Secretariat - Conflict Prevention Centre

VIENNA, 21 May 2013 – Ways to trace illicit small arms and light weapons, existing legal framework and practical approaches will be in focus of an OSCE-supported conference to take place from 23 to 24 May in Vienna.

Experts and officials will look at the international legal framework for tracing activities, elements of the ‘life cycle’ of the small arms and light weapons, lessons learned from criminal investigations related to firearms tracing, co-operation between law enforcement agencies in the context of fighting small arms trafficking.

The event is organized by OSCE jointly with INTERPOL, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA).

The opening session of the conference that will feature opening remarks by Alexey Lyzhenkov, Director of the OSCE Transnational Threats Department; Angela Kane, High Representative for Disarmament from UNODA; Sara Greenblatt, Chief of thee Organized Crime Branch from UNODC; as well as Vincent A. Paris, Counsel to the Toronto Police Service on Organized Crime and Firearm Issues, as a keynote speaker.

Journalists are invited to the opening session scheduled to start on Thursday, 23 May, at 9:00 at the Ratsaal of the Hofburg Congress Centre. Interviews with selected participants can be arranged on the spot.