18 Mar 2010

GUATEMALA / ORGANIZED CRIME

The top UN drug and crime official and Guatemalan President Alvaro Colom oversee the destruction of some 6,000 illegal firearms at the launch of a national programme to fight organized crime in a country where one in ten have a weapon. UNODC

Posted at: March 18, 2010 4:01 pm

Duration: 01:30

Available in: SD

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Full script

STORY: GUATEMALA / ORGANIZED CRIME  
TRT: 1:30
SOURCE: UNODC
RESTRICTIONS: NONE 
LANGUAGE: SPANISH / NATS

DATELINE: 16-17 MARCH 2010, GUATEMALA CITY, GUATEMALA

SHOTLIST:

1. Wide shot, Guatemala's National Culture Museum
2. Tilt down, UN Office for Drugs and Crime expert Luz Elena Restrepo shows an American firearm
3. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Luz Elena Restrepo, Expert, Office for Drugs and Crime, United Nations:
"The United Nations has worked for years with countries to create norms and regulations to ascertain that in the sale [of a firearm], for example, strict guidelines are followed to verify that a country is selling the firearm to a legitimate final recipient."  
4. Med shot, large firearms being packed to be transported from warehouse to foundry to be destroyed 
5. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Álvaro Colom, President of Guatemala:  
"It is important to note not only the destruction of these 6,500 firearms but also to highlight how we got to this number. As pointed out by the President of the Supreme Court , this was a joint effort between the different powers. Every gun destroyed represents one less possibility to hurt or kill a person. I want to reiterate the commitment to our institutions to achieve justice and security."
6. Close-up, small firearms being unpacked to be melted down
7. Med shot, magnetic arm moving firearms to be melted down in foundry oven
8. Med shot, firearms being dropped into foundry oven to be melted down
9. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Antonio María Costa, Executive Director, Office for Drugs and Crime, United Nations: 
"The Guatemalan authorities can count on  UNODC to support all efforts to implement the national disarmament plan."
10. Med shot, Costa gives President Colom a certificate of verification indicating destruction of firearms
11. Med shot, Costa looking at sample firearms
12. Med shot, foundry oven destroying firearms

STORYLINE:

The head of the United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Antonio María Costa and Guatemalan President Alvaro Colom oversaw the destruction of over 6,000 illegal firearms yesterday (17 March) at the launch of a national programme to fight organized crime in a country where every tenth person carries that has a gun for every 10 people.

The three-year programme – worth $16 million – is designed to strengthen Guatemala's capacity in the areas of criminal justice, police reform, anti-corruption, firearms control, prison reform, cyber-crime, and human trafficking.

As part of the programme, UNODC will establish a Centre of Excellence on Organized Crime in Guatemala City.

The Centre will support the development of applied research, data collection and analysis on crime trends, and provide training to national and regional authorities on counteracting organized crime.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Luz Elena Restrepo, Expert, Office for Drugs and Crime, United Nations:
"The United Nations has worked for years with countries to create norms and regulations to ascertain that in the sale [of a firearm], for example, strict guidelines are followed to verify that a country is selling the firearm to a legitimate final recipient."

As a first symbolic step in the implementation of the national anti-crime programme in Guatemala, Costa and President Colom presided over the destruction of 6,500 illegal firearms.

According to government estimates, there are around 400,000 registered weapons and 1.6 illegal weapons in the country.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Álvaro Colom, President of Guatemala:  
"It is important to note not only the destruction of these 6,500 firearms but also to highlight how we got to this number. As pointed out by the President of the Supreme Court , this was a joint effort between the different powers. Every gun destroyed represents one less possibility to hurt or kill a person. I want to reiterate the commitment to our institutions to achieve justice and security."

The programme will be jointly implemented by the government and UNODC, and complement related activities being carried out by the International Commission against Impunity (CICIG) and the Central American Integration System (SICA).

SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Antonio María Costa, Executive Director, Office for Drugs and Crime, United Nations: 
"The Guatemalan authorities can count on UNODC to support all efforts to implement the national disarmament plan."

Guatemala will join a regional network of Centres of Excellence, including centres for urban crime prevention (El Salvador); maritime security (Panama); and drug demand reduction and prison reform (Dominican Republic).