Nov 25, 2020 | Uncategorized
On Wednesday 25 November, on the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and 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) and the Women’s Office of the Supreme Court of Justice in Argentina held a video conference on “Firearms and Gender-Based Violence: Bridging the Gap”.
The event was aimed at judges, prosecutors and officials of the Judicial Branch of the various jurisdictions in the country. More than 70% of the 280 participants were women. This is very encouraging given that promoting greater participation, representation and training of women in firearms control is one of the purposes of UNLIREC’s Program on Women, Disarmament, Non-Proliferation and Arms Control.
In this regard, the following international guidelines were mentioned: 2030 Agenda: SDG 5 and SDG 16; Res. AG 65/69; Res. CS 1325; CEDAW; UNPoA; among others. These not only underpin UNLIREC’s promotion of the greater participation of women in the sector, but also warn about the influence of firearms on gender-based violence against women and promote regulatory and policy changes that will account for and address this scourge.
In recent years, UNLIREC has conducted various Legal Studies that analyze and compare the national regulations of different countries in the region, on control and regulation of firearms and ammunition; regulations to prevent violence against women; and criminal and procedural codes. The purpose of the studies is to observe whether there is a regulatory crossover, for example, whether laws for the protection of women include specific measures for cases of firearms use, or whether arms control includes the variable of family and/or gender-based violence within its restrictions when issuing permits.
The conference highlighted the case of Argentina, its advances and regulatory crossovers, the policies implemented by the firearms control agency, the importance of producing disaggregated, statistical information on feminicides according to the commission mechanism and even according to the characteristics of the firearm.
Attendees were able to share concerns and interest in the subject matter addressed via the platform’s chat function. At all times, emphasis was placed on the importance of coordination and cooperation among the institutions with responsibilities in both areas: prevention of violence against women and care for victims, and control and regulation of firearms and ammunition.
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.
Oct 15, 2020 | Uncategorized
On 15 October 2020, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC), in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of El Salvador, conducted a seminar on measures for preventing armed violence against women.
Approximately 40 officials from the ministries of Foreign Affairs, Justice and Security, and Defense (Arms Registry Department), the National Civil Police (Gender Unit) and the Salvadoran Institute for the Development of Women (ISDEMU) participated in the one-day virtual event.
UNLIREC launched the seminar with an overview and analysis of statistics on armed violence and violence against women (VAW) in El Salvador and the wider Latin American and Caribbean region, emphasizing feminicides and the impact influence of firearms on the various types of VAW (physical, sexual and psychological). Subsequently, UNLIREC presented the findings from its legal study on the link between rules on gender-based violence and small arms control and regulatory standards.
ISDEMU participated in discussions in order to promote a comprehensive and interinstitutional approach to the problem by exploring the various policies implemented in El Salvador vis-à-vis the prevention of VAW.
Finally, there was a walkthrough of the various strategies selected by the countries of the region to prevent and address VAW during social isolation and confinement measures throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, and recommendations on how to integrate firearms control into these initiatives, and vice versa; that is, recommendations to integrate gender perspectives and prevention of VAW into firearms control measures. The need to evaluate the continued implementation of some measures and recommendations beyond the pandemic was also addressed.
A common theme of the event was the importance of coordination and cooperation among institutions with responsibilities in the prevention of VAW and care for victims, and the control and regulation of firearms and ammunition.
This activity forms part of UNLIREC’s ‘Women, Disarmament, Non-proliferation and Arms Control Programme’, supported by the Government of Canada and the European Union.
Oct 1, 2020 | Conventional Arms Programme
On 1 October 2020, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC), in coordination with the decentralized Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Cajamarca, held a webinar on “Measures for preventing armed violence against women”.
More than 70 regional and local officials from the Judiciary, Public Prosecutor’s Office, National Police, regional and municipal government authorities, SUCAMEC, and Women’s Emergency Centres participated.
The seminar contextualized armed violence and violence against women in Peru and provided a gender-sensitive analysis based on gender-disaggregated statistical data to highlight the unequal impact of firearms on men and women. Continuing in this vein, UNLIREC presented the findings from its Normative Study on the link between norms on gender-based violence and small arms control and regulatory standards.
Furthermore, to promote a comprehensive approach to these problems, UNLIREC invited the United Nations Population Fund (UNPF) to present the different policies for preventing armed violence against women in Peru, in particular in Cajamarca.
Finally, UNLIREC presented an overview of the measures adopted in Peru and other countries of the region to address, prevent and reduce violence against women during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as recommendations on how to integrate firearms control measures into these strategies from a gender perspective. UNLIREC called to evaluate the continuation of some measures and recommendations beyond the pandemic.
Attendees were able to share their concerns, experiences and interest in the issues addressed via the platform’s chat. At all times, the importance of coordination and cooperation among institutions with responsibilities in both issues were emphasized: the prevention of armed violence against women and attention to the victims, and the control and regulation of firearms and ammunition.
This activity forms part of UNLIREC’s Women, Disarmament, Non-proliferation and Arms Control Programme, supported by the Government of Canada and the European Union.
Sep 30, 2020 | Uncategorized
On 30 September, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC) and Instituto Sou da Paz conducted a webinar on the challenges and solutions for firearms use and possession in schools in Latin America and the Caribbean.
UNLIREC shared the most relevant findings of its recent study entitled Firearms in Latin American and Caribbean Schools: approaches, challenges and responses to a predominantly Brazilian audience. UNLIREC highlighted the fact that in recent years there has been an increasing amount of news in the media about the presence and use of firearms in schools in some countries in the region. This UNLIREC-led media monitoring study identifies the means of addressing this phenomenon and its detrimental impact by analysing over 120 cases of the presence and use of firearms in schools reported by digital media in countries across the region over a period of 9 years (between June 2010 and July 2019).
The most common manifestations of this growing phenomenon include firearms incidents taking place inside schools; students carrying firearms among their belongings; armed students who threaten and intimidate their peers and teachers; injuries and fatalities as a consequence of intentional or accidental shootings inside schools, among others. According to the findings of this study, the most common type of firearms in reported incidents were revolvers and pistols, accounting for 36% and 32%, respectively.
Likewise, with respect to where the firearms came from, it was possible to identify that in at least 25 cases, the source of firearms was directly related to the homes of the students involved. This serves as an alert as to the importance of establishing measures of safe storage for firearms carriers.
This regional approach was complemented by a national and local look at the manifestations, impacts and challenges of this phenomenon in Brazil in recent years. This analysis was carried out by representatives of Instituto Sou da Paz, the Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences (FLACSO – Brazil), as well as a specialist member of the Public Ministry of the State of São Paulo.
The panelists agreed that the presence and use of firearms in schools and the motivations that lead students to bring a firearm to school is nourished by different factors, such as the dynamics of violence in schools, the characteristics of community contexts in which the schools are located, easy access to firearms, bullying, cultural and social acceptation of firearms seen as symbols of power, authority, respect, and masculinity, among others. In this respect, the importance of ensuring an integrated approach to prevent this phenomenon was indicated.
As part of the webinar agenda, different measures and initiatives that are being implemented in some countries of the region were shared, paying special attention to preventing the presence and use of firearms in schools, such as: protocols and guidelines for action and prevention of the presence and use of firearms in schools; tools for the collection and management of information; awareness raising campaigns and education directed at students with regard to the use of firearms and armed violence; among other initiatives focused on strengthening schools as spaces that are safe and free from armed violence.
This webinar was attended by more that 70 people from Brazil and other countries in the region linked to the public sectors of education, childhood and adolescence, security, arms control, as well as representatives of agencies of the United Nations System, international cooperation bodies, civil society organizations, academia and specialists.
This discussion space was made possible thanks to the valuable financial contribution from the Government of Sweden.
For more information, please contact:
UNLIREC
Amanda Cowl, Political Affairs Officer
cowl@unlirec.org
Instituto Sou da Paz
Izabelle Mundim, Press Advisor
izabelle@soudapaz.org
Aug 10, 2020 | Uncategorized
On 7 July 2020, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC) carried out its first regional webinar on how small arms control can help to prevent violence against women in the time of COVID-19 in Latin America and the Caribbean.
UNLIREC launched the webinar by explaining the context of the impact of small arms on violence against women (VAW), with particular emphasis on the negative impact that COVID-19 confinement measures are having on dramatic increases in domestic violence. Two expert panelists also presented the national perspectives of Argentina (academy) and Mexico (National Institute for Women) regarding VAW in the context of COVID-19 and the connections to firearms, as well as existing public policies to address the problem.
The webinar concluded with an overall description of the findings and recommendations found in a UNLIREC-led research initiative. The research identified national small arms control measures adopted in the Latin American and Caribbean region during the COVID-19 pandemic that could have an impact on the prevention and eradication of VAW. In other words, on the one hand, how to include arms control in strategies to prevent, address and eradicate VAW, and, on the other hand, how to incorporate a gender perspective into firearms control and regulations measures.
220 people from 23 different countries registered for the webinar, including representatives from different public sectors (foreign affairs, defence, security, education, women’s organizations), as well as academic organizations, from civil society in the Latin American and Caribbean region, and from UN agencies.
Participants highlighted the importance of participating in such regional meetings to address the link between firearms control and VAW . In that regard, it is important to note that the activity was part of the gender and arms control programme (funded by Canada, the European Union and Sweden) and that – due to the wide interest generated thanks to this webinar – UNLIREC will continue to carry out similar webinars at the national level.
