On 26 April 2023, UNODC Global Firearms Programme (GFP) organized workshops in Belgrade, Serbia, and Skopje, North Macedonia, with representatives of designated postal operators (DPO) and Customs Administrations (CA) from all six jurisdictions of the Western Balkans to review the regulatory framework on countering trafficking in firearms, their parts and components, and ammunition in express courier and postal parcels.
DPOs and CAs discussed the scope of their work and identified the existing gaps in their procedures in relation to firearms controls. As a result, developing standard operating procedures (SOPs) was identified as a good practice, which will be implemented under Project Hermes. UNODC GFP shared its experience on developing SOPs from Bosnia and Herzegovina and provided information on the lessons learnt in this process.
DPOs and CAs also reviewed their forms of cooperation and identified gaps such as the lack of formal grounds for expeditious exchange of information. Another outcome of the meeting was the decision to initiate the procedure for forming working groups, which will develop Memoranda of Understanding with support from GFP.
This activity is implemented with financial support provided by Germany, the United Kingdom, Sweden, France, the Netherlands, and Norway through the Western Balkans SALW Control Roadmap Trust Fund and supported by the European Union.
