UNODC Global Firearms Programme (GFP) participated to the Law Enforcement Training Net conference jointly organized by the National Commission of Security of Mexico, the Federal Police (as the current president of Ameripol) and the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The conference was held in Mexico City, Mexico between 30 August and 1st September 2017 and brought together 200 LE officers from 35 countries. On 31 August 2017, the fifth session of the conference was dedicated to Monitoring, Criminalization and Investigation of Firearms Trafficking.
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The seminar was started by GFP with a comprehensive overview of the complex and multidimensional aspects of Firearms Trafficking. The presentation addressed issues such as the flow of firearms from licit to illicit markets, the investigative process and its common challenges and the international responses. GFP presented its integrated approach, focusing on two main initiatives: the Firearms Training Curriculum and the UNODC Data Collection on Firearms and its linkages to the monitoring of the Sustainable Development Goal 16.4.
The session continued with a more detailed explanation of the international instruments on firearms and their applicability. Specific reference was made to the international legal framework, in particular the three global legally binding instruments, UNTOC and its Firearms Protocol, the Arms Trade Treaty. The session further provided practical examples of investigative cooperation between law enforcement agencies from Mexico and United States. During the Q&A session, the panel further discussed the strategic and operational use of the firearms data collected by UNODC, the use of new technologies for firearms tracing and the threat represented by the manufacturing of 3D weapons and the methods through which this threat can be prevented and countered. The activity is part of GFP's efforts to raise awareness and promote information and knowledge exchange between the community of firearms control and criminal justice practitioners to prevent and combat firearms trafficking and related crimes.