It is estimated that there are still 750,000 illicit weapons in Bosnia and Herzegovina, presenting continuous threat to safety of all citizens. Illegal weapons alone have been a factor in more than 10,000 deaths since the end of the war.
In order to fight this problem, the Small Arms and Light Weapons Awareness, Registration, and Collection Campaign conducted awareness raising activities in communities throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina. The last campaign event – forming part of the campaign’s second phase – was held in Sanski Most on 17 September. Thus far, awareness activities have taken place in 26 cities, with an additional 10 visits planned before the end of the year. The campaign is conducted until the end of this year long amnesty period, which is in force in all of Bosnia and Herzegovina and which provides an opportunity for citizens to surrender weapons held illegally, without legal repercussions, as well as to register certain types of these weapons. With a free phone call to #122, citizens can simply report illicit weapons to the police without fear of sanctions and receive other important information about the campaign.
The campaign is designed to reach out to, and interact with, as many citizens as possible throughout the country, via radio and television interviews, city square advocacy events, and one-on-one interaction. Its key message, focusing on the devastating impact illicit weapons can and do have on citizens’ lives, has received a positive response from the public. Outreach activities are estimated to have reached close to 400,000 people.
In turn, nearly 7,000 weapons and over 300,000 pieces of munitions and unexploded ordnances have been collected or destroyed so far, showing a positive trend in community mobilization and citizen awareness. The voluntary surrender of illegal weapons prevents their widespread use – which causes death, injury, and psychological trauma.
Interaction with citizens through public events and local community dialogue helped strengthening the relationship of trust between the local police agencies and the public. More importantly, the campaign successfully encouraged the legal and responsible ownership of arms or their voluntary surrender.
The Small Arms and Light Weapons Awareness, Registration, and Collection Campaign is financed by the European Union, through the EU Support of SEESAC Disarmament and Arms Control Activities in South East Europe project, in the framework of the EU Strategy to Combat the Illicit Accumulation and Trafficking of SALW and their Ammunition. The Campaign is being implemented in line with the International Small Arms Control Standards (ISACS), and is carried out by the cantonal Ministries of the Interior, Ministry of the Interior of Republika Srpska and Brčko District Police, with the support of UNDP, ICRC, OSCE, the Government of United Kingdom, UNICEF and World Future Council.
