From 5 to 9 October 2020, UNODC’s Global Firearms Programme (GFP) worked with law enforcement and criminal justice officials from Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Mali and Niger in back to back events in Abidjan, focused on practical cross-border measures to fight illicit firearms trafficking in the Sahel. In a hybrid setting, with some participants connecting online, the events were part of the efforts by UNODC to counter organized crime and terrorism surmounting the challenges posed by the ongoing COVID-19 crisis.
The two events were co-organized with INTERPOL and counted also with the support form the National Commission on Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) from Cote d’Ivoire. UNODC’s AIRCOP project -aimed at strengthening the capacities of international airports to detect and intercept illicit goods and high-risk passengers- was also active in the organization of the two activities. In addition, experts from the Word Customs Organizations (WCO) provided substantive advice.
The first meeting, from 5 to 8 October, was a sub-regional training aimed at providing key practical skills in the conduct of law enforcement operations focused on illicit firearms trafficking. Prior to the beginning of the activity, UNODC handed over to the National Commission on SALW from Cote d’Ivoire videoconferencing equipment to facilitate remote connection during the ongoing health crisis and beyond. The events also provided an opportunity to use the equipment for the first time. The trainings covered several topics ranging from the identification and detection of firearms in a simulated cross-border post, to the opening of parallel investigation on firearms trafficking.
INTERPOL provided capacity building on the use of its Illicit Arms Records and tracing Management System, better known as iARMS, and its use for the proper tracing of illicit firearms. In addition, it transferred MIND devices to participating countries in order to make its databases available in border posts.
On 9 October, new participants joined the meeting to discuss best practices to share information on the ground and improve communication. Efforts on this end focused particularly on the importance of post seizure strategies, ensuring that there is a proper and coordinated response from the criminal justice system for transnational firearms trafficking cases, and ensuring the proper use of tools to improve international cooperation.
Organized crime and terrorism have not stopped because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and it is thus key to UNODC that support in the fight against firearms trafficking continues. These activities were made possible thanks to the support from the governments of France, Germany and Italy to the GFP’s activities in the Sahel sub region.
