Strengthening OSCE action against the illicit proliferation of Small Arms & Light Weapons (SALW) and Stockpiles of Conventional Ammunition (SCA) - Phase 3 (reprogrammed project –continuation of the project Strengthening OSCE action against the illicit proliferation of Small Arms & Light Weapons (SALW) and Stockpiles of Conventional Ammunition (SCA) – Phase 1 and Phase 2) (OSCE Secretariat)

Duration

January 2023 – December 2025

Beneficiary/ies

OSCE Region – OSCE assistance providing pS, assistance requesting pS, Secretariat, OSCE Institutions, and the Field Operations

Donor/s

Federal Foreign Office of Germany, France, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland

Funding Amount

EUR 2,626,926

Funding gaps (if any)

EUR 1,545,089

Objective/s

The project provides policy and technical advice and support to OSCE pS, Secretariat, OSCE Institutions, and the FO’s to better conceptualize, plan and implement their commitments against the illicit proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW), and Conventional Ammunition (CA).

Contributing to the Roadmap goal/s

Contributing to the Roadmap overall targets

Goal 7:

• Strengthen the capacities of relevant state institutions (armed forces, law enforcement, forest guards, customs, correctional services) to establish inspection systems and implement Life Cycle Management of SALW and ammunition (where relevant).
• Increase human resources and administrative capacities of state institutions for monitoring, oversight and evaluation of the firearms and ammunition stocks of legal entities and individuals.

Key activities implemented up to date

• Contribution to the EMPACT Firearms- Kick-off meeting under the Operational Action Plan for 2023 (Operational Goal 6: Operational Action 6.4), facilitating support for South-Eastern European, Moldovan and Ukrainian Canine (K9) units to participate in and learn from other European services.
• Contributed to the Conference to Prevent and Combat Smuggling of Firearms in the context of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine-Possible Measures for Enhanced Custom’s Co-operation. The event was organized by the Ministry of Finance of Sweden, under the auspices of the Swedish Presidency of the European Union.
• Continued co-ordination of SALW initiatives and activities with representatives from other international organizations and institutions, including the EEAS, EC, NATO, NSPA, UNODC, UNDP, UNDP SEESAC, GiZ, and others.
• Organized three Steering Committee meetings in a blended format to implement the European Council Decision (CFSP) 2021/2133 of 2 December 2021 in support of the comprehensive programme on supporting efforts to prevent and combat illicit trafficking of SALW and CA in South- Eastern Europe.
• Organized regular meetings of Politico-Military focal points, gathering the network of the FSC SU and OSCE FO project practitioners to discuss the progress and challenges implementing SALW and SCA projects,
• Organized the assessment of the Montenegrin Police Directorate K9 units within the Special Purpose Police Unit and Border Police Unit. The mission, supported by 2 French Gendarmerie and 1 OSCE K9 experts, took place from 26 to 31 March 2023 and included visits to various locations in Montenegro.
• Contributed to the Curriculum Development Workshop organized by the Border Security Management Unit of the Transnational Threats Department (TNTD), supporting the OSCE Mobile Training Team members in developing a training module on SALW and border control.
• On 30 and 31 May, presented the entire OSCE assistance mechanism portfolio on SALW control at the XXXIV MSAG Symposium, held in Stockholm.
• On 21 June 2023, the Project co-organized and provided programmatic and administrative support for the joint regional OSCE-REGISYNC Workshop on Firearms Registries in Europe, held in Vienna. The event provided a platform to discuss challenges and good practices in regulating civilian firearm registries and explored innovative approach for their use.
• On 5 July 2023, visited the Austrian Federal Police Dog Training Centre to discuss co-operation in developing K9 training capacities to support SALW control assistance projects across the OSCE region.
• On 4 and 5 July 2023, participated in the 9th WB SALW Control Roadmap Regional Coordination Meeting in Sarajevo, providing updates on implementation progress and the key findings from the mid-term review of the Roadmap, as well as to noting the development of Roadmap Phase 2.
• Contributed as a member of the Review Panel for the 3rd Call for Proposals of the Western Balkans SALW Control Roadmap Multi-Partner Trust Fund of the United Nations, on 10 July 2023.
• Developed technical specifications for the procurement of specialized equipment needed to organize a Canine training for the detection of SALW, ammunition and explosives under the auspices of EMPACT Operational Action 2023.
• Finalized the selection of a Roster of Canine Experts to support capacity-building in law enforcement K9 capabilities for detecting SALW, ammunition and explosives.
• Initiated in October and successfully completed in December the procurement of training equipment for a regional training of Police Canine specialists to enhance SALW detection and investigation capabilities, scheduled for Q2 2024;
• Participated via Zoom in the Global Symposium on Weapons and Ammunition Management: Frameworks, Policies and Practices, held in Geneva on 27 November.
• On 19 and 20 December 2023, the PIT participated in the 10th WB SALW Control Roadmap Regional Coordination Meeting in Tirana, providing updates on implementation progress, key findings from the mid-term review  the development and continuation of the Roadmap Phase 2, for the period 2025-2030.
• On 3 January 2024, the Project finalized and signed an IP contract with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Lyon for the implementation of the project to provide advisory, assessment, and certified trainings on due application of deactivation of SALW, in Kosovo.
• The PIT contributed to the EMPACT Firearms-kick-off meeting on the OAP 2024-2025, held on 07 February 2024, in The Hague.
• From 27 to 29 February 2024, the PIT actively participated in the 2nd Regional meeting of experts on advancing the Canine Regulatory framework, organized in Durres, Albania.
• The PIT coordinated the participation of OSCE representatives at a meeting with Frontex from 18-22 March 2024, in Luban, within the framework of EMPACT Firearms.
• Contributed to the Project DTECT Workshop on the post-delivery phase (SALW) aimed at assessing the relevance of specific technologies to support counter-diversion efforts at the post-delivery stage, held on 26 March 2024, via Zoom.
• On 24 April 2024, the Project organized and hosted the 3rd EU Steering Committee on the Implementation of Council Decision (CFSP) 2021/2133, a comprehensive programme aimed at supporting efforts to prevent and combat the illicit trafficking of SALW and CA in South-Eastern Europe.
• On 25-26 April 2024, the PIT supported the organization and delivery of the bi-annual co-ordination meeting of OSCE Politico-Military Focal Points and Meeting on the Implementation of Projects on SALW and SCA. These meetings reviewed the progress and status of the implementation of OSCE SALW and SCA initiatives throughout the OSCE Region.
• On 15 - 16 May 2024, the PIT facilitated the presentation by the Chief of the FSC/SU Unit at the Regional Meeting of Heads of Field Operations in South-Eastern Europe, held in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
• The PIT participated via Zoom in six local Western Balkans Roadmap Co-ordination Meetings, which were organized in Tirana on 22 May 2024, Pristina on 27 May 2024, Podgorica on 30 May 2024, Belgrade on 3 June 2024, Sarajevo on 5 June 2024, and Skopje on 11 June 2024. These meetings provided a platform for key stakeholders to discuss progress, challenges, and the next steps in implementing the Western Balkans Roadmap for the control of SALW/SCA.
• From 25 May to 5 July 2024, the PIT organized a series of co-ordination meetings with the SALW ExB projects at the OSCE Presence in Albania and the OSCE Mission to Kosovo to facilitate the participation of one senior police dog handler from each jurisdiction in the Training of Trainers on the use and deployment of multi-purpose detection dogs. The training took place at the National Dog Training Centre of the French Gendarmerie in Gramat, France.
• On 12 June 2024, the project provided a briefing at the NATO School in Oberammergau, Germany, delivering a presentation on "The Role of the OSCE in the Field of SALW and SCA Control – Regional Cooperation" during “Small Arms and Light Weapons and Mine Action Course”.
• On 21 June 2024, the PIT participated in a coordination meeting with FRONTEX and the Polish Training Academy to prepare for the upcoming OSCE-FRONTEX K9 training, scheduled to take place from 4 to 8 November 2024 in Luban, Poland.
• From 24 to 28 June 2024, the PIT supported the ExB project “Assisting the National Authorities of the Republic of North Macedonia in Decreasing the Risk of Weapon Proliferation and Misuse of SALW” by facilitating the delivery of the "Regional Training Program for Duty Dog Care and First Aid," held in Skopje.
• On 9-10 July
•  SALW trafficking and their implications for internal and border security for South-East Europe and beyond.
• Within the framework of the Roadmap for a sustainable solution to arms control in the Western Balkans by 2024, the project team participated online in the following series of the Local Roadmap Co-ordination Meetings: Podgorica, 07 November, Pristina, 11 November; Tirana, 14 November; Sarajevo, 18 November; Skopje, 25 November, and Belgrade, 28 November.
• From 10 to 11 December, the project team participated online and in person in the 11th Regional WB SALW Co-ordination meeting, held 10-11 December in Skopje, North Macedonia, presenting the progress and results of the OSCE SALW and SCA projects.
• Throughout the reporting period PIT monitored functionalities and overall performance of the web-page “Portfolio of OSCE Practical Assistance Projects on SALW / SCA”. It continued to populate and update the OSCE SALW and SCA Assistance Projects IT Portal, (https://salw.osce.org/  ), while also promoting and encouraging 2024, the PIT participated in the 11th Regional Coordination Meeting of the Roadmap for a sustainable solution to the illegal possession, misuse and trafficking of SALW and their ammunition, held in Podgorica, Montenegro.
• On 28 August 2024, the PIT organized a Zoom coordination meeting with representatives from the French Proof-house from Saint Étienne (BNE).
• On 24 September 2024, the PIT participated via Zoom in the 6th Regional Awareness Raising Task Force (RAR TF) meeting, held in Belgrade, Serbia.
• On 15 October 2024, the PIT participated in the Meeting of the Working Party on Non-Proliferation (CONOP) EU Council in Brussels.
• On 22-23 October 2024, the PIT supported the organization and delivery of the bi-annual co-ordination meeting for OSCE Politico-Military Focal Points, as well as the Meeting on the Implementation of Projects on SALW and SCA. The event focused on reviewing the progress and current status of OSCE SALW and SCA initiatives across the OSCE Region.
• On 25 October 2024, the PIT organized a High-Level Meeting on the Strategic Advancement of Police Canine Capabilities for the Prevention and Detection of Illicit and Trafficked SALW in SEE. The objective of the High-Level Meeting was to further strengthen the region's capacities to prevent and detect illicit and trafficked SALW.
• On 29 October 2024, the PIT participated in the European Arms Monitor Expert Working Group meeting, held in Geneva, Switzerland.
• The project team supported the SALW control ExB project in Skopje to launch the
• Regional K9 Frontex Certification Programme on Product Scents, aimed at unifying and enhancing K9 detection capabilities across Western Balkans jurisdictions to combat SALW trafficking.
• From 4 to 8 November, the project team contributed to the High-Level Police and Customs Co-operation meeting organized by the ExB project “Assisting the national authorities of North Macedonia to decrease the risk of weapon proliferation and misuse of SALW” in Skopje, North Macedonia. The event convened professionals, experts, and leaders from the security field to discuss the nexus between migrant smuggling and its further use.

Main challenges encountered

• The evolving security landscape in Europe is significantly influencing the scope and scale of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) control initiatives. The shifting priorities of participating States (pS), combined with the increasing socio-economic and security repercussions of global political challenges, are creating complex conditions for the planning and implementation of SALW-related assistance. In this context, sustaining effective cooperation and maintaining alignment on shared objectives among all the stakeholders remains paramount.