SEESAC at the 22nd Symposium of the Multinational Small Arms and Ammunition Group (MSAG)

Geneva - SEESAC took part in the 22nd Symposium of the Multinational Small Arms and Ammunition Group (MSAG) held on 18-19 November 2015, organized by the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection, and Sport; and the Swiss Armed Forces.
 

SEESAC presented its current activities on arms control and conventional ammunition, ranging from improving the security and safety of small arms and light weapons (SALW) and ammunition storages, disposing of surplus SALW and ammunition, strengthening record-keeping capacities, as well as providing different types of national and regional training on armament and ammunition physical security and stockpile management. A detailed presentation on SEESAC’s activities was also the foundation for exploring possible cooperation with MSAG.


The uncontrolled proliferation and illicit trafficking of SALW pose a serious threat for the region and beyond, fueling crime and insecurity, undermining post-conflict peacebuilding and causing a serious constraint on the long-term economic and social development of the region. Since 2002, SEESAC has been working with local and national stakeholders to address these challenges through regional cooperation, knowledge exchange and information transfer, making the potential cooperation with MSAG highly desirable.


The MSAG is an informal group of 16 donor states that focuses on the non-proliferation and reduction of SALW, contributes to new standards, develops training modules, and addresses the illicit proliferation as well as accumulation of SALW. The symposia was organized to improve cooperation in the area of SALW control between SEESAC and its EU counterparts.
 

EUSAC:
 

SEESAC provides support to national and regional stakeholders in strengthening their capacities to control and reduce the proliferation and misuse of small arms and light weapons and in this way contribute to stability, security and development in South East Europe (SEE).  The European Union supports SEESAC’s disarmament and arms control activities in SEE through the Council Decision 2013/730/CFSP, from 9 December 2013.
 

EUSAC builds directly upon SEESAC’s decade-long SALW Control work, particularly achievements made through the previous EU funded SALW Control project, conducted during the 2010-2012 period under the Council Decision 2010/179/CFSP. Designed in close cooperation with national authorities, the project works on the following five interrelated streams of activities:
 

  • Increased security of stockpiles: through the renovation and security improvements to storages of arms and ammunition.
  • Stockpile reduction: through the destruction of surplus arms and ammunition held in storages.
  • Improved marking, tracing and registration of SALW: through the provision of support to the establishment or enhancement of existing weapons registration and record-keeping systems.
  • Improved regional cooperation on awareness raising, information sharing and knowledge transfer: through the facilitation of regional cooperation between national institutions tasked with arms control.
  • Implementation of collection and awareness raising campaigns

 

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