KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – The Jamaica authorities has strengthened the nationwide capability to disrupt the unlawful provide of weapons and to handle the roots of violence in faculties and communities, with the assist of a US$750 000 joint United Nations (UN) intervention.
The challenge, carried out over three years in collaboration with the Ministry of Nationwide Safety and the Ministry of Schooling, Expertise, Youth and Info, the Decreasing Small Arms & Gentle Weapons in Jamaica joint program (SALIENT Jamaica), used an built-in partnership mannequin to handle gun proliferation.
The authorities say that 80 p.c of Jamaica’s crimes are dedicated with small arms and lightweight weapons. SALIENT Jamaica, coordinated by the UN Resident Coordinator’s Workplace over two phases operating from 2022 to 2025, is funded by the governments of Finland, France, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, Sweden, and Switzerland, with lead implementation by UNDP. This system was collectively carried out by the United Nations Improvement Programme (UNDP) and the Regional Centre for Peace,
Talking on the challenge closeout ceremony, Delroy Simpson, Chief Technical Director of the Safety Danger Reform and Transformation Coverage Division within the Ministry of Nationwide Safety, credited SALIENT for contributing to a extra thorough strategy to small arms management in Jamaica.
He stated that since implementation, the ministry has made “vital strides,” together with enhancing the capability of legislation enforcement and border safety officers to detect and interdict firearms and ammunition at Jamaica’s port of entry.
He additionally reported success in growing a nationwide firearms management technique and a Nationwide Faculties Firearm Firearms Administration and Response Protocol, conducting legislative critiques associated to firearms, their components and ammunition, gunpowder, and explosives, and conducting Jamaica’s first violence audits within the communities of Denham City, Norwood, Savanna-la-Mar, and Fairfield.
“This program is to not be seen as simply one other exercise. It’s a dedication to our youngsters, our households, and our future, a dedication to strengthening our capability to fight the proliferation of unlawful firearms whereas addressing the basis causes of armed violence which have plagued our society for much too lengthy,” Simpson acknowledged.
UNDP Resident Consultant Dr. Kishan Khoday stated that partnerships had strengthened the regulatory framework governing weapon provides and constructed the skilled capacities of 60 legislation enforcement officers to disrupt the unlawful importation of weapons at transit factors.
He stated the partnerships have additionally constructed the capacities of fifty legislation enforcement officers in superior focusing on and legal evaluation, generated important knowledge and proposals for dismantling neighborhood violence, and fostered promising indicators of behavioral change amongst college students in choose faculties.
“By linking schooling reform, youth empowerment, violence prevention, and coverage engagement, the SALIENT partnership has addressed each the signs and root causes of gun violence.
“The SALIENT Joint program displays a strategic strategy to leveraging partnerships in advancing evidence-based insurance policies and methods. Moreover, it represents an ideal alignment of the strategic philosophies of the UN workforce and the federal government of Jamaica, rooted in an built-in strategy to citizen safety,” Khoday stated.
He stated one among SALIENT’s most vital legacies is that it introduced collectively numerous actors round a normal desk—authorities ministries, UN businesses, civil society organizations, faculties, dad and mom, and youth.
UN Resident Coordinator Dennis Zulu stated SALIENT wasn’t only a nationwide effort however an important piece of the UN’s world peace and safety agenda, reflecting the UN’s strategic shift towards prevention, peacebuilding, and people-centered approaches.
He referred to SALIENT as an important piece of the UN’s world peace and safety agenda, reflecting the UN’s strategic shift towards prevention, peacebuilding, and people-centered approaches.
“As we deliver this chapter to an in depth, I urge us to see it not as an finish however as a basis. The instruments we developed, the networks we constructed, and the improvements we launched should now be scaled, sustained, and embedded inside Jamaica’s nationwide methods and improvement pathways,” Zulu stated.
The Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) senior challenge economist, Shashion Thomas, referred to as for the continued programming of presidency and improvement companion sources to maintain, replicate, and upscale the Salient challenge’s outcomes.
Thomas stated there’s a must broaden capability constructing in faculties and the safety system and to attract classes from data merchandise and research to information the event of future initiatives.
“The PIOJ stays dedicated to supporting, advising, and convening roles in making certain sustainable partnerships that proceed to contribute to Jamaica’s improvement priorities,” she stated.
The Director of Security and Safety in Faculties within the Ministry of Schooling, Expertise, Youth & Info, Richard Troupe, applauded the event of the Nationwide Faculties Firearm Firearms Administration and Response Protocol and dedicated to growing implementation plans supported by finances.
He additionally lauded the peacebuilding interventions in choose faculties for using the visible and performing arts as automobiles to have interaction the nation’s kids across the problems with weapons and violence.
These interventions strengthened the capability of 140 educators to handle scholar social-emotional improvement and the capability of 70 youth in battle decision, each of which aimed to stop armed violence.
