Introduction

In 2013, the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) was adopted with an aim of promoting transparency and responsibility in the global arms trade. The treaty entered into force on 24 December 2014 and in the years since, States have focused on implementation and universalization. As of 30 June 2018, 96 States were party to the ATT, yet implementation of the treaty’s provisions remains inconsistent across different States and regions. The following report examines ATT implementation within the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). CARICOM is comprised of 20 countries, including 15 Member States and 5 Associated Members.

Historically, CARICOM’s 15 Member States were very actively involved in the ATT process – taking on key leadership roles during the negotiations, collectively supporting Trinidad and Tobago’s bid to host the ATT Secretariat, and encouraging strong national and regional controls. Although States in the region have often spoken with one voice at ATT meetings, they are diverse in their experiences and levels of implementation. This report will focus specifically on ATT implementation by CARICOM Member States.

The CARICOM region has long experienced firsthand the negative impact of the unregulated trade in conventional weapons, particularly small arms and light weapons, on social and economic life. The illicit trade of arms and ammunition threatens peace and security in the region and individual countries themselves. Violence connected to the trafficking of firearms is intimately related to the drug trade in the region, as many CARICOM States serve as transit points for both illicit drug and gun trafficking.

Twelve States in the CARICOM region are ATT States Parties: Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago. Eleven CARICOM States were among the first UN Member States to sign the ATT when it opened for signature in June 2013, and three more States became signatories shortly thereafter: Barbados signed the treaty in September 2013, Dominica became a signatory in October 2013, and Haiti signed the treaty in March 2014. Only two CARICOM Member States that are UN Member States, Haiti and Suriname, have not yet ratified the treaty (see table 2). There is a strong desire to see full CARICOM accession to the ATT. To that end, Haiti hopes to ratify the treaty soon despite challenges in passing new legislation, and Suriname continues to take measures to achieve the goals of the ATT.

Although the CARICOM region has a large number of States Parties, the region has been slow to implement the ATT’s obligations. After conducting workshops with State representatives and eliciting responses on efforts to advance the ATT in the region, the ATT Baseline Assessment Project (ATT-BAP) found that the pace of ATT implementation is slow in the CARICOM region for two main reasons:

1. ATT implementation is not a priority issue for national governments, and

2. States experience notable capacity and resource challenges.

Additionally, when providing details on their implementation efforts, many CARICOM States noted a lack of transparency and guidance concerning requirements, deadlines, and expectations. Internal factors such as changes in government personnel and underdeveloped data collection processes also affected implementation of ATT obligations.

ATT-BAP examined implementation of the ATT in the CARICOM region through data provided by States in two separate reports that States Parties are required to complete in compliance with Article 13 of the treaty:

• An initial report on measures undertaken to implement the ATT, which must be completed and submitted at least once within the first year of the treaty’s entry into force for a given State. The initial report must be updated as regulations and policies change.
• A report on arms exports and imports of the eight categories of conventional arms contained in Article 2.1 of the treaty, to be submitted annually to the ATT Secretariat by 31 May capturing transfer information from the previous calendar year.

A critical challenge in assessing and making progress towards ATT implementation, as well as identifying opportunities for international assistance and cooperation, in the CARICOM region is the lack of reporting by CARICOM States. This report analyzes the initial and annual reports that were received by the Secretariat by 30 June 2018. Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago are the only CARICOM States that have completed at least one of the required ATT reports. Both countries submitted an initial report on their implementation of the ATT, and Jamaica submitted an annual report reflecting information on its arms exports and imports during the 2015 calendar year. In an effort to better understand and assess implementation and reporting challenges among CARICOM States, this report also contains information gleaned from interviews and worksheets completed by CARICOM Member States at workshops conducted in the region in 2017.