OSCE Mission's Guidelines: Safe Storage and Handling of Weapons Enhance Security

The Guidelines for the Management of Small Arms and Light Weapons in Police Organizations in BiH (Guidelines), presented today in Konjic by the OSCE Mission to BiH to representatives of law enforcement agencies, represent an important step towards fostering a consistent and effective approach for police officers in ensuring the safe storage and handling of weapons, in line with relevant laws and regulations.

Adherence to these Guidelines will help reduce the risk of unauthorized access to weapons within police units, minimizing the chances of misuse and enhancing the safety of officers during their duties. Next to the Guidelines’ presentation, a four-day advanced training course on “Training-of-Trainers on Control and Management of Small Arms and Light Weapons in Police Organizations in BiH” was organized for representatives from all law enforcement agencies in the country.

Thomas Busch, Deputy Head of the OSCE Mission to BiH, said: “Today’s training and the presented guidelines mark a significant step forward in enhancing police capacity to manage firearms securely and conduct training independently in this area.”

“We witnessed tragedies resulting from the use of weapons in illegal possession, but also from the use of registered weapons owned by the citizens. The tragic event from Tuzla shows that even the weapons owned by the police officers off duty can be used to commit brutal murder, in this case femicide. These are all warning signs that we have to work continuously to improve control mechanisms and procedures to minimize the chances of misuse of weapons for the commission of major criminal offences,” said Assistant Minister Ermin Pešto.

This initiative is part of the broader project implemented by the OSCE Mission to BiH, assisting authorities in addressing security and safety concerns associated with illegal possession, misuse, and trafficking of small arms and light weapons, along with their ammunition. The project is financially supported by Austria, the Czech Republic, the European Union, Germany, France, Liechtenstein, Norway, Slovakia, Türkiye and the United States.