The Americas remain one of the most violent regions in the world, with the highest rate of homicides. Almost 75% of them are committed with a firearm. The region is also one of the main destinations of firearms for illicit trafficking. As such, the illicit proliferation and trafficking of firearms and ammunition is a priority in the citizen security agenda of the region. Countries' commitment to addressing this challenge was translated in the adoption of the Inter-American Convention against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Ammunition, Explosives, and Other Related Materials (CIFTA). Ratified by 31 of the 34 OAS Member states in 1997, CIFTA is the first regional binding agreement of its kind and a fundamental tool in addressing the illicit trade of firearms and ammunition in the Americas.

However, despite the valuable efforts of national authorities, the countries cannot still fully implement CIFTA. To close this gap, the Department of Public Security of the OAS has established the Program of Assistance on Control of Arms and Munition (PACAM) to strengthen the capacity of the OAS Member States to prevent and reduce the illicit proliferation and trafficking of small arms and light weapons (SALW), and ammunition.

PACAM supports OAS Member States, at their request, through a multi-layered approach:

  • Legislative support to improve firearms normative framework;
  • Tailored, needs-driven, and sustainable technical assistance and capacity-building in different aspects of through-life management of firearms and ammunition;
  • Promotion of preventive initiatives to strengthen community resilience against armed violence through OASIS methodology, and reduce unauthorized access to firearms.

Since its inception, PACAM promoted substantive changes in the security context, mitigating risks of diversion of firearms and ammunition to the illicit market, and reducing engagement of groups in situation of vulnerability with armed violence in several countries.

In its first phase, from 2007 to 2015, with funding from the United States, PACAM supported 25 Member States to improve their marking capacities through the donation of marking machines and the offer of training to national personnel. It has also supported the destruction of 60,000 firearms and over 1,700 tons of munition seized, expired, and/or in excess.

Since 2019, with funding from the European Union, PACAM has expanded the offer of support to OAS Member States, building on lessons learned from the previous phase. So far, 25 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean have been assisted in different components.

Objectives
  • Strengthen National Firearms Regulatory Frameworks, taking into account international standards and best practices
  • Improve national capacities in through-life management of firearms and ammunition, including transfer controls, marking of firearms, and physical security and stockpile management
  • Improve regional coordination mechanisms to foster cooperation
  • Lead the development of a Central American Roadmap to Prevent and Address the Illicit Proliferation and Trafficking of Firearms and Ammunition to provide countries with a practical, management tool through a regional, coordinated, and evidence-based approach
  • Promote socially responsible behavior in communities highly impacted by armed violence to increase resilience and reduce illicit access to firearms through the implementation of OASIS program
  • Strengthen capacities to address gender-based violence with the use of firearms

Activities
  • Development of Interamerican Standard Operating Procedures on Destruction of Firearms, and Physical Security and Stockpile Management.
  • Regional and national courses to personnel from Security and Defense Forces, focused on physical security and stockpile management, destruction of arms and munitions, marking, and programs for voluntary weapons collection.
  • Training and certification of national technicians in Explosive Ordnance Disposal (level EOD-3)
  • Technical visits, assessments, and promotion of improvements in institutional warehouses of arms and munitions.
  • Development and implementation of inventory control software for arms and ammunition of stockpiles.
  • Technical and material support, as well as certifications of processes for the destruction of obsolete, excess, and/or seized arms and munitions.
  • Analysis of national firearms normative framework, and offer of technical support to promote improvements.
  • Development and implementation of an electronic system for the Regional Communication Mechanism on Licit Transfers of Firearms and Ammunition (MCTA, for its Spanish acronym).
  • Development of a Knowledge Platform on Arms Trafficking that allows for the sending and analysis of data related to the phenomenon.
  • Development of a Central American Roadmap for the Prevention and Control of the Illicit Proliferation and Trafficking of Firearms and Ammunition
  • Support the implementation of the Roadmap for addressing Caribbean priority actions on the illicit proliferation of firearms and ammunition across the Caribbean in a sustainable manner by 2030
  • Technical assistance for the design and implementation of voluntary arms collection campaigns
  • Development of regional recommendations and training course for the prevention of gender-based violence with the misuse of firearms.
  • Implementation of the OASIS program for the prevention of armed violence in communities of Honduras and Peru, including daily music classes for high-risk youth to improve life skills, and training of community stakeholders, educators, and parents.
  • Implementation of a Reference Center for Psychosocial and Community Support to Victims of Armed Violence in Tela, Honduras.
More Results
Results
5 countries assisted to improve firearms normative framework.

more

More than 2,400 national personnel from 25 countries trained in different areas of through-life management of firearms and ammunition.
Marking machines of firearms donated to 15 countries.
More than 51,000 firearms and 105 tons of ammunition (in excess, obsolete, or seized) were destroyed in 6 countries.
Improvements in security conditions of storage areas of institutional stockpiles of 8 countries.
Development of Inventory Control Software for Firearms and Ammunition.
Beneficiary Countries
Antigua and Barbuda
Antigua and Barbuda
Argentina
Argentina
Barbados
Barbados
Belize
Belize
Bolivia
Bolivia
Brazil
Brazil
Chile
Chile
Colombia
Colombia
Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Dominica
Dominica
Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
Ecuador
El Salvador
El Salvador
Grenada
Grenada
Guatemala
Guatemala
Guyana
Guyana
Haiti
Haiti
Honduras
Honduras
Jamaica
Jamaica
Mexico
Mexico
Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Panama
Panama
Paraguay
Paraguay
Peru
Peru
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Lucia
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Suriname
Suriname
The Bahamas
The Bahamas
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago
Uruguay
Uruguay
Venezuela
Venezuela
Team
Pier Angelli De Luca
Program Manager
Juan Carlos Melgar
Project Assistant
Stephanie Valenzuela
Logistics and Administrative Assistant
Carlos Orozco
Regional Coordinator of PACAM
Johanna Garcia
Knowledge Management Technician
Alin Wilson
Main SALW Technician
Juan Carlos Navarro
SALW Technician
Anna Paula Uchoa
Coordinator of the Armed Violence Prevention Component
Jane Piazer
Violence Prevention Specialist
Mariano Vales
OASIS Specialist
Daniel Montes
OASIS Coordinator in Tela/Honduras
Janaina Homerin
Specialist
Strategic Partners