SEESAC's Armed Violence Monitoring Platform serves as inspiration for the EU-wide Firearm Incidents Monitor
On 7 December 2023, the EU-wide digital platform www.gunviolence.eu, modelled after SEESAC's Armed Violence Monitoring Platform (AVMP) was launched in Brussels at the conference organized by the Flemish Peace Institute and supported by the European Commission.
This newly launched platform, designed to track firearm incidents across 27 EU countries, offers a comprehensive online knowledge hub freely accessible to policymakers, police officers, strategic analysts, researchers, journalists, and media professionals.
SEESAC provided expert support to the development of the platform and extensively shared experiences in establishing the structure and content of such a platform. This is yet another example of how achievements in South East Europe in the field of SALW control have not only been recognized as good practice but also had a major impact on developments in the EU.
During the launching event, SEESAC’s AVMP was commended as a reliable and valuable source of information, underscoring the platform's significance in providing wide-ranging insights into the complex landscape of firearm-related incidents. In addition, the EU Commission praised the Western Balkans as a generator of good practices in data collection on armed violence.
The AVMP was established in 2017 to monitor firearms-related incidents in South East Europe. The purpose of the AVMP is to make comprehensive data available to all interested parties working on small arms and light weapons control and inform policymaking in the region. It contains detailed data on firearm incidents from 2014 onwards from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo1, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia. The data is collected from print and online media and the official websites of the relevant institutions. Based on data collected through the AVMP, SEESAC has produced a wide range of knowledge products documenting trends in the region. The AVMP is supported with funding from the EU Council Decision (CFSP) 2019/2111 to support SEESAC disarmament and arms control activities in South-East Europe, reducing the threat of illicit small arms and light weapons and their ammunition.
In addition, SEESAC also participated in two panels during the launching conference and shared regional perspectives on the role of data collection in shaping policies to combat gun violence and the role of firearms in gender-based violence.