The Western Balkans Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) Control Roadmap Multi-Partner Trust Fund (MPTF) was established by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the MPTF Office as a key funding mechanism for the implementation of the Roadmap. It enables a platform to strengthen coordination, planning and communication among the donors, implementing partners and national authorities, and develop synergies among different players involved in this programmatic area. It also reduces risks to governments and financial contributors through a comprehensive risk and results-based management system.
The Trust Fund supports projects implemented in the area of SALW control that contribute to the achievement of the Roadmap goals and are in line with the priorities of the partner jurisdictions. Projects can be implemented by the UNDP Offices in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia, and by UNODC.
Key features of the Western Balkans SALW Control Roadmap MPTF
Governance
The Steering Committee is chaired by UNDP and is made up by the Representatives of the Participating Organizations (UNDP and UNODC), Germany, France and the EU (as ex-officio members) and other top 3 donors to the Trust Fund. All other donors are granted the observer status (with no voting right), for increased transparency, access to information and provision of inputs.
The Steering Committee provides general oversight and exercises overall accountability of the Trust Fund, approves the strategic direction of the Trust Fund and its overall results framework, decides on the allocation of funds, and oversees the implementation of the funded projects and overall progress towards the planned results.
The functions of the Secretariat are performed by SEESAC. The Secretariat is responsible for the programmatic coordination and monitoring of the Trust Fund, providing technical and management support to the Steering Committee and implementing organizations. The Secretariat is not part of the Steering Committee and does not have the right to vote.
Participating Organizations receive funds through the Administrative Agent, MPTF Office. The Administrative Agent is responsible for the receipt, administration and management of contributions from donors, disbursement of funds to Participating Organizations, and consolidation and dissemination of progress reports to donors.
Status of contributions by donors
(as of 01 March 2025):
- Germany: $13.86 million
- Sweden: $3.76 million
- The Netherlands: $3.25 million
- France: $2.98 million
- UK: $2.61 million
- Norway: $2.07 million
TOTAL: $28.54 million
For the updates on contributions, please check the following link.
Project proposals
Two calls for project proposals were launched in July 2019 and February 2020, respectively, resulting in 10 projects approved for funding at a value of $12 million. Using the direct solicitation of projects modality in 2022, the Steering Committee approved additional six projects, at the value of $2.62 million, to bridge the gap between the second and third open call until the mid-term evaluation of the Trust Fund was to be completed. The third call for proposals was launched in March 2023, following the mid-term evaluation, and eight new proposals were approved by the Steering Committee in October 2023 at a value of $10.8 million. In 2024, the Steering Committee applied the direct solicitation modality and approved in September 2024 a project of $1.3 million.
Information about the projects funded through the Western Balkans SALW Control MPTF is available in the sub-sections or in the links below.
- Albania: Strengthening control, administration and social attitudes towards SALW
- Albania: Increased security of the arms depots under the administration of the Albanian State Police
- Albania: Integrated Institutional Approach and Strengthening Cross-Border Cooperation to SALW Control (Phase I)
- Bosnia and Herzegovina: Halting Arms and Lawbreaking Trade (HALT)
- Bosnia and Herzegovina: Urgent Action on Ammunition Destruction - Project EXPLODE+, in Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Bosnia and Herzegovina: Prevention and illicit arms reduction in Bosnia and Herzegovina (project PILLAR)
- Bosnia and Herzegovina: Digitalization and Institutional and Regional Cooperation Project (DIRC)
- Bosnia and Herzegovina: Law Enforcement Agencies’ Development in Small Arms and Light Weapons Control (Project LEAD)
- Kosovo: Support to Combating Illicit Arms Trafficking in Kosovo for Criminal Police (CPIAT)
- Kosovo: Support to Firearms Related Investigations
- Kosovo: Integrated Institutional Approach and Strengthening Cross-Border Cooperation to SALW Control (Phase I)
- Kosovo and North Macedonia: Cross-border integrated institutional approach towards combating illicit arms trafficking
- Montenegro: Advancing the capacities of the Police Directorate In the field of custody chain, crime scene investigations and the Forensic Laboratory in the field of operations and investigations in detection and trafficking of explosives criminality
- Montenegro: Advancing the Forensic Capacities of the Police Directorate of Montenegro for Processing Firearms and Explosives-related Crimes
- North Macedonia: Improvement of data and SALW collection practices and SALW related investigations
- North Macedonia: Strengthening the Capacities of the Forensics and Crime Scene Investigation System to Improve Criminal Justice Response to SALW
- Serbia: Advancing the capacities of the Ministry of interior in the SALW-control-related field, Phase II
- Serbia: Improving Capacities of the Ministry of the Interior in the SALW-Control related Field, Phase III
- Serbia: Reduce Risk - Increase Safety II
- Serbia: Reduce Risk - Increase Safety III
- Regional: Criminal Justice Response against Arms Trafficking
- Regional: Support for Increased International Cooperation in Criminal Matters
- Regional: Countering Trafficking in Firearms, their parts and ammunition in Express Courier and Postal Parcels: Project HERMES, Phase 1
- Regional: Project Justitia: Support to the Criminal Justice Response to Counter Arms Trafficking in the Western Balkans
- Regional: Project Hermes 2.1: Countering Trafficking in Firearms, Their Parts and Ammunition in Express Courier and Postal Parcels
Independent mid-term evaluation of the Trust Fund
In February 2023, an independent mid-term evaluation of the Trust Fund was completed. The objective of the mid-term evaluation was to analyze the Fund’s functioning and performance and provide forward-looking recommendations for the future support of the Fund to Roadmap implementation.
The evaluation found that the overall strategic performance of the Trust Fund was good. It assessed the Trust Fund as essential to sustaining both political and technical momentum on SALW control in the Western Balkans. The Trust Fund was marked as highly effective as a means of demonstrating support for the SALW Control Roadmap. It was recognized that it provides synergies and interlinkages with other funds and initiatives, which collectively contribute to the implementation of the Roadmap, therefore increasing overall impact.
As established by the mid-term evaluation, the implementing organizations have made through the Trust Fund new or consolidated existing partnerships beyond those which are essential for project implementation, resulting in a broader constituency of actors engaged in SALW control. Taken against the backdrop of continued threat from the use of SALW and proliferation, the Trust Fund projects have made relevant progress in support of the Western Balkans jurisdictions’ efforts towards meeting the Roadmap goals, and the specific needs/priorities of the target groups and the beneficiaries.
The mid-term evaluation recognized that achieving the Roadmap’s goals is a multi-year effort, and the complexity and scope of the challenge means that this must be sustained by jurisdictions, donors, implementing partners and other stakeholders beyond the current end date of the Roadmap, 2024. Recommendations have been made for further improvement towards greater effectiveness and impact, enhancing ownership and public awareness, gender mainstreaming, and sustainability for the remaining period and beyond, which the Trust Fund will pursue.
Download
- UN-Multi-Partner-Trust-Fund/2023-Annual-Report.pdf PDF 21,800 kb
- UN-Multi-Partner-Trust-Fund/Mid-Term-Evaluation-Report.pdf PDF 762 kb
- UN-Multi-Partner-Trust-Fund/2022-Annual-Report.pdf PDF 24,061 kb
- UN-Multi-Partner-Trust-Fund/2021-Annual-Report.pdf PDF 29,081 kb
- UN-Multi-Partner-Trust-Fund/2020-Annual-Report.pdf PDF 28,726 kb
- UN-Multi-Partner-Trust-Fund/2019-Annual-Report.pdf PDF 2,504 kb
- UN-Multi-Partner-Trust-Fund/SALW-Control-MPTF-TOR_Rev_July-2023.pdf PDF 485 kb