CARICOM Reaffirms Commitment to Combating Illicit Small Arms Trade

On Monday, 1 June, the 9th Biennial Meeting of States to Consider the Implementation of the Programme of Action (PoA) to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) in All Its Aspects was held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.
H.E. Carolyn Rodrigues Birkett, Permanent Representative of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana to the United Nations and Chair of the CARICOM Caucus of Permanent Representatives for May and June 2026, delivered a statement on Agenda Item 7: Consideration of Implementation of the UN PoA and the International Instrument (ITI) to Enable States to Identify and Trace, in a Timely and Reliable Manner, Illicit SALW, Including Prevention and Detection of Diversion of SALW to Unauthorized Recipients and Illicit Markets.

Here are five key points from her statement:
Commitment to PoA and ITI

• CARICOM reaffirmed its strong dedication to fully implementing the UN Programme of Action (PoA) and the International Tracing Instrument (ITI), recognising the proliferation of small arms and light weapons (SALW) as a major threat to peace, security, and sustainable development in the Caribbean.

Impact of Illicit Firearms

• The illicit trade in SALW fuels violent crime, strengthens gangs and transnational organised crime, undermines the rule of law, and destabilises small and vulnerable Caribbean states.

Need for Stronger Controls

• CARICOM emphasised the prevention and detection of diversion at every stage of the SALW life cycle, calling for stronger marking, record-keeping, and tracing systems to disrupt illicit supply chains and improve transparency.

Technology Opportunities and Risks

• While digital record systems and advanced marking technologies can enhance implementation, emerging risks such as 3D printing, modular weapons, polymer components, obliterated serial numbers, and conversion devices pose serious challenges that require urgent global attention.

Regional and International Cooperation

• CARICOM highlighted the Caribbean Firearms Roadmap as a structured framework for regional action, stressed the importance of sustained international assistance, and underscored the need to integrate SALW control into broader efforts against transnational organised crime.

The complete statement reads as follows:
“I have the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of the fourteen Member States of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).
We take this opportunity to congratulate you on your election as Chair of this process and commend the collaborative, inclusive, and facilitative approach undertaken during the preparatory process. You can count on the continued support of our delegations during the BMS9 process.
We also wish to take this opportunity to extend congratulations to Ambassador Michael Kanu of Sierra Leone on his election as Chair of the Open-Ended Technical Expert Group and look forward to contributing to a robust discussion during the sessions of the OETEG.
Chair,
CARICOM reaffirms its unwavering commitment to the full and effective implementation of the Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons (PoA) and the International Tracing Instrument (ITI). For our region, the proliferation of small arms and light weapons remains a profound threat to peace, security, and sustainable development.
The illicit trade in small arms and light weapons continues to fuel violent crime, enable gangs and transnational organized criminal networks, undermine the rule of l aw, impede socio-economic progress, and undermine the stability of our small and vulnerable states.
We are particularly concerned by the persistent flows of illicit firearms into the Caribbean, usually facilitated through diversion from legal markets, weak stockpile management, and increasingly sophisticated trafficking methods. CARICOM, therefore, underscores the need to address this challenge through strengthened international cooperation, shared responsibility, and enhanced accountability among all States.
The Caribbean Community also underscores the importance of preventing and detecting diversion at every stage of the life cycle of small arms and light weapons. In this regard, we call for strengthened controls over marking, record-keeping, and tracing, in full accordance with the ITI. Effective tracing remains an essential tool in disrupting illicit supply chains and bringing greater transparency to global arms flows.
We also note the growing impact of technological developments for the implementation of the Programme of Action and the International Tracing Instrument. While innovations such as digital record systems and improved marking technologies can significantly enhance implementation, emerging risks, such as easy access to 3D printing, challenges posed by modular weapons, the increasing use of polymer components, obliterated serial numbers, conversion devices, and new manufacturing techniques, present serious challenges for regulation, tracing, law enforcement, and community safety, and require urgent attention. CARICOM supports continued dialogue on how to responsibly leverage technology while addressing its potential misuse in facilitating illicit trafficking and diversion.
At the regional level, CARICOM continues to translate global commitments into practical implementation. The Caribbean Firearms Roadmap, supported by CARICOM IMPACS and other partners, provides a structured regional framework to strengthen regulatory systems, reduce illicit flows, bolster law-enforcement capacity, and decrease the risk of diversion from government and non-government arsenals. Through regional cooperation, Member States are also advancing marking, record-keeping, tracing, ballistic cooperation, crime-gun intelligence, physical security and stockpile management, weapons and ammunition management, and safe, secure, and sustainable disposal. These efforts demonstrate the value of regional and subregional mechanisms as force multipliers for small states.
Capacity constraints remain a major challenge for many CARICOM Member States. We therefore stress the importance of sustained, predictable, and targeted international assistance, including technical support, training, and resource mobilization, to strengthen national control systems, law enforcement capabilities, and border security. Enhancing regional cooperation mechanisms is equally vital, including through information sharing and coordinated operations.
CARICOM further underscores the need for a comprehensive approach that situates implementation of the PoA and ITI within broader efforts to address transnational organised crime, including drug trafficking and other illicit networks connected to the illegal arms trade.

In closing, CARICOM reaffirms its steadfast commitment to strengthening the implementation of the Programme of Action and the International Tracing Instrument. We remain ready to work in close partnership with all stakeholders to prevent, combat, and eradicate the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons, and to advance safer and more secure societies for our peoples.

Thank You.”

Watch a video of her statement below.

On Monday, 1 June 2026, CARICOM hosted a side event titled “Shared Security in the Western Hemisphere: Illicit Firearms Trafficking and Preventing Diversion in the Caribbean.”

The event was organised by the CARICOM Missions to the United Nations, in collaboration with CARICOM IMPACS and the Mines Advisory Group (MAG). It provided a platform to highlight regional perspectives and foster dialogue among international partners.

The purpose of the event was to strengthen international cooperation by moving beyond policy discussions and strategic frameworks to focus instead on practical implementation, measurable results, and lasting impacts on security and development.

Her Excellency Ambassador Carolyn Rodrigues Birkett, serving as Chair of the CARICOM Caucus of Permanent Representatives for May and June 2026, delivered remarks at the meeting.

Highlights are below.

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