True to its long-standing commitment to gender equality, UNLIREC commemorates the 15th anniversary of United Nations General Assembly Resolution 65/69 on Women, Disarmament, Non-Proliferation and Arms Control (8 December 2010) with a Regional Symposium bringing together more than 50 women leaders from Latin America and the Caribbean.

The event convenes women from diverse sectors and backgrounds who contribute to building more peaceful and secure societies. Through this initiative, UNLIREC seeks to highlight their contributions and inspire new generations of women.

It is important to recall that Resolution 65/69 calls upon Member States to promote and support the effective participation of women in all decision-making processes related to disarmament and security. The Symposium will serve as a platform for dialogue and reflection on progress made, challenges faced, and strategies to advance the implementation of this commitment.

Objectives

• To highlight progress, good practices, and challenges in promoting women’s participation in the field of disarmament and arms control.
• To foster dialogue among policymakers, experts, academia, and civil society on gender-responsive disarmament processes.
• To reaffirm commitments and explore synergies with other international frameworks (such as the Women, Peace and Security Agenda; the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development; Youth and Disarmament; and the Pact for the Future, among others).
• To emphasize the role of youth in advancing women’s participation in disarmament, arms control, and non-proliferation efforts.

From 11 to 12 November 2025, officials from the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Dominican Republic will gather in Trinidad and Tobago for the 5th Annual Meeting of States of the Caribbean Firearms Roadmap.

This Annual Meeting of States marks a significant milestone: the midpoint of the Roadmap’s implementation period. As outlined in the Joint Statement from the 3rd Annual Meeting of States, the 5th of such meetings is to also provide a platform for CFRM States to discuss the recommendations resulting from the “mid-term review on the implementation of the Roadmap.”

The meeting is organized by the CARICOM Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (IMPACS) and the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC) in collaboration with the Government of Trinidad and Tobago.

The meeting, which is funded by Canada, envisages a one-day working level exchange between national focal points established under the Caribbean Firearms Roadmap as well as a high-level meeting of Ministers on 12 November.

This milestone meeting offers a timely opportunity to celebrate progress, address ongoing challenges, and collectively chart the course for the next five years and beyond for the Caribbean Firearms Roadmap.

Washington, DC, 12 February 2025 – Ministers of security and high-level officials from six Central American countries and the Dominican Republic will adopt the Central American and Dominican Republic Roadmap to Prevent the Illicit Trafficking and Proliferation of Arms, Ammunition and Explosives on Wednesday, 12 of February, at the headquarters of the Organization of American States (OAS) in Washington, DC.

This new joint regional initiative is aimed at strengthening the fight against illicit trafficking in arms, ammunition and explosives. The adoption of this Roadmap marks a significant step toward enhancing cooperation and national capacities, with the aim of countering one of the main threats to the security and development in the region.

The Roadmap is the result of a two-year development process and is based on four key pillars:

• Pillar 1: Reinforce regulatory frameworks and inter-agency coordination;
• Pillar 2: Prevention of violence with firearms and firearms misuse;
• Pillar 3: Life-cycle management of weapons, ammunition and explosives;
• Pillar 4: Investigation and criminal prosecution of trafficking, manufacture, possession and illicit use of firearms, ammunition, and explosives.

With the adoption of the document, participating States (Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, and Dominican Republic) commit to working towards the achievement of a series of objectives and priority actions within these pillars by 2035.

The development of the Roadmap and its implementation is supported by the OAS and the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC), with technical support from the Central American Integration System (SICA) and was funded by the European Union.

For more information, please contact: secretary@unlirec.org.