Using Data to Drive Change: Regional Task Force Works to Improve Public Messaging on Firearms Misuse
From November 26 to 27, representatives of Ministries of Interior (MoI) and police services from across the Western Balkans and the Republic of Moldova gathered on Jahorina for the 7th Regional Awareness Raising (RAR) Task Force Meeting facilitated by SEESAC to review progress they made in public outreach and advocacy on SALW control-related topics and to identify new ways to advance public awareness efforts aimed at preventing firearms misuse.
Building on years of regional cooperation and the ongoing work of the RAR Task Force, established by SEESAC in 2022, the meeting reaffirmed a shared commitment to more effective, data-driven, and targeted communication.
A central theme of the meeting was the importance of reliable data for shaping communication efforts. Participants explored SEESAC’s Armed Violence Monitoring Platform, a comprehensive tool that has been tracking firearms-related incidents across the region since 2018. The platform’s detailed incident data has become increasingly valuable for evidence-based policymaking, tailoring public messaging and guiding authorities in their responses to different patterns of violence.
New research, developed by SEESAC and presented at the meeting, provides insights into the social and behavioural factors that fuel the demand for and misuse of firearms. Carried out in close cooperation with authorities in the Western Balkans, the study examines motivations behind
firearm ownership and use, as well as conditions that influence risky behaviour. For MoIs and police services members working on awareness-raising, this deeper understanding provides a valuable foundation for designing messaging that resonates with different groups in society, addresses underlying attitudes, and helps shift long-term behaviours. To support the practical application of new data and its translation
into effective messages, participants attended dedicated training held as an integral part of the RAR Task Force meetings.
In response to the identified needs of the delegations, SEESAC also introduced a draft version of guidelines aimed at strengthening communication on social media. Designed to help institutions engage the public more effectively through social media, this resource is an important step toward ensuring awareness-raising efforts keep pace with the evolving digital media landscape and modern information consumption. On this
occasion, SEESAC also shared the final version of the Guidelines for Communication in Crisis Situations Linked to Firearms with the meeting participants. This document was previously reviewed and commended on by the beneficiaries, and their comments were integrated.
The RAR Task Force remains committed to enhancing awareness-raising efforts across the Western Balkans, ensuring that all initiatives are effective and responsive to the needs of the communities they serve. As in the past, partners from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) who actively support awareness initiatives in their respective jurisdictions attended the meeting and contributed to the discussion.
These meetings are a part of SEESAC’s broader efforts to strengthen the response to factors fueling the demand for and misuse of firearms in the Western Balkans as part of the Support for Enhancing the Fight Against the Illegal Possession, Misuse, and Trafficking of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) in the Western Balkans project, funded by the European Union through the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA II) (2021/425-067).