Feb 2, 2021 | Uncategorized
On 2 February 2021, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC) and the Caribbean Community’s Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (CARICOM IMPACS), in collaboration with the Government of Guyana, and the Government of Germany, hosted a virtual Executive Seminar for the Advancement of Guyana’s National Action Plan for the implementation of the Caribbean Firearms Roadmap.
On January 22, 2021 CARICOM officially adopted the ‘Roadmap for Implementing The Caribbean Priority Actions on the Illicit Proliferation of Firearms and Ammunition across the Caribbean in a Sustainable Manner by 2030’ (Caribbean Firearms Roadmap), which consolidates and builds upon the 2019 actions adopted by Caribbean Heads of Governments on addressing the illicit trafficking of firearms in the region.
Guyana, has initiated concrete actions contemplated in the Caribbean Firearms Roadmap by taking steps to create its National Action Plan (NAP). A total of 39 representatives of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Guyana Police Force, Guyana Defence Force, Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, Customs Department along with members of the German Embassy, UNLIREC and CARICOM IMPACS participated in the NAP Executive Seminar. Participants discussed the Roadmap and steps needed to map out Guyana’s priorities, plans and timelines for implementing the Caribbean Firearms Roadmap. The successful implementation of the Roadmap will require both the concerted efforts of national authorities, as well as the timely, targeted and coordinated support of regional and international partners and donors. The Roadmap serves as a base document for Guyana in the elaboration of its National Action Plan (NAP).
UNLIREC and CARICOM IMPACS, as the main implementing partners, will lend technical assistance in the elaboration of the NAPs and in their successive implementation. The governments of Canada, Germany, United States of America and the United Kingdom have pledged support to the implementation of the Caribbean Firearms Roadmap.
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 2001 UN Programme of Action on Small Arms.
Feb 1, 2021 | Uncategorized
Between 1 and 5 February 2021, UNLIREC, in coordination with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), virtually held the Interdicting Small Arms, Ammunition, Parts and Components Course (ISAAPCC). The course was directed at X-ray operators and border control officials from Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Peru and the Dominican Republic, who perform control and inspection functions at entry, exit and transit points in those countries.
The ISAAPCC is offered as part of the technical assistance provided by UNLIREC to Latin American and Caribbean States to contribute to strengthening their capacities to combat and prevent the illicit trafficking in small arms and ammunition.
This specialized course trained 30 national agents from the aforementioned countries, who also belong to the network of delegates of the UNODC AIRCOP and Container Control Programmes.
Based on a theoretical-practical methodology, this group of operators received training on the fundamental aspects of X-ray technology, technical specifications on small arms, their parts and components, ammunition, as well as explosives and concealment methods. Participants also received practical training via an online platform developed by the Centre for Adaptive Security Research and Applications (CASRA), whereby they developed their skills to effectively recognize these types of threats.
It should be noted that this specialized course has been designed considering international standards and good practices on the importance of continuous training for X-ray scanner operators, to achieve optimal levels of security at strategic points, thereby helping to reduce levels of firearm-related crime and violence.
This virtual edition of the ISAAPCC was made possible thanks to the financial support from the United Kingdom Border Force Agency.
Dec 11, 2020 | Uncategorized
On 11 December 2020, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC) held a Virtual Conference with young people and students, entitled “Inspiring a new generation of youth: women leaders in disarmament share their experiences, challenges and recommendations with future generations”.
The virtual conference was held as part of the celebrations organized by UNLIREC for the tenth anniversary of Resolution 65/69 on Women, Disarmament, Non-Proliferation and Arms Control, passed by the United Nations General Assembly on 8 December 2010, as well as for the first anniversary of Resolution 74/64 on Youth, Disarmament and Non-Proliferation, passed on 11 December 2019. These resolutions recognize the valuable contributions that both women and young people can make to advance the international disarmament agenda.
The event served as a virtual platform to introduce young people in the region to the stories and reflections of women in the region contributing to disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control, as reflected in the Forces of Change IV publication, launched on December 8, 2020.
The virtual conference also brought the youth of the region closer to the Youth4Disarmament initiative, launched in 2019 by the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs, whose main objective is to connect young people with professional experts to learn about the challenges in international security, the work of the United Nations and how to actively participate in these issues.
Through pre-recorded questions from young people who participated in the session, women leaders from the region in these areas discussed their experiences and reflections in facilitating Resolution 65/69 in 2010, the role of the scientific community in the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, the role of the region – Latin America and the Caribbean – in international disarmament efforts, the specific contributions of women in these areas, and recommendations for promoting these issues through education. Other questions from young people, mostly women, also explored the link between arms control and gender-based violence, public policies to reduce the use of conventional arms in contexts of youth violence, and control of new technologies for military purposes.
The Virtual Conference was open to the public and was attended by more than 60 young people from the region, as well as members of the public interested in this topic.
This activity forms part of a series of activities that UNLIREC carries out to promote the regional implementation of Resolution 65/69 on Women, Disarmament, Non-Proliferation and Arms Control. This initiative was made possible thanks to the funding from the Government of Canada and the Government of Sweden.
Watch the Virtual Conference here.
Dec 8, 2020 | Uncategorized
On 8 December 2020, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC) launched the fourth edition of the Forces of Change publication to celebrate the contributions of women in the region to disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control, ten years after Resolution 65/69 on Women, Disarmament, Non-Proliferation and Arms Control was passed by the United Nations General Assembly on 8 December 2010.
The publication’s launch took place within the framework of the Virtual Conference “Women Forces of Change”, which had the objective of highlighting the contributions, challenges and achievements of women in the region in disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control issues, as well as providing different perspectives for strengthening the participation of women in these fields.
During the main session of the Virtual Conference, women leaders in the region working in these areas spoke about their experiences on the path to eliminating nuclear weapons, the process of laying down of weapons in the framework of the Peace Agreement signed by the Colombian Government and the FARC-EP in 2016, the challenges in cybersecurity in the region, and the work of civil society in Central America for arms control and violence prevention. They also shared their reflections on the role of women in these issues.
The publication, Forces of Change IV, explores the stories, experiences and reflections of women who, in one way or another, are promoting the implementation of the pillars established in the Secretary-General’s Disarmament Agenda, namely: “disarmament to save humanity”, which focuses on weapons of mass destruction; “disarmament to save lives” through stricter control of conventional weapons; “disarmament for future generations”, which examines the challenges posed by new technologies; and “strengthening partnerships for disarmament”, which seeks to establish channels of cooperation between different sectors in support of disarmament. Forces of Change IV included more than 80 women from the Latin American and Caribbean region, coming from diverse cultural and professional backgrounds. The publication can be downloaded here: https://bit.ly/2LiOLEh
The Virtual Conference was open to the public and was attended by more than 100 people, including representatives from security, interior, defense and foreign relations sectors, as well as United Nations agencies, civil society organizations, specialists and the public interested in this topic.
This activity forms part of a series of activities that UNLIREC carries out to promote the regional implementation of Resolution 65/69 on Women, Disarmament, Non-Proliferation and Arms Control. This initiative was made possible thanks to the funding from the Government of Canada and the Government of Sweden.
Watch the Virtual Conference here.
Dec 4, 2020 | Uncategorized
On 4 December 2020, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC), in collaboration with the CARICOM Secretariat, carried out a webinar on ‘Firearms in Schools: A Regional Overview’ for Caribbean States. The webinar also marked the official launch of UNLIREC’s recent study on ‘Firearms in Latin American and Caribbean Schools: Approaches, Challenges and Responses’ for Caribbean States.
Over the past few decades, media reports of incidents involving firearms in schools have been increasingly recurring in many countries of the region. These incidents which include both the presence and use of firearms inside schools have led to injuries and fatalities as a result of intentional and accidental gunshots. This phenomenon poses enormous challenges in ensuring safe learning spaces for children and adolescents in the region.
Given this regional context and with the objective of better understanding the approach, challenges and responses to this phenomenon, UNLIREC undertook the aforementioned study. UNLIREC thanks the governments, international organizations, civil society organizations and experts who contributed to the data collection for this study.
During the webinar, UNLIREC presented a regional overview of the phenomenon, main findings of the study, and the different responses being implemented to tackle the presence and use of firearms in schools in the region. Meanwhile, a representative of the CARICOM Secretariat presented on the advancement of its School Violence Prevention Programme, the key priorities of schools and communities of the CARICOM Member States and shared effective regional strategies being implemented to prevent violence against children in schools and homes. Both UNLIREC and CARICOM concurred on the need of enhanced inter-agency coordination and data-sharing as important steps to prevent the presence and use of firearms in schools in the Caribbean.
More than 115 persons, including 48 women, from education, law enforcement, defense and administrative sectors from different Caribbean States and international organizations actively participated in the webinar. Through this webinar, UNLIREC facilitated a regional dialogue by providing an opportunity for the participants to ask questions, share comments and exchange experiences related to the phenomenon of firearms in schools.
This webinar forms part of a larger project on firearms in Latin American and Caribbean schools made possible thanks to the financial support of the Government of Sweden.
UNLIREC, as the regional organ of the UN Office for Disarmament, seeks to advance the cause of practical disarmament and promote enhanced public security in Latin America and the Caribbean. This effort is aligned with the United Nations Secretary-General’s Disarmament Agenda “Securing our Common Future”, Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development, and United Nations Security Council Resolution 2250 on Youth, Peace and Security.
Dec 2, 2020 | Uncategorized
On Wednesday 2 December, in the framework of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence Campaign, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC), the National Institute for Women (INMUJERES) and the National Commission to Prevent and Eradicate Violence against Women (CONAVIM) held a virtual conference on “Firearms control to reduce violence against women”.
The event was aimed at officials from the following sectors: security, justice, arms control, gender and women, as well as Civil Society Organizations and academic sectors that address these issues. It is important to note that of the 344 people who participated, 80% were women. This is encouraging considering that promoting the participation and training of women in firearms control is one of the main premises guiding UNLIREC’s work in the region.
Important national officials participated in the opening remarks of the conference, namely Dr. Fabiola Alanís Sámano, National Commissioner to Prevent and Eradicate Violence against Women; Dr. Sara Irene Herrerías Guerra, Head of the Specialized Human Rights Prosecutor’s Office; Ms. Paulina Téllez Martínez, Head of the Justice System Support Unit; Mr. Ricardo Mejía, Undersecretary of Public Security; Ms. María Rodríguez, Director of the Chancellor’s Office; and Dr. Nadine Gasman Zylbermann, President of INMUJERES.
Following the opening remarks, the experts’ presentations began. First, Ms. Magda Coss, from the National Institute for Women in Mexico, presented the national panorama of armed violence from a gender perspective and Ms. Estefanía Vela, from the civil society organization Intersecta, presented statistics on violence against women caused by firearms in different contexts.
Once the problem had been presented, Ms. Sonia Fernández, UNLIREC Legal Coordinator, shared the main findings and conclusions from the Normative Study that addresses the link between the norms on violence against women and the norms of the regulation and control of small arms, with special emphasis on the case of Mexico.
The attendees were able to share their questions, comments and interest in the topic addressed via the platform’s chat function. At all times, emphasis was placed on the importance of increasing coordination and cooperation among institutions with responsibilities both in firearms and ammunition control and in preventing and addressing violence against women.
This activity formed part of UNLIREC’s Program on Women, Disarmament, Non-Proliferation and Arms Control, supported by the Government of Canada and the European Union.
