UNODC conducts a Workshop on National Legislation on Firearms in Uzbekistan

On 16-17 August 2022, UNODC jointly with the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT), regional, and national experts organized a workshop on improving the national legislation on firearms in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

The event brought together over 15 representatives of Supreme Court, General Prosecutor’s Office, Ministry of Internal Affairs, Ministry of Defense, State Security Service, State Customs Committee, National Guards of Uzbekistan, and practitioners, who were specialized in firearms detection, investigation, prosecution, and adjudication of illicit firearms trafficking and the nexus of this specific crime with organized crime and terrorism.   

The workshop was aimed at enhancing the normative and institutional frameworks and regulatory measures on prevention and countering terrorist illicit access to small arms and light weapons (SALW). The event’s key topics included prevention of illicit manufacturing, trafficking, or diversion of SALW, cooperation with the national partners, analysis of the current legislation and discussions to update the legislation in line with the international legal instruments. 

In the opening remarks, Mr. Koen Marquering, UNODC Programme Coordinator/ Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Officer said: “The issue of preventing and suppressing illegal firearms trafficking is very important. It is also very important to increase the capacity of law enforcement agencies and other government agencies as well as ensuring better inter-agency cooperation and coordination and reviewing the legislation”.  

Mr. Paul Ianovici, UNODC HQ Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Officer in his presentation highlighted:Regarding the UNODC Global Firearms programme (GFP), we are working in several areas in support of the SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions). We are actively supporting member states to develop their national capacities, including legislative frameworks and national policies, prevention, and security measures. As a result, international cooperation advanced a step ahead and we moved from basic information exchange to operationalize this cooperation by starting transnational operations. UNODC GFP has released the Global Study on Firearms (2020) and is looking into monitoring of the illicit trafficking and performing data research and analysis. Following the bilateral discussions with several national institutions, we observed the positive attitude towards the participation of Uzbekistan in this project on collecting and analyzing data and combining it with information from other four Central Asian countries to put together regional study and analyze the impact of firearms at regional level”.

During the workshop, the participants  were informed on the international and regional instruments; analyzed the national legislation and regulatory framework on firearms in order to identify vulnerabilities and gaps; identified solutions to strengthen the regulatory framework on firearms, especially in marking, record keeping, transfer controls, collection, deactivation, and destruction of firearms; discussed the possibilities to develop the national legislation and align it to the international instruments; designed an action plan to strengthen the legal and regulatory framework on firearms and promote regional harmonization of laws and practices.

Participants analyzed practical cases through group works, learned on substantive and legislative aspects during expert presentations, discussed on the alignment of the national legislation to the international instruments, and contributed to the development of recommendations for further legislative initiatives.

Ms. Nargiza Abdukadyrova, the National Programme Officer on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice under UNODC Global Firearms Programme (GFP) presented the national legal framework on firearms control and the findings of the national legislative report including the gap analysis as well as the main findings and recommendations. In her presentation she noted: “Uzbekistan has signed and ratified the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime along with other conventions and protocols. In addition, in November 2021, the UNODC Programme for Central Asian countries for 2022-2025 and the Roadmap on the further development of multidimensional cooperation between the Republic of Uzbekistan and UNODC for 2022-2025 were signed in Tashkent. The first point in the Roadmap indicates the improvement of legislation and government policy to combat transnational organized crime in accordance with the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, which in turn sets us tasks for closer cooperation with the competent authorities of Uzbekistan to prevent and suppress illicit trafficking in small arms and light weapons and their illegal supplies to terrorists”.

At the end of the 2 days’ workshop the participants agreed to increase the engagement of Uzbekistan and cooperation with UNODC/UNOCT and receive a legislative advice and legal drafting support to harmonize the national legislation in line with the international and regional instruments.

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The UNODC/UNOCT joint project “Addressing the terrorism-arms-crime nexus: Preventing and combatting the illicit trafficking of small-arms and light weapons and their illicit supply to terrorists” was launched on 21 February 2020 at the UN Headquarters in New York, USA. The project aims at supporting the implementation of relevant international instruments on organized crime, terrorism and arms control, including the Firearms Protocol and its parent Convention on Organized Crime (UNTOC), the Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects. Overall, the project contributes to the elaboration and implementation of integrated action plans and strategies to address trafficking of firearms, in the context of terrorism and organized crime in target countries and the overall sub-region.

This initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.

For more information please contact:

 

Arifa Fatikhova

Communications and External Relations Officer

United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)

Regional Office for Central Asia

Mobile: (+998 93) 505-05-58 | Email: arifa.fatikhova[a]un.org