Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. The Global Firearms Programme (GFP) of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) organized a legislative drafting and verification workshop between the 3 and 5 of April to share and discuss a draft Firearms Bill as part of an ongoing joint legislative effort with the Government of Trinidad and Tobago since June 2022, to align the legislation with the country's regional and international commitments.
The participation in this meeting garnered the support of Attorney General’s Chambers and the Ministry of Legal Affairs, Minister’s Secretariat, Director of Public Prosecutions, Ministry of National Security, Trinidad and Tobago Police Service, Public Defenders’ Department, Trinidad and Tobago Municipal Police Service, Customs and Excise Division, Trinidad and Tobago Prison Service, Trinidad and Tobago Forensic Science Centre, Judiciary, Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force, Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard, Firearm Instructors Regional Association, Trinidad Rifle Association and a Firearms Dealer. It involved the gathering of 44 participants, 18 women and 26 men, over the course of the three days, with 24 in-person attendees.
The representatives of these institutions provided their expertise on the Firearms Bill to further tailor the draft to the context of Trinidad and Tobago. UNODC GFP will use this feedback to revise the Bill, before submitting it to the Government to support their process of implementing a new Firearms Act.
The activity is aligned with Goal 1 of the Caribbean Firearms Roadmap which seeks to reinforce national regulatory frameworks related to firearms through a harmonization of domestic legislation with the international instruments.
