On February 15-16, 2022, a representative of the Department for Specialized Training and Canine Services of the State Customs Service of Ukraine took part in the 1st National Conference on Preventing and Combating Illicit Trafficking in Weapons, Ammunition and Explosives in all its Aspects, which was held in Kyiv, facilitated by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).
The conference was attended by over 100 representatives of state authorites and international entities, namely: committees of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, the State Customs Service, the State Border Guard Service, the Security Service of Ukraine, the Office of the Prosecutor General, the OSCE Secretariat and Regional Offices, Interpol, Europol, Frontex, EUBAM, Razumkov Ukrainian Center for Economic and Political Studies, and others.
During the conference, topical issues on combating illicit trafficking in weapons were discussed, in particular:
огррharmonization domestic legislation on preventing and combating illicit trafficking in weapons, ammunition and explosives, its compliance with the EU regulations and other relevant international commitments;
identification of risks related to illicit trafficking in weapons, ammunition and explosives in Ukraine and across its borders;
enhancing interdepartmental collaboration;
raising awareness, implementation of education and information activities.
Mr Fris and Mr Sharaskin, people’s deputies of Ukraine, authors of draft laws No 5708 and 5708-1, in accordance, presented the essence of such legislative initiatives, which are alternative and aimed at regulating the legal circulation of small arms in Ukraine.
“Integration of weapons circulation and objects of accounting, including implementation of practice of signing tasks with a qualified electronic signature used to verify a signer’s identity, is one of the key tasks to strengthen control over the movement of weapons in Ukraine,” said Serhiy Honcharov, Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine. The conference was an important step towards establishing a coordination platform for joining forces of national and international institutions for combating illicit trafficking in weapons.
