STATEMENT TO BE DELIVERED ON BEHALF OF THE CARIBBEAN COMMUNITY AT THE NINTH BIENNIAL MEETING OF STATES TO CONSIDER THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROGRAMME OF ACTION TO PREVENT, COMBAT AND ERADICATE THE ILLICIT TRADE IN SMALL ARMS AND LIGHT WEAPONS IN ALL ITS ASPECTS

Chair,
CARICOM remains deeply concerned that illegal firearms continue to be a primary driver of criminality across our region. Addressing the illicit flow of small arms and light weapons is therefore a central priority for our Member States. We underscore the importance of strengthened support for the full and effective implementation of the POA and the ITI.
We take the opportunity to highlight the CARICOM Firearms Roadmap as a practical and forward-looking regional model, bridging global commitments with concrete national delivery. We commend the support extended to our countries, including through the co-custodians of the Roadmap, CARICOM IMPACS, and UNLIREC. We reaffirm our commitment to working collaboratively with all partners to combat the illicit trafficking of small arms and light weapons. Collective responsibility is evident in the consensus-based approach adopted within these frameworks. 
Recent evidence from our region also reinforces the need to frame firearms violence more broadly; not merely as an issue of domestic crime, but as a multidimensional challenge with implications for transnational security, public health, governance, and sustainable development. Addressing it effectively, therefore, requires integrated responses that bring together security, justice, prevention, public health, and development policies. In this respect, we remain supportive of the need for the equal, full, and meaningful participation of women in all decision-making processes. 
The Caribbean Community would like to highlight the following key priorities for our region:
•     We call for strengthened international cooperation and assistance, including technology and knowledge transfer, to support prevention, risk profiling, early warning, and operational coordination.
•     We also emphasize the importance of continued support for national implementation, alongside sustained investment in regional mechanisms that pool expertise, harmonize standards, and facilitate intelligence-sharing. Without strong regional architecture, national efforts risk fragmentation and diminished impact.
•     We further underscore the need to enhance real-time information exchange, including crime gun intelligence-sharing, ballistic cooperation, and coordinated cargo and passenger risk management.
•    We also call for sustained assistance for Physical Security and Stockpile Management, as well as Weapons and Ammunition Management, safe disposal, and ammunition safety in line with established international standards.
•    Finally, we stress that prevention must remain at the core of our efforts. Strengthened international cooperation should support the integration of women and youth engagement, and broader social resilience into SALW implementation frameworks. We echo the sentiment expressed by the High Representative of Disarmament Affairs to allocate specific financing to empower community-based organizations that champion the inclusion of women and children in these efforts. 
CARICOM would also like to thank those delegations that have expressed their willingness to work with other Member States and coordinate relevant training and other forms of assistance. 
CARICOM reaffirms its commitment to working in partnership with the international community to advance a comprehensive, coordinated, and sustainable response to the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons.
Thank you.