Jamaica strengthens national capacity to disrupt the illegal supply of guns

The Government of Jamaica has strengthened national capacity to disrupt the illegal supply of guns and to address the roots of violence in schools and communities, with the support of a 750 000 USD joint United Nations (UN) intervention.

Implemented over three years in collaboration with the Ministry of National Security and the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, the Reducing Small Arms & Light Weapons in Jamaica joint programme, (SALIENT Jamaica) used an integrated partnership model to address the proliferation of guns.  

At last week’s project closeout ceremony in Kingston, Delroy Simpson, Chief Technical Director, Security Risk Reform and Transformation Policy Division in the Ministry of National Security credited SALIENT for contributing to a more thorough approach to small arms control in Jamaica. He said since implementation, the Ministry has made “significant strides”, including enhancing the capacity of law enforcement and border security officials in the detection and interdiction of firearms and ammunition at Jamaica's port of entry.  He also reported success in the development of a national firearms control strategy and a National Schools Firearm Firearms Management and Response Protocol; legislative reviews related to firearms, their parts and ammunition, gunpowder and explosives; and Jamaica’s first violence audits in the communities of Denham Town, Norwood, Savanna-la-Mar and Fairfield.

“This programme is not to be seen as just another activity. It is a commitment to our children, our families and our future – a commitment to strengthening our capacity to combat the proliferation of illegal firearms while addressing the root causes of armed violence that have plagued our society for far too long.”, Mr Simpson stated.  

In further underscoring the impact, Dr Kishan Khoday, Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), lead UN implementation agency for SALIENT, reported that partnerships have  not only strengthened the regulatory framework governing weapon supplies, but built expert capacities of 60 law enforcement officials to disrupt the illegal importation of weapons at transit points; built the capacities of 50 law enforcement officials in advanced targeting and criminal analysis; generated important data and recommendations for dismantling community violence; and fostered promising signs of behavioural change among students in select schools. “By linking education reform, youth empowerment, violence prevention, and policy engagement, the SALIENT partnership has addressed both the symptoms and root causes of gun violence,” he said.  

“The SALIENT Joint programme reflects a strategic approach to leveraging partnerships in advancing evidence-based policies and strategies. Furthermore, it represents a perfect alignment of the strategic philosophies of the UN team and the Government of Jamaica, rooted in an integrated approach to citizen security,” Dr Khoday stated.  He said one of SALIENT’s most important legacies is how it brought together diverse actors around a common table—government ministries, UN agencies, civil society organizations, schools, parents, and youth.

UN Resident Coordinator, Dennis Zulu said SALIENT wasn’t just a national effort—it was also a vital piece of the UN’s global peace and security agenda, reflecting the UN’s strategic shift toward prevention, peacebuilding, and people-centred approaches. “As we bring this chapter to a close, I urge us to see it not as an end but as a foundation. The tools we developed, the networks we built, and the innovations we introduced must now be scaled, sustained, and embedded within Jamaica’s national strategies and development pathways,” Mr Zulu said.

Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) Senior Project Economist, Shashion Thomas called for the continued programming of resources from the government and development partners to sustain, replicate and upscale the results of the Salient project, pointing to the need to expand capacity building in schools and the security system, and to build on lessons from knowledge products and studies to guide the development of future initiatives. “The PIOJ remains committed to supporting, advising and convening role in ensuring sustainable partnerships that continue to contribute to Jamaica's development priorities,” she said.

Richard Troupe, Director, Safety and Security in Schools in the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth & Information applauded the development of the National Schools Firearm Firearms Management and Response Protocol and committed to developing implementation plans supported by budget. He also lauded the peace building interventions in select schools for utilising the visual and performing arts as vehicles to engage the nation's children around the issues of guns and violence. 

These interventions strengthened the capacity of 140 educators to manage student social emotional development and strengthened the capacity of 70 youth in conflict resolution, both aimed at preventing armed violence.

Evidence confirms that 80% of Jamaica’s crimes are committed with small arms and light weapons. SALIENT Jamaica, coordinated by the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office over two phases running from 2022 to 2025, is funded by the governments of Finland, France, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, Sweden and Switzerland with lead implementation by UNDP. The programme was jointly implemented by UNDP; the Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC); the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC); and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The joint programme aimed to improve the control of small arms and reduce access to firearms and ammunition and ensure populations at-risk benefit from armed violence prevention/reduction programmes. Jamaica is the first and one of eight countries to implement the SALIENT programme.    

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This press release was first published by UNDP Multi Country Office in Jamaica.