Georgetown : Persons selected from the Guyana Police Force, the Ministry of Legal Affairs, the chambers of the Director of Public Prosecution and the National Forensic Laboratory will over the next three days, participate in a training course aimed at combating the illicit firearm trade.
The training is being conducted by, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC) at the Police Training Centre.
Home Affairs Minister, Clement Rohee declared the training session opened as he stated Guyana’s commitment towards the fight against trafficking in firearms, ammunition, and explosives. The Minister said striving for peace at the national and international level has always been the policy of Guyana.
“My understanding of the country’s commitment to peace and disarmament is that this commitment goes way beyond 1992, this country Guyana has always been committed to peace in the universal sense, peace on our borders.”
“We have just finished celebrating the 48th Independence Anniversary and in salutation, it must be noted that Guyana has managed over the years to maintain peace at our borders in contrast to countries which achieved independence and still have not been able to maintain peace at their borders.”
The Minster also stressed the fact that pace and development are indivisible, since one cannot achieve development without making peace.
“The development thrust of the government is clear for all to see, development in social infrastructure, economic development, and development in all areas which are all aimed at improving the livelihood of all our people.”
Minister Rohee added that peace and disarmament at the national and international level is a foundation principle to which the administration remains committed. “In pursuance of the spirit of peace and disarmament, we are committed to working with all multilateral agencies and at the bilateral level to bring these three components into one for our country’s progress and development.”
It is in this context, Minister Rohee said Guyana became a signatory to many of the protocols and conventions of the UN to demonstrate commitment.
The Minister concluded that the training is welcomed by the administration and it is his hope that it will be well received by the participants.
Meanwhile, Ms. Juliet Solomon, Senior Programme Officer, Public Security Programme, UNILIREC, in her address to the participants said in recent years the number of firearms in circulation and the devastating consequences of illegal use, and improper use represents one of the biggest security concerns for many countries in Latin America and the Caribbean.
She added that the direct and indirect human and material cost of armed violence represents a significant portion of the gross domestic product of states in this region.
“Easy access to illicit weapons, ammunition and explosives, and related trafficking affects the livelihood of communities well beyond national borders and are closely linked to other illegal activities such as human and drug trafficking and organised crime.”
She noted that preventing, combating, and eradicating the illicit manufacturing of firearms, ammunition and explosives is therefore one of the most persistent challenges of the Public Security and Development agenda of the United Nations.
“Given the transnational nature of this problem, it is essential to increase international cooperation in this area. The UN Regional Human Development Report on citizen security highlights high deficits in the justice system in Latin America and the Caribbean…”
It is for this reason Ms. Solomon said strengthening legal mechanisms and building security and justice sector capacity such as ongoing training for judges, prosecutors, and police investigators should be considered an essential tool to ensure the quality and efficiency of criminal investigation.
“In order to meet the specific need in the field of legal practitioners, UNILIREC developed this specialised training course aimed at supporting the implementation of the international firearms instruments, as well as reducing impunity in firearm related offences.”
She called on participants to make the best of the training provided and most importantly the networking available which they would have made as a result of the training.
UNLIREC provides disarmament expertise to countries through capacity building, outreach and advocacy and technical assistance initiatives.
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