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Cover A4 Eng February 2007 Small arms and human security in Kosovo An agenda for action VENDiSIGURTË BEZBEDNOMESTO S A F E P L A C E The Forum for Civic Initiatives (FIQ) is a Kosovar non-governmental organisation promoting the involvement of Kosovar citizens in social and decision-making processes through programmes designed to focus attention on the values and functioning of an open and democratic society. Saferworld is an independent non-governmental organisation that works with governments and civil society internationally to research, promote and implement new strategies to increase human security and prevent armed violence. Small arms and human security in Kosovo An agenda for action Acknowledgements This briefing note was prepared by Astrit Istrefi (Forum for Civic Initiatives) and Anna Richards, Simon Rynn, Henry Smith and Juliana Sokolová (Saferworld). SAFEPLACE | Building security in Kosovo 3 1. Introduction There can be no doubt that the proliferation and study jointly conducted by the non-governmental misuse of small arms and light weapons (SALW) organisations Forum for Civic Initiatives (FIQ) and poses a fundamental challenge to the stability of Saferworld between February and June 2006 at Kosovo. This challenge will come into sharper the request of the United Nations Development focus as the decision on Final Status approaches. Programme (UNDP) Kosovo and the South Eastern Underlying this is the fact that exercising control and Eastern Europe Clearinghouse for the Control over SALW in Kosovo since the end of the conflict of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SEESAC). in 1999 has been fraught with difficulty. Additional research focusing specifically on the transfer of SALW and associated goods and Key to this has been the complex set of political services and on the use of force and firearms by arrangements introduced after the conflict, which private security personnel has also been place the territory under interim international conducted by Saferworld and partners and the administration (UNMIK) with a NATO-led inter- recommendations from these studies provide an national security presence (KFOR) until the final in-depth accompaniment to issues raised here.2 status of the territory is decided. While many powers have gradually been transferred to the In recent months, the PISG and UNMIK have Provisional Institutions of Self-Government (PISG), demonstrated commitment to SALW Control by most aspects of SALW Control remain the respon- participating in the recent 2006 SALW Survey and sibility of international rather than Kosovar actors. through establishing an inter-ministerial SALW Ensuring that the system post-Final Status for con- Control working group, convened by the UNDP. In trolling SALW is both workable and effective is addition, two further developments could provide critical to Kosovo’s future safety, security and new openings for the establishment of a compre- development. hensive system of SALW Control in Kosovo in 2007. The first of these is the completion of the This briefing paper explains the importance of Internal Security Sector Review (ISSR), a year-long SALW Control in Kosova/Kosovo (hereafter refer- process led by the UN to assess Kosovo’s security red to as Kosovo) and proposes a series of practi- needs and design a new internal security archi- cal measures that the government and internatio- tecture for the territory. Among its recommenda- nal authorities in Kosovo together with civil socie- tions, SALW Control is an area highlighted for par- ty should take in the coming months to better ticular attention. The second of these is the launch control SALW and improve human security. Its of UNDP’s Kosovo Small Arms Control Initiative starting point is the “SALW Survey of Kosovo”1 a (KOSSAC) which has the explicit objective of 1 Sokolová J et al , Small Arms and Light Weapons Survey of Kosovo, (Saferworld/SEESAC, 2006). Available at: http://www.saferworld.org.uk/ publications.php?id=223. 2 Isbister R et al, Analysis of National Legislation on Arms and Export Transfers in the Western Balkans, (Saferworld/SEESAC, 2006). Available at: http://www.saferworld.org.uk/publications.php?id=225. Page M et al, SALW and Private Security Companies in South Eastern Europe: A Cause or Effect of Insecurity?, (Saferworld and International Alert/SEESAC, 2005). Available at: http://www.saferworld.org.uk/publications.php?id=13. SMALL ARMS AND HUMAN SECURITY IN KOSOVO 4 improving co-operation and co-ordination of dents, ten focus group discussions, interviews SALW Control interventions between the various with more than one hundred key officials and ana- agencies involved, including through the deve- lysts, and a review of official data and media lopment of an integrated SALW Control strategy. reports. The Survey’s findings, together with the research team’s recommendations, were presen- The 2006 SALW Survey of Kosovo, conducted ted to the PISG and international authorities in according to research guidelines issued by the draft form at a roundtable discussion in May 2006. UNDP, covers four main areas of analysis: the dis- Following the publication of the Survey in tribution of SALW across Kosovo; the impact of September 2006 (the main findings of which are SALW on human security; the attitudes of the summarised below), this paper presents a revised public towards SALW and security in their commu- and updated set of recommendations to be taken nities; and the capacity of institutions for addres- forward in concert with ongoing work to enhance sing SALW problems effectively. A variety of the rule of law and improve community safety in methods were used during the research, including the territory. a Kosovo-wide household survey of 1,258 respon- SAFEPLACE | Building security in Kosovo 5 2. Key findings of the 2006 SALW Survey of Kosovo SALW distribution some illicit weapons and of fostering the development of the illicit market for SALW. J As of June 2006, there were approximately 400,000 SALW in Kosovo. Of these, 33,936 J Regulations and procedures for licensing civi- were in the legal possession of individual citi- lians to hunt with weapons and for registering zens; 45,217 were in the hands of official weapons used for hunting remain confused. agencies and international private security companies; and at least 317,000 were in the illegal possession of individual citizens and Impact of SALW other groups. J Medical records from the Pristina University J Recent decisions or plans to arm some hospital indicate that the impact of SALW Customs and Forestry Service personnel may misuse on public health, while accounting for represent an increasing trend towards 3.5% of all recorded deaths, has not been arming state officials who are authorised to severe in the period from 2003 to 2005. The use coercive force. level of firearm-related injuries rose sharply during the period of heightened tension and J There is currently a two-tier system for violence in March 2004, but was much less arming private security companies, with severe in the years before and after. international firms and personnel permitted to carry weapons, and their local counter- J Household survey responses show that since parts prohibited from doing so. the end of the conflict, Kosovo Serbs are pro- portionally more likely to have been a victim J Kosovo Police Service (KPS) evidence rooms of SALW-related crime than Kosovo Albanians often contain significant quantities of seized SALW, some of which have been stored for a J It is frequently the perception among Kosovo number of years and are not adequately secu- Albanians and Kosovo Serbs alike that mem- red. Slow judicial proceedings however block bers of the other ethnic group are well armed the envisaged destruction of many stocks. and that maintaining SALW ownership is important to sustain ”a balance of fear”. J According to focus group respondents, weapons possession is more prevalent in J Perceptions of insecurity among minority rural and border areas, and many Kosovars communities are magnified by a belief that consider this to be legitimate given the level even if reported, crimes will not be promptly of insecurity in these locations. and properly investigated, nor perpetrators brought to justice. J Efforts to establish a regulated civilian fire- arms registration system have been undermi- J According to KPS data and civil society ned to date by an absence of channels for the groups working on the issue, firearms are legal acquisition of SALW. The current system used in violent domestic incidents, most fre- for the issuance of civilian weapon permits quently by men to intimidate women. may have the unintended effect of legalising SMALL ARMS AND HUMAN SECURITY IN KOSOVO 6 Attitudes and perceptions regarding SALW J The majority of Kosovo Albanians want to see the KPC become the national army, while J 87% of household survey respondents believe a large majority of Kosovo Serbs believe that illegal firearms pose a threat to the future it should be completely disbanded. In additi- prosperity of Kosovo. However, issues such as on, although there is no supporting evidence unemployment, poor electricity supply, bad for this belief, many Kosovo Serbs are suspi- roads and environmental problems were cious about the quantities and types of SALW perceived as the most pressing concerns by all possessed by the KPC that have not been social groups. declared to KFOR. J Of the 23.6% of the household survey respon- dents who said that they would eventually Capacity to control SALW acquire a weapon, an overwhelming majority (76.8%) stated that their main reason for doing J The legislative framework for regulating the so would be to protect themselves and their international transfer of arms and military family. equipment to and from Kosovo contains many loopholes. J Insufficient protection from crime offered by the criminal justice system was the most often- J Previous voluntary SALW collection program- cited reason for personal firearm possession.
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