Annual conference of the Supporting Ukraine in Addressing Small Arms and Light Weapons Proliferation Risks from the Russian War of Aggression project
Ukraine, 7–8 November 2024
The annual conference of the Supporting Ukraine in Addressing Small Arms and Light Weapons Proliferation Risks from the Russian War of Aggression project convened at the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. Organized by the Center for Security Studies “CENSS” and the Small Arms Survey, the two-day event brought together national and international stakeholders and students to examine the critical challenges of arms proliferation in Ukrainian society.
The first day of the conference focused on fostering dialogue with students about small arms control. Vadym Chernysh, Chairman of the Management Board at “CENSS”, and Mark Downes, Director of the Small Arms Survey, delivered opening remarks to set the stage for the discussions. Highlights included presentations by the winners of the student essay competition, who explored the topic of firearm ownership rights in Ukraine. Aline Shaban, Associate Researcher at the Small Arms Survey, offered a comprehensive overview of how small arms and light weapons are defined in international practice and how arms trafficking occurs, while Viktoriia Voronina, Executive Director of “CENSS”, provided insights into the legal frameworks governing their possession and circulation in the EU and Ukraine. Guest speaker Nils Duquet, Director of the Flemish Peace Institute, shed light on the interconnected threats posed by firearms and drug trafficking.
The second day featured research studies from the Ukrainian Networking Group (UNG), conducted under the project’s microgrant scheme, which provided key insights into arms proliferation trends and solutions. Anna Kolokhina from the Dniprovsky Center for Social Research and Viktoriia Voronina presented research on the role of local government and communities in combating arms trafficking and misuse of small arms. Olga Merdova from Donetsk State University of Internal Affairs spoke about the capacities and perceptions of the National Police in the prevention of and response to illicit arms trafficking, which is based on a survey involving 16,216 police officers. Two studies on the legislative aspects of arms proliferation were also presented. Nadiia Stefaniv from the Ukrainian Association of Women Judges discussed the judicial practices of criminal proceedings on the illegal use of small arms and light weapons in 2022–23 and Ivan Doronin, head of the laboratory of national and international security law of the Institute of Information, Security and Law of the National Academy of Legal Sciences of Ukraine, discussed the results of the study "Problems of legal regulation of the use of weapons during the national resistance to Russian aggression against Ukraine".
During the trip the Survey also conducted consultations with regional authorities, law enforcement, and state universities in Ivano-Frankivsk and Lviv to discuss strategies to curb small arms proliferation and support violence reduction.
The recent changes to the Law of Ukraine “On Ensuring Civilian Participation in the Defense of Ukraine” highlights the commitment by the nation to tackle these pressing issues. The updated law strengthens control mechanisms by improving procedures for the acquisition, declaration, and handling of firearms, ensuring stricter oversight and better compliance during martial law. The project being implemented by the Small Arms Survey, CENSS, and the dedicated network of experts from law enforcement, the judiciary, civil society, media, and academia that form the UNG aims to support the design and implementation of such regulatory efforts with the overall aim to support Ukraine’s resilience and stability. More information on the conference can be found here.