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UN tells Jamaica to 'control' the guns
Sunday, June 08, 2008
THE United Nations wants the Jamaican government to institute strict gun control regulations as a means of stemming the heavy inflow of guns and ammunition into the island.
In a joint press release issued by UNICEF and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)for the Global Week of Action against Gun Violence, the UN urged all stakeholders to increase their efforts to tackle the arms flow, and embark on a social intervention drive in order to curb the high rate of armed violence that has taken over the island.
"UNDP and UNICEF express deep concern for the effect of the spiralling murder rate on children and their communities, and ultimately the country's economic development," the statement said.
With the decline of Jamaica's importance as a trans-shipment port for cocaine destined for the United States, a flood of weapons have found their way into the island as unscrupulous people exploit the island's porous coastline and have established a booming guns for drugs trade between arms smugglers from Jamaica, Haiti, Honduras and other countries in the region.
A recently commissioned UN report entitled, The impact of small arms on children and adolescents in Central America and the Caribbean, said illegal arms dealers earn millions in foreign exchange annually from the deadly trade.
"Small arms are widely available in the region, and the trade in arms is highly lucrative, with a US$3.5-$10.1 million for the legal trade and much more for the illegal trade," the report said.
According to the report, Latin America and the Caribbean accounts for 42 per cent of all homicides globally.
"The Latin America and Caribbean region has the highest rate of armed violence in the world," the report stated.
According to figures released by the police between January 1, 2005 and May 31 this year, 5,068 Jamaicans have been murdered. Of that amount 78 per cent, (3,953), were killed with a gun. More than 2,000 others were shot and injured during the same period. Fifteen persons have been reported killed in the first six days of this month.
The UN also offered to assist the government in the fight against crime.
"One of the biggest problems facing Jamaica in relation to armed violence is the lack of a 'task force'. An actor with dynamic capacity, social legitimacy and political recognition is needed to push a national agenda and to form a group of stakeholders. This is a difficult task in an extremely fragmented country, but UNICEF could play this role in Jamaica," the report stated.
The UN report also recommended that the government pay attention to violence at schools.
"In-depth diagnosis is needed on the situation at school, including teacher behaviours, teaching materials used and the like," the report said.
Last week, newly appointed security minister, Trevor MacMillan, said most of the nearly 700 persons who have been killed this year were victims of gang-related violence, and the UN report urged the state to pay closer attention to the rampaging bands of armed gangsters.
The information available on Jamaican gangs is quite limited at present.
Sunday, June 08, 2008
THE United Nations wants the Jamaican government to institute strict gun control regulations as a means of stemming the heavy inflow of guns and ammunition into the island.
In a joint press release issued by UNICEF and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)for the Global Week of Action against Gun Violence, the UN urged all stakeholders to increase their efforts to tackle the arms flow, and embark on a social intervention drive in order to curb the high rate of armed violence that has taken over the island.
"UNDP and UNICEF express deep concern for the effect of the spiralling murder rate on children and their communities, and ultimately the country's economic development," the statement said.
With the decline of Jamaica's importance as a trans-shipment port for cocaine destined for the United States, a flood of weapons have found their way into the island as unscrupulous people exploit the island's porous coastline and have established a booming guns for drugs trade between arms smugglers from Jamaica, Haiti, Honduras and other countries in the region.
A recently commissioned UN report entitled, The impact of small arms on children and adolescents in Central America and the Caribbean, said illegal arms dealers earn millions in foreign exchange annually from the deadly trade.
"Small arms are widely available in the region, and the trade in arms is highly lucrative, with a US$3.5-$10.1 million for the legal trade and much more for the illegal trade," the report said.
According to the report, Latin America and the Caribbean accounts for 42 per cent of all homicides globally.
"The Latin America and Caribbean region has the highest rate of armed violence in the world," the report stated.
According to figures released by the police between January 1, 2005 and May 31 this year, 5,068 Jamaicans have been murdered. Of that amount 78 per cent, (3,953), were killed with a gun. More than 2,000 others were shot and injured during the same period. Fifteen persons have been reported killed in the first six days of this month.
The UN also offered to assist the government in the fight against crime.
"One of the biggest problems facing Jamaica in relation to armed violence is the lack of a 'task force'. An actor with dynamic capacity, social legitimacy and political recognition is needed to push a national agenda and to form a group of stakeholders. This is a difficult task in an extremely fragmented country, but UNICEF could play this role in Jamaica," the report stated.
The UN report also recommended that the government pay attention to violence at schools.
"In-depth diagnosis is needed on the situation at school, including teacher behaviours, teaching materials used and the like," the report said.
Last week, newly appointed security minister, Trevor MacMillan, said most of the nearly 700 persons who have been killed this year were victims of gang-related violence, and the UN report urged the state to pay closer attention to the rampaging bands of armed gangsters.
The information available on Jamaican gangs is quite limited at present.
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