Peru, Bolivia, Colombia, and Ecuador are developing the Andean Roadmap to Prevent and Combat the Illicit Trafficking of Firearms, Ammunition, and Explosives. The meeting took place on Wednesday, the 17th, in Quito, Ecuador, where the First Contact Points Workshop was held; it will continue through tomorrow, Thursday the 18th, at the same venue.
“This is a key milestone for identifying shared priorities, which will translate into concrete objectives and actions. The Andean countries are moving forward together to strengthen subregional coordination against arms trafficking. This effort has the support of the Organization of American States (OAS) Security, UNLIREC, and the Andean Community, with funding from the European External Action Service,” stated the Ecuadorian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The First Workshop of Contact Points for the Andean Roadmap Against Illicit Arms Trafficking was inaugurated by Deputy Foreign Minister Alejandro Dávalos, representing the Pro Tempore Presidency of the CAN (Andean Community). This initiative will strengthen regional cooperation on security.
The Andean Community combats illicit arms trafficking through the standardization of registries and the destruction of seized weapons. Joint intelligence operations between Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia have succeeded in dismantling transnational networks that were transporting explosives and weapons through clandestine routes to supply irregular groups.