Small arms proliferation and misuse has had a dramatic and painful impact on Georgia since 1991. This Saferworld report presents the findings of research conducted on small arms and light weapons (SALW) and human security issues in Georgia. It finds that while significant and commendable progress has been made, much still needs to be done to minimise the risks presented by illegal arms proliferation and misuse.
Small arms proliferation and misuse has had a dramatic and painful impact on Georgia since it gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. This has been no more obvious than in the various internal conflicts that afflicted the country in the early 1990s. These conflicts are still relevant today, not only because of the continued failure of all sides to reach political agreement over the final status of the regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, but also as a result of the economic decline, decreased human security, animosity and the large number of internally displaced persons that accompanied them.
Despite this difficult environment, significant and commendable progress has been made to improve control over small arms proliferation and misuse, albeit in an uncoordinated manner:
- Firearms use and misuse – The criminal justice system’s ability to combat firearm crime has improved substantially with, for example, more firearm crimes recorded by the police due to increased trust in the police and improved recording procedures.
- Management of state small arms holdings – Reforms of the Georgian security services have resulted in a reduction of the number of military forces tasked with ensuring security and defence under the Georgian Constitution. As a result, and possibly for the first time since independence, the Georgian armed forces are unified and well controlled.
- International arms transfer controls and border management – Georgia has made good progress over the last decade in developing a legal framework to govern the transfer of arms and dual-use goods. National legislation in this area now regulates the majority of trade including direct import and export, re-transfer and transit. While this is the case, legal provisions are still inadequate in a number of areas.
While progress has been made, much still needs to be done in order to minimise the potential for further small arms proliferation:
- The principal focus of any small arms control programme should be to reduce the impact of small arms misuse on society. Additional measures in two linked areas – weapons collections and the provision of security – are needed to tackle illicit firearms possession and misuse by the general public.
- Enhanced control over the ownership and use of legal weapons is fundamental to minimising the potential for the misuse of firearms. Improvements should be sought in three linked areas: legislation; government capacity and public knowledge; and control of the private security industry.
- International support must continue to ensure that Georgia has the political will, institutional knowledge and administrative capacity to continue with reform of small arms control issues.
- Improved small arms control in Georgia is dependent upon civil society input at both the policy and practice level. While there are outstanding examples of civil society involvement in small arms issues, overall involvement is poor. It is recommended that civil society becomes more engaged in small arms issues.
