The Proliferation Threat
Among the most important security challenges countries face are preventing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD), controlling the spread of conventional arms, and regulating transfers of goods, software, and technologies that can be used for WMD or military purposes. Confronting these challenges effectively is critical to protecting a country’s national security, foreign policy, international commitments, population, environment, allies, and friendly states.
WMD are weapons that can cause widespread damage to human and animal life, infrastructure, and the environment, and evoke terror in a population. The main types of WMD are nuclear and radiological weapons, biological weapons, and chemical weapons.
Failure to comply with international law, standards, and norms governing nonproliferation of WMD could harm Kosovo’s political and economic relationships, while the unregulated transfer of conventional arms could lead to empowerment of adversaries, national security and regional threats, destabilizing arms buildups, and strengthening of criminal organizations and terrorist groups.
Many items that can be used in developing WMD and conventional arms and enhancing military programs have peaceful applications. These are “dual-use items” – goods, software, and technologies that are normally used for civilian, commercial purposes but can also be used for a WMD or military purpose.
The international community has responded to WMD and arms proliferation challenges by calling upon countries to manage and control trade in military and dual-use items, which are called “strategic goods.”
Regulating Strategic Trade in Kosovo
Law No. 04-L-198 for the Trade of Strategic Goods establishes a strategic trade control system in Kosovo. It is based on international standards and best practices and is consistent with UN Security Council Resolutions, international treaties, and EU legal principles.
Other regulations and administrative instructions supplement the law. For more information, please see Kosovo Strategic Trade Control Legislation.
The Ministry of Trade and Industry is the lead institution responsible for strategic trade control in Kosovo. It serves as the administrative body for the Commission for Control of Trade in Strategic Goods, which makes important decisions about licensing strategic goods and enforcing the law and regulations.
The Department for Control of Trade in Strategic Goods (STGD) is the executive body within the Ministry that implements the Ministry’s strategic trade control responsibilities. It supervises the implementation of the licensing system, verifies compliance with the law, and provides information to industry. Click here for information on how to contact the STGD.
For more information on elements of Kosovo’s strategic trade control system, please see the following: