Regional cooperation milestone achieved at Ninth SALW Commissions Meeting

28-29 May 2018, Tirana, Albania

At the ninth meeting of the Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) Commissions, SEESAC’s trademark regional cooperation initiative, decision-makers in South East Europe approved the final draft of the Roadmap - a sustainable solution to arms control in the Western Balkans by 2024.

The SALW Commissions meetings are one of SEESAC`s trademark regional cooperation actions developed with the support of the European Union (EU). With nine events taking place since 2014, the meetings gather firearms experts from nine locations in South East Europe to exchange common challenges and identify common solutions that can put an end to the illicit possession, trafficking and misuse of arms. The Ninth Regional Meeting of the SALW Commissions was organized in Tirana, Albania, on 28-29 May 2018. An important milestone of the event was the approval by the SALW Commissions of the final draft of the Roadmap, which was developed with SEESAC’s support and technical expertise.

The meeting was opened by Ms Rovena Voda, Deputy Minister of Interior of Albania, Mr Goran Svilanović, Secretary-General, Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) and Ms Monika Bylaite, Head of the Political, Economic and Information Section, EU Delegation.

Participants representing various institutions from each SALW Commission in South East Europe as well as representatives of relevant authorities from Ukraine and Belarus attended the meeting. Other invitees to the meeting included a representative of The Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs of the European Commission, EU Delegation in Albania and RCC. Participants provided updates on the implementation of SALW control activities in the region and shared good practices on arms exports control focused on post-export verifications. The meeting dedicated a specific session to the EU legal framework including the EU Amended Firearms Directive, the Regulation on alarm and signal pistols and the Regulation on Marking.

Regional cooperation, knowledge exchange and information-sharing are the foundations of SEESAC’s approach to SALW control. The regional meetings of SALW Commissions are organized as part of the European Union Support of SEESAC Disarmament and Arms Control Activities in South East Europe implemented through the Council Decision (CFSP) 2016/2356.