Central Europe

529446 OSCE Centre in Ashgabat

A grand opening of a Cybersecurity Centre of Excellence took place on 21 October 2022 at the Institute of Telecommunications and Informatics in Ashgabat.

The OSCE Centre in Ashgabat initiated the establishment of the Centre of Excellence to support the host government’s efforts aimed at strengthening the country's cyber/ICT security and assist the Institute of Telecommunications and Informatics to take lead in preventing and countering cyberthreats.

High-level representatives of Turkmenistan’s Ministry of Education and Institute of Telecommunications and Informatics as well as teachers and students of the Institute attended the inauguration ceremony.

In his speech during the grand opening, John MacGregor, Head of the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat referred to 2013 and 2016 Decisions of the OSCE Permanent Council regarding “Confidence-Building Measures to Reduce the Risks of Conflict Stemming from the Use of Information and Communication Technologies”.

“The OSCE participating States pledged to work voluntarily to facilitate co-operation among competent national bodies and between participating States in promoting security of their information and communication technologies,” said MacGregor.

“Turkmenistan demonstrated its commitment to these important decisions by adopting state programmes for ensuring cybersecurity for 2017-2021 and 2022-2025, passing the Law on Cybersecurity and establishing Cybersecurity Service”, added MacGregor.

During the inauguration ceremony, the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat officially handed over state-of-the-art equipment to the Institute of Telecommunications and Informatics, which will enable the Centre of Excellence to engage in research work, initiate new projects and training activities on cyber threats and cybersecurity issues for both public and private sector cyber specialists.

“It is symbolic that the Centre of Excellence is inaugurated during the OSCE’s Cybersecurity Awareness Month,” noted MacGregor. “The OSCE Centre will continue to support the Cybersecurity Centre of Excellence by assisting the Centre of Excellence to provide a platform for sharing world practices in cybersecurity, countering cyber threats and cyberattacks.”

“The opening of the Center of Excellence on Cyber Security at the Institute of Telecommunications and Informatics demonstrates the effectiveness of Turkmenistan's co-operation with the OSCE,” said Azat Atayev, Deputy Minister of Education. “I am confident that this Center will serve as a platform for sharing experience and capacity building of teachers in cybersecurity technologies, and will become a generator of new solutions for information security.”

529407 Communication and Media Relations Section Alexandra Taylor

Law enforcement representatives from the General Prosecutor’s Office, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the State Security Service of Uzbekistan attended an OSCE training course on cryptocurrencies and Dark Web investigations in Tashkent from 17 to 21 October. The course was organized by the OSCE Transnational Threats Department 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.

Participants learned about the main concepts and key trends in the areas of internetworking, anonymity and encryption, cryptocurrencies, obfuscation techniques, Dark Web, and Tor networks. They also practiced approaches and methods for cryptocurrency seizing, blockchain analysis, and searching on the Dark Web. The course was based on materials developed by the European Cybercrime Training and Education Group (ECTEG).

Prior to the event, Erkin Yuldashev, Deputy General Prosecutor of Uzbekistan, and Hans-Ulrich Ihm, Acting OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan, officially inaugurated a new computer classroom donated to the General Prosecutor’s Academy by the OSCE.

Evgeniy Kolenko, Head of the Academy, said: “Digital technologies have been transforming criminal landscape and educating law enforcement in this area requires a long-term and systematic approach. Our Academy aspires to become the leading institution on cybercrime education for the criminal justice actors in Uzbekistan”.

Gayrat Musaev, Head of the Academy’s Department for Implementation of Information and Communication Technologies and Information Security, added: “Cybercrime education requires adequate equipment – both hardware and software – and up-to-date methodological materials for lecturers. The new Dark Web Lab that we inaugurated today provides an excellent technical basis for our future training”.

The course was the first national training in Uzbekistan delivered within the second phase of the “Capacity Building on Combating Cybercrime in Central Asia” extra-budgetary project, which is funded by the United States of America, Germany, and the Republic of Korea. National training activities will continue across the region throughout 2022 and 2023.

529386

The 2022 Aarhus Centres Annual Meeting was held in Vienna and online on 19 and 20 October 2022. The meeting focused on the role of Aarhus Centres in strengthening peace and security, their new Strategy and Action Plan, and on the contribution of the Centres to sustainable development.

The Annual Meetings aim to discuss and strengthen the involvement of the Aarhus Centres in promoting good environmental governance in various fields, to share experiences and lessons learnt from their work, and to identify new priorities. The Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities organizes the annual meeting, with representatives from Aarhus Centres, National Focal Points to the Aarhus Convention, representatives of non-governmental organizations, international organizations and OSCE field operations.

The 2022 OSCE Polish Chairmanship and the incoming 2023 Macedonian Chairmanship expressed support for the Meeting, stressing relevance of the Aarhus Centres’ contribution to strengthening good environmental governance in the OSCE area and supporting the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

During the opening of the meeting, the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities Igli Hasani highlighted the role of the Centres in assisting countries across the OSCE area to tackle complex environmental challenges in times of conflict and increased security risks.

Marco Keiner, Director of the Environment Division at United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), which hosts the Aarhus Convention Secretariat, underlined how the Aarhus Centres network matured over the years and continues to provide an instrumental platform for governments, communities and business in finding sustainable solutions to environmental challenges.

Noting the Aarhus Convention’s role in increasing accountability and transparency, the Special Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office on Combating Corruption Anita Ramasastry emphasised that the Aarhus Centres serve to promote open, inclusive and resilient governance in the environmental sphere.

The second day of the Meeting was dedicated to a capacity-building workshop on effective fundraising strategies and tools, highlighting best practices and experiences from the Aarhus Centres in terms of environmental and organizational sustainability.

For more information about the OSCE supported Aarhus Centres, please see the webpage: Aarhus Centres | OSCE Aarhus

For more information on OCEEA’s work on good environmental governance, please see:

• Factsheet on the Aarhus Centres
• Updated Guidelines on Gender Mainstreaming in Aarhus Centres Activities
• The ESPOO Convention – selected elements in pictures

529398

On October 20th 2022, the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities (OCEEA), in partnership with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) conducted a two-day expert roundtable to launch a new extra-budgetary project on fighting money laundering activities carried out via virtual assets and cryptocurrencies. The event is part of the extra-budgetary project on “innovative policy solutions to mitigate money laundering risks of virtual assets” funded by the United States and Germany.

More than 20 experts and practitioners from relevant law enforcement and financial institutions of Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine discussed issues related to the risks posed by the use of virtual assets for criminal purposes and circumvention of international sanctions regimes. Participants also shared and discussed the needs and priorities of participating agencies and project beneficiaries, as well as project essentials and upcoming capacity-building activities.

“Through this project, the OSCE, together with our partners from UNODC, aims to support national authorities of Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine in building capacities to counter threats posed by money laundering to national, regional, and worldwide security and stability, as well as foster international and inter-agency co-operation in this area,” said Ambassador Igli Hasani, Coordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities.

“We are committed to continuing our work to support governments in preventing criminals from laundering their proceeds. UNODC and OSCE have already conducted several joint activities on countering online drug trade, money laundering and related crimes, and this new project is an excellent example of our continuous co-operation in this field”, said Alan Cole, Chief of Border Management Branch at UNODC.

Željka Šulc The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina welcomes the appointment of the new Chief Prosecutor of the Prosecutor’s Office of BiH by the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council. We trust that the Chief Prosecutor will demonstrate clear and resounding commitment to ensuring the resilience, transparency, independence, professionalism, and effectiveness of the BiH judiciary. The Chief Prosecutor must ensure that the Prosecutor’s Office of BiH has the capacity and resources to address current and future challenges to the country’s stability, progress, and security, including by fighting impunity for organized crime, corruption, and war crimes. The Mission remains a committed and steadfast partner to BiH judicial institutions in their efforts to ensure justice and preserve fundamental human rights.   

ŁÓDŹ, 20 October 2022 – Increasing societal resilience to cyber threats through enhanced public awareness and education is the focus of the OSCE’S annual cyber/ICT security conference held on 20 and 21 October in Łódź, Poland.

“The organization of the OSCE conference on cyber security is now more important than ever. All the more that malicious cyber activity is an integral part of the Russian aggression against Ukraine,” said OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau. “The sophistication of malicious cyber activities, together with the deteriorating security situation make it more important than ever to build and sustain cyber resilience,” he added.

“The emphasis of this conference is on building societal resilience – and this is vital. Raising public awareness of cyber threats is an urgent task for every one of our participating States,” said OSCE Secretary General Helga Maria Schmid. “As our dependence on digital products grows, we must strengthen public knowledge of the risks and how to mitigate them.”

Over the two days, a range of national representatives, experts from both the public and private sectors, NGOs and academia will convene for sessions on the multifaceted approaches to combatting threats in cyberspace. The sessions will consist of panel debates followed by questions and comments from the audience.

Cyberspace is a crucial part of the OSCE’s comprehensive approach to security. With a constantly looming threat from both state and non-state actors, the need for cyber/ICT security for all participating States and their respective citizens has never been more evident. Accordingly, the OSCE will continue to prioritise co-operation in cyber/ICT security at all levels. 

529311 Marina Živaljević

Forensic centres in the Western Balkans have committed to use OSCE best practices in development of handbooks to further improve regional co-operation and help countries meet international standards in the exchange of forensic data.

This was a conclusion from the seventh regional conference of forensic centres, organized by the Forensic Centre of Montenegro, supported by the OSCE Mission to Montenegro, on 20 and 21 October in Budva.

Around 15 experts and heads of forensic laboratories from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia participated in the conference that focused on practical application of information technologies in digital forensics.

The event was an opportunity for Otabek Rashidov, Programme Officer in the OSCE Secretariat’s Action against Terrorism Unit, to present the training materials on Requesting E-evidence Across Borders, developed by the OSCE and UNODC and other international organizations based on the related Practical Guide. Participants agreed that the document can serve as an example for the countries of the Western Balkan region to develop a regional handbook for working with digital evidence, as well as instructions for the regional exchange of forensic data.

Siv-Katrine Leirtroe, Deputy Head of the Mission, stated that the OSCE is strongly committed to support intelligence-led policing, in particular in the fight against organized crime and in promoting regional co-operation. “Since 2008, the OSCE Mission has been a partner and active supporter of the Forensic Centre, which, through its concerted efforts has evolved into a regional hub. Active co-operation and networking is crucial, as transnational crime does not recognise borders. Forensic investigations play an increasingly important role in securing hard evidence in establishing proof beyond a reasonable doubt in criminal trials,” said Leirtroe.

Aleksandar Ivanović, Director of the Forensic Centre and member of the board of the European Association of Forensic Science Institutions, said that regional co-operation in forensic examination, research, analysis and expertise is crucial not only for the work of the police and the judiciary, but also for states themselves. “The aim of this conference is for the countries of the region to harmonize their forensic procedures when investigating and solving crime, especially in relation to technological crime,” said Ivanović.

One of the expected outcomes of the seventh regional forensic conference is for the respective forensic institutions in the region to sign an agreement on co-operation.

529278

The XV Annual Prosecutorial Symposium took place from 17-20 October 2022 in Neum, gathering over 200 prosecutors and other criminal justice professionals around different panel discussions on criminal matters. 

Šeila Heljić, President of the FBiH Association of Prosecutors said, “The Annual Prosecutorial Symposium has become one of the most important training opportunities for prosecutors and other criminal justice professionals. The symposium and the panels provide participants with insight in the present state in this field and enable exchange of experiences.  Continuous training is of crucial importance for enhancing the capacity of criminal justice sector, including to effectively process the THB related cases and war crimes cases.”  

The OSCE Mission to BiH supported organization of two panel discussions for prosecutors and experts, one on war crimes case processing and another on trafficking in human beings (THB). 

During the war crimes panel, jointly organized with HJPC Project “Enhancing war crimes case processing in BiH – IPA 2019” and the Mission’s EU-funded War Crimes Monitoring Project, a particular focus was placed on war crimes case processing in prosecutor’s offices, particularly in relation to an overview of and perspectives on implementation of the Revised National War Crimes Processing Strategy and relevant recommendations from the 2020 report by Judge Joanna Korner, QC. In addition, the peer-to-peer sessions delved into also issues in war crimes processing related to prosecutorial investigations, the presentation of the indictment, and appeals, as well as support and protection to witnesses in war crimes cases.

The panel on combating trafficking in human beings was jointly supported by the OSCE Mission to BiH, the International Organization for Migration, the Council of Europe, and International Forum of Solidarity-Emmaus.

“By organizing a panel on combating trafficking in human beings as a part of the Annual Prosecutorial Symposium, we marked the European Day against trafficking in human beings, underlining the role of criminal justice professionals in ensuring that victims are heard, recognized and taken seriously”, said Boris Topic, National Anti-Trafficking Officer at the OSCE Mission to BiH.

529266 Farhod Nabiyulloev Munira Shoinbekova, OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe

A two-day International High-Level Conference on “International and Regional Border Security and Management Cooperation to Counter Terrorism and Prevent the Movement of Terrorists” concluded on 19 October in Dushanbe, Tajikistan.

The conference was co-organized by the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan, the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT), the United Nations Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia (UNRCCA), the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and the European Union (EU), with the support of the State of Qatar and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. 

The President of the Republic of Tajikistan, H.E. Mr. Emomali Rahmon, opened the event. The President of the Republic of Tajikistan, H.E. Mr. Emomali Rahmon, stressed that “taking into account the complex situation in the region, the Government of Tajikistan pays special attention to the continuous strengthening of the state border protection and takes necessary measures to prevent the movement of terrorist fighters, drug and arms trafficking and other transnational organized crimes”.

Opening followed by a video messages from H.E. António Guterres, United Nations Secretary-General, and H.E Helga Maria Schmid, OSCE Secretary General, in which she stated: “In recent years, cross-border and other security threats have become increasingly more complex, and challenges multiply at a dizzying pace. No state can tackle threats like transnational organized crime, trafficking in human beings, terrorism or drug-trafficking alone. Greater co- operation both at regional and international levels is imperative”. 

The OSCE Co-ordinator of Activities to Address Transnational Threats, Ambassador Alena Kupchyna, attended the Conference in person throughout the two days as well. Ambassador Kupchyna said: "We support regional co-operation to create preparedness and build trust in countering transnational threats while protecting humanrights". 

Presenting the Co-Chair’s Summary of the Conference, the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Counter-Terrorism, Mr. Voronkov thanked the Government of Tajikistan for hosting. He commended the engagement of its over 900 participants that led to fruitful deliberations. 

Acting Head of the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe Tea Jaliashvili addressed participants of the Conference and also opened the conference Side Event on “Behavioural Insights to Counter Terrorism: Applying Behavioural Techniques for Securing Borders”. In her remarks, she drew attention to the criticality of strengthening cooperation between government, law enforcement and civil society when countering terrorism and violent extremism within border security and management, and applying OSCE’s comprehensive approach to security. “Only by applying comprehensive and constructive – hard and soft – measures to counter-terrorism and border security management involving both government and civil society actors, results are achieved,” added Jaliashvili.

This Conference is part of the “Dushanbe Process” launched in May 2018, when the first High- Level International Conference of the process on "Countering Terrorism and Preventing Violent Extremism" (Dushanbe, 3-4 May 2018) was jointly convened in partnership with the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan, UN entities, the OSCE and the EU. The UNOCT High-Level Conference of the process on “International and Regional Cooperation on Countering Terrorism and its Financing Through Illicit Drug Trafficking and Organized Crime” was convened on 16-17 May 2019 in Dushanbe.

Opening of High-Level Conference on “International and Regional Border Security and Management Cooperation to Counter Terrorism and Prevent the Movement of Terrorists” | OSCE

Conference on border security and management, counter-terrorism, to take place in Dushanbe | OSCE 

VIENNA, 19 October 2022 – Following the invitation by the government of the Republic of Armenia, the OSCE will send a needs assessment team to the country on 21-27 October.

The purpose of the visit is to assess the situation in certain border areas, on the basis of the OSCE’s mandate and expertise within its comprehensive concept of security.

The technical team comprised of international experts and representatives of the OSCE Secretariat will visit areas along the Armenian-Azerbaijani border and hold consultations with the relevant national and local stakeholders as well as international partners on the ground.

A three-day train-the-trainer course focused on furthering the skills of officials from Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) to disrupt terrorist groups through the application of financial techniques concluded on 19 October 2022 in Vienna. The OSCE Transnational Threats Department organized this initiative as part of an ongoing training programme on countering terrorist financing, in co-operation with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), and with the support of the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The team of eight trainers from the Ministry of Security of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the BiH Prosecutor’s Office, the State Investigation and Protection Agency, the Ministry of Interior of the Federation of BiH, the Ministry of Interior of Republika Srpska, and Brčko District Police tailored the training material, including an elaborate exercise scenario, to the local context together with OSCE expert trainers. The inter-agency team additionally prepared the delivery of this course, which examined the terrorist groups ‘business model’ and presented tools to design appropriate disruption strategies.

Ivana Veselčić, Assistant Minister at the Ministry of Security of Bosnia and Herzegovina,  addressed the group during the opening session and reiterated the important role the OSCE plays in countering terrorist financing in the country. She highlighted the ongoing support in the process of developing risk assessment on money laundering and terrorist financing, the drafting of the Law on the Prevention of Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing, awareness raising on prevention of abuse of non-profit sector for terrorist financing, as well as regional co-operation in the implementation of financial sanctions.

The train-the-trainer module is part of the OSCE-UNODC multi-year training programme on countering terrorist financing for Bosnia and Herzegovina, funded by the United States of America, which aims to increase the capacity of local beneficiaries to detect and combat terrorist financing, and strengthen compliance with international commitments and standards in this area. These include relevant UN Security Council Resolutions, the Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering (FATF)’s standards, UN norms and OSCE commitments that promote human rights-based approaches in countering terrorist financing. ​

529185 Office of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Ton van den Brandt

The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media (RFoM), Teresa Ribeiro, met today, 18 October 2022, with Ambassador Mihaela Mocanu to discuss the areas in which the RFoM’s institution can provide assistance to Moldova.

Ribeiro and Mocanu discussed, among other things, the challenges posed by disinformation and “fake news” and their effects on media freedom, including the importance of maintaining the enabling media environment as one of the crucial elements to address the issues.  

Ribeiro and Mocanu agreed to engage in further discussions about the prospects of co-operation and a possible visit of the RFoM to Moldova.   

ASTANA, 19 October 2022 – The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) today opened an election observation mission for the 20 November early presidential election in Kazakhstan, following an official invitation from the national authorities and in accordance with its mandate.

The mission is headed by Urszula Gacek and consists of a core team of 11 international experts based in Astana and 30 long-term observers, who will be deployed throughout the country from 26 October. ODIHR also plans to request 300 short-term observers, to arrive several days before election day. 

The mission will assess the conduct of the election for its compliance with OSCE commitments and other international obligations and standards for democratic elections, as well as with national legislation.

Observers will closely monitor all aspects of the election such as the conduct of the campaign including on social networks, the work of the election administration at all levels, election-related legislation and its implementation, respect for fundamental freedoms, media coverage and election dispute resolution. They will also assess the implementation of previous ODIHR election recommendations.

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

On election day, the ODIHR mission will observe the opening of polling stations, voting, the counting of ballots and the tabulation of results.

An interim report will be published approximately two weeks prior to the election to update the public and the media on the observation mission’s activities. The day after the election, a statement of preliminary findings and conclusions will be presented at a press conference. A final report with an assessment of the entire election process and recommendations will be published some months after the elections.

The ODIHR election observation mission and the OSCE Programme Office in Astana operate independently under their separate mandates. For further information on ODIHR’s election observation activities in the country, please visit: https://www.osce.org/odihr/elections/kazakhstan.

DUSHANBE, 18 October 2022 – The International High-Level Conference on “International and Regional Border Security and Management Cooperation to Counter Terrorism and Prevent the Movement of Terrorists” opened today in Dushanbe, Tajikistan.

This two-day conference is co-organized by the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan, the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT), the United Nations Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia (UNRCCA), the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and the European Union (EU), with the support of the State of Qatar and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The conference is aimed at promoting international cooperation to improve border and customs controls in order to prevent and detect the movement of terrorists, including foreign terrorist fighters (FTFs), illicit trafficking of small arms and light weapons, conventional ammunition and explosives, nuclear, chemical, biological or radiological weapons and materials.

The conference will further support the implementation of additional measures on border security and management, criminal justice, and information sharing in accordance with international humanitarian law, international human rights law and international refugee law. The High-Level Opening Session is being attended in person by over 700 participants, including government ministers and other senior officials from the Central Asia region and abroad.

The President of the Republic of Tajikistan, H.E. Mr. Emomali Rahmon, stressed that “taking into account the complex situation in the region, the Government of Tajikistan pays special attention to the continuous strengthening of the state border protection and takes necessary measures to prevent the movement of terrorist fighters, drug and arms trafficking and other transnational organized crimes”.

The Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr. António Guterres, said in a video message that transnational threats such as terrorism demand – by their very nature – coordinated solutions and multilateral cooperation. “And they require us to collectively look deeper to fully recognize and tackle the root causes and grievances that provide fertile ground for radicalisation. The United Nations is committed to working hand in hand with you on this vital undertaking,” he added.

“In recent years, cross-border and other security threats have become increasingly more complex, and challenges multiply at a dizzying pace. No state can tackle threats like transnational organized crime, trafficking in human beings, terrorism or drug-trafficking alone. Greater co- operation both at regional and international levels is imperative,” said OSCE Secretary General Ms. Helga Maria Schmid in her video message.

“Comprehensive and integrated border management is important to prevent and counter the threat of terrorism. To fight terrorism, a strong multilateral framework – with the United Nations at its core – remains essential. As a co-chair of the Global Counter Terrorism Forum, the EU will share its experience and approach, fully compliant with human rights law, humanitarian law, and refugee law,” stressed European Union High Representative of the for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Mr. Josep Borrell Fontelles.

“Countering and preventing terrorism is a complex task, but we can succeed if we work together. This Conference will help us to reflect on existing challenges, identify solutions, and chart a way forward to strengthen our cooperation to counter terrorism and prevent the cross- border movement of terrorists,” United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Counter-Terrorism, Mr. Voronkov added.

This Conference is part of the “Dushanbe Process” launched in May 2018, when the first High- Level International Conference of the process on "Countering Terrorism and Preventing Violent Extremism" (Dushanbe, 3-4 May 2018) was jointly convened in partnership with the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan, UN entities, the OSCE and the EU. The UNOCT High-Level Conference of the process on “International and Regional Cooperation on Countering Terrorism and its Financing Through Illicit Drug Trafficking and Organized Crime” was convened on 16-17 May 2019 in Dushanbe.

528978 Marina Živaljević

Working with the Association of Youth with Disabilities, the OSCE Mission to Montenegro launched a campaign to inform over 1,000 persons people deprived of their legal right to vote in elections.

The campaign includes two video spots, broadcasting on national and local television channels in advance of the municipal elections on 23 October.

Dominique Waag, Head of Mission, noted that OSCE participating States are committed to protect the human rights of persons with disabilities and to promote their participation in decision-making processes, including elections. “It is vital to ensure the participation of persons with disabilities in political, public and social life,” said Ambassador Waag.

Marina Vujačić, executive director of the Association of Youth with Disabilities, said that persons with disabilities, who are legally incapacitated, often are not aware that they have the right to vote in elections. “For this reason, we developed a campaign to inform them as well as all actors in the electoral process that people with disabilities have the right to vote independently in elections. Election management bodies must ensure everyone can vote, and political parties should affirm the voices of people with disabilities in elections and ensure their participation,” said Vujačić.

This campaign is part of Mission’s activities to strengthen the institutional capacity of the State Election Commission. The Commission recently amended its secondary legislation to ensure that people with disabilities can vote independently and in secret.

Video spot 1 - Facebook

Video spot 2 – Facebook.

528924

On 17 October, the OSCE Presence in Albania and the Central Election Commission (CEC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding to intensify co-operation for advancing CEC’s capacities to carry out its work in line with OSCE/ODIHR recommendations and best international standards.

“This document is a symbol of a strong and continued co-operation between the OSCE Presence and the CEC. The CEC has been one of the key and most trusted partners of the Presence for years, and therefore support to Central Election Commission has been among our top priorities throughout my term. The three letters of the CEC should read Consistency, Efficiency and Credibility,” the Head of Presence, Ambassador Vincenzo Del Monaco, said at the signing event. He added that an impartial, capacitated and well-equipped electoral administration is crucial for the integrity of the electoral processes. “In this context, the Presence stands ready to assist the CEC in facing any challenges for the preparation and management of the 2023 local elections,” he said.

In the framework of the broader electoral reform, Ambassador Del Monaco highlighted that the Presence values the resuming of activity of the ad hoc parliamentary committee on Electoral Reform, and encouraged it to address the outstanding OSCE/ODIHR recommendations through a broadly consulted process. He said that, from a technical point of view and based on international best practices, time is getting increasingly short for substantive legal changes to be applicable to the upcoming elections.

State Election Commissioner Ilirjan Celibashi expressed his gratitude to the OSCE Presence, thanking Ambassador Del Monaco for his commitment and continued support to the CEC. “We have entered an important stage in the institutional relations between the CEC and the OSCE Presence, and today’s MoU testifies to our bilateral co-operation to date. I believe that we will keep the same level of co-operation in the future. We still have a lot to do; the local government elections are very close, so the support of the OSCE Presence, as one of our key partners, has a role to play in the good administration of the electoral process,” Celibashi said.

The agreement signed today establishes a strong foundation to move forward with tangible actions and interventions in a number of key areas. These include support to the CEC to address OSCE/ODIHR’s recommendations and those stemming from the Albanian Assembly’s resolutions; enhancing its expertise for the administration of elections including on training and voter outreach capacities; and joining forces in facilitating the co-ordination of international assistance on electoral matters.

In line with its mandate, throughout the years, the OSCE Presence in Albania has provided continued support to the Albanian authorities, with the aim of facilitating consensual, timely and inclusive electoral reform processes, as well as offering technical assistance on improving the administration of elections.

ASTANA, 17 October 2022 – Observers from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) will hold a press conference on the opening of the observation mission to the forthcoming early presidential election in Kazakhstan on Wednesday, 19 October.

What: 

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

Who: 

• Ambassador Urszula Gacek, Head of the ODIHR observation mission

When: 

• 15:00 local time (GMT +6) on 19 October 2022

Where:

• Hotel Radisson, Saryarka Ave 4, Astana, Room Saryarka 3, 1st floor

Registration:

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

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

Media Contact: 

Ružica Jovanović, Media Analyst: ruzica.jovanovic@odihr.kz  or  +7 701 387 33 40

528903

OSCE Secretary General Helga Maria Schmid launched the first OSCE Women’s Peace Leadership Programme today. Participants from all over the OSCE region and beyond, including Ukraine and Afghanistan – high-level women mentors and women leaders selected as mentees – participated in the event.

In her opening remarks, the Secretary General stressed that supporting women’s leadership in peace and mediation, peacebuilding and conflict resolution remains one of her key priorities.

“Despite being on the frontlines, addressing the consequences of conflict and helping to build peace, women are too often excluded from or marginalized in peace discussions. I launched the OSCE Women’s Peace Leadership Programme to support women’s agency in peace processes at all levels. Their contributions are essential and need to be fully recognized.”

“Particularly in times of deep crisis, we need to do our utmost to ensure that women are at the decision-making table. Conflicts have differential impacts on men and women. Given that women make up half the population, bringing their experience and unique perspectives to the table is crucial for building sustainable peace. The Leadership Programme is a concrete and much needed initiative to implement the OSCE’s commitment to gender equality, by increasing the visibility of experienced women mediators and peacebuilders and empowering the next generations of women.”

The OSCE Women’s Peace Leadership Programme is the flagship activity of the OSCE Networking Platform for Women Leaders, including peacebuilders and mediators. The Platform was launched by the Secretary General in December 2021. It aims at increasing networking opportunities for women mediators and peacebuilders and providing a safe space for them to learn, share best practices, and build connections. 

This innovative one-year Leadership Programme will run from October 2022 to October 2023. It will empower the women peacebuilders through capacity building activities, networking opportunities, and peer-to-peer exchanges and mentoring.

The Programme is a part of the multi-year project WIN for Women and Men on strengthening comprehensive security through innovating and networking for gender equality.

528768 Marina Živaljević

On 14 October, Head of the OSCE Mission to Montenegro, Dominique Waag, visited the Police Academy in Danilovgrad and met with its acting director Vladimir Stanišić. The meeting discussed challenges that the Academy faces and possibilities for future co-operation.

Ambassador Waag said that the Police Academy has the most important role in providing police education and professional shaping of future police staff. “I especially praise the role of the Academy in increasing the number of women cadets, thus contributing to increasing the overall number of women in the police service, and help better meet the needs of the society,” said Ambassador Waag.

She was interested in how the Academy will increase the number of recruited cadets, especially having in mind that the number of retired police officers is usually higher than number of enrolled students in the Academy. “The Mission is strongly supporting the Police Directorate in police professionalization and enhancing police officers’ capacities in various fields. An e-learning platform will be launched soon. The Mission will adjust its support in order to better meet the needs of the police cadets, based on the coordination process between these two institutions,” said Ambassador Waag.

Acting director Stanišić said that the number and quality of teaching staff needs to be improved through future joint co-operation, in order to meet the requirements defined by the Law on General Education. He added that technical capacities of the Academy also need to be improved in meeting the increased training needs for officers from the Ministry of Interior and the Police Directorate.

Speaking about the international co-operation, Stanišić expressed special gratitude to the Head of the OSCE Mission for the previous support to the Academy, through professional and specialist training courses, donations and study visits.

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The second executive committee of the project “Assisting the national authorities of the Republic of Albania to decrease the risk of weapon proliferation and misuse of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW)” was gathered in Tirana on 14 October 2022. The project is implemented by the OSCE Presence in Albania, thanks to the financial support of the European Union, Germany and France.

Members from OSCE Forum for Security Co-operation Support Unit in the OSCE Secretariat, donor representatives, officials of the Ministry of Interior, Albanian State Police and other relevant partner institutions discussed project achievements and future plans.

Opening the meeting, Head of Presence, Ambassador Vincenzo Del Monaco, said: “The real work starts from the willingness and the concrete engagement of the government authorities to make peaceful societies. And I recognize, fully, both the engagement and the willingness of the Albanian authorities. Our role as OSCE has been and continues to be standing up to the task to contribute in taking this positive will forward, by choosing the proper way to do it. And we chose it together.”

Deputy Minister of Interior Besfort Lamallari said that the fight against organized crime and the improvement of order and public security in Albania remain strategic priorities for the Government of Albania. “The support of our partners is extremely valuable in accelerating the pace of reforms that Albania has undertaken with the aim of joining the great European family as soon as possible,” he added.