Castries, Saint Lucia. The Global Firearms Programme (GFP) of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) organized a legislative workshop to present and discuss the assessment of the firearms-related legislation in Saint Lucia on the 30 and 31 of March. The scope of the legislative report encompassed a detailed analysis into the current Firearms Act in light of the regional and international agreements such as the Firearms Protocol, Arms Trade Treaty and the Palermo Convention.
The legislative workshop hosted 22 participants, 15 men and 7 women, represented various ministries and agencies such as the Forensic Science Laboratory, Shooting Ranges, Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, Customs and Excise, Ministry of External Affairs, Attorney General's Chambers and the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force. The discussion centered around the main findings of the legislative assessment such as revising some definitions in the domestic legislation, implementing stringent procedures for confiscation, seizure, disposal and record-keeping, introducing the regulation of brokering and strengthening the country's licensing regime. These suggested amendments in conjunction with the discussion during the workshop will pave a way forward based on the identified gaps and recommendations. The workshop provided further insight into the legislative gaps to improve Saint Lucia’s efforts in enhancing its regulatory framework for firearms control. The participants appreciated the recommendations detailed in the assessment and are looking forward to further engagements with UNODC.
This legislative workshop was made possible by the financial support of Germany in support of the crime prevention and criminal justice component of the Caribbean Firearms Roadmap to counter illicit firearms trafficking and misuse across the region.
