Nov 19, 2012 | Uncategorized
From 12 to 16 November 2012, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC) assisted the Armed Forces of the Dominican Republic in the destruction of 1,400 surplus firearms and more than 300,000 rounds of small arms ammunition (approximately 8 tons). The destruction activities were conducted using UNLIREC´s Standard Operating Procedures, which are in accordance with the UN International Small Arms Control Standards (ISACS) and the UN International Ammunition Technical Guidelines (IATG). The destruction process included monitoring and verification by Dominican authorities and UNLIREC representatives. These initial destruction activities set the stage for a robust agenda of technical cooperation between UNLIREC and the Dominican Republic in 2013.
“The periodic destruction of weapons and ammunition constitutes one of the most effective means of ensuring that they do not make their way back onto the streets and/or are not diverted to criminal networks” said UNLIREC Senior Technical Officer Rodolfo Gamboa.
On this occasion the weapons were destroyed by smelting through a public-private partnership overseen by the Government of the Dominican Republic, in cooperation with UNLIREC. UNLIREC has also donated to the Government a small arms ammunition and pyrotechnics burning tan, which was used to destroy the 300,000 rounds of ammunition. UNLIREC will continue to work with the Ministry of the Armed Forces in early 2013 to destroy thousands more weapons and rounds of ammunition.
The technical assistance was made possible thanks to a grant from the US Department of State´s Office for Weapons Removal and Abatement. It forms part of a broader UNLIREC Caribbean Assistance Programme, which began in 2010, and is being carried out in thirteen CARICOM countries with the support of the United States and Canada. Since September 2010, UNLIREC has assisted the Government of the Dominican Republic in the development of a National Action Plan on Stockpile Management and Firearms Destruction, in securing of stockpile facilities through the provision of international standard padlocks and a set of hydraulic shears for the periodic destruction of weapons. UNLIREC has also assisted in training law enforcement officials to better combat illicit firearms trafficking and in providing recommendations on legal reforms and updates to the national firearms act. The latter aims to bring Dominican legislation in line with international agreements and reduce loopholes that can be exploited by illicit traffickers in firearms, ammunition and explosives.
For more information on UNLIREC visit (www.unlirec.org.)
Please direct all inquiries to: Ms. Carina Van Vliet, Political Affairs Officer (vanvliet@unlirec.org).
Nov 16, 2012 | Uncategorized
From 12 to 15 November 2012, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC) and the Government of The Bahamas destroyed 431confiscated firearms held by the Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF) and the Customs and Immigration Department, as well as 2.3 tonnes of obsolete and confiscated small arms ammunition. Both destruction processes were monitored by UNLIREC and Bahamian government representatives and served to demonstrate the Government´s commitment to implement the UN Programme of Action on small arms.
All firearms were destroyed using a set of hydraulic shears donated by UNLIREC to the Government of the Bahamas in May 2012 using UNLIREC Standard Operating Procedures, which are based on the UN International Small Arms Control Standards (ISACS). The ammunition destruction took place at the Police Firing Range using UNLIREC Standard Operating Procedures for field expedient small arms ammunition destruction, which are based on the UN International Ammunition Technical Guidelines (IATG). Ten Bahamian government officials were trained during the UNLIREC mission, thus establishing a long-term technical and human resource capacity in The Bahamas to destroy surplus, obsolete and confiscated weapons and ammunition over time. The periodic destruction of surplus, obsolete and confiscated weapons and ammunition constitutes one of the most effective means of ensuring that they do not make their way back onto the streets and/or are not diverted to criminal networks.
The technical support provided to the Government of The Bahamas forms part of UNLIREC´s Firearms and Ammunition Stockpile Management and Destruction Assistance Package for the Caribbean, supported thanks to a grant provided by the United States Department of State´s Office for Weapons Removal and Abatement.
The Office for Disarmament Affairs’ Regional Disarmament Centres, which include UNLIREC, serves over 135 countries worldwide and assists them in the implementation of arms control and disarmament programmes, such as the implementation of 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. Carina Van Vliet, Political Affairs Officer at (vanvliet@unlirec.org)
Nov 12, 2012 | Uncategorized
The United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC) provided technical assistance and support to the countries of the Andean Community of Nations (CAN), during the Andean Regional Seminar on the Marking of Small Arms and Ammunition held in Lima on the 10th and 11th of December. Participants in this seminar included representatives from the military industries, the national entities responsible for weapons control and the Foreign Ministries of the four Andean States.
During the seminar, UNLIREC presented its Technical Guide for the Marking of Small Arms and Ammunition, a tool to enable the standardization of the marking of arms and ammunition in the Latin American and Caribbean region. This technical guide is based on the guidelines of the United Nations International Small Arms Control Standards (ISACS) and the best practices of States in the region. The marking of arms and ammunition aims to facilitate the processes of tracing and information exchange, improve the control of arms and the management of arsenals, and strengthen regional and international cooperation in the area of controlling the legal market and combating the illicit trade in small arms and ammunition.
Using the UNLIREC Technical Guide as a basis, the Andean States took their first steps towards the adoption of a legally binding technical regulation to standardize the marking of arms and ammunition in the sub-region. The seminar was also the first time worldwide that a sub-region held discussions on the possibility of adopting a legally binding framework on the marking of arms and ammunition, thus demonstrating the leadership of the four Andean States, which have always stood out for their commitment to arms control and disarmament.
In moving towards this goal, the States of the Andean Region position themselves in line with the ISACS at the global forefront of best practices relating to marking, a step consistent with their implementation of their marking obligations under international instruments.
For more information on UNLIREC, please visit: www.unlirec.org.
Please direct all inquiries to: Ms. Carina Van Vliet, Political Affairs Officer (vanvliet@unlirec.org).
Oct 23, 2012 | Uncategorized
The United Nations Office for Disarmament Affair’s Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC), in collaboration with the Government of Barbados, conducted a two-day technical workshop from 23-24 October 2012 to mark the launching of the next phase of UNLIREC´s Assistance Package for Caribbean States on Firearms and Ammunition Stockpile Management and Destruction. Workshop participants included representatives of the governments of the Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago, as well as the CARICOM Crime and Security Implementation Agency.
In the opening session of the workshop UNLIREC´s Public Security Programme Coordinator William Godnick encouraged participants to ¨consider stockpile management and weapons and ammunition destruction planning as integral parts of public security strategies.¨
Following the workshop, UNLIREC technical advisers will continue to support Caribbean governments in undertaking national baseline assessments, developing national action plans and assisting in the implementation of concrete measures to improve stockpile management practices and destroy surplus, obsolete and confiscated firearm and ammunition. UNLIREC technical assistance is based on the UN International Small Arms Control Standards (ISACS) and the UN International Ammunition Technical Guidelines (IATG).
During the closing session of the workshop Barbados Police Commissioner Darwin Dottin called for a “mix of measures to provide a coherent strategy” to address the problem of firearm crime including inter alia “comprehensive and robust legislation, strict licensing arrangements and regulation and oversight arrangements for imports and exports”. He also highlighted UNLIREC’s Assistance Package as having “considerable relevance to the region at this time.”
To date, UNLIREC, in collaboration with nine Caribbean governments, has enhanced security in 99 stockpile facilities, destroyed 6,526 firearms and over 6.75 tonnes of ammunition and trained an important number of Caribbean officials in international standards for weapons and ammunition destruction. UNLIREC´s Firearms Destruction and Stockpile Management Assistance Package receives financial support from the United States Department of State’s Office for Weapons Removal and Abatement and Bureau for International Security and Nonproliferation.
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 15, 2012 | Uncategorized
From 15–19 October 2012, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC) assisted the Government of Belize in the destruction of 427 surplus, obsolete and confiscated weapons from both the Defense and Police Force for a total of 1,329 weapons destroyed from May to September 2012. The periodic destruction of weapons and ammunition constitutes one of the most effective means of ensuring that they do not make their way back onto the streets and/or be diverted to criminal networks. The weapons destruction activity was conducted in accordance with UN International Small Arms Control Standards (ISACS).
All weapons were cut using a set of hydraulic shears donated by UNLIREC to the Government of Belize in May 2012, which included the training of 6 members of the Belize Police Department (BPD) on its use and maintenance. The destruction process included monitoring and verification by Belizean authorities and UNLIREC representatives.
The technical assistance was made possible thanks to the support of the US Department of State´s Office for Weapons Removal and Abatement and forms part of a broader UNLIREC Caribbean Assistance Programme, which began in 2010, and has been carried out in nine CARICOM countries with the support of the United States and Canada. Since September 2010, UNLIREC has assisted the Government of Belize in the development of a National Action Plan on Stockpile Management and Firearms Destruction, securing of stockpile facilities through the provision of international standard padlocks, training of law enforcement officials in combating illicit firearms trafficking and providing recommendations on legal reforms and updates to the national firearms act. This latter assistance aims to bring national legislation in line with the international agreements and reduce loopholes that can be exploited by illicit traffickers in firearms, ammunition and explosives.
The Office for Disarmament Affairs’ Regional Disarmament Centres, which includes UNLIREC, serves over 135 countries worldwide and assists them in the implementation of arms control and disarmament programmes, such as the implementation of 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 25, 2012 | Uncategorized
On 25 September, the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) launched its publication “Forces of Change: Profiles of Latin American and Caribbean Women in Combating Illicit Trafficking in Small Arms” at the side event entitled “Women Disarmament, Non-Proliferation and Arms Control”, hosted by the Honorable Prime Minister of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.
The publication – complied by UNODA’s Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC) – features and celebrates the experiences and skills of a diverse group of 58 women from national government security sectors, law enforcement agencies and civil society organizations working in the field of small arms control in the region. Women profiled in this publication contribute on a daily basis to the implementation of the UN 2001 Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects.
UNODA has continuously championed women as ‘forces of change’ by providing States with the necessary tools to facilitate and sustain the incorporation of gender perspectives into small arms control and disarmament. At the launch, Angela Kane, High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, noted that “[…] it is widely recognized that women have a critical role to play in disarmament, in general, and in the elimination of the illicit trafficking in small arms, it is therefore our duty to ensure that we provide the necessary tools and training to empower them on this quest”. She went on to add “[…] it is my own personal mission to continue fostering disarmament expertise among women, including ‘in-house’ at UNODA and heed the calls made in UNSCR 1325(2000).”
Action has also been taken by UNODA in the field through its regional Centre, UNLIREC, in providing technical assistance to Member States aimed at promoting and encouraging the robust participation of women professionals as an essential component of comprehensive strategies to combat illicit small arms trafficking. The cumulative impact of these actions, together with other UNLIREC initiatives, have resulted in a critical mass of female professionals from armed forces, police, civilian ministries and civil society who are better able to engage in combating illicit trafficking in small arms at the local, national and regional levels.
Click here to download the full text of the publication
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].
