Proliferation and misuse of firearms remains a pressing security issue for BiH and the region

During a three-day outreach and awareness workshop on Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW), held from 15 to 17 April in Tarčin, the OSCE Mission to BiH presented guidelines to improve communication and co-operation among law enforcement agencies, media, and the public regarding SALW. The Guidelines for Enhancement of Inter-institutional Communication and Outreach on SALW and Monitoring and Evaluation Framework represent an important step towards increasing role awareness and SALW-associated risks among both institutions and citizens. The workshop, which concluded today, was attended by representatives of law enforcement agencies as well as media outlets.

These resources, resulting from the OSCE BiH’ s project on SALW in partnership with the BiH Ministry of Security and law enforcement agencies, will also guide the planning, organization, monitoring, and evaluation of SALW-related activities.

"Media is an important partner in aiding law enforcement in the intensified work on educating the public on SALW-related issues, particularly concerning domestic violence and femicide. To that end, this workshop will provide a platform to identify the key challenges in communication between police and journalists," said Ambassador Brian Aggeler, Head of the OSCE Mission to BiH.

Ermin Pešto, Chair of the SALW Coordination Board, said that the SALW Coordination Board in Bosnia and Herzegovina improves each segment of operation of security agencies in the area of prevention of abuse of illegal weapons. “We have identified the need to improve communication between law enforcement and the media as one of the challenges. With better understanding of our roles and better communication, it will be easier to pursue our common goal, which is the higher level of security of the citizens.”

This initiative is part of a broader project implemented by the OSCE Mission to BiH, assisting authorities in addressing security and safety concerns associated with illegal possession, misuse, as well as trafficking of small arms and light weapons along with their ammunition. The project is financially supported by Austria, the Czech Republic, the European Union, Germany, France, Liechtenstein, Norway, Slovakia, Türkiye and the United States.