CIAO DATE: 07/05

South Eastern Europe SALW Monitor

Abstract

The uncontrolled proliferation and trafficking of small arms and light weapons (SALW) is a serious problem in South Eastern Europe, fuelling crime and insecurity, and undermining conflict prevention and peace-building efforts in the region. The past collapse or weakness of many state institutions in SEE has been an additional cause of instability and uncertainty in a region that has suffered successive conflicts over the last ten years. The resulting SALW proliferation and diffusion among the region's population remains a serious problem and is compounded by weak border control, organised crime and trafficking, inconsistent implementation of legislation on both arms export and possession, poor transparency on SALW issues and a lack of capacity in many countries' governments and civil society to tackle SALW issues effectively.

The situation is however improving, and the last few years have seen regional and international initiatives on SALW, such as the OSCE Small Arms Document and UN Programme of Action, which have given a valuable spur to action on SALW. A particularly relevant and region-specific initiative on SALW, the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe's Regional Implementation Plan (RIP) Combating the Proliferation of SALW, has provided a framework for the implementation of various SALW control measures. Recognising and building on previous commitments and initiatives on SALW in a wide range of areas, the RIP was agreed in November 2001 by the countries of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Moldova, Romania, and Serbia and Montenegro.

Executive Summary (PDF, 16 pages, 1.61 MB)

Introduction (PDF, 10 pages, 694.1 KB)

Albania (PDF, 24 pages, 1015.0 KB)

Bosnia and Herzegovina (PDF, 30 pages, 1.12 MB)

Bulgaria (PDF, 20 pages, 1.66 MB)

Croatia (PDF, 22 pages, 960.0 KB)

Macedonia (PDF, 32 pages, 1.15 MB)

Moldova

Romania (PDF, 20 pages, 916.6 KB)

Serbia and Montenegro (PDF, 54 pages, 1.59 MB)

SALW Project Funding in SEE (PDF, 8 pages, 641.7 KB)

Regional Overview and Conclusion (PDF, 10 pages, 683.3 KB)

Annexes (PDF, 50 pages, 1.37 MB)