In 2024, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), through its Global Firearms Program (GFP), developed the second edition of the Firearms Case Law Collection in Kosovo under Project Justitia. This enhanced resource builds on its initial version, providing a detailed analysis of judicial proceedings and decisions related to firearms offenses in Kosovo between 2020 and 2024. On 12 November 2024, UNODC convened a workshop with criminal justice practitioners from Kosovo, Albania, and North Macedonia to present the second edition and to identify activities to further support the criminal justice response to arms trafficking across the region. This updated compendium not only examines judicial practices but also serves as a result-oriented tool designed to inform and refine criminal justice strategies in addressing firearms-related offenses.
The Case Law Collection demonstrates how the systematic analysis of case law can produce tangible results in the form of improved legislative alignment and operational capacity. As part of broader initiatives to harmonize regional legal frameworks with the United Nations Protocol against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Their Parts and Components and Ammunition (UN Firearms Protocol), the findings from this collection offer practical insights for legal practitioners. Moreover, these insights have led to concrete recommendations aimed at enhancing institutional effectiveness in combating illicit arms flows. The collection underscores the value of case law as an input that directly contributes to meaningful outcomes. By examining and learning from judicial experiences, the Case Law Collection facilitates better-informed decisions, the adoption of best practices, and the strengthening of regional legal responses. Through this initiative, UNODC has achieved a clear result: the development of a resource that not only aligns judicial practices with international standards but also enhances the region's overall capacity to detect, prevent, and prosecute arms trafficking effectively.
Project Justitia is implemented in the Western Balkans with financial support provided by Germany, the United Kingdom, Sweden, France, the Netherlands, and Norway through the Western Balkans SALW Control Roadmap Trust Fund and supported by the European Union.
*References to Kosovo shall be understood to be in the context of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244 (1999).
