Authorities from South Eastern and Eastern Europe Gather to Address Challenges in Arms Control, Marking a Decade of the SALW Commissions Process

Representatives of the Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) Commissions from South Eastern and Eastern Europe, as well as representatives of expert organisations involved in arms control, convened in Podgorica on 11 July 2024 for the 19th Regional Meeting of SALW Commissions. This meeting marked a significant milestone as it celebrated the 10th anniversary of the regional process of the SALW Commissions, highlighting a decade of collaborative activities and achievements in arms control.

A backbone of regional cooperation on SALW control, the Regional Process of SALW Commissions is a key regional platform at the strategic and policy level, facilitated by SEESAC in parallel with the operational level platform – the South East Europe Firearms Experts Network, which met in Tirana on 14-15 May 2024.

During the meeting, key achievements over the past ten years were highlighted, and several crucial topics were addressed.These included regulatory framework on firearms, ammunition, and explosives and its harmonisation with the EU Acquis, the development of evidence-based and gender-responsive policies, addressing the misuse of firearms in domestic and gender-based violence contexts. The meeting also focused on the prevention of firearm misuse and proliferation through effective inspection systems for private operators, and the key developments in arms control.

Apart from the participants from Belgrade, Chisinau, Kiev, Podgorica, Pristina, Sarajevo, Skopje, and Tirana, the Kyrgyz delegation attended the meeting in Podgorica as part of their study visit to the region following the recent establishment of the SALW Commission in Kyrgyzstan. Their participation in this meeting is another evidence of the region’s progress and the accumulated experience and expertise that has been built throughout these years and that is being used as a footprint in developing small arms and light weapons control programmes by other regions.

Mr. Mladen Marković, President of the SALW Commission of Montenegro, highlighted the importance of continued cooperation in enhancing regional security.

In his opening remarks, Mr. Shenasi Iseni, Senior Political Advisor of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), emphasised that dialogue, understanding, and mutual cooperation are essential for fostering lasting stability, security, and prosperity in the region. He noted that while each jurisdiction is unique, their shared characteristics make this forum’s knowledge exchange and experience sharing invaluable, with the hope of inspiring more joint regional solutions.

The Regional SALW Commissions Meetings are organised with the support provided through the EU Council Decision 2019/2111 in support of arms control activities in South East Europe in the framework of the EU Strategy to combat the illicit accumulation and trafficking of SALW and their ammunition.