University News

Note: As of June, 2004, one year after this press release was taken from the UPeace website, there are no announced plans for continuation of police and paramilitary training at the University, but there also have been no formal announcements to the contrary.

Meanwhile, the University has just announced plans to relocate its main campus from Costa Rica to Toronto, Canada, following a $1.65mn ruling against the affiliated Earth Council, in Costa Rica, for alleged property fraud.

While Costa Rica has constitutionally-mandated demilitarized and neutrality statutes, Canada has no such statutes. We therefore feel that our push toward having UPeace management declare their committment to "peace through greater justice" versus "peace through greater security" programs, remains valid.

Security forces will be trained for improving control of legal trade .

02 - 06 June 2003

Location: San José, Costa Rica.

Approximately 40 security force representatives from Latin America and the Caribbean will develop the First Training Course for Trainers on improved control of legal trade and eradication of illicit traffic in firearms and ammunition. This course will be held from June 2-6, 2003 and will train police, customs and intelligence officials, as well as military force members, enabling them to become operational training instructors at the national level.

This first training course (Research Techniques) will be held in San Jose, Costa Rica and will address a wide range of topics such as human security, legal aspects, research, major trafficking routes, distance learning processes, and other aspects related to the trade and traffic in firearms and ammunition (i.e. drugs, terrorism and money laundry). It is expected that other training courses on Intelligence and International Cooperation be taught over the next four years. The major outcome of these training courses will be the training of about 800 security officials.

These courses will also help countries of this region implement the Inter-American Convention against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Ammunition, Explosives and other Related Materials (CIFTA) and the United Nations Conference on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects.

This initiative is being organized by the United Nations Regional Center for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UN-LIREC); the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD), the University for Peace (UPEACE), and the International Police Organization (INTERPOL). Furthermore, national police representatives from Costa Rica and Uruguay are supporting the development of this course from their respective capital cities. Participants from Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean will be trained in Costa Rica, and representatives from South America will be trained in Uruguay.

Participating countries include Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Granada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, St. Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, St. Christopher and Nevis, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay and Venezuela.

For further information, please contact: Dr. Flor Cubero at fcubero@upeace.org, telephone number (506) 205-9077, or Mr.Juan Carlos Lojas at lojas@unlirec.org, telephone number (511) 422-4682.