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MINISTER of Home Affairs Clement Rohee reports that Guyana is working closely with a United Nations agency to address the question of stockpiling firearms and ammunition, and how to deal with over accumulation of those which are obsolete. The agency at reference, the United Nations Office for Disarmament’s Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNILIREC) will guide Guyana on how to dispense with firearms, as well as securing stock piles in ways that are in keeping with certain international standards.
Two experts from UNILIREC have responded to an invitation from the Government of Guyana (GOG) on this mission which has proved helpful to the country.
Minister Rohee said Friday that Senior Programme Officer of the Public Security Programme, UNILIREC, Juliet Solomon and Technical Advisor, Stockpile Management and Weapons Destruction, UNILIREC, Ian Ruddock, have visited a number of stakeholders during their visit here to conduct a baseline survey.
“In three weeks’ time after the visit, we will expect a report,” the Minister said, adding: “Based on that report, we are expecting some recommendations which the GOG will study with a view to determining the extent to which we will implement those recommendations.”
He said that while there are no sanctions involved if Guyana does not implement the UNILIREC recommendations, “in the context of best practices and your treaty obligations, you are expected to do your best to adhere to these principles to which you have signed on.”
And while this move by Government is not necessarily a part of the security reform process, he said, “it is part of bringing better management to our armories, whether they are in the Guyana Defence Force, Police Force, Municipalities or Prisons, wherever there may be a stockpile of firearms. The idea is to bring a better system of management, utilisation, and disposal of those that have become technically obsolete.”
Ms. Solomon explained that the two-member team’s visit is in the context of a Caribbean assistance package. “This is a regional assistance package and we have done it across the board, Guyana is one of the latest countries. We are looking to assess what areas of assistance we can provide,’ she said.
The UNILIREC official said the body provides assistance in several areas in terms of securing weapons’ stockpiles and managing them. She added that guidance is also provided in the broader context of legislation.
“We can provide legal assistance in looking at all the legislation so we can see that it is up to date and meeting treaty obligations,” she said. “We can provide physical means to destroy weapons. Things like hydraulic shears, or burning tanks, or even international standard padlocks for security stockpiles. We can also provide training in the use of these things and in methods for securing stockpiles up to international standards, and destroying weapons and ammunitions.”
Ms. Solomon reported that during the team’s visit they have looked at a number of weapons’ facilities and met with officials of the Police and Defence forces and the Guyana Revenue Authority.
Focusing on the not so recent theft of AK-47 rifles from the GDF which had raised serious concerns, Solomon said that UNILIREC can help to prevent this.
“In terms of physically preventing theft, yes, we do an assessment of the actual facility and we can provide the physical assistance mentioned before such as the international standard padlocks for security stockpiles and the relevant training to have a system of checks and balances which will help to eliminate or alleviate those kinds of problems as well as training in the methods for securing stockpiles up to international standards,” she explained.
Obsolete weapons
The public perception that the weapons stockpile of both the GDF and the GPF are obsolete is a misconception, Minister Rohee stated. He explained that on an annual basis he presents to Cabinet requests from the GPF for the procurement of firearms and ammunition.
“I know that some of the most modern firearms that the Police Force should have for use in any particular situation, whether it’s a SWAT operation or for any special type of operation, they would have the appropriate firearms and ammunitions for that purpose. They may not be as modern as some Forces have in some industrialised countries, but whatever they request, is what we seek to procure,” he said.
The Minister explained that the GPF is expected to follow the introduction of the production of new versions of firearms and follow that by reading up on those matters to enable them to determine what is best for them. “Once they determine what is best suited for them in various operational activities, then they would request the Ministry of Home Affairs to purchase that for them,” he said.
Minister Rohee acknowledged that while the Force does have modern weapons they also have weapons that are many years old, some of which may be termed museum pieces. “A decision will have to be taken at some point in time to effect their disposal. I don’t think they would want to dispose every single one. They might want to keep a few just to have an idea of what existed. Because when they are doing training they have to point to new recruits what existed before, and show them the evolution of the firearm industry manufacturing and to show them where they were and where they are at this point in time,” the Minister explained.
It is at this point that UNILIREC would come in to assess how many of these obsolete firearms have led to overcrowding in the armory that need to be dispensed with in order to ensure the accessibility to these firearms lead to the more modern ones; so the more use value ones are easier accessible in any eventuality and also for other reasons as well such as safety and security and avoiding of combustion he explained further.
Meanwhile Solomon in addressing the perception that the weapons of Guyana’s security forces are outdated, noted that one of the things the team has found was that even in places where proper safeguards are in place, UNILIREC can assist. “In other countries where we have done destruction, we provide internationally recognised Standard Operating Procedures accounting for the destruction and signing off: “Yes we saw that this was destroyed.”
She explained that this helps to build public confidence. In other countries Solomon said there were media events organised with the subject Minister “inviting people to witness some of these things being destroyed. And I think that has helped a lot and we can help in that area definitely.”
Meanwhile, to address the possibility of firearms being found in unassembled components she explained, “We have been doing some training in forensic ballistics capacity building. We are about to launch a regional armory management training course, in Trinidad and Tobago, but which will have a regional component where people will be trained to recognise different part of weapons.
Minister Rohee has said that personnel from the GDF and GPF will participate in this and other similar courses as they are known to become available. Trainers will come from UNILIREC and some will be international experts brought in depending on the kind of courses organised. (GINA)
Two experts from UNILIREC have responded to an invitation from the Government of Guyana (GOG) on this mission which has proved helpful to the country.
Minister Rohee said Friday that Senior Programme Officer of the Public Security Programme, UNILIREC, Juliet Solomon and Technical Advisor, Stockpile Management and Weapons Destruction, UNILIREC, Ian Ruddock, have visited a number of stakeholders during their visit here to conduct a baseline survey.
“In three weeks’ time after the visit, we will expect a report,” the Minister said, adding: “Based on that report, we are expecting some recommendations which the GOG will study with a view to determining the extent to which we will implement those recommendations.”
He said that while there are no sanctions involved if Guyana does not implement the UNILIREC recommendations, “in the context of best practices and your treaty obligations, you are expected to do your best to adhere to these principles to which you have signed on.”
And while this move by Government is not necessarily a part of the security reform process, he said, “it is part of bringing better management to our armories, whether they are in the Guyana Defence Force, Police Force, Municipalities or Prisons, wherever there may be a stockpile of firearms. The idea is to bring a better system of management, utilisation, and disposal of those that have become technically obsolete.”
Ms. Solomon explained that the two-member team’s visit is in the context of a Caribbean assistance package. “This is a regional assistance package and we have done it across the board, Guyana is one of the latest countries. We are looking to assess what areas of assistance we can provide,’ she said.
The UNILIREC official said the body provides assistance in several areas in terms of securing weapons’ stockpiles and managing them. She added that guidance is also provided in the broader context of legislation.
“We can provide legal assistance in looking at all the legislation so we can see that it is up to date and meeting treaty obligations,” she said. “We can provide physical means to destroy weapons. Things like hydraulic shears, or burning tanks, or even international standard padlocks for security stockpiles. We can also provide training in the use of these things and in methods for securing stockpiles up to international standards, and destroying weapons and ammunitions.”
Ms. Solomon reported that during the team’s visit they have looked at a number of weapons’ facilities and met with officials of the Police and Defence forces and the Guyana Revenue Authority.
Focusing on the not so recent theft of AK-47 rifles from the GDF which had raised serious concerns, Solomon said that UNILIREC can help to prevent this.
“In terms of physically preventing theft, yes, we do an assessment of the actual facility and we can provide the physical assistance mentioned before such as the international standard padlocks for security stockpiles and the relevant training to have a system of checks and balances which will help to eliminate or alleviate those kinds of problems as well as training in the methods for securing stockpiles up to international standards,” she explained.
Obsolete weapons
The public perception that the weapons stockpile of both the GDF and the GPF are obsolete is a misconception, Minister Rohee stated. He explained that on an annual basis he presents to Cabinet requests from the GPF for the procurement of firearms and ammunition.
“I know that some of the most modern firearms that the Police Force should have for use in any particular situation, whether it’s a SWAT operation or for any special type of operation, they would have the appropriate firearms and ammunitions for that purpose. They may not be as modern as some Forces have in some industrialised countries, but whatever they request, is what we seek to procure,” he said.
The Minister explained that the GPF is expected to follow the introduction of the production of new versions of firearms and follow that by reading up on those matters to enable them to determine what is best for them. “Once they determine what is best suited for them in various operational activities, then they would request the Ministry of Home Affairs to purchase that for them,” he said.
Minister Rohee acknowledged that while the Force does have modern weapons they also have weapons that are many years old, some of which may be termed museum pieces. “A decision will have to be taken at some point in time to effect their disposal. I don’t think they would want to dispose every single one. They might want to keep a few just to have an idea of what existed. Because when they are doing training they have to point to new recruits what existed before, and show them the evolution of the firearm industry manufacturing and to show them where they were and where they are at this point in time,” the Minister explained.
It is at this point that UNILIREC would come in to assess how many of these obsolete firearms have led to overcrowding in the armory that need to be dispensed with in order to ensure the accessibility to these firearms lead to the more modern ones; so the more use value ones are easier accessible in any eventuality and also for other reasons as well such as safety and security and avoiding of combustion he explained further.
Meanwhile Solomon in addressing the perception that the weapons of Guyana’s security forces are outdated, noted that one of the things the team has found was that even in places where proper safeguards are in place, UNILIREC can assist. “In other countries where we have done destruction, we provide internationally recognised Standard Operating Procedures accounting for the destruction and signing off: “Yes we saw that this was destroyed.”
She explained that this helps to build public confidence. In other countries Solomon said there were media events organised with the subject Minister “inviting people to witness some of these things being destroyed. And I think that has helped a lot and we can help in that area definitely.”
Meanwhile, to address the possibility of firearms being found in unassembled components she explained, “We have been doing some training in forensic ballistics capacity building. We are about to launch a regional armory management training course, in Trinidad and Tobago, but which will have a regional component where people will be trained to recognise different part of weapons.
Minister Rohee has said that personnel from the GDF and GPF will participate in this and other similar courses as they are known to become available. Trainers will come from UNILIREC and some will be international experts brought in depending on the kind of courses organised. (GINA)
