SEESAC - 2025 in Pictures - Building the data-driven knowledge base

Building the data-driven knowledge base

SEESAC continued to strengthen the capacities of institutions in the region for evidence-based policy making through research and in-depth analysis covering various aspects of arms control, including arms exports, new technologies and threats, firearms misuse in different contexts and their impact, and the factors fueling the demand for firearms.

SEESAC knowledge products published in 2025.

Key knowledge products published in 2025 included:

The publication Understanding the Factors Fuelling the Demand for Firearms in the Western Balkans - Research Findings and Recommendations aims to assess risk and protective factors influencing the demand for firearms in the Western Balkans and to provide practical recommendations to guide prevention and reduction measures.
The Regional Reports on Arms Exports for 2022 and 2023 were developed in partnership with Western Balkans authorities, providing insights into the main trends in arms export licensing, destinations, values, and compliance with transparency commitments across the Western Balkans.
Leaflets Regional Reports on Arms Exports: Key Findings and Trends (2018–2022 and 2019–2023), providing snapshots of the main arms export trends across the Western Balkans over a five-year period each.
An infographic on firearm incidents in South East Europe in 2024, highlighting key patterns in armed violence of 2024.
Four Regional Quarterly Armed Violence Monitors (October–December 2024, January–March 2025, April–June 2025, and July-September 2025), providing timely analysis of trends in firearm incidents across SEE.
Three "In Focus" thematic reports on weapons seizures, domestic violence incidents, and criminal context firearm incidents in the Western Balkans (2019–2024), with a corresponding series prepared for South East Europe. All products were aligned with the first phase of Roadmap implementation.
The Misuse of Firearms in Domestic Violence in the Western Balkans: Key Trends and Main Concerns aims to contribute to the enhanced prevention of the firearms misuse in domestic violence and improved safety of women and men, girls and boys in the Western Balkans.
Women in SALW Control in the Western Balkans contributes to increased representation and women’s full and effective participation in SALW control in the WB.
The study Armed Violence Victim Support in the Western Balkans: Brief Overview and Recommendations provides the first regional empirical insight into perceptions of support services for victims of armed violence in six Western Balkans jurisdictions.
Guidelines for Communication in Crisis Situations Linked to Firearms provide very specific and practical steps responsible institutions can take before, during and after a crisis in order to ensure that, in these sensitive moments, their messages are informative, relevant, trusted by the public and can dominate the general discourse in the face of widespread mis- and disinformation.

The following knowledge products were completed:

Guidelines for More Effective Social Media Use in Firearms-Related Awareness-raising Activities – Voice of Institutions in Service of Citizens aims to present institutions with a different approach to using social media - one exploiting its two-way communication capacities and tailored to address issues relevant to the public.
Preventing Armed Violence - Mapping of good practices to collate and disseminate knowledge on effective prevention and intervention measures, emphasizing the need for a multi-faceted approach that includes international cooperation, policy reforms, law enforcement, community engagement, and education.
Drones, A Study on Applications, Regulations, and Security Implications in the Western Balkans, provides comprehensive information on the application, regulation and security implications around the use and threats of drones within the Western Balkan region.

Together, these tools strengthened institutional capacities for data-driven policymaking and trend analysis.

In 2025 we wished for a

#SaferRegion

Want to see what
2026 holds?

Your 2022 will be

In 2025 we wished for a

#SaferRegion

Want to see what 2026 holds?

Your 2022 will be

Want to see what
2026 holds?