NATO Ad Hoc Working Group on SALW invites SEESAC to Present its experience in Coordinating and Harmonizing Regional Projects

On 6 July 2012, a meeting of the Ad Hoc Working Group on Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) and Mine Action, within the framework of the Political and Partnerships Committee, was held at the NATO Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium. The meeting was focused on examining the issue of SALW from a regional perspective and more specifically from the perspective of the current, planned and recently completed activities in the Balkan region.

Dr. Ivan Zverzhanovski, UNDP/SEESAC a.i. Team Leader, was invited to present current SALW activities of SEESAC and different aspects of coordinating and harmonizing regional projects, including the challenges faced and lessons learned.

Dr. Zverzhanovski outlined the holistic approach of SEESAC’s work with regards to its projects of SALW destruction, SALW storage upgrade, SALW stockpile management trainings, SALW marking and tracing as well as the SALW collection and awareness raising campaigns. The importance of regional ownership, the political commitments and support given by various regional processes and SEESAC’s work on strengthening technical capacities of national beneficiaries of the South East European region were stressed as the foundations of SEESAC’s involvement in the Balkans.

Furthermore, as a current Chair of the RASR Initiative, Dr. Zverzhanovski presented the structure of RASR initiative, its priority areas and issues and the upcoming RASR Workshop which will take place in early 2013. The challenges of national and regional cooperation, including the building of trust between governments and the need for the advanced infrastructural improvement were presented as the areas in which RASR continues to provide its technical, expert and political support and assistance.