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OAS Supports and Certifies Destruction of Arms and Ammunition in Dominica

  September 6, 2013

The Organization of American States (OAS) and the Commonwealth of Dominica Police Force today completed a destruction of firearms and ammunition carried out with technical support from the OAS Program of Assistance for the Control of Arms and Munitions (PACAM) and financial support provided by the Government of the United States.

Members of the Dominican Police Force destroyed obsolete weapons under the supervision of PACAM technical advisors, who also certified that the process was executed in accordance with international standards. During this operation, a total of 180 firearms and 26,543 items of ammunition of various calibers were destroyed.

The OAS continues supporting its Member States in the destruction of weapons in order to contribute to the effective control of ammunition, firearms, explosives, and other related materials in the region. To date, over 33,000 firearms and approximately 5.6 million units of small caliber ammunition have been destroyed in Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua with OAS assistance.

Through the PACAM program, the OAS seeks to strengthen national stockpile management and destruction capabilities by providing training, equipment and technical assistance. Throughout its implementation, PACAM has received financial contributions from the Governments of Canada, the United States, Spain, and Italy.

For more information, please visit the OAS Website at www.oas.org.

Reference: E-329/13