Mexico City, 6 October 2021 (TDI): The Fifth Conference of Member States part of the Inter-American Convention against Arms Fabrication and Trafficking (ICAFT); ammunition, explosives, and other materials; the meeting was virtual from the headquarters of the Organization of American States, on 5 October.
According to the Media Note; Mexico was chair for the ICAT; then they highlighted the priority for the foreign policy of actions to strengthen cooperation against trafficking; and diversion of the arms and ammunition trade.
📄México encabezó la Quinta Conferencia de Estados Parte de la Convención Interamericana contra el Tráfico de Armas (Cifta).https://t.co/48p13Gm6dv pic.twitter.com/X1eXuF4z1b
— Relaciones Exteriores (@SRE_mx) October 5, 2021
The Office shared that the States discussed several topics. Mexico also promoted a dialogue between OAS Members; observer countries, and representatives of other international organizations; research centers, and civil organizations, through three panels. According to the Media Note; the Conference analyzed the need to create synergies between instruments and international forums related to preventing arms trafficking.
The Conference also presented experiences regarding new technologies, to deal with the illegal fabrication and commerce of arms; also to track and then register them. The States also exchanged information regarding how the arms are related to drugs and human trafficking.
A legal consultant of the SRE, Alejandro Celorio; urged the Member States to counteract these practices. Celorio also shared the lawsuit filed by the Government; against US companies that have engaged in these practices. Celorio then shared that the consequences of those practices were seen in the increase of violence; and also to the power of the criminal organizations.
RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE CONFERENCE
The ICAFT Conference adopted 21 recommendations; like achieving a more effective cross-border cooperation for prevention, investigation, and prosecution; to promote an integral vision regarding the illegal markets, and dealing with the problem of ammunition and explosives.
Other recommendations of the Conference were to promote a people-centered approach, to center on the victim; and also to be sensitive to gender perspective, and also for the attention to the most affected groups; all the recommendations were proposed by Mexico. Finally, the Conference called upon the States that have not joined ICAT, Canada, the US, and Jamaica; to ratify it.