Regional Cooperation on Awareness-Raising, Information Sharing and Knowledge Transfer is an integral part of the EU Support of SEESAC Disarmament and Arms Control Activities in South East Europe (EUSAC) project. Under this component, SEESAC works to further develop the capacity of national counterparts to combat the threat posed by small arms and light weapons (SALW) and their ammunition.
In this context, SEESAC is supporting National SALW Commissions (inter-ministerial bodies coordinating all SALW-related policies) and relevant institutions engaged in arms control, by providing technical assistance and capacity development support, while at the same time facilitating regional dialogue and information sharing. Regional Meetings of the National SALW Commissions are facilitated by SEESAC and provide an opportunity for SALW Commission representatives to share experiences, technical knowledge, discuss common problems, and identify possible ways of cooperation.
For more information on these meetings, see:
- First Meeting: 13 February, 2014 Belgrade
- Second Meeting: 24-25 June, 2014, Jahorina
- Third Meeting: 28-29 October 2014, Pristina
- Fourth Meeting: 25-26 May 2015, Budva
- Fifth Meeting: 3-4 November 2015, Skopje
- Regional SALW Commissions Meeting 22-23 June 2016, Tirana
- Sixth Meeting: 5-6 December 2016, Becici
NATIONAL SALW COMMISSIONS KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE PLATFORM
In order to facilitate continuous dialogue and sharing of important information in this area, SEESAC has established an online Knowledge Exchange Platform – which provides the opportunity for exchange of various legal, technical, and practical information for the SALW Commissions members and meetings’ participants. The platform is on a secure area of the SEESAC website and only accessible by registered and approved participants of SEESAC’s initiatives.
SOUTH EAST EUROPE SALW LEGISLATION COMPENDIUM
Tackling small arms and light weapons issues in many instances demands a cross-border approach, and thus coordination of actions and initiatives between governments as well as international stakeholders is imperative. Legislative harmonization is at the core of this process, therefore, SEESAC is collating all SALW-related legislation from the region with the aim of compiling and publishing a new South Eastern Europe Regional Arms Law Compendium (last compiled by SEESAC in 2004). The Compendium will serve as an easy-reference guide and once collected and consolidated, it will be published online and made available to the general public.
All current documentation related to the SALW Legislation in the region can be found here.
REGIONAL STUDY ON THE IMPACT OF SALW ON DOMESTIC AND GENDER BASED VIOLENCE
Although it undoubtedly impacts everyday life and the personal safety of citizens, the effect that the presence of SALW has on instances of domestic and gender-based violence remains an under-researched topic. In order to shed some light on it, gather relevant data, identify the needs and the specific correlations between domestic and gender based violence, SEESAC developed a Regional Study.