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Last Updated: Feb 9, 2012 - 11:36:56 PM |
 The
Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), José
Miguel Insulza, today called on the governments of the region to face
the causes of the illicit trafficking of firearms, an issue “of the
greatest importance” in a continent in which 80 percent of homicides are
committed with this type of weapon.
During the inauguration of
the seminar on the illicit trafficking of arms being held February 6, 7
and 8 in Washington, DC, the head of the Organization recalled that in
Latin America and the Caribbean “all manifestations of organized
crime—the illicit traffic of drugs, human trafficking, the illicit
traffic of migrants, money laundering, corruption, terrorism,
kidnappings, gangs—have a link to the constant flow of arms generally
from the exterior.”
As a result of this, “it is impossible to
delineate a public security policy, strengthen the police, make our
controls more efficient, improve our courts to fight crime, if criminal
gangs are benefitting themselves from the constant, permanent and safe
flow of firearms from illicit trafficking,” he continued. “We cannot
continue to lament the consequences, we must face the causes,” he added.
The
Secretary General recalled that in the international framework the
issue was mentioned in the first Summit of the Americas, in Miami in
1994, when the countries resolved to strengthen the efforts to control
firearms, munitions and explosives, to prevent them from falling in the
hands of organized crime. This led the countries to adopt in 1997 the
Inter-American Convention against the Illicit Manufacturing of and
Trafficking in Firearms, Ammunition, Explosives and Other Related
Materials (CIFTA), of which the OAS is its depository. The OAS also has
signed cooperation agreements for firearms marking with nearly 20
countries, in a program financed with the support of the United States
and Spain.
Nevertheless, warned the head of the OAS, “We still
have much to do.” “Until we seek at least a possibility to harmonize the
laws of our countries on matters of firearms, we will continue to
suffer a very complex situation. The greatest part of the countries of
Latin America and the Caribbean have very restrictive policies on
matters of firearms, and yet we are full of arms, some much more
powerful than those of the police,” he added.
Also present at the
event’s inauguration was the Director of the Inter-American Defense
College, Admiral Jeffrey A. Lemmons (United States), who said that
“venues like this are an important part of our curriculum,” referring to
the institution he directs. “We are committed to exposing our students
to the full range and complex nature of hemispheric multidimensional
security and providing them with the tools and the methodologies they
will need to conduct critical thinking and to find solutions.”
The
session was moderated by the Alternate Representative of the United
States to the OAS and Vice Chair of the Committee on Hemispheric
Security, Giovanni Snidle, who recalled that this is the second seminar
the Committee has organized with the College, with the support of the
OAS Secretariat for Multidimensional Security. Snidle added that the
seminar “actually demonstrates the valuable role that the Inter-American
Defense Board and its College play for our hemispheric security.”
The
seminar inaugurated today is a collaborative effort between the OAS and
the Inter-American Defense Board in response to a resolution of the
Organization’s General Assembly that seeks to promote an agenda for the
reduction of small arms trafficking in the Americas. The event’s first
day was held jointly with a regular session of the Committee on
Hemispheric Security of the OAS Permanent Council, at Organization
headquarters. The rest of the seminar will be held on the campus of the
Inter-American Defense College, in a series of sessions to examine
regional priorities in confronting the illicit trafficking of arms in
the Americas, with special emphasis on the role of domestic and
international stakeholders, fulfillment and compliance with laws and
international treaties, and the great variety of activities related to
this illegal market which constitute threats to hemispheric security..
For more information, please visit the OAS Website at www.oas.org.
© Copyright 2012 by thebahamasweekly.com
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