At the First Annual Meeting of States, national authorities reviewed progress achieved since the adoption of the Roadmap in 2025, shared national implementation results, and agreed on priorities for the upcoming period.
A year and a half after the adoption of the Central American Roadmap to Prevent the Trafficking and Illicit Proliferation of Firearms and Munitions, participating countries identified progress achieved to date, presented their new priorities, and broadly reaffirmed their commitment to this ten-year regional strategy aimed at preventing the illicit trafficking and proliferation of firearms, ammunition, and explosives.
High-level authorities from Central America and the Dominican Republic convened virtually on October 29 to review the progress of the Roadmap for Central America and the Dominican Republic, a ten-year regional strategy to prevent the illicit trafficking and proliferation of firearms, ammunition, and explosives.
The conclusions were reached during the First Annual Meeting of States Parties to the Roadmap, which virtually brought together ministers, viceministers, and other authorities from Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, and the Dominican Republic. The meeting strengthened subregional dialogue and coordination to advance toward a safer and more resilient region. Authorities highlighted that building national capacities and mechanisms is fundamental to deepening regional cooperation against arms trafficking.
In this first high-level meeting since the adoption of the Roadmap in February 2025, authorities reviewed the progress made in its implementation at both national and subregional levels. The exchange identified concrete areas of advancement:
• In the development and implementation of National Action Plans (NAPs);
• In inter-institutional coordination mechanisms;
• And in the operationalization of the monitoring and evaluation system to track the Roadmap's progress.
Delegations also presented their priorities for the coming period and reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining implementation momentum in the years ahead.
Progress reflects the priorities and realities of each country. Although advancement varies, the experiences shared during the meeting demonstrate concrete strides in implementing the Roadmap and strengthening coordination among relevant national institutions.
Guatemala became the first country in the subregion to complete the consultation and validation process for its NAP and is now working on monitoring actions. The Dominican Republic is about to issue a presidential decree establishing an inter-institutional National Commission to coordinate integrated actions for the prevention and control of firearms misuse. Belize made progress in integrating the commitments assumed under both the Caribbean and Central American Roadmaps into its NAP. Meanwhile, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, and Panama continue to advance the development of their national plans and the reinforcement of inter-institutional coordination.
"This First Annual Meeting is much more than a stocktaking exercise. It is an opportunity to reaffirm that regional cooperation yields results, that State leadership can translate into concrete actions, and that by working together, we can strengthen our collective capacity to prevent and combat the illicit trafficking and proliferation of weapons, ammunition, and explosives," stated OAS Secretary for Multidimensional Security, Ivan Marques.
The meeting also featured a dialogue with donors and implementing partners to identify technical assistance needs, cooperation opportunities, and priority actions for the upcoming period. The event was made possible thanks to the financial support of the European Union, as part of its assistance for the implementation of the Roadmap.
"The true success of this Roadmap will depend not only on the actions taken, but on the impact and lasting change we manage to create. The foundations are being consolidated. Now, States must move forward with determination to translate them into concrete results," emphasized the Chief of the Regional Disarmament, Information and Outreach Branch at the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA), Radha Day.
In closing, States reaffirmed their commitment to continue advancing implementation toward 2027, including the development and rollout of their National Action Plans, and expressed their intent to hold the next meeting in person during 2027.
About the Roadmap
Adopted on February 12, 2025, at OAS Headquarters, the Roadmap is a subregional commitment targeting 2035. It is structured around four pillars: regulatory strengthening and inter-institutional coordination; prevention of firearm violence; lifecycle management of weapons, ammunition, and explosives; and criminal investigation and prosecution of illicit trafficking and use.
Each country develops its NAP with technical assistance from the OAS, UNLIREC, and the Central American Integration System (SICA), and with funding from the European Union and Germany.
Reference: E-112/26
