Against a backdrop of growing regional concern over illicit weapons trafficking and violent crime, the Commonwealth of Dominica is set to convene a landmark three-day inter-agency roundtable from April 8 to 10, 2026, focused on cracking down on illegal firearms and the armed violence they fuel. The event, organized by Dominica’s Ministry of National Security and Legal Affairs in partnership with the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC) and the CARICOM Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (CARICOM IMPACS), brings together a cross-sector coalition of senior stakeholders to align national action with regional safety goals.
According to an official press statement from the security ministry, the roundtable forms a core part of Dominica’s sustained commitment to advancing the Caribbean Firearms Roadmap, a coordinated regional framework that targets illicit weapons flows, cuts rates of violent crime, and uplifts public safety standards across all Caribbean nations. Unlike isolated policy efforts, this gathering is designed to break down bureaucratic silos, bringing high-level representatives from sectors as diverse as national policing, justice administration, foreign affairs, gender equity, and performance monitoring and evaluation to the same table.
Over the course of the three-day program, attendees will engage in a structured schedule of cross-national policy exchanges, technical deep dives, and collaborative working sessions. The agenda is tailored to three core outcomes: strengthening institutional coordination across domestic agencies, shoring up national firearms control regulatory frameworks, and accelerating implementation of Dominica’s National Action Plan, which was developed under the umbrella of the Caribbean Firearms Roadmap.
Key discussion topics will span the full lifecycle of illicit weapons in the region: tracing the routes of cross-border firearms trafficking, updating national legislative measures to close regulatory gaps, enhancing systems for weapons marking and traceability, improving secure storage and management of authorized firearms and ammunition, preventing legal weapons from being diverted to black markets, and leveraging data-driven insights to guide more effective policy decision-making.
Beyond advancing domestic policy, the roundtable also functions as a strategic platform to deepen partnership between national Dominican authorities, regional bodies like UNLIREC and CARICOM IMPACS, and broader international partners. Organizers have emphasized the need for a unified, whole-of-government approach to tackle the transnational challenge of illicit firearms, a problem that cannot be resolved by any single agency or nation acting alone.
Funding for the initiative has been provided by the Government of the United States of America, enabling the convening of cross-sector stakeholders and the delivery of technical programming for the event. Opening remarks will be delivered by Dominica’s Minister for National Security and Legal Affairs, Honourable Rayburn Blackmoore, alongside senior officials from the Dominican government and leadership representatives from both CARICOM IMPACS and UNLIREC.
By the close of the three-day roundtable, participants are expected to reach consensus on priority national action items, define clear roles for local civil society organizations in supporting firearms control efforts, and map out opportunities for long-term technical assistance. The overarching end goal of all discussions is to advance safer communities and support inclusive, sustainable development across Dominica.