Central Europe

530054 Nino Sukhitashvili OSCE Mission to Moldova

Almost thirty representatives of the Moldovan ombudsperson’s (People’s Assembly) institution participated in a two-day human rights webinar, organized by the OSCE Mission to Moldova on 25 and 26 October 2022.

The participants discussed the institution’s possibilities to increase efficiency of their work on human rights issues on the left bank. During the panel discussion and in small groups, participants strategized on the main priorities of their work on the left bank in the light of the institution’s mandate. Special attention was paid to security aspects of the work. The participants learnt about ways to protect confidentiality of information and secure their accounts, as well as created security plans and protocols.

“This webinar also helped the institution in development of its work strategy, including in relation to the left bank. Aspects of monitoring, reporting, advocacy and data collection were also raised. The webinar is very timely, considering that many new staff recently joined the ombudsperson’s institution”, - Ludmila Samoila, National Legal Officer of the OSCE Mission to Moldova noted.

“The training workshop, organized by the OSCE Mission to Moldova, a development partner of the People’s Advocate office, certainly brings an added value in consolidating the capacities of its staff involved in ensuring the protection of the rights of individuals from the left bank. The specific aspects touched upon during the training will help us in facilitating monitoring of human rights in relation to persons from the left bank, including from the security zone,”- Oxana Gumennaia, deputy of Moldovan People’s Advocate explained.

The training workshop was organized within the Mission’s project aimed at strengthening protection of human rights on both banks of the Dniester/Nistru River through enhanced confidence building measures.

WARSAW/VIENNA, 31 October 2022 – Following the lack of consensus by the OSCE Permanent Council to extend the mandates of the Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) and the Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine, due to the position of the Russian Federation, the OSCE is closing these two field operations today. 

OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau, and the OSCE Secretary General, Helga Maria Schmid today underscored the importance of the field missions and their imperative contributions to OSCE’s efforts to support Ukraine. They also stated that securing the release of the three former SMM staff members, who continue to be unjustifiably held in Donetsk and Luhansk, remains a priority for the OSCE. 

“Both field operations have been a vital part of our efforts to support Ukraine and have played a crucial role by assisting and advising on internal reforms, providing objective information, facilitating dialogue where none existed, and working relentlessly for the benefit of people of Ukraine in the most challenging of environments,” Chairman Rau said.

“While we regret that no consensus could be reached on the extension of their mandates due to the position of the Russian Federation, there should be no doubt - the closure will not affect our determination to secure the release of the OSCE officials who remain unjustifiably detained. Our officials should be released immediately and without any preconditions,” he stressed.

Secretary General Schmid added: “I want to sincerely thank all the staff who served in both missions for their years of service and dedication. I cannot stress enough how impressed I am with their commitment and professionalism, and I am proud of what they have accomplished. The two field operations’ contributions to OSCE’s support to Ukraine have been nothing short of extraordinary”.

“I also want to reiterate that we will continue to work day and night for the release of our detained officials who have been held unjustifiably and in unknown conditions for over six months now”, she said. 

The closure of the OSCE field operations in Ukraine was announced by the OSCE Chairman-in-Office Zbigniew Rau and OSCE Secretary General Helga Maria Schmid on 28 April and 30 June respectively, following the Russian Federation’s refusal to join consensus on the extension of their mandates.

Three members of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine have been detained in Donetsk and Luhansk for over six months.

On 19 September 2022, OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau, and OSCE Secretary General Helga Maria Schmid issued a joint statement condemning the “sentencing” of OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM) mission members Maxim Petrov and Dmytro Shabanov and reiterated their call for the immediate and unconditional release of all three OSCE mission members in detention.

Three more mission members were detained after Russia launched its war against Ukraine on 24 February but have since been released.

Memorial to all civilian vicitims of war in Zepce, Bosnia and Herzegovina Željka Šulc

Ambassador Brian Aggeler, Head of the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) visited Žepče today and laid flowers at the Memorial to all Civilian Victims of War.

By jointly honouring all civilian victims of the war, Žepče has taken a crucial step towards a better future for all.

“I am honoured to be here today to commemorate Žepče’s civilian victims. This municipality has come a long way towards building good relations among all citizens. This memorial underlines the commitment of local authorities, civil society and citizens of Žepče to remember the past while ensuring a future defined by dignity, mutual respect and understanding. I hope many others will follow in the footsteps of Žepče,” said Ambassador Aggeler.

Following the commemorations, Ambassador Aggeler met with Mato Zovko, Mayor of Žepče, Edin Šišić, Žepče Municipal Council Speaker, Niko Širić, Žepče Civilian War Victims Association Chairman and Kenan Kahriman, Žepče Civilian War Victims Deputy Chairman to discuss current local developments with a focus on education and initiatives aimed at promoting tolerance and co-operation.

“Žepče stands out as a positive example of trust-building and co-operation in BiH. The OSCE Mission to BiH will continue to support similar efforts to promote mutual respect and improve the quality of life for all across BiH,” concluded Aggeler.

529916 Marina Živaljević

At the 35th session of Parliamentary Gender Equality Committee, held on 28 October, the OSCE Mission to Montenegro presented to MPs and representatives of the public administration instruments developed to support the institution in ensuring the laws are gender-mainstreamed and provide for equal treatment of all citizens.

These two tools provide ex-ante and ex-post gender assessment of legislation, the first one ensures that a gender aspect is included in drafting the law, while the second one examines how the law, once implemented, impacts women and men. The way to use these tools were demonstrated by examining four pieces of legislation.

Head of the OSCE Mission, Dominique Waag, opened the session saying that Montenegro, as an OSCE participating state, has committed to making equality between men and women an integral part of public policy. “Working with the Gender Equality Committee, the Mission supported the development of two practical instruments to ensure that laws have a positive effect on all citizens and to foster equality. In using these tools, parliamentarians can make sure that the laws they pass reflect gender equality, ensuing an inclusive and equal society. It is a significant step in fostering the Parliament’s position as a regional leader in gender equality,” said Ambassador Waag.

Božena Jelušić, Chair of Gender Equality Committee said that the laws selected to be analysed are: the Law on Agriculture and Rural Development, the Law on Tourism and Hospitality, the Law on Inheritance and the Law on Salaries of Employees in the Public Sector. “The first two laws were chosen because they mostly lead to women’s access to power, through entrepreneurial policies. The third law addresses a change of practices in the inheritance provisions which had systematically discriminated against women and the fourth law concerns the inequality in earnings between women and men,” said Chair Jelušić.

These instruments presented by Mission-engaged expert are practical tools that will enable parliamentary committees to have a better insight on how the laws can affect women and men, and marginalized groups in society. They also facilitate easier monitoring of types of impact during a defined time frame, through the qualitative and quantitative indicators that are built within them.

Around 30 participants, among which were MPs, representatives of the Judicial Council, the ministries of economic development and tourism, of agriculture, forestry and water management, and of justice, Notary Chamber and Statistical Office MONSTAT, attended the session that was broadcasted live on Parliamentary Channel.

529907 Communication and Media Relations Section Alexandra Taylor

A second specialized training on operative essentials for anti-corruption officers was held in Yerevan from 25 to 28 October 2022. The training, which focused on the effective investigation of corruption, was hosted by the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities (OCEEA) with the support of the Anti-Corruption Committee of Armenia (ACC).

The training of 40 ACC operative officers focused on further deepening their knowledge and skills on issues such as assessment and detection of corruption risks in specific sectors, conflicts of interest and asset declarations, electoral bribery, financial investigations and large-scale money laundering investigations, inter-agency cooperation and the use of operational technical means during operational-intelligence measures.

“The Armenian Anti-Corruption Committee is determined to constantly enhance the skills and operational effectiveness of our staff.  We appreciate the support of the OSCE and remain confident that this training will contribute to the development of professional skills of operative officers, as other joint activities did this year,” said Mushegh Babayan, Deputy Chairman of the ACC.

The training included practical sessions, which enabled participants to apply corruption investigation methods on issues such as investigating money laundering schemes and electoral bribery. Interactive sessions were delivered by experts with practical experience in leading anti-corruption agencies.

“We are excited to be part of this practical workshop, especially since the OSCE has been instrumental in the establishment of the ACC before it became a fully operational state agency in Armenia in the fall of 2021. As the ACC marks its first year of operation, we are pleased to develop the capacity of its operative officers to investigate corruption in a variety of sectors including the key risk areas of financial crimes and electoral bribery, as well as to share international best practice on inter-agency cooperation to improve the efficiency of ACC’s efforts to combat corruption in Armenia,” said Ralf Ernst, Deputy Co-ordinator at OCEEA.

The event was supported by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and the Embassy of Switzerland in Armenia and organized in the framework of the OSCE Project on strengthening anti-corruption reform in Armenia, financed by Switzerland, Italy, and Germany.

529886

On 20 October 2022, the OSCE’s Transnational Threats Department held a national workshop dedicated to preparing a curriculum for law enforcement on Gender-based Violence (GBV) in Tirana. This was accomplished with the assistance of the OSCE Presence in Albania and the support of the Albanian State Police.

Workshop participants analysed and proposed improvements to the current national training curriculum on how to prevent and fight GBV, notably to align the current national training materials with the Council of Europe’s Istanbul Convention, with a state-of-the-art curriculum piloted at the regional level, and with the main findings from the mapping of police and judicial training curricula on GBV conducted in 2021 as part of the OSCE WIN project.

The workshop gathered 23 participants (17 women and 6 men) including representatives from the State Police, the Ministry of Justice, the Security Academy, Courts, the Prosecutor’s Office, the City of Tirana, the Child Rights Centre and the Center for Legal Civic Initiatives.

During the workshop, participants discussed the proposed set of recommendations to improve the national curriculum and elaborated on the best way to institutionalise the changes. Participants also stressed the relevance of the project and their continued interest in its activities in light of ongoing changes in GBV legislation.  

This workshop will be followed by a specialized training course for police officers, which is being planned together with the Albanian State Police, to take place from 12 to 16 December 2022. The course will ensure local ownership and a full customization to national needs.

529856 Marina Živaljević

As part of continuous support to media professionalism, the OSCE Mission to Montenegro presented sets of mobile journalism equipment to Media Studies and Journalism Department of the Faculty of Political Science, University of Montenegro, on 28 October. A three-day training course for journalism students in November will put the donation in use.

The equipment comprised smartphones with stands, mobile interview kits with microphones, tripod kits and corresponding technical add-ons for the efficient use of the equipment. A subsequent training session utilizing the donated equipment will focus on strengthening and modernizing students’ reporting and editing techniques, and their digital skills. The emphasis will be on building up cross-media reporting skills and capacities for multimedia storytelling.

With mobile journalism equipment collected and training sessions to go along, young journalists will be skilled to perform interviews, shoot and edit video material all on the same device, produce news reports rapidly and easily, while preserving production quality.

Dominique Waag, Head of the Mission, said that the rapid evolution of technology has reflected extensively also on the media market, creating high demand for more flexible, faster and on-the-spot news reporting. “Strong technical capacities of aspiring journalists are a prerequisite for keeping up with emerging new media, where mobile journalism plays an essential role as one of the most noteworthy innovations in news production,” said Ambassador Waag.

Milan Marković, Dean of the Faculty of Political Science, in thanking the Mission for a valuable donation, mentioned that the equipment would enable students and academic staff to raise the quality of teaching specialized journalism subjects. “The students will particularly make use of the equipment within the subjects Online Journalism and New Media, and TV Journalism. They will record reports and perform pre-exam duties, improving the quality of their practical work. All of this will make future journalists being fully qualified to work in the media,” said Dean Marković.

During its previous co-operation with the Faculty of Political Sciences in 2020 and 2021, the Mission provided the Media Studies and Journalism Department with various technical equipment, as well as organized training courses on their use. It also organized intensive workshops on project management cycles for academic staff. The Mission will continue to support this Department with activities aimed at strengthening the practical and hands-on teaching of journalism at the University of Montenegro.

PODGORICA, 27 October 2022 - Independent, diverse and quality public-interest journalism and widespread media-literacy are the best antidote to disinformation. These were some of the conclusions from a regional conference on Media and Digital Literacy and Disinformation, held by the OSCE Mission to Montenegro and the Agency of Electronic Media today.

Opening the conference, Prime Minister Dritan Abazović said that democracy is only as solid as far as society fully understands and exercises the rights and responsibilities to freedom of expression and the right to know: “Montenegro is on a path towards improving the legislative and social framework for freedom of the media. This goal is an obligation we have as OSCE participating State and member of the Council of Europe, as well as in the context of our European integration.”

He added that Montenegro is particularly dedicated to address challenges in the online sphere, including the effect of disinformation and hate speech on freedom of expression and media pluralism. “I express my appreciation and full support to the current OSCE activities in the sphere of media freedom and development in Montenegro.”

“Disinformation, sometimes referred to as ‘false’ or ‘fake news’, may pose threats to democratic societies. There are two ways to reduce the risk of distortion of public opinion: first is the role of the media, and second is media and digital literacy that should equip the society with skills to recognize fake news,” said Dominique Waag, Head of the Mission to Montenegro.

She added that media freedom and development are at the core of the Mission’s mandate: “We tailor our support to Montenegro to enable a professional and ethical media environment, promote the safety of journalists, and strengthen the capacities of media-related institutions and regulatory frameworks. Journalistic ethics remains inseparable from self-regulatory mechanisms, whose strengthening the Mission has supported since 2014.”

OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Teresa Ribeiro emphasised that the best antidote to disinformation is independent, diverse and quality public-interest journalism: “We need to step up efforts to uphold journalistic standards and ethics through self-regulation, enhance timely and effective access to public information, invest more in investigative journalism and fact-checking, and very importantly, support media literacy programs for the wider public. Media literacy is an important tool for making the public resilient against the spread of disinformation and misinformation. If people can think critically, one does not need to prohibit and restrict: the consumers of news can perfectly filter out fake news themselves.”

Branko Bošković, President of the Agency for Electronic Media’ Council, said that the Agency strives towards strong and independent media, able to cope with the challenges they face, and to have journalists who know how to protect the highest standards of journalism.

“We provide knowledge and information to citizens, so they are able to deal with the increasing amount of data coming from different sources, which are misinformation, disinformation, hate speech and other illicit forms of speech. Media literacy is a priority activity and we foster critical thinking as one of the guiding principles in forming opinions,” he added.

“Media literacy is included in the Law on Media and the Draft Law on Audio-Visual Media Services. The Law on Media, via the Fund for Media Pluralism, prioritizes media literacy and media professionalism for the allocation of financial resources,” said Neđeljko Rudović, Director General for Media at the Ministry of Culture and Media.

The event gathered around 80 media literacy experts from Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro. The conference was also an opportunity to present and distribute the Media and Digital Literacy Booklet, jointly developed by the Mission and the AEM.

529809 Jeff Bieley Edita Buçaj

On 21 October, the OSCE Mission in Kosovo concluded a series of five training workshops on the prevention and handling of domestic violence cases for 144 newly appointed Kosovo Police (KP) officers.

The workshops focused on the legal framework, including obligations and responsibilities arising from the Istanbul Convention. The definition of domestic violence, including forms of violence such as physical, psychological, sexual and economic, was elaborated, and participants were informed about inter-institutional mechanisms, division of tasks among various stakeholders, and services that should be provided to the victims. The officers were also trained on the duties, responsibilities, and priorities of the KP according to its standard operating procedures.

“It is important that police officers receive basic training on domestic violence, and also that they continue learning about how to respond professionally to domestic violence cases,” said Edward Anderson, Director of the OSCE Mission’s Department for Security and Public Safety. 

“Care of victims, preservation of evidence and professional investigation and follow-up can reduce the risk of further injury and suffering of victims. In these workshops with a focus on officers who recently joined the KP, we highlighted the most important aspects of handling such cases through concrete scenarios,” he added.

Police officers were also acquainted with the risk assessment process conducted by first responders and, in subsequent phases by domestic violence investigators and their supervisors. This process assesses the risks and the level of danger posed to the victim and others by the perpetrator. In addition, they discussed the need to limit interviewing of victims to specially trained officers to prevent re-victimization, and they were briefed about protection orders, including emergency protection orders that police can issue outside of regular office hours to ensure protection of victims.

The OSCE Mission in Kosovo is mandated with the protection and promotion of human and community rights, and with democratization and public safety sector development. It regularly supports Kosovo Police and other law enforcement agencies to further improve their capacities.

OSCE Centre in Ashgabat

Some thirty students and teachers of the Turkmen State Energy Institute in Mary participated in an OSCE-organized seminar on green energy diplomacy that took place on 26 and 27 October 2022.

The OSCE Centre in Ashgabat organized the two-day event to discuss various aspects of renewable energy diplomacy and best practices of the OSCE participating States in the development of relevant national legislation.

International experts presented the analysis and assessment of foreign economic and geopolitical issues of green energy development. They elaborated on tendencies in green energy diplomacy and emphasized the significant role of international co-operation across different aspects of green energy development.

“Nowadays the international agenda stresses the high importance of tackling environmental challenges and combatting climate change, which is closely interconnected with overall security and prosperity,” said Ivana Markovic Boskovic, Economic and Environmental Officer of the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat.

“Therefore, the main objective of energy diplomacy is to ensure the country`s energy security while promoting business opportunities in the energy sector, and development of sustainable sources of energy, such as clean energy obtained from renewable sources,” added Markovic Boskovic.

The OSCE Centre in Ashgabat organized the seminar to support the host country’s efforts in the implementation of the Programme on the Development of Energy Diplomacy of Turkmenistan 2021-2025.

529725

From 24 to 27 October, the OSCE Transnational Threats Department organized a course on requesting electronic evidence across borders in Tashkent, in close co-operation with the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan and the Academy of the General Prosecutor’s Office of the Republic of Uzbekistan. Developed jointly by the UNODC, Interpol, and the OSCE, with the financial support from the European Union, the course is based on the United Nations Practical Guide on Requesting Electronic Evidence across Borders.

Participants represented Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and the General Prosecutor’s Office, including their respective Academies, as well as the National Cybersecurity Centre, State Security Service, and Supreme Court. The modules of the course covered available instruments for requesting electronic evidence from service providers based in foreign jurisdictions, including requests for preservation, voluntary disclosure, emergency disclosure, and mutual legal assistance, as well as channels for police-to-police co-operation. The course also discussed the importance of respecting human rights and fundamental freedoms in all these procedures.

The three-day course was followed by a one-day roundtable in which participants and experts discussed possible changes to the operational procedures of Uzbekistan’s criminal justice institutions to improve their capacities in obtaining electronic evidence from abroad.

“More and more criminal activities today are either fully committed through or facilitated by digital technologies. Electronic evidence is therefore becoming an indispensable part of all criminal investigations. As most Internet service providers are based in foreign jurisdictions, being able to obtain electronic evidence from abroad is essential for Uzbekistan’s capacities to effectively address crime and uphold the rule of law,” said Nosim Hodzhaev, Deputy Director of the International Legal Department at the General Prosecutor's Office of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

This was echoed by Evgeniy Kolenko, Head of the Academy of the General Prosecutor’s Office,  who underlined the importance of the training. “Providing this sort of a training is key for our criminal justice actors to be able to fulfil their job at times of growing digitalization in Uzbekistan. Our Academy will aim to incorporate this type of education into its standard training curricula.”

A similar training was already delivered by the OSCE and UNODC in Kyrgyzstan last month and additional courses are planned in other OSCE participating States in Central Asia. This course was delivered within the extra-budgetary project “Capacity Building on Combating Cybercrime in Central Asia”, which is funded by the United States of America, Germany, and the Republic of Korea.

529710 Marina Živaljević

On 26 October, the OSCE Mission to Montenegro further supported the digitization of the Parliament’s library services through provision of technical equipment that included magnetic and plastic card printer, thermal label printer and bar code scanner, as well as books on  cultural studies, discussions papers and essays, academic, historical, political theory, economics, and ecological titles.

This builds on previous support from the Mission, which enabled the Library to upload over 90 percent of its holdings into the Co-operative Online Bibliographic System and Services (COBISS), supporting the digitalization of library procedures.

Deputy Head of the Mission, Siv-Katrine Leirtroe, said that it was the right moment to improve the tools for processing library requests, maintaining inventory, and auditing the library fund. “This equipment enables an efficient management of the library fund. Through COBISS, the Parliament’s collection is connected to libraries of the Western Balkans and Slovenia further strengthening regional cooperation,” said Leirtroe.

Secretary General of Parliament, Aleksandar Klarić expressed satisfaction with the ongoing cooperation and support from with the OSCE Mission in providing and modernizing library services. “The OSCE Mission’s long-term support to Parliament is appreciated, especially in improving the institution’s transparency and openness. Support to the professional capacities of Parliament’s Service is also important, which contributes to more informed and better work of both MPs and the institution as a whole,” said Klarić.

As part of its support to the Library of Parliament, the Mission also assisted in drafting the library’s rulebook, which details the day-to-day work of the library, and outlines the rights and obligations of users. Currently, the Mission supports the process of digitization of approximately 50,000 Parliament’s verbatim records from 1991 to 2012, to be followed by a development of a software.

529692 OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities

OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities Kairat Abdrakhmanov visited Washington D.C. and New York from 17 to 21 October 2022.

During the first part of the trip, the High Commissioner met with officials at the US State Department to discuss the most pressing challenges to security and co-operation in the OSCE area. The conversation also focused on the ongoing war in Ukraine and the illegal annexation of Ukrainian territory by the Russian Federation as well as the devastating impact of the war on the lives of ordinary people, including national minorities. Abdrakhmanov reaffirmed his availability to assist in any efforts to resolve the conflict based on the OSCE commitments, with full respect to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity in its internationally recognized borders.

The High Commissioner had an opportunity to exchange views with representatives from the Department of Education on the positive efforts undertaken to ensure equal opportunities and outcomes for all students. They also discussed how the Department is addressing the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on youth in the United States, including racial and ethnic minorities, through the education system. He was informed of federal funding programmes aimed at achieving academic recovery and excellence, social and emotional wellbeing of students, and addressing teacher shortages based on the principles of achieving equity and closing opportunity gaps.

During his meetings with the Department of Justice, the conversation focused on the Community Relations Service’s important role as a dialogue facilitator in situations which might pose challenges to common security, safety and social cohesion.

In his conversation focusing on issues of concern to American Indians and Alaska Natives with the Department of State, the White House Council on Native American Affairs, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Department of Interior, the High Commissioner was encouraged that the discussion focused on a number of topics that the Biden-Harris Administration have given renewed attention to including environmental justice and the impact of climate change on smaller communities.

This conversation further outlined the work related to the Boarding School Initiative and the establishment of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous People Unit within the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The emphasis in all of his conversations was on consultation mechanisms, aimed at ensuring that minority voices are heard and considered when developing policies and legislation.

The High Commissioner also had an opportunity to exchange notes with select research institutions and civil society on key developments and enduring challenges to the effective management of diverse societies. In his meeting with UnidosUS, the High Commissioner discussed efforts aimed at ensuring that all eligible Latinos, including Afro-Latinos, are registered, informed and engaged in the political process every year. The High Commissioner was also pleased to meet with Nestor Mendez, Assistant Secretary General of the Organization of American States and Carla Koppell, Interim Vice Dean for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Managing Director of the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace, and Security (GIWPS) to explore avenues of future co-operation based on areas of mutual interest.

The High Commissioner then continued his visit to New York where he co-hosted an event centred on the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities and considerations relevant to conflicts and conflict prevention. The event was a joint endeavour with the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Minorities Issues Dr. Fernand de Varennes and the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Poland to the United Nations in New York, representing the Chairmanship-in-Office of the OSCE for 2022 in the margins of the 77th session of the UNGA Third Committee and the presentation of the thematic report by the UN Special Rapporteur on Minorities Issues.

During his visit to New York, the High Commissioner also held meetings with key UN officials to discuss issues relevant to his mandate. He met with UNGA President Csaba Kőrösi to exchange views on how to build confidence and strengthen dialogue between and within multilateral organizations. In his meeting with Rosemary A. DiCarlo, Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, the High Commissioner discussed the current geopolitical landscape and its impact on national minorities, focusing on ways to prevent risks of spill-over and instrumentalization of national minority issues.

The High Commissioner also met with Sarah Hendriks, Director of Policy, Programme and Intergovernmental Division, Policy Division of UN Women, and highlighted the intersectionality of gender mainstreaming and gender equality to his mandate as well as to the mission of OSCE.

529680 Nino Sukhitashvili OSCE Mission to Moldova

Twenty-two young women and men from both banks of the Dniester/Nistru River gained and developed negotiation skills, and solved a crisis during a simulation of OSCE Permanent Council as part of the 9th edition of the Model OSCE for Youth event organized this year in-person by the OSCE Mission to Moldova from 18 to 21 October 2022.

Addressing the participants during the opening of the Model OSCE for Youth event, Deputy Head of OSCE Mission to Moldova Antti Karttunen welcomed and congratulated them on being selected to participate and spoke how rewarding the work of a diplomat can be even though being very intense, dynamic and highly responsible. “If you choose this path, you will most likely never regret it. However, good negotiation skills are needed in every job, and in daily life”, he added.

“I felt amazing, gained lasting experience and met extraordinary people, mentors, and workers from some OSCE structures and from the OSCE Mission to Moldova,” said Alexandru Fazlî, one of the participants. “I understand very well how this organization works, and after this 4-day activity I definitely returned home not only with important experiences, but also with important knowledge. In the end, I would like to recommend to all students passionate about diplomacy to apply to participate in the future editions of this project, because not always, studying at the university or in other projects such subjects, you could really feel the role of a diplomat and in 4 days could get to know so many things.”

During these four days, participants had the unique opportunity to meet OSCE diplomats and officials working in the Republic of Moldova and Austria, who had addressed them during the event, and learnt from the highly experienced trainers Ida Manton and Max Pijevskii. They were trained on negotiation techniques, styles and strategies, learned about the history and work of the OSCE, its structures and consensus-based decision-making process, about diplomacy and the role of the OSCE in conflict prevention and resolution, as well engaged in teambuilding exercises that helped them build relations.

The event concluded with a conflict resolution simulation exercise that engaged the participants in solving a crisis based on consensus and allowed them to become diplomats for one day by taking part in a mock session of the OSCE Permanent Council during a crisis situation. They stepped into the shoes of diplomats and played the roles of different OSCE participating States, institutions and other relevant actors and worked together to come up with a joint solution to solve a hypothetical crisis in the OSCE area and avoid the conflict.

The aim of the Model OSCE is to build confidence and strengthen dialogue between young women and men from both banks of the Dniester/Nistru River. It was first organized by the OSCE Mission to Moldova in 2013 and has been held annually since then, except in 2018. The OSCE works with and for youth to make their voices heard and to help them use their potential to promote security and co-operation‪ in the OSCE area.

529299 Office of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Ton van den Brandt

The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Teresa Ribeiro visited Mongolia between 10 and 13 October 2022, where she discussed a broad range of media-related issues with various stakeholders.

The Representative expressed her appreciation for the attention that the authorities pay to media freedom and their inclusive engagement with various stakeholders, when addressing media regulation. “This co-operation will be even more crucial when discussing the improvement of issues such as a clear distinction between defamation and disinformation, enhanced access to information and effective protection of journalists from the different threats they face. We need to have a combination of elements in place such as bigger investment in an efficient media self-regulatory system as well as well-trained journalists,” said Ribeiro, recalling that in times of deep transformation of media landscape, it is of importance to develop sound policies in order to have financially sustainable media business models.

In her meetings, the Representative discussed the legal framework for media, the safety of journalists, self-regulation of media as well as media sustainability and its importance for free and independent media.

During her visit, Ribeiro met with Mr. Uchral Nyam-Osor, Minister for Digital Development and Communications, Mr. Nyambaatar Khishgee, Minister for Justice and Internal Affairs, Ms. Nomin Chinbat, Minister for Culture,  Mr. Tsogtbaatar Damdin, Member of State Great Khural, Head of the Mongolian delegation to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, Mr. Tsogtgerel Odon, Member of State Great Khural, Mr. Khunan Jargalsaikhan, Chief Commissioner, National Human Rights Commission of Mongolia, Ms. Mandkhai, Mr. Ankhbayar Nyamdorj, State Secretary, and Acting Director-General for Department of Multilateral Cooperation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In addition, she met with former President of Mongolia Mr. Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj.

The Representative also met with journalists’ organizations, as well as media rights advocates. Among them Mr. U. Otgonbaatar, President of the Confederation of Mongolian Journalists, Ms. Narantuya Dangaasuren, consultant to the Media Council of Mongolia, and Mr. Sharavdorj Sampil, Deputy Head of Board of Directors, the Mongolian Media Council

“I am looking forward to continuing the very fruitful co-operation that my Office enjoys with the authorities and other stakeholders from Mongolia on various levels, including the Central Asia Media conferences and other regional projects, “said Ribeiro, expressing her readiness to assist the country on any media related issue, in line with her mandate.

VIENNA/AMMAN, 25 October 2022 – Advancing security and co-operation in the Mediterranean and OSCE regions is at the heart of the 2022 OSCE Mediterranean Conference that began today in Jordan.

The conference, organized by North Macedonia as the 2022 Chair of the Mediterranean Partners Group, and hosted by the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, builds on the OSCE’s continued efforts to develop both security and dialogue with its Mediterranean Partners.

“There cannot be a safe and secure Europe without a stable and prosperous Mediterranean region. Our nations deserve to live in peace and dignity in a world ruled by international law and shared commitments. The OSCE stands ready to pursue these goals together with our Mediterranean partners,” said OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau.

“We cannot remain silent and indifferent to the current disturbing realities in the OSCE area. We have been faced with the constant degradation of European security architecture over at least a decade now. But today, a total disregard for international norms and commitments by the Russian Federation resulted in a full-scale war against Ukraine,” he underlined.

“This year’s Mediterranean Conference shall also be a turning point. While our efforts to stop the war against Ukraine fail short in the warring face of the Russian Federation, this is not time for defeatism, but active engagement. We should use this forum to reiterate the security interdependence between our neighboring regions, tackling together – constructively and in a spirit of true partnership – priorities that touch the lives of all of our citizens,” added Bujar Osmani, Minister of Foreign of North Macedonia.

“North Macedonia’s chairmanship priorities relate to the topics of discussion of the 2022 OSCE Mediterranean Conference. The empowerment of youth, women, managing the climate crisis and the fight against trafficking in human beings are issues important to all of us regardless which side of the Mediterranean we are on. We are sharing the weight of today’s uncertainty and thus we should share the burden of responsibility for active co-operation and engagement. The burden of responsibility lies with all Participating States and partners. It lies with all of us,” he added.

“We are working together in a spirit of partnership to ensure a better future for our region, which also requires that we work together to tackle crises that are continuing to impede the progress in this part of the world and have implications that not only affect us, but affect Europe as well, given that we are one neighborhood. This conference is a good opportuning for seeing how we can work together in facing those challenges, to put on the table many of the crises that continue to haunt this region, the center of which is the Palestinian Israeli conflict, which is key to peace and stability in the region, and beyond. Achieving comprehensive, just, and lasting peace on the basis of the two-state solution, is the only solution that we believe people will accept and embrace. Our efforts to find political solutions to tragic crises in Syria, Yemen, Libya, and the collective responsibility towards refugees crises, is of paramount importance to ensure the enduring defeat of terrorism, as well as to create lasting security and stability for our future generations,” emphasized Ayman Safadi, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Jordan.

“Already the Helsinki Final Act from 1975 recognised that the security of Europe and the Mediterranean are interconnected. This has only grown in the years since. We have developed a close partnership and cooperate on topics ranging from strengthening the role of youth in our societies, to combatting trafficking in human beings and women’s economic empowerment. This is truly a mutually beneficial partnership and I look forward to even deepen it in the year to come,” said OSCE Secretary General Helga Maria Schmid.

The Mediterranean Partners for Co-operation include Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia. With the OSCE, these nations are able to engage in bilateral dialogue and assistance resulting in meaningful co-operation across all three of the OSCE’s dimensions.

529500 Communication and Media Relations Section Alexandra Taylor

On 17 October, the OSCE Transnational Threats Department, in close co-operation with the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan, organized the first in a series of webinars for cadets and lecturers from the Academy of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan in Tashkent. The purpose of the initiative is to raise awareness about key trends and developments in contemporary policing among students and staff of the Academy.

As October is OSCE Cybersecurity Awareness Month, the first webinar was dedicated to the topic of countering the use of the internet for terrorist purposes. It was delivered by one OSCE expert and one national expert. Participants gained a better understanding of the current digital violent extremist ecosystem in the Central Asian region and the potential risks it represents. Speakers also outlined how to effectively respond to these challenges in a human rights compliant manner and elaborated on specific practical approaches in this area, including regulation, oversight, communication and public-private partnerships.

The event was attended by more than 120 cadets and lecturers. Nigmatov Ruftullo, Deputy Head of the Academy, underlined that we are living in a fast-changing world that requires adaptation and continuous learning. Educating young police cadets about contemporary trends in policing is crucial for the law enforcement in Uzbekistan to keep pace with socio-economic transformation of the communities they serve.

The upcoming webinars will focus on topics such as cybercrime and cyber-enabled crime, intelligence-led policing, combating gender-based violence, promoting the meaningful participation of women in policing, leveraging innovations to fight trafficking in human beings, or new and emerging threats of trafficking in illicit drugs.

529494 Munira Shoinbekova, OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe Farhod Nabiyulloev

Fifteen specialists from Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan completed a four-week regional Explosive Ordnance Disposal course (EOD level 2) at the Regional Explosive Hazards Training Centre (REHTC) of Tajikistan’s Ministry of Defence (MOD) in Chimteppa, on 21 October 2022.

The course was hosted by Tajikistan’s MOD and facilitated by the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe in partnership with the United States Army Central (USARCENT). USARCENT and the REHTC’s instructors delivered the training course.

The activity aimed to develop the competencies and enhance the qualifications of military personnel from Central Asia in detecting and identifying explosive ordnances and determining when they can be safely moved and transported to their final disposal. Other main topics covered in the course were EOD safeties; EOD recognition; EOD equipment; protective works, and personal protective equipment.  

During the closing ceremony, the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe donated transport and computer equipment to Tajikistan’s MOD.

Jukka Tuononen, Head of the OSCE Programme Office’s Politico-Military Department, noted that the role of the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement is especially significant to ensure the implementation of the project and the development of its sustainability.

Representing Tajikistan’s MOD, Major General Sayorabek Bachabekzoda, Head of the Engineering Department, said: “The OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe has been actively supporting the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Tajikistan in the implementation of the state programme on Humanitarian Mine Action since 2003 to the present day. Another priority area for co-operation between the Ministry and the OSCE is the capacity development and training of specialists and instructors in the Regional Explosive Hazards Training Center of Tajikistan’s Ministry of Defence.”

The course will sustain the training capacity within the Ministries of Defence of Central Asia to train its staff on explosive hazards and operational management resources. It will allow the Ministries to continue internal capacity development and skills transfer in their departments in Central Asia and other OSCE participating States, as per national and international standards.

VIENNA/AMMAN, 23 October 2022 - The annual OSCE Mediterranean Conference will take place on 24 and 25 October 2022 at the Dead Sea, Jordan.

This year’s conference, entitled “Advancing security and co-operation in the Mediterranean: fostering dialogue with the OSCE Mediterranean Partners for Co-operation”, is organized by North Macedonia, the current Chair of the Mediterranean Partners Group, and hosted by the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan as member of the Mediterranean Partners for Co-operation. 

OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau, Chair of the OSCE Mediterranean Partners for Co-operation, Foreign Minister of North Macedonia Bujar Osmani, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of Jordan Ayman Safadi, and OSCE Secretary General Helga Maria Schmid will address the conference.

The conference will cover topics such as the role of youth, challenges caused by climate change, the trafficking of human beings and women’s economic empowerment.

The Mediterranean Partners for Co-operation, together with the OSCE and its participating States, engage in sustained dialogue and concrete co-operation across all three of the OSCE’s dimensions, the politico-military; the economic and environmental; and the human dimensions.

ZURICH, 21 October 2022 – Valiant Richey, OSCE Special Representative for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, concluded his three-day visit to Switzerland today. He commended the country’s multi-stakeholder and multi-disciplinary approach to anti-trafficking through cantonal roundtables. He also emphasized the need to step up identification and assistance to all victims of trafficking and boost prevention measures, particularly those related to the misuse of technology.   

During his visit, Richey met with the President of the State Council of Geneva and the President of the Swiss Delegation to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, convened roundtables in Geneva and Zurich. Anticipating the new National Action Plan, Richey drew attention to the need for more targeted measures to prevent trafficking of women in prostitution, address the increasing pattern of sexual exploitation of children online, and tackle labour exploitation in business supply chains.

“Switzerland has mobilized departments across government to combat human trafficking, but the challenge remains huge.  Attention to long-term assistance to victims, tackling the demand that fosters sexual and labour exploitation, and addressing the misuse of technology should be priorities,” the Special Representative stressed. “The new National Action Plan can be leveraged to bring strategic attention to these issues.”

The Special Representative also noted numerous good practices including addressing domestic servitude in diplomatic households, increased attention of the financial intelligence unit to trafficking-related financial transactions, identification of trafficking victims during asylum procedure, and co-operation with civil society organizations.

Richey also met with members of the Federal Police, Swiss Security Network, State Secretariat for Economic Affairs, State Secretariat for Migration, Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, Financial Intelligence Unit, and Office of the “Amiables Compositeurs”. In Bern, Richey held a thematic roundtable on human trafficking and cybercrime where he discussed increasing trend of technology-facilitated human trafficking. Richey also consulted with anti-trafficking NGOs providing victim assistance through cantonal roundtables.

Gilles Roduit, Deputy Head of Peace and Human Rights Division at the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, said, “The country visit has allowed us to take advantage of the OSCE's expert view at Switzerland’s strategies against trafficking in persons. At the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, we are committed to promoting international diplomatic efforts at all levels to combat trafficking of forcibly displaced persons, migrants, as well as civilians in armed conflict.”

The Special Representative conducts multiple country visits each year to help increase the capacity of OSCE participating States to address human trafficking, share recommendations for further action, and collect best practices for fighting this heinous crime.