Webstory_Combat illicit firearms

Webstory: Combating illicit arms flows and strengthening the national response to firearms-related crime

UNODC in Ukraine held two sub-regional capacity-building workshops aimed at improving the capacity of law enforcement and prosecutors to combat firearms-related crime. The first of these was in September 2024 in Lutsk, Volyn region and the second in Chernivtsi in October 2024. Organized in cooperation with the UNODC Global Firearms Programme (GFP), the workshops brought together officials from the Prosecutor General's Office, the Ukrainian National Police and the Security Service of Ukraine.

Improving actionable knowledge

The main objective of these workshops was to improve and increase participants' skills in recognising, investigating and prosecuting firearms offences. Discussions between national stakeholders also highlighted the importance of combating these crimes by strengthening effective inter-agency and cross-departmental cooperation.

Practical sessions covered various aspects of firearms and ammunition, forensic aspects, classification systems and marking, providing law enforcement officials with the means to functionally assess the investigation of firearms-related offences and make the resulting prosecutions more effective. On this occasion, participants shared their experiences in the field and their in-depth knowledge of investigation procedures and operational research.

UNODC’s Global Firearms Programme was established in 2011 to combat the illicit manufacturing and trafficking in firearms, their parts and ammunition. The GFP helps countries strengthen their legal frameworks and implement the UN Firearms Protocol, which is part of the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC). In partnership with the government, UNODC is at the forefront of the efforts to combat illicit arms flows in Ukraine as a priority to reduce the proliferation of illicit arms and combat organized crime.

Focus on legal and security aspects

In addition to the technical aspects of firearms investigations, the workshops enabled stakeholders to gain knowledge of the United Nations Firearms Protocol, which provides the legal framework for regulating the flow of firearms and ensuring international cooperation in preventing and combating illicit trafficking in firearms. Discussions focused on compliance with international and national legal standards during seizures and investigations, to ensure safe handling of firearms and ammunition, and to tackle the problem of illicit arms flows that pose a threat to public safety.

The workshops specifically covered the legislative regulation of the circulation of weapons in relation to control, limiting access to weapons and liability for illegal use, as well as capacity-building in the area of forensic requirements to guarantee the identification of weapons, enabling effective tracking in the circulation system, including through the Unified Weapons Register tool.

Fostering coordination of law enforcement activities to combat the illicit circulation of firearms

Specific sessions during the workshops were devoted to enhancing the coordination of work between various units, including between the Central Ballistics Registry of the Expert Service (Ministry of Internal Affairs) and the preliminary investigation bodies. Discussions also focused on how to ensure coordinated action between the preliminary investigation bodies, forensic inspectors and experts from specialized institutions, which is essential to guarantee respect for the chain of evidence and a fair trial.

The participants stressed the need to organise future training courses, in particular with representatives of the judiciary, in order to facilitate the integration of all national players in the investigation of firearms-related offences.

This capacity-building cycle was made possible through the generous support of the Federal Republic of Germany.