On 8 and 9 March 2023, the OSCE Presence in Albania organized a technical training for eight staff members of the Albanian State Police, who will be involved with the deactivation, inspection, verification, marking and certification of firearms.
The training was based on the manual "Operational guidance for verifiers inspecting deactivated firearms". The manual was developed with the Presence's assistance, as part of its efforts to improve the deactivation legislative framework, the establishment and implementation of a functional mechanism for firearms deactivation, as well as to increase of capacities of the Albanian authorities in this regard.
The training covered all technical processes, including verification, marking, certification and record keeping. It focused on international and regional developments and best practices of firearms deactivation.
The development of the manual and the training are part of the project "Assisting the national authorities of the Republic of Albania to decrease the risk of weapon proliferation and misuse of Small Arms and Light Weapons", which is implemented by OSCE Presence in Albania with funds by the European Union, Germany and France.
The project will also assist the Albanian State Police to improve the facilities of the Material-Technical Supply Centre, will purchase the necessary deactivation equipment, and provide certified capacity building for the deactivation personnel.
