Digitalizing peace

How Kyrgyzstan builds safer communities with small arms control

October 28, 2025

Cityscape of mid-rise apartments with bare trees in foreground and snow-capped mountains beyond — In Kyrgyzstan, a quiet transformation is underway. By strengthening national systems for arms control, the country is advancing peace, security and sustainable development.

Photo: UNDP Eurasia

Around the world, small arms and light weapons remain among the most persistent drivers of insecurity and armed violence. Their uncontrolled spread undermines development, fuels conflict and erodes trust in public institutions. Strengthening national systems for arms control is therefore essential to advancing peace, security and sustainable development under the 2030 Agenda.

In Kyrgyzstan, a landlocked country in Central Asia, a quiet transformation is underway. Through new technology, stronger institutions and people-centred cooperation, Kyrgyzstan is showing how innovative digital solutions for the control of small arms and light weapons (SALW) can help build peace and safety—one record at a time. Through the joint efforts of national authorities, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA), under the global SALIENT (Saving Lives Entity) project, the country is developing a modern and accountable system for managing civilian firearms.

From paper to digital

Before the launch of SALIENT, firearm registration in Kyrgyzstan was conducted manually at the regional level, with paper-based records and limited data exchange between agencies, this fragmented system hindered timely coordination and oversight.

Through SALIENT, national authorities have modernized data management by establishing the first unified electronic firearms registry. Launched in 2024, the digital system connects all authorized state bodies on a secure platform, enabling real-time verification, permit renewal and weapon transfer.

Photograph of rifles with wooden stocks displayed on a wall. — Before SALIENT, firearm registration in Kyrgyzstan was conducted manually, with paper-based records and limited data exchange between agencies.

Photo: UNDP Eurasia

Alongside the digital registry, the project helped strengthen the national framework for small-arms control, supporting the country’s first National Action Plan on SALW and establishing an interdepartmental coordination group that brings together 14 state institutions. Licensing offices were also equipped with modern software and hardware to ensure that firearm registration is faster, more accurate and fully traceable.

Marat Imankulov, Secretary of the Security Council of the Kyrgyz Republic, emphasized the importance of the National Action Plan at a national workshop: “This plan is intended to increase the security of citizens and society, as well as strengthen national and regional security.” Imankulov expressed confidence that, with the help of international partners, the participants will accomplish this task.

Taken together, these measures have increased transparency, efficiency and inter-agency coordination in civilian arms control, bringing Kyrgyzstan’s practices closer to international standards for the management of small arms and light weapons.

“UNDP supports national efforts to strengthen peace and security aligned with the Concept on National Security—through the creation of an interdepartmental coordination group uniting 14 state institutions, digitalization of the registry, and the development of the National Plan on Small Arms and Light Weapons,” said Alexandra Solovieva, UNDP Resident Representative, at the closing ceremony of the SALIENT project.

"When we digitized our first firearm record, it wasn’t just a number on a screen. It was a step towards a world that people can see, feel and trust.”

—Maksat Omorov, Secretariat of the Security Council of the Kyrgyz Republic

Building peace, step by step

Zhenishbek Arzymatov, UNDP Team Lead on Public Effectiveness and Responsive Institutions and focal point for the SALIENT project, noted: “Based on the results achieved, it is important to maintain this momentum. UNDP aims to support the implementation of the National Action Plan and the expansion of the digital registry nationwide. Our goal is to build on what has been achieved and continue to support Kyrgyzstan in achieving its national goals for small arms control.”

The progress made was presented on the international stage at the SALIENT Global Training Event, held from 30 September to 1 October 2025 at the United Nations Global Service Centre (UNGSC) in Brindisi, Italy.

People walk across small wooden footbridge — The spread of small arms and light weapons is a major driver of insecurity, fuelling conflict and undermining development.

Photo: UNDP Eurasia/Danil Usmanov

There, Arzymatov, together with Maksat Omorov from the Secretariat of the Security Council of the Kyrgyz Republic, presented the country’s experience—from the launch of a pilot digital register of weapons and the preparation of a draft National Action Plan to strengthened interdepartmental coordination between national institutions.

The event brought together representatives from more than 10 countries, as well as the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs, UNDP, and donor partner organizations. Participants exchanged experiences and outlined the next stage in the SALIENT initiative's development. For the international community, Kyrgyzstan’s digital registry has become an example of innovation and accountability—a clear demonstration of how digitalization and national ownership can strengthen global arms-control standards.

Omorov, Inspector of the Secretariat of the Security Council and National Coordinator on Small Arms and Light Weapons, noted: “In recent years, Kyrgyzstan has intensified efforts in the field of small arms and light weapons control. As part of the partnership, we have held national seminars for government officials, journalists and civil society representatives, and have developed a National Action Plan that defines a long-term implementation vision. When we digitized our first firearm record, it wasn’t just a number on a screen. It was a step towards a world that people can see, feel and trust.”

For Arzymatov and his colleagues, this work is not an abstract policy but a concrete contribution to peacebuilding, step by step. The country remains committed to fulfilling all its international obligations in this area. Thanks to the SALIENT initiative and UNDP's cooperation, significant progress has been achieved over the past year.

Kyrgyzstan also initiated the proclamation of 5 March as the International Day for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Awareness, adopted by the UN General Assembly. This initiative illustrates the country’s continued commitment to advancing responsible arms control at both national and international levels.

About SALIENT

Saving Lives Entity (SALIENT) is a joint global initiative of UNDP and UNODA, supported by the Governments of Finland, France, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, Sweden and Switzerland. Cameroon, Ghana, Honduras, Jamaica, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Mali, Panama, Papua New Guinea and South Sudan are implementing national projects that help countries prevent armed violence and strengthen small-arms control as part of broader peacebuilding and development strategies. Current efforts focus on mobilizing additional resources to expand SALIENT support to more partner countries.