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States Party to the Inter-American Convention against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms Adopt Course of Action for the 2012-2016 Period

The Third Conference of the States Party to the Inter-American Convention against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Ammunition, Explosives, and Other Related Materials (CIFTA), that took place on May 14 – 15, 2012 at the headquarters of the Organization of American States (OAS) in Washington, DC, concluded with the adoption of a series of commitments by the states for the full implementation of the provisions of the Convention over the next four years.

The document, "Course of Action for the Operation and Implementation of the CIFTA, 2012-2016 (Spanish version),” agreed to by participants at the Third Conference, reflects the efforts to be made to continue adopting whatever measures are needed to guarantee the marking of manufactured, imported, confiscated, or forfeited firearms, in accordance with the procedures of each country. These measures include the development of harmonized standards for firearms marking throughout the region and ways to promote and encourage their effective tracking.

In the area of ​​imports and exports, countries will promote "harmonized measures and procedures for monitoring and controlling international trade in firearms" and will foster actions designed to strengthen controls at points of export; supervision of the activities of brokers; and the systems used for issuing licenses and certificates for importing and exporting of such weapons.

Regarding legislative measures, the document reflects the interest of countries to “move ahead in the development of regulations and operational provisions required to ensure full implementation of the provisions of the CIFTA and facilitate compliance.”

At the two-day meeting, regional experts advocated for the adoption of strict safety and oversight measures for managing arms, ammunition, and explosives, “in order to avoid accidents, losses, or diversions with criminal purposes” and to foster cooperation and information sharing at the regional level, “so as to boost controls at airports, seaports, and border crossing points.”

Finally, on the issue of the follow up to the Convention, States Parties agreed to continue to strive for greater coordination with other international and subregional organizations “to ensure that activities and initiatives are well coordinated and avoid overlaps.”

The agenda of the Third Conference of States Parties to the CIFTA also considered issues such as: the development and implementation of the Convention, including experiences, developments, challenges and needs at the national level; legislation and national practices on firearms marking, and legislative advancement in preventing and combating illicit firearms trafficking in South America, among others.

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

Reference: E-176/12