Enhancement of SALW control security measures in Albania (SEESAC)

Duration

20 September 2022 – 19 January 2026

Beneficiary/ies

Albanian Ministry of Internal Affairs (MoI); Albanian State Police (ASP)

Donor/s

The Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement in the U.S. State Department's Bureau of Political-Military Affairs (PM/WRA)

Funding Amount

USD 1,250,000

Funding gaps (if any)

N/A

Objective/s

• The project aims to enhance SALW control and reduce the risk of illicit weapons proliferation through increased accountability, physical security, and safety in the management of stockpiles under the responsibility of the ASP. It will focus on targeting specific areas of stockpile management to strengthen inventory management and increase stockpile physical security and safety through cost-effective and impactful improvements, as follows:
  • Introduction of a barcode system for weapons recordkeeping at the MoI/ASP central SALW and ammunition storage location ‘Mullet’.
  • Security upgrade and equipping of thirteen ASP priority SALW/evidence safekeeping room locations.
• The project contributes directly to local and regional security and stability by ensuring that the significant amounts of stockpiled SALW and ammunition under the responsibility of the Ministry of Interior/Albanian State Police are accounted for, secured, and safe. As such, the project helps reduce the risk of uncontrolled proliferation at the local and regional level and the risk of uncontrolled explosions.

Contributing to the Roadmap goal/s

Contributing to the Roadmap overall targets

Goal 7: 

• The number of SALW/firearms and ammunition storage facilities in line with international safety and security standards.

Key activities implemented up to date

• The project was initiated on 20 September 2022.
• The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between UNDP Albania and the ASP was signed to enable cooperation to continue beyond 31 December 2022 until the initially planned project completion in 2025.
• ASP submitted new requests for support in April and May 2023 regarding the complete overhaul of the SIMA and the security upgrade of the locations of additional small SALW storage/evidence rooms. In September 2023, the donor approved additional funding of US$500,000, and the project duration was extended until 19 January 2026.
• By September 2023, detailed assessments of 11 out of 13 small SALW storage /evidence room locations were conducted. The two pending assessments were completed later, by 2024, upon the ASP replacement of two locations. The technical assessments of an additional six locations were completed in 2024 upon the ASP replacement of three out of six locations. The inputs obtained were used for the procurement of upgrade designs and supervision services.
• Procurement of a professional company to design security upgrades for all planned small SALW storage/evidence rooms’ locations (both initially planned and additional) and provide designer supervision of the execution of the works has been prepared and completed. Upon UNDP approval in November 2024, the contract was signed in December 2024, and the security clearance from the ASP for the contractor experts to access the locations was obtained.
• The development of a barcode module for weapons record-keeping at the ASP’s central SALW and ammunition storage location, ‘Mullet’, was completed in close consultation with ASP experts on the necessary IT functionalities. The beneficiary tested and accepted it in June 2024. The beneficiary clearance for the training of two storage operators at ‘Mullet’ in the use of the barcode module was obtained at the end of October, while the donor vetting was received towards the end of the year. It was agreed with ASP that the training delivery timeline should be aligned with the SIMA overhaul activity and hence scheduled for 2025. Additionally, the procurement of IT supplies necessary to support the barcode module implementation at ‘Mullet’ was completed in August 2024.
• The Terms of Reference (ToR) for the procurement of expertise for the development of SIMA modules were developed in consultation with the ASP. It was first endorsed by ASP and then approved by UNDP in December.

Main challenges encountered

• Cyber-attacks significantly damaged the weapons registration system in Albania (SIMA), and substantive support for the activation and overhaul of SIMA is needed. Namely, the majority of data was lost and had to be repopulated. Given the system status and vulnerability, the ASP deems that an update as planned wouldn't suffice and that a complete system rebuilding is needed. In response to their requests as of April and May 2023, the project cost extension was endorsed by the donor in September 2023.
• The locations of two SALW/evidence rooms could not be assessed by the project engineer as initially planned due to internal ASP issues, and they were later replaced by two other locations. Additionally, after assessing six proposed evidence room locations, three were replaced by the beneficiary. This has prompted the organization of additional assessments, which have caused a delay in the implementation timeline. The scope of the engineer’s contract had to be amended to enable additional assessments to be made.
• Training of ‘Mullet’ storage operators in using barcode module, initially planned for summer, has been postponed for early Q4 2024 due to an extended clearance process by the beneficiary, which was completed at the end of October 2024.