Small Arms Regulation in Guatemala

Ieapdes it is the Spanish acronym for the Institute for the Teaching on Sustainable Development (Instituto de Enseñanza para el Desarrollo Sostenible). IEPADES is a Guatemalan civil society organization created in 1990 and is one of the few organizations in Central America region specialized in the matter of Small Arms. The organization has an extensive experience in processes for strengthening the technical capacities for Gun Control and the prevention or armed violence in Guatemala, in the Justice System and Security institutions, including the National Civilian Police, the General Attorney Office, the Judiciary and the National Institute for Forensic Sciences. Iepades applied for funding to carry out the program "Regulation of access to small and light weapons in Guatemala", during the first quarter of 2020. The overall objective (s) of the Project is to contribute to the strengthening of the implementation of the Guatemalan regulations on guns and ammunition by the Criminal Justice System. The contribution will depart from the opportunities previously identified in the current Guatemalan legislation for Gun and Ammunitions and for the Eradication of the violence against women. The support from Sida will be used to cover costs related to the salaries of the incumbent staff of the Cooperation partner, hiring consultants for specific studies, public events, trainings for public officials of the Criminal Justice System, and the printing of materials. The budget also includes the participation on an international event organized by the UN System, with the purpose to raise international attention on the situation of Firearms in Guatemala. The implementation of the program relies on the solid working relationship established by the partner with the institutions of the Guatemalan Criminal Justice System, which includes the Judiciary, the Prosecutor Office and National Civilian Police. The elaboration and application of protocols for cases involving firearms requires of the commitment of the public officials at the technical level -judges, prosecutors, police officers- as well as the political will of the leadership of the institutions to introduce the changes resulting from the adoption and application of the protocols. The contribution has the potential to reduce violence against women and girls. The Guatemalan law for the prevention of violence against women includes a provision that allows authorities to confiscate firearms in cases of suspected gender-based violence, regardless of whether they are properly registered. The development and application of a specific protocol for these cases is one of the expected results of the project.