Addressing security and safety risks of illegal possession, misuse and trafficking of SALW and their ammunition in Bosnia and Herzegovina (OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina)

Duration

2020 - 2026

Beneficiary/ies

Law enforcement agencies (LEAs) including entity and cantonal ministries of interior (MoIs)/police agencies; SALW Control Co-ordination Board; BiH Ministry of Security (MoS); Prosecutors’ offices, courts and penitentiary services; population of BiH; OSCE participating States from SEE.

Donor/s

Austria (in-kind contribution), Czech Republic, EU, Germany, France, Lichtenstein, Norway, Slovakia, Turkey and the United States of America

Funding Amount

EUR 5,321,352

Funding gaps (if any)

EUR 1,313,663.44

Objective/s

To support BiH in mitigating security and safety risks related to illegal possession, misuse and trafficking of SALW and their ammunition.

Contributing to the Roadmap goal/s

Contributing to the Roadmap overall targets

Goal 1:

• Establish a complete legal framework and practice of SALW deactivation to counter all forms of illicit possession, trafficking and misuse of firearms, ammunition, and explosives (FAE).
• Fully harmonize arms control legislation and practices with OSCE and EU legal framework and other international agreements/standards.

Goal 3:

• Ensure the full implementation and monitoring of legal, policy, and procedural framework on trafficking of FAE.
• Prevent trafficking (smuggling, illicit trade, and transit) of FAE through improved processes, equipment, and training of targeted law enforcement units.
• Substantially strengthen control, monitoring, and prevention of diversion of legal trade through improved capacities, procedures, and transparency.
• Strengthen existing bilateral, regional, and international mechanisms and encouraging new forms of good practice to counter the trafficking of firearms.

Goal 4:

• Increase awareness among licensed private and legal entities about the danger of misuse and illicit proliferation of FAE.
• Increase awareness among the general population, both women and men, on the danger of misuse, illicit possession and trafficking of FAE.
• Increase awareness among young men on the dangers of misuse of SALW since they account for the majority of perpetrators and victims of firearm-related incidents.
• Increase awareness and reduce the misuses of firearms in violence against women, domestic violence and other forms of gender-based violence.
• Increase the partnership with, and awareness of media on the importance of adequate reporting on firearms misuse and firearms-enabled violence.
• Increase administrative capacities and targeted outreach to complete re-registration within envisaged legal timeframe, as well as to address adequately found and inherited firearms.

Goal 7:

• Ensure safe and secure SALW and ammunition storage facilities designated based on identified needs and in accordance with international standard.

Key activities implemented up to date

• Project Implementation Protocol (PIP) and Project Activities Implementation Protocols (PAIPs) signed with 16 beneficiary LEAs.
• Upgraded 10 SALW police storage with Installing Intruder-Detection Systems (IDS);
• Equipment and furniture for the 10 SALW police storage provided.
• Training framework and training materials on SALW control and management by LEAs completed.
• Advanced Training of trainees on SALW control and management by LEAs completed.
• Guidelines for police SALW storage management completed.
• Three trainings for the IDS experts in the management and maintenance of the IDS were conducted.

• Guidelines for Enhancement of Inter-institutional Communication and Outreach on SALW in BiH (Guidelines) and the related Monitoring and Evaluation Framework (the Framework) completed;
• Cooperation with "Policewomen's Network" Association and Republika Srpska MoI Women Network was established.
• Supported two Associations of Women in Police WG meetings on Gender and SALW, led by an international gender expert from Germany.
• PR and Communication Experts from beneficiary LEAs and SALW CCB commenced applying the Guidelines and the Framework when reporting on SALW-related incidents.
• Donated 11 special vehicles for the transportation of police K9.
• Supporting the development of the K9 capacity optimization Master Plan.
• Project technical documentation for upgrading the 11 K9 units was completed.
• Procurement procedures for the K9 equipment for police K9 units completed.
• Procurement procedures for upgrading the 11 K9 units initiated.
• Draft of the Training Program and Training Manual on the application of SOP for the use of K9 capacity in the detection of SALW, ammunition and explosives completed.
• Assessment of the legal, statistical and data collection aspects of the existing SALW-related databases being used by law enforcement and judiciary in BiH, toward establishing an integrated SALW and ammunition inter-institutional track record system for BiH completed.
• Assessment of legislative and regulatory framework on SALW deactivation completed.
• WG for harmonisation of firearms laws in BiH adopted important recommendations relating to (1) firearms deactivation and (2) mandatory temporary seizure of firearms immediately upon a report of domestic violence. The Mission’s proposals for both were considered and accepted by the members of the WG, and thereafter constructively and effectively integrated into the final text of the recommendations that were adopted by the BiH Council of Ministers.
• Proposal for harmonisation of firearms legislation in the part related to SALW deactivation and draft regulatory framework for SALW deactivation procedures in BiH.
• Equipment for firearms deactivation coordinated, and procurement procedures completed.
• Procurement procedures for upgrading two capacities for the SALW deactivation have been completed.
• The training on the misuse of firearms in gender-based and domestic violence was organized.
• Supported participation of one female police officer as speaker from BiH at the Security Committee meeting on women in the security sector in Vienna.
• Organised twice per year the Project Monitoring Team meeting.
• One Video to increase project visibility completed.
• Training for police experts in the management and maintenance of IDS was conducted
• Implementing the Guidelines for Enhancement of Inter-institutional Communication and Outreach on SALW in BiH is ongoing.
• Supporting inter-institutional dialogue and outreach is ongoing.
• Organising a meeting in the BiH Jurisdictions on the inter-institutional coordination and SALW awareness, ongoing.
• Equipment for eleven (11) K9 units provided.
• Training Program and Training Manual on the application of SOP for the use of K9 capacity in the detection of SALW, ammunition and explosives completed and printed.
• FRONTEX-certified training for the K9 dog handlers ongoing.
• ToT training for two (2) K9 dog handlers in France Gendarmery K9 training center Gramat completed.
• Engaging expertise for the development of ToR on SALW and ammunition inter-institutional track record system for BiH.
• Completed the upgrade of capacity for SALW deactivation in Tuzla.
• Provided equipment for firearms deactivation in Tuzla.
• Completed the development of a Gender Monitoring Framework for the project.

Main challenges encountered

• Rising prices of goods and services in both local and international markets, driven by supply chain disruptions and reduced availability, are adversely affecting project activities, particularly those involving construction and procurement.
• Challenges in sourcing the necessary expertise locally and internationally.
• Coordination delays due to the large number of beneficiaries spread across different levels of governance.
• A rapidly changing political and security landscape.
• Limited supplier engagement and a low number of interested vendors.
• Project budget shortfall of EUR 1,313,663.44