Central Europe

VIENNA, 12 April 2023 – From 18 to 19 April 2023, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe will be hosting the 23rd Conference of the Alliance against Trafficking in Persons.

The Conference will provide an in-depth look at the nature and scale of the problem of human trafficking and focus on why strong political will and action is needed to overcome one of the greatest societal challenges of our time. The Alliance will also showcase examples of national leadership and ground-breaking efforts in combating trafficking in human beings within the OSCE region. 

Speakers include OSCE Secretary General Helga Maria Schmid; OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Minister of Foreign Affairs of North Macedonia Bujar Osmani; OSCE Special Representative for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings Valiant Richey; Lady Theresa May, Member of the UK Parliament and former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom; Ivan Demerdzhiev, Deputy Prime Minister of Bulgaria; Pilar Llop, Minister of Justice of Spain; Ravshanbek Alimov, Chair of the Committee on International Relations and Foreign Economic Relations, of the Senate, Uzbekistan; Laila Mickelwait, Founder/CEO of Justice Defense Fund and #TraffickingHub campaigner; Pramila Patten, Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict.

High-level representatives of anti-trafficking authorities from Cyprus, Finland, Israel, Kyrgyzstan, the Netherlands, Norway, Romania, and the United States, survivors of trafficking and other experts, will also be speaking at the Conference. 

The Conference will be conducted in person in Vienna and via Zoom. 

Registration for participation will be open until Thursday, 13 April, 17:00 CEST (UTC/GMT+2).

Journalists are welcome to register and participate. Each panel discussion will be followed by Q&A session.

For more information, please contact Public Information Officer Lilia Rotoloni (Lilia.Rotoloni@osce.org) or OSCE Communication and Media Relations Section (press@osce.org.).

Follow @osce_cthb on Twitter to join the discussion.

541311 Željka Šulc

Mostar, 12 April 2023 -  Head of the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ambassador Brian Aggeler, visited Mostar today where he met with range of Cantonal, religious, media and NGO partners.

During the meeting with the Prime Minister of Herzegovina Neretva Canton, Nevenko Herceg, Ambassador Aggeler emphasized the Mission’s support to the Herzegovina-Neretva authorities and institutions in regards to the implementation of the new cantonal anti-corruption strategy, including through capacity building activities for the anti-corruption team.

Furthermore, the meeting provided an opportunity to discuss the curriculum reform process in Herzegovina-Neretva. “I would like to commend the Herzegovina-Neretva authorities for initiation of this crucial process and reiterate Mission’s support”, said Ambassador Aggeler.

On the occasion of the International Roma Day, Ambassador Aggeler opened a Conference on Good Practices and Lessons Learnt concerning Implementation of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton Action Plan for Improving the Position of Roma. “The Mission promotes good governance and advocates for the development of key documents supporting Roma rights and Roma empowerment. This is crucial for establishing and utilizing mechanisms towards addressing the needs of Roma in the areas of education, employment, housing, property rights and access to social protection and health services,” stated Ambassador Aggeler.

During the visit, Ambassador Aggeler also met with Jozo Pavković, Editor in Chief of Večernji list BiH, discussing state of media affairs in Herzegovina and outlet’s current and future plans.

The visit to Mostar was also an opportunity for Ambassador Aggeler to meet with Mostar Mufti, Salem eff. Dedović, and discuss the current situation about the enjoyment of fundamental freedoms, including freedom of religion and belief, and the interreligious dialogue in Herzegovina.

Finally, Ambassador Aggeler concluded his visit meeting Orhan Maslo, founder and director of Mostar Rock School, a notable cultural project in Bosnia and Herzegovina. He commended the initiative for its promotion of valuable community values and cohesion and pledged the Mission's ongoing endorsement of this and similar projects.

VIENNA/SKOPJE, 10 April 2023 — The OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Minister of Foreign Affairs of North Macedonia Bujar Osmani will visit Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia on 10-13 April for meetings with government officials and other stakeholders.

Meetings with parliamentarians, civil society representatives and other interlocutors will take place as well.

The trip will focus on strengthening the co-operation between the OSCE, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia, addressing existing security challenges and promoting peace and stability through dialogue in the South Caucasus region.

For more information about the 2023 OSCE Chairpersonship of North Macedonia, please visit the OSCE website: https://www.osce.org/chairmanship.

TIRANA, 7 April 2023 – The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) today opened an election observation mission for the 14 May local elections in Albania, following an invitation from the national authorities.

The mission is led by Ambassador Audrey Glover and consists of a core team of 13 experts based in Tirana and 24 long-term observers, who will be deployed throughout the country from 13 April. In addition, ODIHR plans to request OSCE 300 short-term observers, to arrive several days before election day.

The mission will observe the elections for their compliance with OSCE commitments and other international obligations and standards for democratic elections, as well as with national legislation.

Observers will closely monitor the voter registration process, campaign activities, the work of the election administration and relevant governmental bodies, election-related legislation and its implementation, and the resolution of election-related disputes. As part of the observation, the mission will also monitor the media coverage of the campaign.

Meetings with numerous representatives of state authorities, political parties, civil society, the media and the international community form an integral part of the observation.

An interim report will be published to update the public and media during the course of the observation. The day after the elections, a statement of preliminary findings will be presented at a press conference, and ODIHR will publish a final report summing up the observation and making recommendations for improvements some months after the end of the election process.

The ODIHR Election Observation Mission and the OSCE Presence in Albania operate separately and independently under their own mandates. For further information on ODIHR’s election observation activities in Albania, please visit: https://www.osce.org/odihr/elections/albania

Media contacts:

Giovanna Maiola, Media Analyst with the Election Observation Mission: giovanna.maiola@odihr.al or +355 685840857.

Katya Andrusz, ODIHR spokesperson: Katya.Andrusz@odihr.pl or +48 609 522 266

541065 Public Affairs Unit, OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights Katya Andrusz

The October 2022 parliamentary elections in Latvia were competitive and pluralistic, according to the ODIHR election assessment mission, with stakeholders expressing confidence in the administration of the electoral process. The legal framework is suitable for organizing democratic elections, and certain recent changes, including on the introduction of a centralized electronic voter register, were in line with previous ODIHR recommendations. Despite these recent reforms, some recommendations remain unaddressed, including on candidacy rights, decriminalization of defamation and guaranteeing the rights of international and citizen observers.

These are some of the main conclusions detailed in the final report published today by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR). The report offers recommendations to bring elections in Latvia closer in line with OSCE commitments and other international standards for democratic elections.

Key recommendations include:

• Ensuring the operational independence and efficiency of the Central Election Commission, by providing adequate financial and human resources in a timely manner, and by increasing its capacity to manage and ensure the security of the electronic infrastructure and to organize procurement procedures;

• Providing the Central Election Commission with sufficient resources to prepare and implement comprehensive and timely voter education programs, including in minority languages and for young and first-time voters and voters with different disabilities;

• Providing the possibility for independent candidates to participate in elections, and removing restrictions on the submission of candidates by newly registered political parties;

• Decriminalizing defamation in favor of civil remedies;

• Explicitly providing for the access of citizen and international observers to all stages of the election process;

• Removing or establishing a time limit on restrictions on the right to stand based on previous political activities;

• Implementing safeguards to protect the freedom of expression in election campaigns, including the right to campaign in minority languages.

The ODIHR Election Assessment Mission to the 1 October 2022 parliamentary elections started its work on 15 September and remained in the country until 6 October. All 57 countries across the OSCE region have formally committed to follow up promptly on ODIHR’s election assessments and recommendations.

541047 Communication and Media Relations Section Alexandra Taylor

On 4 April 2023, the meeting of the Advisory and Co-ordination Board established in 2021 as part of the OSCE project “Enhancing Criminal Justice Capacities for Combating Gender-based Violence in South-Eastern Europe” took place.

The meeting gathered 18 representatives (4 men, 14 women) from the OSCE Secretariat and its field operations, the United Nations Population Fund, the United Nations Women, the Permanent Mission of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the International Organizations in Vienna, and the Permanent Delegation of Finland to the OSCE, Finland being one of the donor countries.

The objective of the meeting was twofold. Firstly, to update the Board on the implementation of the project, highlighting both the progress made to date and the planned activities for 2023. Secondly, for Board members to share information about their organization’s ongoing and upcoming programmes on combating gender-based violence (GBV) at regional and national levels. Participants welcomed the opportunity to exchange updates with the OSCE project team and each other, and highlighted planned training and awareness activities for 2023 to facilitate co-ordination of respective activities on the topic.

“The Advisory and Co-ordination Board plays a crucial role in enabling the project team to share information and identify synergies with the activities of important partners working in the area. The input the Board provides reflects our shared commitment to tackling GBV in South-Eastern Europe through a comprehensive, victim-centred approached to training and awareness-raising”, said Martha Stickings, Deputy Head of the Strategic Police Matters Unit of the OSCE Secretariat’s Transnational Threats Department.

The project team plans to organize additional bilateral meetings with the organizations represented in the Board to further co-ordinate respective capacity-building on combatting GBV.

WARSAW, 6 April 2023 — Greater efforts are needed at all levels to combat the intersecting and overlapping discrimination suffered by Roma and Sinti women, compounded by long-standing social and economic exclusion, said the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) ahead of International Roma Day on 8 April.

“All Roma face multiple and multi-layered exclusion,” said ODIHR Director Matteo Mecacci. “But the disadvantages suffered by Roma women are immeasurably greater. That’s why we need to redouble our efforts to combat racism and discrimination and work towards societies in which Roma women’s rights are respected and they enjoy the same opportunities as all citizens.”

Roma women refugees in particular are currently at higher risk of human trafficking and exploitation, and also need greater access to protection and services.  

All countries of the OSCE region have committed to ensuring that the fundamental rights of Roma women are fully protected. More needs to be done by national and local authorities, alone and in co-operation with civil society, to ensure Roma women have access to justice systems and to safeguard them against multiple and overlapping forms of discrimination and gender-based violence. Roma and Sinti women who have been subjected to coercive sterilization must be given access to redress and compensation.

Commitments made by countries across the OSCE include combating discrimination against Roma in access to housing, citizenship and residence, education, employment, and health services. Greater effort is needed to ensure their full inclusion in society, in which the human rights of all people are equally protected.

In line with the Action Plan on Improving the Situation of Roma and Sinti within the OSCE Area, it is vital that national authorities engage Roma women and include them in decisions on policy and any other measures that may affect their lives. Later this year, ODIHR will update the Office’s regular findings on the efforts by OSCE countries to improve the situation of Roma and Sinti, helping to identify challenges, good practices and lessons learned that will help move towards more inclusive societies across the OSCE region.

TIRANA, 6 April 2023 — Observers from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) will hold a press conference on the opening of the election observation mission to the forthcoming local elections in Albania on Friday, 7 April.

What: 

• An introduction to the role of the ODIHR election observation mission and its planned activities

Who: 

• Dame Audrey Glover, Head of the ODIHR election observation mission

When: 

• 11:00 local time (GMT +2) on 7 April 2023

Where:

• Antigonea 1- Conference Room, Rogner Hotel Tirana, Bulevardi Dëshmorët e Kombit

Registration:

• No registration is necessary, but only questions from journalists will be taken.

For further information on ODIHR’s election observation activities in Albania, please visit: https://www.osce.org/odihr/elections/albania

Media contact:

Giovanna Maiola, Media Analyst: giovanna.maiola@odihr.al or +355 685840857.

540951 Marina Živaljević

From 27 to 31 March, the OSCE Mission to Montenegro, in co-operation with the OSCE Forum for Security Co-operation Support Section and the French Gendarmerie, organized an assessment of the capacities of the Montenegrin police in terms of use of K9 – police dogs to detect small arms and light weapons (SALW), ammunition, explosives, illegal drugs and currency.

The information collected from the visit and the expert report that will follow should serve as a basis for future planning by the police on optimising the use of trained service dogs and improving conditions for their housing, training and transportation.

The OSCE K9 expert Denis McCoy reviewed the current organizational structure, training and infrastructure needs of the Border Police and Special Police Sectors. The OSCE and French Gendarmerie delegation assessed the current conditions for upkeep, safety and use of dogs of several K-9 sites and observed police operations and dog training demonstrations at border crossings. “Partnership is key in capacity development in relation to SALW and explosive detection,” said McCoy.

Marko Ćetković, Specialist Platoon Commander in the Special Police Unit, was pleased for this visit, as both training and material support in improving conditions for the work of the police dogs is welcome.

K9 police dogs are highly intelligent and trained, and can perform a number of different functions that benefit the police force and the general public. Use of K9 dogs in the police service contributes to the enhancement of police capacities to prevent, reduce, and counter trafficking and misuse of SALW, ammunition, explosives, illegal drugs and currency.

GENEVA, 5 April 2023 - The 57th round of the Geneva International Discussions (GID) took place on 4 and 5 April 2023 in two working groups meeting in parallel, in line with the Six-Point Agreement of 12 August 2008 and the Implementing Measures of 8 September 2008.

The participants reviewed security and humanitarian developments since the previous GID round held in October 2022.

Against the backdrop of the highly challenging geopolitical environment, the participants reiterated their commitment to the process and interest in ensuring the continuity of the GID as the only platform where the conflict consequences are addressed. The Co-Chairs and participants underlined the key role played by the GID as a platform for predictability and dialogue, for the benefit of security and stability, as well as the well-being of conflict-affected populations.

Following intense exchanges on the non-use of force and international security arrangements, the participants could not reach a common understanding on this core item on the agenda. Unfortunately, the issue of IDPs and refugees could not be fully covered either due to a walkout by some participants.

The Co-Chairs informed the participants about their intention to hold the next GID round in mid-July 2023, pending confirmation by all participants.

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On 4 April 2023, the University of Tirana and the Democritus University of Thrace (DUTH) signed a co-operation agreement, facilitated by the OSCE Presence in Albania, in the premises of the Greek university.

The memorandum of understanding aims at regulating the co-operation between the two universities on knowledge and technology exchange, through joint programmes and applied research, especially in the field of criminology. It also provides for academic and technical staff exchange, student exchange, internships and specializations, organization of study visits, seminars, conferences, publications and various scientific activities.

Tirana University Rector Prof. Dr. Artan Hoxha, who signed the agreement with his Greek counterpart Dr. Fotios Maris, said: “Thanks to the support of the OSCE Presence, this co-operation will contribute to the improvement of academic activities for students and staff of Tirana University’s Law Faculty. This faculty plays a special role including with regard to the justice reform and the developments of strategies and activities in the fight against crime, especially organized crime and corruption. All this activities benefit from the increase of capacities through international co-operation”.

The event was organized as part of the project “Establishing a Master’s Programme in Criminology,” which is financially supported by the U.S. Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs. The OSCE Presence implements this project in close co-operation with the Law Faculty, with the support of the Faculty of Social Sciences, the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Interior.

Project manager Alba Jorganxhi said: “The Presence supports the co-operation between the University of Tirana and Democritus University to enhance the research capacities of Albanian criminal justice professionals, academics and policy makers in preventing and combating crime. Regional co-operation in both academic field and criminology enables attaining best international standards of rule of law and human rights.”

The two vice rectors of DUTH, the deans of the law faculties of the two universities and other senior academic staff also attended the event, which was followed by joint meetings with academics and students of the Democritus University.  

The Master’s Programme in Criminology – launched in December 2020 with the initiative and support of the OSCE Presence – enables students to explore the inter-relationships between crime, justice and society in a comparative context, as well as promote restorative justice for victims and victim-centred responses. Its comprehensive, integrated curriculum allows for various career paths in the justice system. Through the Master’s programme, the Presence aims at improving the research capacities of professionals, academics and policy-makers in Albania to identify root causes of crime. 

Public Affairs Unit, OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights Katya Andrusz

On 30 March 2023 and following consultation with Ukraine, 45 OSCE participating States invoked the Moscow Mechanism in order to “address the Deportation of Children amidst Human Rights Violations and Humanitarian Impacts of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine”. More specifically, the tasks of the mission of experts will include those outlined below.*

Ukraine has now selected three people from the list of experts to be part of the mission.

The Moscow Mechanism, last invoked on 23 March 2023 in relation to Belarus, provides the opportunity for participating States to send missions of experts to assist in the resolution of a particular question or problem relating to the human dimension, which entails the commitments made by participating States on human rights, democracy, and the rule of law. Further information is available here.

In relation to Ukraine, the Moscow Mechanism was last invoked by 45 participating States following consultations with Ukraine in June 2022 to “consider, follow up and build upon the findings of the Moscow Mechanism report received by OSCE participating States on 12 April”, addressing “the human rights and humanitarian impacts of the Russian Federation’s invasion and acts of war, supported by Belarus, on the people of Ukraine, within Ukraine’s internationally recognized borders and territorial waters”.

Any information relevant to the work of the Moscow Mechanism can be sent to the following email address no later than 21 April 2023: moscowmechanism-Ukraine2023@odihr.pl. This will be forwarded to the expert mission.

The 45 countries that have invoked the Moscow Mechanism on this occasion are: Albania, Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America.

*“build upon previous findings and establish the facts and circumstances surrounding possible contraventions of relevant OSCE commitments, violations and abuses of human rights, and violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law, as well as possible cases of war crimes and crimes against humanity, associated with or resulting from the forcible transfer of children within parts of Ukraine’s territory temporarily controlled or occupied by Russia and/or their deportation to the Russian Federation; and to collect, consolidate, and analyze this information with a view to offer recommendations, as well as provide the information to relevant accountability mechanisms, as well as national, regional, or international courts or tribunals that have, or may in future have, jurisdiction”.

PODGORICA, 3 April 2023 – The second round of Montenegro’s presidential election was competitive and as in the first round candidates were able to campaign freely with fundamental freedoms respected, but the tone was increasingly negative and the gaps in the legal framework became ever more apparent, international observers said in a statement today.

The joint observation mission from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), the European Parliament (EP), and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) found that while the legal framework is adequate for democratic elections, regulation is lacking on almost all aspects of the second round. This included the election administration, voter registration, the campaign and campaign finance, and the media, all of which led to considerable legal uncertainty. At the same time, the election administration addressed some legal deficiencies and added important safeguards that increased the integrity of the process as a whole.

“There was a genuine political debate in Montenegro ahead of yesterday’s runoff, and both candidates had the opportunity to reach out to voters,” said Tamás Meszerics, head of the ODIHR election observation mission. “But to strengthen the democratic process going forward, the country urgently needs to work on its legal framework to close loopholes and ensure transparency and accountability.”

Overall, the runoff was well managed. However, observers noted that many of the first-round results remained unpublished, leading to a lack of transparency, and there was no opportunity to effectively challenge the results ahead of the second round. In addition and despite the procedural shortcomings identified on election day in the first round, no further training for relevant election staff was organized. Disturbingly, serious threats were received by a citizen observer organization ahead of the runoff. Election day itself was generally calm and the voting process well managed.

“The general peaceful atmosphere we have observed during election day on this second round of the presidential elections reconfirms our positive impression of the Montenegrin citizens’ attachment to democracy,” said Georgios Kyrtsos, head of the EP delegation. “Members of the Polling Boards showed commitment and good cooperation amongst themselves, helping voters along the voting process. This resulted in a smooth voting process in every polling station we observed.”

While the campaign ahead of the presidential runoff took place in a generally calm atmosphere, a more negative tone took hold, with the candidates seeking to discredit each other in their campaign messaging. Voters had additional opportunities to learn about the candidates, including through a televised debate.

“By voting in this presidential election in such a relaxed atmosphere, Montenegrins have proved that their country has reached a high level of democratic culture and they deserve congratulations,” said Joe O’Reilly, head of the PACE delegation. “It is now crucial that Montenegro continue on its path of European and Euro-Atlantic integration, without outside negative interference. It is also essential that the Montenegrin state institutions collaborate in good faith, in order to facilitate the functioning of the political and legislative structure of the country. We hope that both this presidential election and the coming parliamentary ones will make this possible.”

While both candidates had equal access to the public media, it was noted that both local public broadcasters as well as private media were biased in their coverage. In general, the polarization of the media landscape continued along political lines ahead of the runoff, and media outlets remained highly vulnerable to internal and external influence from corporate and political interests.

The international election observation to the second round of the presidential election in Montenegro totalled 38 observers from 27 countries, made up of 28 ODIHR experts and long-term observers, 3 from PACE, and 7 from the EP.

For more information, please contact:

Katya Andrusz, ODIHR: +48 609 522 266 or katya.andrusz@odihr.pl

Gonzalo de Mendoza Asensi, EP: + 32 460 76 44 16 or gonzalo.demendoza@europarl.europa.eu

Bogdan Torcătoriu, PACE: +382 63230913 or Bogdan.TORCATORIU@coe.int

SOFIA, 3 April 2023 – Bulgaria’s 2 April early parliamentary elections were competitive and well-managed but, while the legal framework is adequate for holding democratic elections, frequent changes erode trust, undercut efficiency and create challenges to making timely preparations, international observers said in a statement today. In particular, controversial amendments that reduced the use of voting machines reignited concerns about the secrecy and integrity of the ballot and undue influence on voters in socially vulnerable communities, the statement says.

“By casting their vote for the fifth time in two years, Bulgaria’s citizens have, despite electoral fatigue, expressed their political will”, said Andrej Hunko, Head of the delegation from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. “They now expect their elected representatives to find the necessary political compromises to form a government and address people's needs. This would be a first step towards re-establishing trust in political institutions and society, at all levels, which is essential in a democratic society.”

The numerous contestants were able to campaign freely and fundamental freedoms were respected, although the fact that five parliamentary elections had been held over such a short time contributed to voter fatigue. Despite diverse and extensive coverage by the media that presented voters with a plurality of views, media remained vulnerable to political and corporate influences that reduced critical reporting, the observers said.

“The free campaign and respect for fundamental freedoms generally provided voters with the ability to make their political choice, but previous recommendations related to the media, including to decriminalize defamation and stronger guarantees for journalists’ independence, remain unaddressed,” said Tana de Zulueta, Head of the election observation mission from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights. “The frequent and, in particular, late changes to the laws, regulations and procedures created concerns and uncertainty that appear to have led to the difficulties we saw on election day, particularly when it came to ensuring the secrecy of voters’ ballots.”

The campaign was moderate, with considerable presence on social media, and generally perceived as the continuation of almost two years of campaigning. Along with the allegations of vote-buying and controlled voting, instances of mayors’ involvement in the campaign negatively affected the level playing field and voters’ ability to cast their ballot freely. With some notable exceptions, the visibility of female candidates remained low. Election day was orderly, and the observers generally assessed the process positively, although they noted inadequate protection of the secrecy of the vote.

December 2022 amendments to the Election Code re-introduced the option of casting a paper ballot, reducing the role of touchscreen voting machines to the printing of “machine ballots”, to be cast and counted in the same manner as paper ballots. This change, along with the introduction of video monitoring of vote counting, did not enjoy broad political consensus and was adopted with little consultation among stakeholders. Representatives of government institutions, political parties and civil society organizations voiced criticism of these late changes, including their potential negative impact on the voting process.

Many prior recommendations by the international observers remain unaddressed, including those related to the blanket disenfranchisement of prisoners and persons under guardianship, the barring of those with dual citizenship from participating as candidates, the lack of measures to promote the participation of women and minorities, including in party platforms, and the limited possibility to challenge election results.

The diverse media environment operates in a constrained advertising market, and challenges to their viability expose media outlets to political and financial influence, which may result in self-censorship and a resulting lack of critical coverage. Defamation remains a criminal offence and, coupled with disproportionate fines, has potentially negative effects on investigative reporting on issues of public interest. The election campaign had an extensive presence on the public broadcasters, who granted direct access to all political competitors. Nevertheless, strict rules on the equal participation of contestants on these broadcasters reduced editorial content and their journalistic role, and they were used by political parties as vehicles to disseminate their electoral messages. With a greater degree of editorial freedom, private media provided more diverse coverage, although this was mainly broadcast outside of prime time. Women candidates were underrepresented in televised debates, reflecting gender inequality in political life.

PODGORICA, 1 April 2023 – International election observers will hold a press conference to present their findings following the second round of the presidential election in Montenegro.

What:

• A press conference of the international election observation mission to the second round of the presidential election in Montenegro
• The press conference can be attended in person or via Zoom (details below)
• You can also follow the livestream on www.facebook.com/osce.odihr

Who:

• Tamás Meszerics, Head of the ODIHR election observation mission
• Georgios Kyrtsos, Head of the EP delegation
• Joe O’Reilly, Head of the PACE delegation

When:

• 14:30 local time (GMT +2) on 3 April 2023

Where:

• Lesendro Conference room, Ramada hotel, 74 Bulevar Save Kovačevića, Podgorica

Registration:

• To take part via Zoom, please register by 11:00 local time on 3 April using the following link.

The international election observation is a joint mission of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), and the European Parliament (EP). The observation mission totals 38 observers, made up of 28 ODIHR-deployed experts and long-term observers, 3 from PACE, and 7 from the EP.

For more information, please contact:

Katya Andrusz, ODIHR: +48 609 522 266 or katya.andrusz@odihr.pl

Gonzalo de Mendoza Asensi, EP: + 32 460 76 44 16 or gonzalo.demendoza@europarl.europa.eu

Bogdan Torcătoriu, PACE: +382 63230913 or Bogdan.TORCATORIU@coe.int

540464 Communication and Media Relations Section Alexandra Taylor

The identification of potential foreign terrorist fighters at the borders was the focus of a two-week train-the-trainer course and curriculum development workshop for border security officers, organized by the OSCE Secretariat’s Transnational Threats Department. Twelve participants, who are selected members of the OSCE-led Mobile Training Team (MTT), which provides a pool of qualified trainers that are ready to be deployed across the OSCE area, gathered in Vienna from 20 to 31 March 2023 and came from Albania, Georgia, Greece, Italy, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania and Türkiye.

Over the course of two weeks, MTT members were trained by a team of international experts. A representative of the Spanish National Police and an international expert from Serbia showed how to deliver interactive and participatory trainings on the identification of cross-border movement by foreign terrorist fighters and other terrorism-related crimes at the borders. With the support of OSCE’s respective thematic units, participants also engaged in interactive exercises on the gendered aspects of terrorism and discussed the nexus between gender mainstreaming and effectively managed borders as well as gendered vulnerabilities in the field of trafficking in human beings. In addition, participants identified ways to combat illicit trafficking of small arms and light weapons at the borders.

Representatives of the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism, INTERPOL and Frontex introduced the audience to tools for and good practices in the identification of forged documents and foreign terrorist fighters at the borders, with a focus on identity management and travel security.

Under the guidance of a former FBI Special Agent, the MTT members engaged in interactive exercises on behavioural analysis and advanced techniques to interview potential foreign terrorist fighters, examining harmful biases and stereotyping, including a strong human rights, gender, youth and child perspective.

The OSCE MTT was established by the Transnational Threats Department in 2016. It consists of 12 operational border and counter-terrorism experts from OSCE participating States who are being deployed to various locations in the OSCE area to train border and law enforcement officers.

This event marks the beginning of the second phase of the OSCE MTT project, which is funded by the United States.

SOFIA, 31 March 2023 – International observers will hold a press conference to present their preliminary conclusions following the early parliamentary elections in Bulgaria.

What:

• A press conference of the international election observation mission for the early parliamentary elections in Bulgaria
• The press conference can be attended in person or via Zoom (details below)
• You can also follow the livestream on www.facebook.com/osce.odihr

Who:

• Tana de Zulueta, Head of the ODIHR election observation mission
• Andrej Hunko, Head of the delegation from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE)

When:

• 14:30 local time  (GMT +3), on 3 April 2023

Where:

• Serdika Room of the Sofia Hotel Balkan, Place Sveta Nedelya 5, Sofia

Registration:

• No registration is necessary if you are attending the press conference in person, but questions will only be taken from journalists
• To take part via Zoom, please register with Thomas Rymer, ODIHR election observation mission spokesperson, thomas.rymer@odihr.bg, and Giuseppe Milazzo, media analyst, giuseppe.milazzo@odihr.bg, by 11:00 local time on 3 April

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The OSCE organized two training courses in Vienna from 27 March 1 April for Ukrainian law enforcement and financial supervision agencies on basic techniques to investigate money laundering conducted through cryptocurrencies and virtual assets. Almost 30 representatives of specialized agencies of Ukraine attended the courses to improve their skills in tracing crypto transactions.

“Criminals continue to launder their dirty money with the help of virtual assets. Unfortunately, many of them are still a step ahead of relevant law enforcement and supervision agencies,” said Ralf Ernst, Deputy Co-ordinator/Head of Economic Activities in the OSCE’s Office of the Co-ordinator for Economic and Environmental Activities. “As the virtual assets industry is constantly evolving, staying sharp and always learning is essential to combating this form of virtual crime. This training course is an important way to help Ukrainian authorities strengthen their skills to investigate, seize and confiscate cryptocurrencies from criminals.”

Course participants learned about assessment, investigation and supervision methods, risks associated with cryptocurrencies, criminal schemes, as well as tools for tracing different coins and tokens. They also reviewed case studies, discussed compliance of virtual assets service providers (VASP), and had an opportunity to try different tools for online supervision and investigation.

The training courses are part of an OSCE-led extra-budgetary project on innovative policy solutions to mitigate money-laundering risks of virtual assets. The project is designed to support the governments of Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine in building national authorities’ capacities to mitigate criminal risks related to virtual assets and cryptocurrencies. The project is funded by the Germany, Poland, the United Kingdom and the United States.

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“Constitution – the Priority of Human Rights” is title of the International Roundtable co-hosted today by the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan, in co-operation with the Authorized Person of the Oliy Majlis (National Parliament) of the Republic of Uzbekistan for Human Rights (Ombudsperson), in Samarkand and via video-teleconference. The event had special significance in view of the 30 April nationwide referendum to adopt a new version of the Constitution.

The roundtable was opened by the Ombudsperson Ms. Feruza Eshmatova, followed by high-level speakers including Mr. Rustam Khalmuradov, member of the Senate of the Oliy Majlis and part of the National Commission for Constitutional Reforms, as well as Mr. Hans-Ullrich Ihm, Acting OSCE Project Co-ordinator.

Participants stressed how the absolute primacy of the Constitution is the crucial safeguard for the protection of fundamental human rights and freedoms, and that not only has the new version of the Constitution the constitutional rights and freedoms of citizens at its core, but also provides the legal basis to ensure the independence of the courts in upholding such rights. The roundtable also provided a platform to discuss, among others, the protection of children’s rights and environmental rights of citizens in the new version of the Constitution, as well as the new constitutional framework for the development of civil society and its active participation in the reform process. 

Government officials of Uzbekistan, as well as representatives of the Supreme Court, the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Tashkent State Law University, Chamber of Advocates of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Ministry of Internal Affairs delivered their remarks.

Overall, 120 participants (40 women and 80 men) from various institutions and NGOs took part in the event.

Hans-Ullrich Ihm, Acting OSCE Project Co-ordinator, noted that “the decision to conduct constitutional amendments through a national referendum is the right one, as it reflects the will of the people of Uzbekistan.” Should such amendments be approved by the 30 April referendum, the fundamental law of the country will be updated by 65 percent, with significant progress in the fulfillment of OSCE commitments across all three dimensions. Mr. Ihm assured that the OSCE is ready to provide all necessary support in this respect.

SKOPJE, 30 March 2023 — The OSCE Mission to Skopje facilitated the signing of a Protocol between the Public Prosecutors Office and the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The Protocol on co-operation was prepared with the support of the OSCE Mission to Skopje and will help enhance co-operation between the police and prosecution toward a more effective and efficient criminal justice system.

“The importance of the Protocol cannot be understated,” said Kilian Wahl, Head of the OSCE Mission to Skopje. “It helps police and prosecutors better identify and investigate crimes and successfully prosecute offenders in line with national laws and international agreements. Moreover, it will speed up investigations, which will increase the effectiveness of the fight against crime in this country.”

The Minister of Internal Affairs, Oliver Spasovski, explained how effectively fighting crime requires laws that do not disrupt investigations.

“Our common goal is to successfully detect, prove and prevent crimes and to stop perpetrators,” Spasovski said. “The purpose of the Protocol we signed today is to help us more effectively carry out criminal proceedings, while taking into account the protection of the rights of victims, suspects and perpetrators, in accordance with national legislation and signed international agreements.”

Ljubomir Joveski, Chief Public Prosecutor, said that “citizens expect us to co-operate and deliver effective justice. Only with a united front against perpetrators can we achieve results that restore the public’s trust in the system’s institutions. For these reasons, I would like to sincerely thank the OSCE Mission to Skopje, which, as it has many times before, recognized the needs and supported this process of mutual co-ordination with the Ministry of Internal Affairs.”