Caribbean Firearms Roadmap meeting in St Lucia addressed priority actions  

By Caribbean News Global

ST LUCIA / USA – From November 14-15, US officials participated in the third annual meeting of states under the auspices of the Caribbean Firearms Roadmap. In the meeting, states addressed sustainable Caribbean priority actions on the illicit proliferation of firearms and ammunition across the Caribbean by 2030, reports the US Department of State.

Saint Lucia hosted the meeting in coordination with the CARICOM Implementation Agency for Crime and Security and the UN Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean. 

“The Roadmap supports regional implementation of the 30 Priority Actions on Addressing Illicit Trafficking of Firearms developed under the auspices of the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI) in January 2019. 

“CARICOM heads of government subsequently adopted the Roadmap in May 2019. The Roadmap and Priority Actions seek to address illicit proliferation of firearms and ammunition in the region through regional and national-level efforts at strategic, policy, and operational levels.”

The Goals of the Roadmap are:

• Goal 1: Reinforce regulatory frameworks governing firearms and ammunition;
• Goal 2: Reduce the illicit flow of firearms and ammunition into, within and beyond the region;
• Goal 3: Bolster law enforcement capacity to combat illicit firearms and ammunition trafficking and their illicit possession and misuse;
• Goal 4: Systematically decrease the risk of diversion of firearms and ammunition from government- and non-government-owned arsenals.

The United States delegation included representatives from the Department of State; Department of Justice, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the Department of Homeland Security, including Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security Investigations.