On November 07-08, 2024, the annual conference of the project “Supporting Ukraine in addressing the risks of small arms and light weapons proliferation from the russian war of aggression” was held by the Center for Security Studies (CENSS) and the Small Arms Survey at the Educational and Research Institute of Law of the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv on the topic “Trafficking and Possession of Weapons: Legal and Security Dimension”.

Welcoming remarks were made by Oksana Vasylchenko, Director of the Educational and Research Institute of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Vadym Chernysh, Chairman of the Steering Committee of the Center for Security Studies “CENSS”, and Mark Downs, Director of the Small Arms Survey.

Among the participants of the conference was Tymur Tsapko, Head of the Trace and Ballistics Research Department of the Criminalistics Laboratory of the Kyiv Scientific Research Institute of Forensic Expertise of the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine.

The participants discussed the legal regulation of small arms and light weapons in the EU and Ukraine; interrelated threats (firearms and drug trafficking); the right of free possession and carrying of firearms (whether Ukrainian society will benefit from this); the right to revolt and the role of weapons in its realization. The participants also considered presentations on the activities of the National Police of Ukraine in combating illicit trafficking in small arms and light weapons (main problems and solutions); perception of the problem of illicit trafficking in weapons in communities, the role of local governments in combating illicit trafficking and use of weapons; judicial practice of criminal proceedings on the illegal use of small arms and light weapons in 2022-2023 and problems of legal regulation of the use of weapons during the Ukrainian resistance to russia.