Efforts to combat the illicit proliferation and misuse of firearms and ammunition engaged the attention of Ministers of Security, CARICOM officials, and other high-level representatives from the Caribbean Region during the 3rd Annual Meeting of States of the Caribbean Firearms Roadmap convened yesterday, Tuesday, 14 November, in Saint Lucia.
The meeting was organised 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 Saint Lucia and the support of the Government of Canada.
The first day of the meeting was dedicated to the Caribbean Firearms Roadmap’s operational aspects, including the importance of evidence-based policymaking established from data collection efforts and a robust monitoring and evaluation framework. Participants shared best practices and lessons learned from national flagship initiatives to address armed violence across the Region.
Other stakeholders made interventions, including the co-custodians of the Roadmap, CARICOM IMPACS and UNLIREC, as well as implementing partners such as the Organization of American States (OAS), International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the Small Arms Survey (SAS) and the World Customs Organization (WCO). Ms Izumi Nakamitsu, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, also participated.
Today’s session included a high-level plenary with ministers and officials from CARICOM Member States, the Dominican Republic and the international community. The plenary included a review of the significant progress and important achievements made under the Roadmap to date while examining ways to achieve further progress to overcome existing implementing gaps to further strengthen the security of the Region.
When a drug dealer in the Caribbean region illegally exports drugs to the United States he or she is extradited to the US to face criminal charges although that person did not step on American soil.
We in the Caribbean do not manufacture guns. These guns are mostly manufactured in the US. Why are these manufacturers and gun merchants not held accountable and sent to Caribbean jurisdictions to face the judge and jury?
Our leaders should negotiate for this to happen. We all are sovereign countries no matter the size and must be afforded equal recognition and respect.
We must act now to try to stop the proliferation of these instruments of death from flowing into the Caribbean from the Great Satan..