America

National control systems
To support States efforts to strengthen national and regional transfer controls, UNLIREC provides support in drafting and adopting national control lists and developing import/export licensing structures and risk assessment check-lists, templates and practical exercises.⁴ UNLIREC cooperates and coordinates with relevant Regional Organizations, including OAS⁵, CARICOM⁶ and SICA⁷ to support training activities and assist states in implementing practical arms control and disarmament measures. UNLIREC also works closely with the private sector on issues related to regulations, periodic destruction of weapons, stockpile management, marking and tracing, responsible ownership and transfers of weapons.⁸

Diversion prevention
UNLIREC provides training programs and direct support to strengthen states ability to prevent and reduce weapons diversion. Through these courses, UNLIREC works with customs officers and port of entry authorities on developing tools and procedures to detect weapons, parts and components that cross borders illegally, and to carry out seizures of those weapons.

Gender and Gender-based Violence
UNLIREC supports the implementation of UN General Assembly resolution 65/69 which calls for the promotion of the equitable representation of women in all decision-making processes with regard to matters related to disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control. As part of this work, UNLIREC supports national and regional arms control authorities, law enforcement, judicial operators and legislators to integrate gender-sensitive perspectives into national arms control measures, to generate evidence-based dialogue on the status of firearms possession and use in academic settings with a focus on women and girls or to increase the participation of female officers working on security and arms control.⁹ More recently, UNLIREC also partnered with governments in the region to conduct training on gender perspective in the investigation of crimes involving firearms.¹⁰

National control systems
The OAS has initiated a number of projects to strengthen transfer controls across the region which are relevant to ATT practitioners. For instance, workshops held in Mexico in 2013 sought to assist the government in strengthening its national exports control system, including through the sharing of international best practices, exchange of information and intelligence, and discussion of risk assessment and options for licensing processes.¹⁷ Similarly, between 2015 to 2018, the OAS Mission to Support the Peace Process in Colombia (MAPP/OAS), which carried out monitoring and support tasks related to the peace policy in Colombia, also included activities related to transfer controls.¹⁸
The OAS conducts projects aimed to strengthening capacities related to physical security and stockpile management (PSSM), arms and ammunition marking and tracing,¹⁹ export,²⁰ and brokering controls that indirectly contribute to ATT implementation. In addition, the EU-funded project “Central American Firearms Roadmap,” which provides countries in the region with a regional, coordinated, and evidence based approach to
firearms controls, will also advance the implementation of key ATT provisions.²¹

Diversion prevention
The OAS is working to develop the Cross-Border Regional Communication Mechanism on Illicit Transfers of Firearms, Ammunition and Other Related Materials (MCTA). This mechanism, inspired by the transparency and information-sharing principles in the ATT and based on EU best practices, will serve as a secure communication channel between States Parties on matters related to issuing or denying export, import, and transit licenses. The mechanism can be used to share and request information related to arms and ammunition transfers, allowing for prompt identification of possible vulnerabilities or risks which may make diversion more likely.²²

Gender and Gender-based Violence
The OAS has initiated a workstream on gender. The organization is in the process of creating regional standards, followed by training programs on how to prevent gender-based violence committed with firearms, therefore indirectly contributing to the understanding and implementation of Article 7.4 of the ATT.

National control systems
CARICOM IMPACS assists Member States with strengthening their arms transfer control systems through the provision of trainings and resources on small arms control standards,³² end user controls and brokering controls.³³ For instance, in January 2021 the organization in partnership with the Small Arms Survey, launched a joint project “to improve the capacity of CARICOM States to prevent the illicit circulation of small arms and light weapons and enhance States” implementation of commitments under international and regional arms control instruments.”³⁴ Similarly, in January 2022, CARICOM IMPACS and UNODC organized a virtual regional meeting on the establishment of Integrated Firearms Centres in the Caribbean region. The Integrated Firearms Centres would collect, analyze and distribute information at national level as well as act as a focal point for the purpose of information exchanges and cooperation with law enforcement agencies in other countries. The Centres would be responsible for implementing firearms control, including forensics, firearms registries, investigating and tracing illicit trafficking of firearms, their parts and components and ammunition, and other related crimes.³⁵

Diversion prevention
Close cooperation between INTERPOL and CARICOM IMPACS allows the Regional Organization to facilitate coordination in efforts to prevent and prosecute cases of illicit trafficking and diversion of arms and ammunition in the region.

CARICOM IMPACS has also established a Regional Integrated Ballistic Information Network (RIBIN) that targets “crime guns” through ballistic identification and encourages sharing of information among CARICOM Member States. RIBIN also enables states in the region to connect and utilize the Interpol Ballistic Information Network (IBIN), allowing for international collaboration among law enforcement agencies worldwide.³⁶

Gender and Gender-based Violence
With its strong focus on safeguarding human rights, CARICOM also developed initiatives to prevent genderbased violence, including the implementation of the GBV criteria in the ATT. The CARICOM Secretariat has in place a CARICOM Gender Equality Policy that champions gender equality and the empowerment of women through projects carried out with Member States as well as international and regional development partners. In 2022, CARICOM also launched a series of consultations focused on the development of a “CARICOM Regional Gender Equality Strategy (CRGES)” that will provide a framework for strategic action to achieve gender equality
and women’s empowerment in the region.³⁷

National control systems
The 24th Meeting of the GTAM held in 2013 discussed the potential for regional harmonization of firearms marking codes to facilitate tracing. Transfer controls were also discussed.⁴⁴ Building on these discussions, in 2014 at the 25th Meeting of the GTAM, participants discussed progress more broadly on relevant multilateral instruments, including the ATT, and the potential for sub-regional harmonization of national legislation.

Similarly, the 37th Meeting of GTAM held in 2021, discussed plans and expectations for the ATT process including the establishment of the Diversion Exchange Forum (DIEF). Member States also shared measures taken at the national level to address the illicit trafficking and diversion of arms and ammunition, including through financial support from the ATT Voluntary Trust Fund.⁴⁵

National control systems
n 2003, SICA launched the Central American Programme on Small Arms Control (CASAC). In 2009, CASAC undertook a multi-year project supported by the EU on national arms control systems. Through CASAC, SICA has carried out public awareness campaigns, conferences, and multidisciplinary capacity building activities.

CASAC has organized training programmes and courses on border controls, illicit trafficking and forensics. For example in 2015, CASAC provided training to government officials from El Salvador, Belize, Dominican Republic, Honduras, Guatemala, Costa Rica, and Panama to strengthen their capacities in the implementation of firearms control and in preventing the illicit firearms traffic and explosive material in Central America. The project included investigation training for law enforcement supporting enhanced cooperation between police services.⁵⁰

In 2016, CASAC co-organized a regional seminar to bring together judges, prosecutors, police investigators, and government representatives from all SICA Member States to address illicit firearms trafficking using an integrated approach. The overall aim was to define mechanisms to counter illicit trafficking departing from regional instruments, harmonizing and updating legal frameworks, identifying good practices in police and judiciary matters and dismantling firearms trafficking within organized criminal structures.⁵¹

Diversion prevention
In the framework of the Support For The Fight Against Illegal Possession And Trafficking Of Firearms In Central America And Neighboring Countries Project, between 2012 and 2015 SICA-CASAC delivered training courses with the objective of assisting Central American States to strengthen the capacity of national customs and police operatives to more effectively detect and intercept small arms and their parts and components. The courses were designed as a response to the illicit trafficking modus operandi of smuggling small arms and parts and components in small shipments through entry points (airports, ports, and land checkpoints).⁵²