T&T cooperating with international agencies to destroy guns, curb illegal use of weapns

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissesssar said gun violence is fuelled by criminals using illegal firearms, noting that offenders use these illegal weapons to commit the majority of crimes in Trinidad & Tobago. She said the criminals usually obtain the guns through illicit underground purchasing, renting, leasing or theft.

She made the point when she participated in a ceremonial event to mark the destruction of obsolete and confiscated arms. Next week, national authorities will begin the destruction of expired and surplus ammunition. 

The exercise is being undertaken by the Government in collaboration with the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) and the Regional Center for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UN-LIREC).

The Prime Minister noted that between 2006-2010 more than 2,577 illicit firearms were recovered by law enforcement efforts, adding that the high figure suggests that there must be a thriving industry in existence to supply and perhaps re-supply the owners of those illicit weapons.

"Last year, alone in 2010, 355 citizens lost their lives as a result of the use of firearms; several members of the law enforcement and protective services were included in this number," she said.

She said her government is committed to reducing the illegal "and all too accessible supply of guns to criminals".

However, she said achieving that goal requires more than legislation. What is needed, she said, are greater efforts to deal with the problem through cooperation bilaterally, regionally and internationally with the public sector, international organizations and the private sector.

She said this includes the Firearms Destruction and Stockpile Management (FDSM) Assistance Package for Caribbean States involves:

• Training for government officials on best practices in firearms stockpile management and weapons destruction consistent with safety and environmental standards
• The elaboration of baseline assessments to determine existing capacities to control firearms, ammunition and explosives and prevent their diversion through physical infrastructure and periodic destruction (includes analysis of existing legal frameworks and policies) 
• Support for the development of national action plans for stockpile management and weapons destruction, including the identification of the necessary technical and financial resources for implementation 
• Networking with other Caribbean governments for the purpose of improving coordination and information exchange

It's a multi-phased project through which the government will establish a permanent national commission for small arms control. 

It will also develop an armed violence reduction programming framework that will include national surveys, opinion polls, awareness raising campaigns, voluntary collection, destruction, information management, stockpile management.