12 July 2021, Skopje, North Macedonia: The UNODC Global Firearms Programme (GFP) hosted a workshop to foster inter-institutional exchange of information in firearms related cases. The event gathered participants from three institutions competent for processing firearms related cases, namely the Prosecution, Ministry of Interior, and Customs Administration.
The primary goal of the event was to provide the practitioners with a platform to exchange experiences and an opportunity to review the implementation of the Criminal Procedure Code. The participants shared their perspectives and challenges faced and held a discussion on the tools that the criminal procedure allows the practitioners to use, and also, what strategies and actions are available for the law enforcement and prosecutors.
During the workshop, good practices were identified, along with the remedial solutions to address firearms trafficking and improve the information sharing on a national level.
The participants recommended to further develop the exchange of information during pre-investigation, investigation, and indicting stages of firearms-related cases, as well as develop a platform for a fast exchange of information between customs, police, and prosecution. The need for a standardized format of information exchange between the institutions was emphasized as well as the potential support of UNODC in its development.
This activity is implemented with the financial support provided by Germany, the United Kingdom, France, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Norway through the Western Balkans SALW Control Roadmap Trust Fund and supported by the European Union.
