The authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina destroyed 1,563 pieces of small arms and light weapons, and their parts and components at the Jelšingrad smelter on Saturday, 11 October 2025, as part of ongoing efforts to increase public safety and security. The destroyed items included 383 pieces of long, 459 pieces of short barrels, and 721 pieces of parts and components, which were collected by the police agencies in Bosnia and Herzegovina through a range of law enforcement activities or voluntarily surrendered by citizens.

The disposal was organized by the Small Arms and Light Weapons Coordination Board and police agencies in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Office in BiH and UNDP SEESAC. The initiative is funded by the European Union under the project “Support for enhancing the fight against the illegal possession, misuse and trafficking of small arms and light weapons (SALW) in the Western Balkans”, implemented by UNDP SEESAC. This action reaffirms the long-standing cooperation and shared commitment to finding sustainable solutions for the secure management of confiscated and surplus firearms.

Dragan Vukadin, Deputy Chairperson of the Small Arms and Light Weapons Coordination Board, highlighted that the weapons being destroyed were collected by police agencies through regular law enforcement activities, as well as through voluntary surrender by citizens. He emphasized that this initiative reflects both the dedicated efforts of police agencies in gathering weapons and the growing public awareness of the dangers associated with illegal firearm possession. He added that the destruction of these weapons contributes to enhancing public safety and preventing their potential use in criminal activities.

Removing small arms and light weapons from circulation is very important for creating a safer environment for all. This disposal is another step taken by the BiH authorities to increase public safety and security and reduce the risk of small arms and light weapons proliferation. Through this action, the authorities in BiH reaffirmed their strong commitment to achieving the goals outlined in the Roadmap for a sustainable solution to the illegal possession, misuse, and trafficking of Small Arms and Light Weapons and their Ammunition in the Western Balkans by 2030.

Since the beginning of 2017, the authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, in partnership with UNDP SEESAC and with the support of the European Union, have disposed of around 14,700 pieces of small arms and light weapons. This EU has continuously provided financial, technical and expert support to BiH in the area of SALW control. This support is directed at reducing surplus stocks of SALW and ammunition, tackling illicit possession and trafficking of firearms, and enhancing safe storage of SALW and ammunition. The European Union currently supports three regional projects implemented by UNDP SEESAC in the field of SALW control with a total funding of over EUR 13 million. 

By implementing such activities, Bosnia and Herzegovina continues its commitment to implement goals outlined in the SALW Control Roadmap 2030, the Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) Control Strategy in Bosnia and Herzegovina 2025-2030, and the Action Plan for the Implementation of the SALW Control Strategy in Bosnia and Herzegovina 2025–2027.