01/11/2008

At the round table organized by Forum for Security, on "Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons in Kosovo-Progress and Challenges", attended by officials from the security institutions in Kosovo, representatives from various municipalities, representatives of international and local organizations, media and others, the report with the same title was presented. 

The purpose of this research is to promote the impact of policy making and decision making in strengthening the control of small arms and light weapons in Kosovo. The "Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons" analyzes and evaluates the progress made in drafting of the legal framework, which regulated SALW control, focusing on laws, policies and strategies, developed institutional capacity and mechanisms to ensure effective control of SALW, implementation of laws and strategies etc.

Recommendations from this report, regarding the control of small arms and light weapons in Kosovo, are as follows:
For Kosovo Government:

- All actors involved on implementation of the Law on Weapons and the Strategy on Weapon Control and Collection of SALWs, should be coordinated in order to effectively implement these acts that ensure fight, prevention and control over SALWs. In order to achieve this success, exchange of information is necessary within legal and periodical settings.

For the Ministry of Internal Affairs:

- A national Coordinator should be urgently appointed for implementation of the Strategy for SALWs.
- Legalization and amnesty should be organized at the same time throughout Kosovo, by not making territorial nor ethnic divisions.
- Civil society organizations should become a part of initiatives to review the Strategy on Weapon Control and Collection of SALWs, so that a more active and higher participation of social society is provided in formulation and successful implementation of this strategy.

For Kosovo Police:
KP should change its approach by undertaking actins for confiscation of SALWs based on intelligence information. While, they should urgently increase capacities for investigation so that they prevent any kind of danger that trafficking of illegal SALWs present.

For institutions of justice:
Prosecutors should specify in their appeals, the request for coarsening of effective imprisonment.
 
This research report of the Forum for Security is welcome and appreciated as realistic from the Ministry of Interior officials, noting that frequent analysis help the long and complex process of legislation on the issue of arms control.