Ready or not? New report on weapons collection initiatives in Kosovo

21 July 2009 - Today in Pristina, Saferworld launched a new report on people’s perceptions of small arms and light weapons in Kosovo, and on the opportunities and challenges for conducting voluntary weapons collections. The report, entitled ‘Ready or Not? Exploring the prospects for collecting illicit small arms and light weapons in Kosovo’, aims to inform future weapons collection initiatives being planned by the Kosovo Government to accompany the introduction of the new law on weapons. Although the exact number of illicit weapons in the hands of civilians is difficult to establish, there is agreement that it remains a widespread problem in Kosovo and continues to present a threat to long term security and stability. The report finds that people in Kosovo are generally pessimistic about the chances of a new weapons collection initiative succeeding. The main reason for civilians possessing illicit weapons continues to be a perceived lack of security. The report reviews previous weapons collection initiatives in Kosovo, as well as in the wider region, and gathers a number of ‘lessons’ learned from these experiences. On this basis, recommendations are offered on how to increase the chances of success of any forthcoming weapons collection initiative.