OSCE Mission supports Tuzla authorities and civil society in jointly addressing threats and challenges posed by firearms

On 16 and 17 September in Tuzla, the Coordination Board for Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons and the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina organized the first in a series of countrywide meetings to support relevant institutions and civil society actors in jointly addressing challenges related to misuse of small arms and light weapons (SALW). (OSCE) Photo details

On 16 and 17 September in Tuzla, the Coordination Board for Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons and the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina organized the first in a series of countrywide meetings to support relevant institutions and civil society actors in jointly addressing challenges related to misuse of small arms and light weapons (SALW).

The Tuzla Canton Minister of Interior, Mr. Hajrudin Mehanović, the Director of Police Administration, Mr. Dževad Korman as well as representatives from the local safety council discussed progress on implementation of the BiH Strategy for Control of SALW and exchanged views on key firearms challenges in their communities. They also discussed the practical value of collaboration between academia and relevant authorities in conducting research on the impact of firearms, as well as modalities for reducing access to firearms among youth and adolescents.

Given the frequency of firearms-related incidents and tragedies in communities across BiH, the OSCE has intensified its support to raise the awareness of and co-operation among law enforcement and relevant local public safety actors on SALW control. Furthermore, the OSCE is assisting in outreach activities to local communities to ensure that related policies and measures are well informed by current local-level security and safety concerns and priorities.

The noted activities are being organized under the OSCE project Security and Safety Risks of Illegal Possession, Misuse and Trafficking of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) and their Ammunition in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and are helping put in practice the BiH SALW Control Coordination Board Guidelines for Enhancement of Inter-Institutional Outreach and Communication. The project is made possible by the generous contributions of Austria, Czechia, the EU, France, Liechtenstein, Norway, Slovakia, Germany, the USA, and Türkiye.

Željka Šulc Bosnia and Herzegovina