Dec 11, 2019 | Uncategorized
As part of the Canada-funded project “Building Momentum for the Regional implementation of A/RES/65/69 on Women, Disarmament, Non-Proliferation and Arms Control”, UNLIREC – in cooperation with the Ministry of National Security of Trinidad and Tobago – undertook a sub-regional seminar on preventing armed violence against women through arms control, from 26- 27 November 2019 in Port of Spain.
The seminar brought together government representatives from 12 Caribbean States with responsibilities in addressing arms control, gender-based violence and violence against women and girls; as well as leading non-governmental organizations specialized in prevention on gender-based violence and reduction of gun violence in the Caribbean. Also participating were officials and experts from UNDP, UNODC, the Organization of American States, the Delegation of the European Union to Trinidad and Tobago, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), and the Center of Excellence for Statistical Information on Government, Crime, Victimization and Justice.
The sub-regional event strengthened convergence across the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Secretary General’s Agenda for Disarmament, along with the Women, Peace and Security Agenda, and the Small Arms control framework. UNLIREC led discussions on the differentiated impact of armed violence on women and the link between violence against women (VAW) and small arms control. In addition, discussions revolved around the importance of mainstreaming gender into small arms control measures, legal responses, criminal investigation and effective policing, statistics and information management, as well as prevention, education and advocacy campaigns. UNLIREC presented the findings and recommendations born of its sub-regional legal review, which cross-references small arms legislation with domestic violence provisions.
In addition to increasing awareness on small arms control as a main aspect in preventing violence against women, the importance of strengthening cooperation and coordination between experts, institutions and civil society in order to develop more gender-responsive and evidence-based small arms policies and programming, in line with international commitments and guidance, was also a major take-away from the seminar.
During the practical exercises, participants actively engaged on identifying a genuine convergence of agendas by ensuring the collection of disaggregated data on femicide perpetrators, arms involved, risk factors, and reporting on all forms of gender-based violence in order to achieve the sustainable development goals (SDGs), in particular SDG5 (gender equality) and SDG16 (peace, justice and strong institutions).
This event is the second of a series of two sub-regional seminars. The first was held in El Salvador in March for Central American States.
Mar 22, 2019 | Uncategorized
As part of the Canada-funded project “Building Momentum for the Regional implementation of A/RES/65/69 on Women, Disarmament, Non-Proliferation and Arms Control”, the UN Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC) carried out a sub-regional seminar entitled “Fostering Violence Prevention against Women through Arms Control. Every Woman Counts.” Dates were from 20 to 21 March 2019 in San Salvador, El Salvador.
The sub-regional seminar brought together government representatives from Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, México, Nicaragua and Panamá who have responsibility for addressing arms control, gender-based violence and violence against women and girls, as well as leading non-governmental organizations (NGOs) specialized in arms control and part of the International Action Network on Small Arms. Also participating were officials and experts from UNDP, UNODC, UN Women, the Organization of American States, the Central American Integration System, and the Center of Excellence for Statistical Information on Government, Crime, Victimization and Justice.
Nancy Robinson, UNLIREC Director, offered opening remarks stressing that the high participation achieved in the Seminar “is a testimony to the growing momentum for action against armed violence in this region.” She noted examples of how the UN and its Member States increasingly highlight and respond to the gendered nature of weapons. She encouraged participants “to stand united and work together to stop femicide and ensure that adequate controls are in place to regulate arms.”
Participants explored the differentiated impacts of armed violence on women and the link between violence against women (VAW) and small arms control through nine thematic sessions including mainstreaming gender into small arms control measures, legal responses, criminal investigation and effective policing, statistics and information management, as well as prevention, education and advocacy campaigns. After hearing the seminar sessions, participants stressed the importance of considering arms control as a main aspect in preventing violence against women and expressed their commitment to include arms control in their ongoing projects and activities, as well as when assessing current and prospective legal frameworks.
The sub-regional seminar ended with a practical exercise and small-group discussions based on a specific scenario and a case study. The active engagement of the participants generated constructive dialogues and encouraged assistants to ensure the collection of disaggregated data on femicide perpetrators, arms involved, risk factors, and reporting on all forms of gender-based violence in order to achieve the sustainable development goals (SDGs), in particular the SDG5 (gender equality) and SDG16 (peace, justice and strong institutions).
The sub-regional seminar is part of a regional project funded by the Government of Canada and it was held in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of El Salvador.
Dec 12, 2017 | Uncategorized
The United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean undertook its first “Symposium on Women and Security” from 12 to 13 December in Lima, Peru.
With more than 40 women from the region who dedicate their work to advancing the global peace and security agenda, the Symposium provided a forum to present future strategies of the United Nations system to promote women and security in the region; to deliberate on how 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) can contribute to improving the lives of women in the region; and to explore different approaches to strengthening arms control to that end. Throughout the event, ample time was dedicated to identifying and sharing new ideas on empowering women working in the fields of peace and security.
The Symposium also served as a platform to launch “Forces of Change III: Latin American and Caribbean Women Share Experiences on Disarmament, Security and SDG Implementation”, a publication by UNLIREC and the third edition of an innovative initiative highlighting the role of women as agents of change in the field of disarmament, arms control, and non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Izumi Nakamitsu, High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, noted in her foreword: “[…] it is clear that the region is at the forefront of progress toward the full and equal engagement of women in peace and security discussions and decision-making”. The publication is available at www.unlirec.com
The Symposium was made possible thanks to generous financial support from the Governments of Sweden and Canada.
For more information on the Symposium or “Forces of Change”, please contact Amanda Cowl, Political Affairs Officer, at email: cowl@unlirec.org.
Apr 4, 2016 | Uncategorized
United Nations General Assembly resolution (A/RES/65/69) recognizes the specific contribution of women at the local, national, regional and sub-regional levels in the prevention and reduction of armed violence in non-conflict contexts. The United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC) has continuously championed women as “forces of change” and is providing States with the necessary tools to incorporate gender perspectives into small arms control and disarmament efforts.
It was within this context that UNLIREC undertook a specialized course on managing firearms and ammunition as evidence in collaboration with the Government of the Dominican Republic from 4-6 April in Santo Domingo. The UNLIREC developed and designed course was led by an all-women team comprised of three Latin American women who are at the top of their respective fields, including Pamela Romero from Mexico (crime scene management), and Arabeska Sanchez from Honduras (forensic ballistics) and Natasha Leite from Brazil (armed violence reduction). The 22 course participants honed their capabilities to manage and properly handle firearms and ammunition as evidence at crime scenes, and address the due sequencing of procedures at these scenes. Skills transferred during the course will improve national tracing procedures and facilitate the implementation of international firearms instruments adhered to by the Dominican Republic. Course participants acknowledged that – in stark contrast to previous years – over half of the forensic ballistic teams at the Institute of Forensic Sciences and the Scientific Police are female firearms examiners. The same gender parity was reflected in the course with half of the eight firearms examiners present being women. “Curiosity”, it was said, and “vocation are better indicators of success in the field than gender”. The course also highlighted the interaction between technical considerations and the social, cultural and institutional contexts in which they take place.
This training course was carried out within the framework of UNLIREC’s operational forensic ballistics project in the Caribbean. This project is supported financially by both the government of the United States and the government of Canada.
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 UN 2001 Programme of Action on Small Arms.
For more information on UNLIREC visit (www.unlirec.org). Please direct all questions or inquiries to Amanda Cowl, Political Affairs Officer (cowl@unlirec.org).
