Experts from BiH and Argentina held a conference on arms control

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the World Future Council organised an exchange of experiences in the field of small arms control between March 6 and 7, 2015, between representatives of authorities, police agencies, and civil society from Argentina and Bosnia and Herzegovina, reports the BH News Agency Patria.

Participants exchanged best practices from arms control programmes at a conference held in Sarajevo on March 6, and during a visit to Banja Luka on March 7, they had the opportunity to witness the melting of collected weapons, which are processed to produce spare parts for wind turbines or other infrastructure.

One of the conclusions was that raising public awareness and educating people about the severe consequences of gun violence has led to the formation of partnerships through which this problem has been addressed in both countries.

- The Argentine National Programme for Voluntary Surrender of Weapons received a silver award in 2013 from the World Future Council, the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs, and the Inter-Parliamentary Union - said Matias Molle, Director of the National Registry of Arms (RENAR) in Argentina.

- Within this programme, we have successfully collaborated with civil society to reduce the number of illegal weapons, while simultaneously promoting a culture focused on non-violence and peaceful conflict resolution.

Rob van Riet, disarmament programme coordinator at the World Future Council, said that the production, trade, and misuse of small arms increase tensions, undermine peace processes, incite armed violence, and prevent the achievement of sustainable progress and human security.

Small arms also represent a problem in Bosnia and Herzegovina, where there are still around 750,000 pieces of illegal weapons, mostly remaining from the conflicts of the 1990s. In partnership with local police agencies, UNDP launched the campaign "Choose Life Without Weapons" in 2013 to mitigate the impact of illegal weapons on society. By encouraging voluntary surrender, a socially responsible attitude towards weapons, and a culture of non-violence, the campaign collected and destroyed over 11,000 pieces of weapons and related equipment.

- The goal of this event is to exchange practices between these two countries. Argentina and BiH share a common goal, which is to improve the quality of life of their citizens by responding to the security needs of these countries - said Jasmin Porobić, Programme Manager at UNDP.

- This event reminds us that although the source of violence and conflict may be specific to each country individually, the proliferation of small arms is a global problem that requires cooperation, and which can be addressed through the exchange of knowledge across national borders.

The destruction of weapons was supported by the European Union, with funds secured by Council Decision 2013/730/CFSP of 09.12.2013, in support of the activities of SEESAC's Arms Control and Disarmament Programme in South-Eastern Europe, and within the EU Strategy to Combat the Illicit Accumulation and Trafficking of Small Arms and Light Weapons and their Ammunition.