Citation(s) from the GunPolicy.org literature library
Albania. 2020 ‘Stockpile Management.’ National Report of Albania on its Implementation of the United Nations Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects (UNPoA); Section 5, p. 16. New York NY: Permanent Mission of Albania to the United Nations. 1 January
Relevant contents
Actions taken during the reporting period
5.5. During the biennial reporting period, has your country destroyed surplus stocks? YES
5.5.1. How many SALW were destroyed?
i) First reporting year (2018): 23
ii) Second reporting year (2019): 9,492
5.5.2. Any good practice regarding destruction (e.g. details on method of destruction [burning, melting, cutting, crushing, others: specify])?
The methods which are used for destruction of SALW are only method of Cutting/shredding and disassembly. During 2018, 22.8 tonnes of SALW ammunitions were destroyed. During 2019, a total of 9,492 SALW pieces, stock surpluses, were destroyed by the Armed Forces. Also, 6,800 pieces of SALW ammunition (converted to 8.84 tons) were destroyed, which were collected by the EOD company while cleaning the hotspots.
The destruction of this amount of weapons was done in full compliance with all the rules and standards required by the legislation according to the approved technological project. The Ministry of Interior is responsible for the acquisition and
management of weapons collected from the civilian population and Ministry of Defence for their categorization, use, alienation or destruction. Based on the law 74/2014 "On Weapons" and the acts in its implementation, the Ministry of Defence is the responsible authority for the procedures of destruction or alienation of SALW.
The cooperation between the Ministry of Interior and Ministry of Defence has increased. In the process of reducing, destroying SALW, the Armed Forces (AF) of the Republic of Albania have been assisted by international organizations and partner countries, such as: NATO, UNDP/SEESAC, Germany, USA, Norway, Great Britain, Canada, OSCE etc. There are also legal procedures for excessive armaments that occasionally emerge from inventory and confiscations. The Ministry of Interior is ready to hand over 1,252 Small Arm and Light Weapons SALW to the Ministry of Defense, for destruction or alienation. These weapons have been seized (as physical evidence) during the past years and for which the court proceedings have been completed.
[SALW = Small Arms and Light Weapons]
[EOD = Explosives Ordinance Disposal]