OSCE Mission to Skopje supports local campaign against gun violence

SKOPJE, 2 June 2008 - Raising public awareness about small arms, gun violence, and human rights is the aim of a campaign that started in Skopje today.

The event, "Guns kill - kill guns", is part of the Global Week of Action against Gun Violence. It comes one day after the country's parliamentary elections were marred by gun violence in which one person was killed and several wounded. Celebrations after the closing of the polls were also marked with gunfire.

The Global Week is co-ordinated by the International Action Network on Small Arms, and the activities in Skopje are implemented by the local NGO Civil, with expert support from the OSCE Spillover Monitor Mission to Skopje.

"Efforts to bring the topic of proliferation and the misuse of small arms to prominence highlight a concern of citizens throughout the world. The violence here over the weekend underscores the importance of tackling this topic which has been earlier identified as an important community policing matter, namely the prevention of gun violence in local communities," said Bruno Hederman, Acting Head of the OSCE Mission's Police Development Department.

The President of the NGO Civil, Xhabir Deralla, said: "There is no bigger threat to democracy and human rights than gun violence. Through this campaign we want to warn people that the devaluation of democracy and the free choice of citizens, devalues the system as a whole. "

He appealed to all institutions and individuals to undertake activities to combat gun violence in society and to protect the security and freedom of citizens.

The campaign will last for one week and will include informative and cultural events.