How can the prevalence of weapons in Kosovo be reduced without further damaging fragile feelings of security among the population? This report by the Forum for Civic Initiatives and Saferworld looks at changing perceptions of civilian possession and prevalence of weapons. Because of sensitivities surrounding weapons possession, any initiatives to control or collect weapons should be tailored to specific community needs to maximise opportunities for peace and minimise potential drivers of conflict.
Illegal possession and misuse of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) pose challenges to the stability of Kosovo, but there are also positive indications of changing perceptions. This suggests either that weapons prevalence in Kosovo is rising or that people are increasingly comfortable to discuss this sensitive subject. As there has been no major influx of weapons into Kosovo, it is possible that growing feelings of security and better media coverage are slowly encouraging people to talk more openly about weapons in Kosovo.
This should be seen as a positive development, and further public discussion and debate should be encouraged. Surveys undertaken in 2006 and in 2008 show that:
- The number of people saying that there are weapons in their community has risen by more than five per cent.
- Gunshots are heard moer often, and that Kosovan Serbs hear them more than other members of the community.
- The percentage of people who want a weapon has risen by more than five per cent. Most of them (78.3 per cent) would do so to protect themselves and their families.
- The majority of people believe that possession of a weapon would not make them or their family feel safer.
- The safer a person feels, the less likely he or she is to think that owning a weapon would improve their safety.
- The better people know each other, the less likely they are to admit to the presence of weapons in their neighbourhood.
Communication, trust-building, and above all transparency, are essential principles for the development of a weapons control regime in Kosovo. Such a regime has to beld be locally appropriate, designed in light of resource constraints and with a detailed plan for implementing changes in legislation. It also needs to be integrated into and consistent with broader security sector reform.
Any weapons collection initiative should be:
- Owned by the institutions and people of Kosovo, tailored to the specific needs of different communities, sensitive to communities’ genuine security concerns, and preceded by building trust between institutions and communities.
- Sequenced appropriately with other SALW, SSR, peacebuilding and development initiatives. They should be designed with appropriate indicators of impact that focused on sophisticated measures relating to the security of individuals and communities.
Any regime for controlling international transfers of small arms and light weapons should be:
- Based on the rigorous vetting of those licensed to carry out the international transfer of SALW (for instance, arms dealers, brokers, air transporters).
- Transparent. Public reports should be regularly produced and open to public scrutiny, containing sufficient information to enable effective scrutiny of individual licensing decisions.
