Information

SALW Collection Campaign Trail in Bosnia and Herzegovina Continues in Čapljlina, Mostar, Visoko, Vogošća, Ilidža and Sarajevo

The SALW collection- and awareness-raising campaign “Be on the Right Side – Choose Life without Weapons” campaign, being carried out throughout the year in Bosnia and Herzegovina, has resumed after a one-month hiatus due to the general elections on 12 October. Picking up where it left off, the campaign hosted events in Čapljlina (16 October), Mostar (17 October), Visoko (21 October), Vogošća (28 October); Ilidža (30 October); and Sarajevo (31 October).

The campaign is being implemented in tandem with the one-year amnesty, declared throughout the country, allowing for the voluntary surrender of illicitly held weapons, ammunition, and explosive ordnances without legal repercussions, as well as the legalization of some of these firearms. It aims to address the problem of the large number of illicit weapons remaining in the hands of the civilian population throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Specifically, the campaign works to raise awareness about the dangers that SALW and unexploded ordnances pose to the security, health and livelihood of families and loved ones, as well as to reduce the number of weapons in illegal civilian possession.

The Ministry of Interior (MoI) of Republika Srpska, the cantonal MoIs in Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the MoI of Brčko district are conducting the campaign with the support of UNDP’s SEESAC initiative through UNDP BiH.

SEESAC supports these activities with the EU funds, secured through the EU Support of SEESAC Disarmament and Arms Control Activities in South East Europe (EUSAC) project, initiated through the Council Decision 2013/730/CFSP. UNDP in Bosnia and Herzegovina is assisting directly with the implementation of the activities on the ground.

Since July 2014, SEESAC supported campaign activities in the cities of Prijedor, Doboj, Bijeljina, Srebrenik, Živinice, Mrkonjić Grad, Istočno Sarajevo, Trebinje, Goražde, Široki Brijeg, Posušje, Bosansko Grahovo, Glamoč, Bihać, and Sanski Most.

During the month of November, campaign activities are planned to continue in the cities of Višegrad, Zvornik, Foča, and Banja Luka.

Additional support for the execution of the campaign has been provided by the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the Organization for Stability and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), UNICEF, and the World Future Council. 

 

ABOUT EUSAC

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. The new project, which was designed in close cooperation with national authorities, will work 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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