´s Inter Institutional Training Course on Combating the Illicit Trafficking in Firearms, Ammunition and Explosives (IITC) trained 62 security sector personnel (46 men and 16 women) from a diverse range of law enforcement and justice entities. Participants received specialized training from international and national experts in weapons and ammunition identification, investigation and tracing techniques, firearms and ammunition evidence management. The training was delivered in the context of international, regional and national legal frameworks to combat illicit firearms trafficking, as well as human security and human rights. The ten-day course culminated in a two-day simulation exercise where participants had to intervene, prepare and prosecute a case of illicit weapons trafficking in full coherence with the rule of law and respect for human rights and the rights of minors.
Additionally, UNLIREC co-organized on 14 November a high-level policy seminar on disarmament, firearms control and armed violence reduction jointly with the National Secretariat for Public Security and the United Nations Development Programme. The seminar presented contemporary policy frameworks designed to enhance small arms control and armed violence reduction efforts. Lessons were drawn from Brazil´s National Disarmament Campaign and El Salvador´s Weapons-Free Municipalities intervention. Both experiences were assessed in terms of their applicability to the Honduran context. During the seminar, H.E. Coralia Rivera, Vice-Minister for Security, told participants “that the recommendations put forth during the seminar would be taken into consideration during future legal reforms.”
For more information on UNLIREC visit (www.unlirec.org).
Please direct all inquiries to: Ms. Carina Van Vliet, Political Affairs Officer, at (vanvliet@unlirec.org).
