On 9-11 September 2019, UNDP SEESAC hosted a delegation of SALW control practitioners from West Africa, to foster knowledge exchange and experience sharing on good practices and challenges in SALW control between the two regions. The exchange visit was organized by the German Federal Foreign Office. It was attended by members of national SALW Commissions in Burkina Faso, Ghana, and Côte d’Ivoire, members of the ECOWAS Small Arms Division, and representatives from the Bonn International Center for Conversion (BICC) and UNDP offices in Africa.

During the exchange, UNDP SEESAC shared its structure, mandate and activities, as well as its role in the development and implementation of the Roadmap for a sustainable solution to the illegal possession, misuse of SALW and their ammunition in the Western Balkans by 2024. It furthermore included meetings with the Coordination Board for SALW in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the Border Police in BiH, in Banja Luka. Apart from discussions between the SALW Commissions from the two regions on their roles and responsibilities in SALW control, the West African delegation was also invited to take part in a demonstration of the equipment acquired and the operating procedures developed by the Border Police for countering illicit arms trafficking at the BiH borders.

The key aspects underlined during the meetings for successful work on SALW control in the Western Balkans were the strong ownership of the authorities over the activities conducted and the results achieved, as well as all partners’ dedication to making the Western Balkans a safe region for its citizens and beyond.