Supporting the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine in preventing and combatting illicit trafficking of weapons, ammunition and explosives
The project implementation team consists of:
- one (1) national project officer,
- one (1) senior liaison assistant,
- two (2) project assistants,
- one (1) senior HR assistant, and
- one (1) travel assistant.
This project does not have implementing partners or formal partners. Nevertheless, fiven the importance and complexity of the task project implementation team does coordinate its efforts in developing sustainable partnerships with other relevant institutions on national, sub-regional and international levels in domain of combatting illicit trafficking of WAE in support of project efforts, such various EU programmes, UNODC, EUROPOL and INTERPOL.
The project objective is to assist the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) of Ukraine in preventing and combatting illicit trafficking of weapons, explosives and ammunition (WAE).
This project is also contributing to the following Unified Budget Programme Objective: To assist the Ukrainian authorities in improving their compliance with OSCE commitments in the economic, environmental and political-military arenas.
Following outcomes are expected from the project:
- Amendments and/or proposals to MIA regulations and administrative procedures on control of manufacture, marking and record-keeping of WAE in Ukraine in line with international standards and good practices
- Amendments and/or proposals to MIA regulations and administrative procedures to prevent illicit manufacture of firearms through the use of 3-D printed parts, illicit re-activation of deactivated firearms, craft production of firearms and the illicit conversion of alarm or signal guns designed for blank ammunition or flobert guns in line with international standards and good practices
- Improved approach and plan on marking of firearms in Ukraine’s law-enforcement agencies in line with international standards and good practices based on completed feasibility study as evidenced by verification missions and trained observer
- Uniform electronic WAE classifier developed, tested, regulated for introduction to regular use within the MIA and other interested governmental agencies/ministries as well as integrated into the MIA’s WAE registry
- Enhanced knowledge and skills of MIA staff on control of manufacture, marking and record-keeping of WAE as evidenced by (pre- & post-)training and job performance evaluations
- Improved policy and regulations, operational and technical capacities of the MIA, its expert departments / centres and National Police of Ukraine (NPU) on forensics testing and expert examination and investigations of illicit trafficking in WAE, in line with international standards and good practices, as well as increased knowledge, skills and attitudes of the MIA’s personnel related to forensic and investigative work and applied in the regular work processes
- Improved policy and regulations, operational, technical and personnel capacities of the NPU on countering and detection of illicit trafficking in WAE, including improvised explosives devices and illicit explosive materials, as well as increased knowledge, skills and attitudes of the NPU’s personnel and applied in the regular work processes
- Clear understanding of perceptions, needs and thinking within Ukraine society and focused groups on regulating and controlling the circulation and use of firearms and other WAE issues that will guide development of public awareness and communication campaigns
- Enhanced awareness of Ukraine citizens on the risks posed by illegal possession, misuse and trafficking in WAE through the conduct of public awareness campaigns
- Amendments and/or proposals to national legislative framework on regulating and controlling the circulation and use of WAE in line with international standards and good practices
Project will implement following activitites:
Activity 1.1: Promotion and transfer of international standards and good practices for the control of manufacture, marking and record-keeping of WAE in Ukraine, including deactivation of small arms and light weapons (SALW);
Activity 1.2: Development and roll-out of the electronic WAE classifier and its integration into MIA’s unified information system.
Activity 2.1: Promotion of good practices and knowledge transfer in the field of forensics and investigations of illicit trafficking in WAE;
Activity 2.2: Promotion of good practices, knowledge transfer and equipment assistance programme in countering and detection of illicit trafficking in WAE for the NPU.
Activity 3.1: Country-wide public opinion survey, attitude study and public awareness and communication campaigns on risks related to illegal possession, misuse and trafficking in WAE;
Activity 3.2: Promoting improvement of legislative mechanisms for regulating and controlling the circulation and use of WAE and its implementation.
Activity 4.1: Promoting development of strategic approaches in the MIA system in prevention and combatting illicit trafficking in WAE in all its aspects in Ukraine;
Activity 4.2: Support in development of data-collection, analysis and dissemination system in the MIA system.
Risk management plan is in place developed to address eight distinct risks recognized by the Project implemetnation Team. Risk Management Plan is regularly updated in order to reflect the project implementation environment.
The OSCE Secretariat, based on the initial request of the State Border Guards Service of Ukraine made in May 2016, carried out the “Needs Assessment for Combatting the Illicit Trafficking in Weapons, Ammunition and Explosives in/and Across Ukraine’s Borders” (in continuation Needs assessment). The Needs assessment, which was published in April 2018, revealed that the current approach to detecting the illicit trafficking of WAE in/across Ukraine’s borders is proving challenging. The support in terms of human and technical resources development is required, further improvement of the legislative framework is much needed, while inter-agency level as well as international support and cooperation need to be enhanced. The Needs assessment also highlighted that the Ukraine authorities clearly understood current and looming threats of illicit trafficking in WAE in/across Ukraine’s borders and were committed to improve the situation on the ground. Thus, the Needs assessment established the baseline for providing technical assistance and institutional support to develop capacities of Ukrainian authorities in their efforts to prevent and combat the trafficking in WAE in a holistic way. The Needs assessment report was shared with the national stakeholders via the Permanent Mission of Ukraine to the OSCE in mid-April 2018.
On 7 June 2018, the OSCE Secretariat organized the high-level meeting in Kyiv, Ukraine, to discuss key findings of Needs assessment and determine potential areas for subsequent project co-operation. The event was attended by the key national counterparts engaged in the Needs assessment, i.e. State Border Guard Service (SBGS), MIA, State Fiscal Service / State Customs Service (SFS/SCS), National Police of Ukraine (NPU), Security Service and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, who had univocally acknowledged the Needs assessment report, expressed needs for technical assistance and readiness for future cooperation with the OSCE.
On 12 March 2019, the same authorities met at the second high-level meeting organized in Kyiv whereby the progress on discussing challenges, actual needs and initiatives related to combatting illicit trafficking in WAE in all its aspects in Ukraine and across its borders has been clearly noted. Moreover, the national and international commitments to strengthen action have been made at the meeting as well.
Against this background, the MIA confirmed its interest in a joint project with the OSCE in getting support for Ukraine’s efforts to prevent and combat illicit trafficking of WAE in all its aspects. The MiA submitted two letters of interest requesting for cooperation with the OSCE Secretariat and the OSCE PCU on 11 March 2019 and on 24 June 2019, respectively.
In the recent years Ukraine has been facing significant safety and security risks and challenges related to destabilizing accumulation and uncontrolled spread of illicit weapons, ammunition and explosives (WAE) across its borders and on its territory. These have been in particular aggravated by the crisis in and around Ukraine and have been manifested in illegal possession, misuse and trafficking in WAE.
The MIA is one of the key national authorities in Ukraine that not only formulates state policy, regulates and controls use of the WAE, but executes operational measures in preventing and combatting illicit trafficking of WAE in all its aspects either directly or through its subordinated agencies. The main functions that the Ministry, including it sub-ordinated agencies, fulfils in support of preventing and combatting illicit trafficking in WAE are as follows:
- regulating and implementing national controls and measures over manufacture, including the elements of import, transit and export, as well as brokering of WAE;
- regulating and implementing national controls and measures over possession, use and storage of WAE through licensing, marking, record-keeping and traceability;
- regulating and implementing national controls and measures over illicit WAE (e.g. generated through illicit transfer, lost or stolen, corruption) and its use in cases of (organized) crime, terrorism and insurgency;
- regulating and implementing national controls and measures over recovered, seized or collected WAE;
- regulating and implementing national controls and measures over destruction and deactivation of weapons.
These functions are mutually reinforcing and deal not only with illegal, but also legal aspects of WAE. Moreover, they are responsible for control, oversight and enforcement of the government and non-government/civilian use of WAE. The ability of MIA, and its subordinated agencies, to fulfil these functions, determines the effectiveness of ensuring public order as well as counteracting (organized) crime, terrorism and insurgency. Consequently, it contributes to safety and security of entire nation.
Thus, the capacity building of the MIA to effectively prevent and combat illicit trafficking in WAE in all its aspects – as foreseen by this project – requires strengthening of the system as a whole by supporting improvement of:
- supervisory capacities in controls of manufacture, marking and record-keeping of WAE;
- operational capacities in forensics, analysing, detecting and investigating illicit trafficking in WAE;
- legislative mechanisms for regulating and controlling the circulation and use of WAE as well as raised awareness on WAE control;
- coordinative and cooperative mechanisms to support common approaches and joint strategic and operational efforts in prevention and combatting illicit trafficking in WAE in all its aspects.
The OSCE approach to this project is rooted in its existing normative documents, including best practices handbooks, which provide guidance and support in combating illicit trafficking of WAE in all its aspects. In aiding the MIA, the OSCE will apply its comprehensive approach to security while maintaining the focus of its activities on countering illicit trafficking of WAE as elaborated above.
The baseline information related to specific capacities gaps will be developed through requirement analysis and capacity development design under the OSCE ExB administrative project managed by the CPC/FSC SS. Moreover, consolidated information on illegal possession, misuse and trafficking in WAE will be developed through the project.
