On 24 May 2021, UNODC Global Firearms Programme (GFP) has facilitated the 2nd Meeting of the Working Group on Data Collection in Ukraine. The overall objective of the Working Group is to ensure submission of high-quality information to UNODC’s Illicit Arms Flow Initiative (IAFI) on regular basis.
The members of the Working Group, who represent different departments of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and National Police of Ukraine, initiated the review of data requirements for UNODC’ Questionnaire. The meeting was dedicated on data required for Part One “Arms seizures”. The experts reviewed questions 1.1 through 1.6 and identified problems related to collection of data for questions 1.4 (1) “Industrially manufactured arms with no signs of alteration or deactivation”, 1.5 “Total arms seized by marking of the arms” and 1.6 “Total arms seized by country of manufacture. Please report the ten main countries”.
The experts discussed the availability of these types of data in the criminal procedure in Ukraine and the requirements for recording data, access to data during the various stages of the investigation and procedures for data archiving. One possible solution was identified for securing data in the future for providing answers to questions 1.4 (1), 1.5 and 1.6 of UNODC’s Questionnaire. This could be achieved through the amendment of the requirements for collection of data during the criminal procedure established by Instruction of the Office of the Prosecutor General № 298 from 30.06.2020 “On approval of the Regulations on the Unified Register of pre-trial investigations, the procedure for its formation and maintenance”. The Working Group will conduct its next session in June 2021.
This activity is supported through a generous contribution by Germany.
