Digitalization and Institutional and Regional Cooperation - DIRC (UNDP Bosnia and Herzegovina)

Duration

Original: 25 October 2022 – 23 July 2023; After approved non-cost extension: 25 October 2022 – 31 December 2023

Beneficiary/ies

BiH SALW CB, including BiH Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations, Ministry of Security, Indirect Taxation Authority, Border Police, State Investigation and Protection Agency and relevant police bodies at entity and cantonal level as well as associations of women police officials

Donor/s

Multi Partner Trust Fund

Funding Amount

USD 309,412

Funding gaps (if any)

N/A

Objective/s

The Digitalization and Institutional and Regional Cooperation Project (DIRC Project) aims to ensure continuity of the ongoing efforts and achievements of other projects as well as to establish a platform for bi-lateral and multilateral knowledge sharing, pertaining to several aspects of SALW control, with neighbouring countries ultimately contributing to more efficient and effective overall fight against illegal SALW trafficking.  Furthermore, the DIRC Project shall ensure continuity of efforts in further institutionalization of gender mainstreaming in SALW control within Indirect Taxation Authority of BiH

Contributing to the Roadmap goal/s

Contributing to the Roadmap overall targets

Goal 2:

• Ensure standardization of procedures and practices in the area of arms control and FAE investigations.
• Increase national analytical capacities and institutionalize firearms data analysis.
• Institutionalize systematic collection of criminal justice data across the Criminal Justice Sector (at the level of Police and Customs, Prosecutors’ service, Court Service, Correctional and Penitentiary Services).
• Fully integrate gender and age concerns in SALW/firearms control policies and ensure meaningful participation of women in SALW/firearms control

Goal 3:

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

Goal 4:

• Develop sustainable partnerships to strengthen advocacy, reinforce outreach and reach messaging multipliers

Goal 5:

• Substantially increase number of seized firearms, ammunition and explosives. 

Key activities implemented up to date

• The Project Team completed the assessment of the existing Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations (MOFTER) system for monitoring and recording issued foreign trade licenses for weapons and military equipment and defined a ToR for tender procedure of hiring an IT company that would improve and develop the aforementioned system to UNDP standards. Project team initiated the tendering procedure and selected an IT company that will improve and develop the MOFTER application for monitoring and recording of issued foreign trade licenses for weapons and military equipment per the aforementioned ToR.
• The Project Team hired three national experts for upgrading the SALW Identification Tool application, developed under project CIAT for BiH Border Police, in line with the feedback received from the project partners. The hired experts started the process of upgrading the SALW Identification Tool in close coordination with the Project Team.
• The Project Team completed all six planned joint exercises involving officials from ITA and various police agencies in BiH with active participation of the BiH Prosecutor’s Office. Joint exercises among police agencies and the ITA enhanced capacities of 153 police and customs officials in proper application of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) (developed under projects CIAT and HALT) for the detection of illegal SALW in vehicles and compounds and the use of specialized detection equipment.
• The project team successfully organized two bilateral joint exercises between BiH and Serbia and BiH and Montenegro with participation of 72 representatives of law enforcement agencies, customs, and prosecutor’s offices from these countries, including trainers/lecturers from BiH. The exercises were wholeheartedly welcomed by all participants and once again reiterated the importance of joint regional training activities for law enforcement and judiciary and their value as learning platforms for exchange of practices and experiences as well as networking opportunities. 
• The Project Team hired an IT consultant who completed the initial assessment and prepared the analysis of the digitalization needs in the relevant police bodies in the Federation of BiH and the RS Ministry of Interior. As this activity was happening in parallel with preparation of the new project proposal (project LEAD), findings from the expert’s interim reports were used as the most up-to-date and relevant data when formulating proposed interventions in subsequently MPTF-approved project – project LEAD.
• The Project Team successfully organized two gender equality workshops for 45 customs employees (19 women and 26 men) with engagement of lecturers from BiH Agency for Gender Equality, two women police officials’ associations in BiH, and ITA gender focal point.
• As part of the project activities, the Project Team signed Low Value Grant Agreements (LVGAs) with two women police officials’ associations in BiH (Association Network of Women Police Officials and the Republika Srpska Women Police Officials Network (RS WPON)). All planned activities within the two LVGAs were successfully completed, and the Project team has finalized the monitoring and evaluation process and the final payments for both associations.

Main challenges encountered

The main challenges in project implementation were related to project activity 1.1.1 - Improvement and development of the application for monitoring and recording issued foreign trade licenses for weapons and military equipment – Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations of BiH (MOFTER). Following the agreement with MOFTER, in Q3 2023, UNDP BiH’s own IT experts successfully conducted the initial assessment of the existing system for monitoring and recording issued foreign trade licenses for weapons and military equipment. Following the assessment, a ToR for selection of an IT company that would design, develop and implement the relevant improved application was developed by the Project Team in close cooperation with MOFTER, followed by publishing of a tender notice. The bidder that was evaluated as technically compliant and lowest priced was contracted while informing MOFTER on the successful bidding process. After the contract was signed, a UNDP BiH scheduled a meeting with MOFTER representatives to introduce the selected IT company to the beneficiary and initiate the business analysis process. In this meeting, UNDP Project Team and the selected IT company were informed by the MOFTER representatives that the Minister decided to suspend all projects with international partners for “political reasons”. UNDP Project Team requested a written information from MOFTER in this regard, but it never received one resulting in termination of this project activity.