Representatives of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Bosnia and Herzegovina donated to the Directorate for Indirect Taxation specialist equipment for detecting and preventing the smuggling of small arms and light weapons in passenger and goods traffic, worth 88,500 BAM.
Within the framework of support for strengthening the capacity of the ITA for a more effective fight against the illegal trade in small arms and light weapons, UNDP in Bosnia and Herzegovina delivered equipment worth over 700,000 BAM over the past three years through the “HALT” Project.
“UNDP is committed to cooperation with domestic and international partners in creating a safer environment for everyone. The donation of this equipment is a significant step in our joint efforts to combat the illegal arms trade and prevent the spread of violence,” said Edin Serezlić, head of UNDP’s Justice and Security Sector in BiH.
The project to prevent illegal trade and trafficking in arms in Bosnia and Herzegovina (HALT) was implemented in the period February 2020 – June 2023 as a joint project of UNDP in BiH and the UN Office for Drugs and Crime with the Administration for Indirect Taxation.
The administration is the primary beneficiary and partner in this project with the general goal of further improving security within and outside the borders of the Western Balkans through actions aimed at building the capacity of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the fight against illegal SALW trade.
The HALT project was financed by the FR Germany, Sweden, the United Kingdom, the Republic of France, the Netherlands and Norway through the Multilateral Fund for the Western Balkans, with the support of the European Union, and within the Roadmap 2024 initiative for the control of small arms and light weapons in the Western Balkans, the Indirect Tax Administration announced.