A two-day meeting for parliamentarians and NGOs to review the impact and “responses to small arms diffusion and violence in the Caribbean” is set for Trinidad today and a women’s group is asking where the gangs are getting guns and ammo for killings like those at Lusignan and Bartica
According to a press release the Women’s Institute for Alternative Development (WINAD) said the meeting hopes to explore a Caricom instrument to support implementation of the UN Programme of Action on small arms.
The group said the meeting which is being held today and tomorrow, is incorporating the theme ‘Small Arms Proliferation and Mis-use: towards a Caribbean Plan of Action’.
WINAD said it joins with Guyana in mourning the senseless slayings at Lusignan and Bartica and it hopes to hear from other affected states on a regional approach to gun violence.
Though the group complimented the government’s response; through the Citizens Security Programme that suggests they will rehabilitate 12 police stations, it said the situation demands more. WINAD said the response from other Caricom member states is encouraging and it should be matched by solidarity from the wider international community for both assistance and examples of approaches that might prevent armed violence.
The group cited examples of gun ‘buy back’ programmes in Brazil that halted the firearm homicide rate that had been escalating for more than 20 years. “This success was linked to a comprehensive program of preventative measures introduced by the government in partnership with civil society,” the release said.
A central computerised firearms register was also created to keep track of the legally-held guns – military, police and civilian – and an extensive public awareness campaign explained the dangers of personal gun possession.
“In Argentina, a massive ongoing buyback this year has generated enough political will to ensure that the gun laws will be reviewed with an eye to updating them. In Bolivia, the government is working with civil society to draft the country’s first gun law, with an overarching priority on prevention.
These are important steps, and any of them might provide inspiration for policymakers in Guyana”.
In addition to preventative measures, governments are also working more closely at the regional and international levels to stop the influx of guns across borders.
The UN programme framed in 2001, encourages donor countries to collaborate with developing countries in their efforts to combat armed violence through funding and sharing information.
However, WINAD said Caricom countries have to be more rigorous in reporting to the UN on their implementation of the plan.
The group said 10 of 15 Caricom countries have never reported on their implementation and needs and Barbados, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica and Trinidad have reported no more than two times in six years.
WINAD said the meeting will allow Guyana and the Caribbean to highlight what is needed in the region to prevent tragedies such as Bartica from recurring.
