Gros Islet, Saint Lucia – UNODC’s Global Firearms Programme (GFP), in close cooperation with the Government of Saint Lucia and CARICOM IMPACS, organised a workshop from the 16-18 of May 2023 to discuss the establishment of an Integrated Firearms Centre (IFC). The workshop included welcoming remarks from Ronald Philip, the Deputy Commissioner of Police, who emphasised that “transnational organised crime requires transnational solutions” and highlighted that “these types of activities if left unchallenged can threaten the security of citizens in the region and the tourism industry”.
UNODC’s representatives emphasised the importance of synergies across agencies that are necessary to improve the country’s responsiveness in suppressing and combatting illicit arms flows. Strengthening the criminal justice response in a strategic and comprehensive manner reinforces the effectiveness of Saint Lucia’s efforts to prevent and address its burgeoning crime rate and the frequency of firearms reappearing in the context of other forms of crime. The creation of an Integrated Firearms Centre will support these objectives through a multi-sectoral framework centralised in a singular tactical agency whilst supporting regional initiatives such as CARICOM’s Crime Gun and Intelligence Unit.
The workshop was attended by 14 experts (10 men and 4 women) of the relevant national agencies, including Royal Saint Lucia Police Force, Central Statistical Office, Department of Home Affairs, Forensic Science Services, Financial Intelligence Authority, Ministry of External Affairs, Crown Prosecution Services and Customs and Excise Department.
It took an interactive format, combining presentations by the UNODC Global Firearms Programme, CARICOM IMPACS and UK’s National Ballistics Intelligence Service (NABIS), with fruitful discussions on the creation of an IFC in Saint Lucia, possible roles and responsibilities, functions of participating institutions and other logistics for the establishment of the centre.
Participants agreed that the creation of the IFC would be a “great advantage for the entire diaspora” and “while it [IFC] is not a panacea for all crimes, it will significantly reduce the illicit flow of firearms”.
This activity was a continuation of the Virtual Regional Workshop on Integrated Firearms Centres in the Caribbean which UNODC Firearms Trafficking Section organised in conjunction with CARICOM IMPACS on 25-26 June 2022, where Saint Lucia confirmed its interest in this initiative, along with its pledge to tackle illicit firearms trafficking and related crimes.
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UNODC Firearms Trafficking Section’s continues to uphold its commitment to Saint Lucia to strengthen its criminal justice response to illicit firearms criminality is aligned with the national efforts to implement the Caribbean Firearms Roadmap. The workshop was possible thanks to the financial support of Germany, the expertise of CARICOM IMPACS, UK NABIS and UNODC Firearms Trafficking Section, in the framework of the project “Supporting the implementation of the criminal justice component of the Caribbean Firearms Roadmap”.
