Division 1 Background

In 2016, two OSCE participating States — the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Georgia — requested support for activities related to increased security for small arms and light weapons (SALW) and the disposal of surplus conventional ammunition.

In 2016, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia declared that it needed assistance to increase the physical and IT security of SALW and ammunition storage rooms in 15 border police stations (BPS) and one regional centre for border affairs (RCBA). Further, the request identified the need to increase the capacity of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MoIA) by improving the stockpile management procedures of service weapons. The OSCE Mission to Skopje (OMSk) has provided continuous support to the MoIA in the security domain through facilitating cross-border joint exercises, organising training courses on fighting organised crime, green border observation, conducting face recognition, and profiling. Building upon the existing co-operation, the MoIA has identified the OMSk as a partner for implementing the security upgrades and capacity building.

After the Cold War, the Ministry of Defence of Georgia was left with substantial stockpiles of Soviet-era conventional ammunition. Some of these stockpiles have been reduced as part of national efforts, as well as international and bilateral assistance projects. Thus, in 2005-2013 three projects were completed for the disposal of guided and unguided rockets with the support of the NATO Maintenance and Supply Agency and the US State Department. In 2007, 2011 and 2012, the OSCE and UNDP also supported projects for the utilisation, processing and disposal of the remaining surpluses of guided and unguided aircraft rockets and their hazardous components. Moreover, the OSCE provided assistance for the disposal of cluster munitions, bombs and artillery shells in 2012-2016.

In 2016, Georgia submitted a new request for assistance to the OSCE Forum for Security Co-operation (FSC) for the disposal of 461 tonnes of surplus conventional ammunition, which includes 121 tonnes of artillery shells and 340 tonnes of bombs. Although the OSCE does not currently have a field presence in Georgia, the Organisation has a successful track record in implementing ammunition disposal projects in the country. The OSCE and Georgia have established a framework for co-operation by developing a ‘Programme for Demilitarisation Works of Outdated, Written off and Obsolete Ammunition Existing at the Military Bases in Georgia’. In April 2014, the OSCE Secretariat and Georgia signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which regulates additional details about the implementation of the Programme.

As a continuation of the successful implementation of Decision 2012/662/CFSP, the current projects focus on further strengthening the national control over SALW and ammunition and assisting the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Georgia in meeting their international commitments in this area.