Sharing Best Practices: 20th SALW Commissions Meeting Further Fosters Sub-Regional Knowledge Exchange

On 12 December 2024, representatives of the Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) Commissions from South Eastern and Eastern Europe, along  with experts in arms control, convened in Skopje for the 20th Regional Meeting of SALW Commissions. The meeting reinforced the region’s commitment to tackling arms control challenges trough collaborative knowledge exchange and strategic dialogue.

The Regional Process of SALW Commissions continues to serve as the backbone of regional cooperation on SALW control. Facilitated by SEESAC this platform enables strategic and policy-level discussions, complementing the operational-level platform of the South East Europe Firearms Experts Network (SEEFEN) which recently met in Jahorina on 19-20 November 2024.

Key topics discussed during the meeting included updates on the EU legislative proposal to criminalize firearms-related offenses, the Western Balkans Arms Exports Report - a flagship initiative for the region – advancements in the digitalization of firearms records, and significant updates on regional arms control efforts. The agenda also features insightful thematic presentations.

Representatives form Belgrade, Chisinau, Kyiv, Podgorica, Pristina, Sarajevo, Skopje, and Tirana were joined by a delegation form the Kingdom of Cambodia, whose study visit to the region, aimed at facilitating knowledge sharing and experiences in SALW control between the Western Balkans and Southeast Asia. Their attendance at the meeting, coupled with bilateral discussions in Skopje and Belgrade, underscores the global significance of the region’s efforts in arms control.

The meeting underscored the region’s ongoing commitment to the SALW Control including within the Western Balkans Roadmap, emphasizing the importance of regional cooperation and strategic alignment with EU Acquis. The exchange of good practices and experiences among policy-makers in South-east Europe provided valuable insights, fostering the understanding of effective approaches to arms control.

The Regional SALW Commissions Meetings are supported under the EU Council Decision 2019/2111, in line with the EU Strategy to combat the illicit accumulation and trafficking of SALW and their ammunition in South East Europe.