Leader of the mission team from the United Nations (UN) Office for Disarmament’s Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC), Juliet Solomon on Monday presented the report on a legal study conducted to Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall.
The document contains a comprehensive assessment of Guyana’s obligations, internationally under treaties and agreement, in respect of firearms, ammunition and explosives.
In June 2013, Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee had reported that Guyana was working in the context of international cooperation with the UN body to address the question of stockpiling firearms and ammunition, and how to deal with over accumulation of those which are obsolete. UNLIREC 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.
“We have received a copy of that report which would have chronicled all of Guyana’s obligations under various treaties in relation to this. In addition to that, a training session is being held for members of the army and police force, who are being trained to operate a machine which was donated, the purpose of which is to destroy arms and ammunition no longer in use. That training session is to commence this week and once our officers are equipped to operate the equipment, the destruction will commence,” Minister Nandlall stated
The UN mission has donated a hydraulic shears and a small arms ammunition burning tank to be used for the destruction of obsolete and surplus weapons, ammunition and explosives in Guyana.
Vital training
The legal affairs minister also explained that the training sessions would assist with regards to the implementation of the recently approved Firearms (Amendment) Bill, as well as the Evidence (Amendment) Bill.
The main purpose of the Firearms (Amendment) Bill is to create new offences in relation to possession and trafficking of components of a firearm. The prosecution of those types of offences would require expert evidence to be given, identifying alleged components of a firearm or ammunition as being exactly that. This testimony must come from a person who is duly qualified and who would be deemed an expert by the court.
Additionally, the amendment to the Evidence Act increases the category of experts whose certificates or analysis can now be admissible in the court of law. Among the authorities listed in the bill are ballistic and fingerprint experts, and the analysis or certificate of scientific officers who are attached to the Guyana Forensic Laboratory.
“So far as these certificates touch and concern firearms, ammunition and explosives, we have requested from this very organisation, UNLIREC, assistance to train our personnel in the field of ballistics, fingerprints and any other area of activity which may be relevant in helping the state to establish a case of possession of firearms and ammunition and or explosives or any criminal offence which involves the use of firearms and ammunition and or explosives,” Minister Nandlall said.
