Strengthening OSCE action against the illicit proliferation of Small Arms & Light Weapons (SALW) and Stockpiles of Conventional Ammunition (SCA) - Phase 3
The CPC/FSC Support Unit recruited and employed one (1) Project Support Officer (P3), one Associate Project Officer (P2), and one (1) Project Assistant (G5) in line with OSCE recruitment rules and practices. These positions constitute the Project Implementation Team (PIT) and are directly involved in day-to-day project implementation under direct supervision of Senior FSC Support Officer (P4).
OSCE pS, OSCE Secretariat, OSCE FOs and the external partners: international organizations working on SALW such as UN, SEESAC/UNDP, EU, NATO, Europol, Interpol, EMPACT Firearms, as well as international non-governmental organizations such as ITF, AMAT/GICHD, HALO Trust, etc.
The project provides policy, technical advice, and support to OSCE pS, Secretariat, OSCE Institutions, and the FOs to better conceptualize, plan and implement their commitments against the illicit proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW), and Conventional Ammunition (CA).
Designing a calibrated, co-ordinated and sustainable response to the ever-changing security landscape influenced just by these two major security developments requires evidence-based and information driven advisory and response. This project is providing such support to Secretariat, OSCE Institutions, and the FO’s. Project is producing subject matter assessments, examines socio-political, economic, environmental and other factors that should be also addressed in concert with other relevant departments. Particular attention is given to the disproportional impact SALW and SCA have on women and men, boys and girls.
In order to provide timely and precise information to any of the above listed stakeholders requires methodical and continuous dialogue and information exchange, refinement of findings, verifying the quality and integrity of the input and its valuation against needs and requirements of the OSCE pS, Secretariat, OSCE Institutions, and the FO’s. Having in mind that the OSCE has been mandated to serve as a Clearinghouse in the field of SALW and SCA, it is of utmost importance for this project not only to be privy to all relevant platforms and co-operation mechanisms with relevant stakeholders, but also to transpose the latest inputs and developments into policy advice for the OSCE, and actionable information for the pS.
The project entails the following activities:
Activity 1. Enable continuous needs assessment, analysis and advisory in support of the OSCE pS in collecting examples of good practice in support of meeting SALW and SCA control commitments in the OSCE region.
Activity 1.1 Provide support in monitoring international good practices, assisting pS in advancing normative framework, and supporting them in developing appropriate knowledge products.
Activity 1.2 Provide support to the OSCE Field Operations to generate further knowledge and lessons identified, as well as to operationalize the knowledge products developed through the phases 1 & 2 of the project.
Activity 2.1 Providing advisory and support to the OSCE assistance requesting states in successfully utilizing the assistance mechanism
Activity 2.2 Delivering tailor made support to the OSCE assistance providing states necessary for their timely and effective allocation of resources to SALW and SCA assistance mechanism
Activity 2.3 To provide advisory and support to the OSCE Secretariat, OSCE Institutions, and the FO’s, optimizing their human resources and programmatic capacities to effectively address the issues related to combatting illicit trafficking of SALW and CA
Activity 3.1 Promotion and outreach related to the use, functionalities and features of the SALW Portal
Activity 3.2 Developing and integrating into the SALW Portal specialized SALW trainings on OSCE Best Practice Guides on SALW and SCA, Reference Guides, Guidance Notes on SALW and SCA Assistance Projects and Technical Notes on SALW and SCA Assistance Projects
Activity 3.3 Ensuring effective functioning and ongoing support to the SALW Portal
The project has developed a risk management plan to address a spectrum of identified risks.
The OSCE engagement on Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) and Stockpiles of Conventional Ammunition (SCA) matters have been on the normative side guided by the OSCE documents on SALW (FSC.DOC/1/00/Rev.1, 20 June 2012) and SCA (FSC.DOC/1/03/Rev.1, 23 March 2011), OSCE Plan of Action on SALW (FSC.DEC/2/10), as well as OSCE Best Practice Guide on SALW (FSC.DEC/5/03) and OSCE Handbook of Best Practices on Conventional Ammunition (FSC.DEC/608). The OSCE documents on SALW and SCA also prescribe the formal assistance mechanism, i.e. the procedure used for dealing with a request for assistance and model questionnaires for a requesting state and an assisting/donor state.
Since 2004, the OSCE has delivered SALW and SCA assistance throughout the OSCE region. The assistance has aimed to reduce the number of unplanned explosions at munitions sites (UEMS) and prevent proliferation of SALW and conventional ammunition (CA), which in turn may lead to violent crime, terrorist acts, and armed conflict. The OSCE sought to achieve these objectives by implementing activities to enhance the knowledge, attitudes, intentions, and behaviors related to the management of SALW and CA stockpiles; support the development, adoption, and implementation of national SALW and SCA policies and action plans; destroy surplus, outdated and unstable stockpiles; and improve the safety and security of stockpiles through construction and refurbishment of storage sites.
The issues of illicit trafficking, excessive and destabilizing accumulation and uncontrolled spread, illegal diversion, risks of loss and theft of SALW and SCA remain high on the politico-military agenda in the OSCE region. Improving the efficiency, effectiveness, impact and sustainability of efforts to address these issues, require dialogue on review and update of normative documents related to SALW/SCA (to include the best practices handbooks), relevant inputs and consultations among subject matter experts in order to support and complement the work of the FSC Chairperson of the IGOF on SALW and FSC Chair’s Co-ordinator for projects on SALW/SCA.
OSCE pS should consider a more planned and integrated approach in strengthening efforts to address the issues and priorities related to SALW/SCA. The (technical) assistance needs should reflect not only the current, but also future considerations in line with elaborated strategies/roadmaps to address the SALW/SCA related issues on the long-run. The assistance providing pS should consider the same. This would not only enable the OSCE pS, Secretariat, OSCE Institutions, and the Field Operations (FO) to better orchestrate practical assistance project
interventions, aligning them for the implementation of broader strategies/roadmaps as well as to facilitate and co-ordinate investment decisions to specific project interventions among broad national and international stakeholders. It would provide a venue for a better strategic management of efforts to address SALW/SCA issues.
During the course of implementation of the two initial phases, the project created the necessary documents to stimulate dialogue on practical advancement of the normative framework, with several new documents updated and numerous in preparation. The project also developed a number of knowledge products and trainings, which served as a catalyst for promotion, advancement and change management within the OSCE Executive Structure including Field Operations. Moreover, these deliverables are also used to support dialogue and co-ordination with other international actors. Equally important, findings produced are often presented in different international fora in order to demonstrate OSCE lessons identified and practices developed that could be replicated beyond Europe and Central Asia.
Against that backdrop, the Phase 3 of this project will develop several documents that would not only further the update of the existing normative framework, but also propose development of new documents by the pS. Further methodological development of the knowledge products and tools primarily in support of the Secretariat, OSCE Institutions, and the FO’s will be developed in support of the smooth implementation of the existing SALW and SCA assistance projects portfolio. Nevertheless, this growing body of knowledge will be also systematically presented to the pS serving as a food for taught for further dialogue in development of the OSCE normative framework. All of the SALW and SCA activities will be organized and made available in one resource the further advanced SALW Portal. Throughout Phase 3 of this project this IT tool will be made more user friendly, based on the and systematized
