Central Europe

NEW YORK CITY, 23 September 2022 – OSCE Secretary General Helga Maria Schmid concluded her visit to New York City today, where she attended the high-level meeting and the general debate of the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly.

Throughout the week, she met with senior officials from the United Nations and OSCE participating States in order to strengthen co-operation in the face of security challenges across the OSCE region – not least Russia’s war against Ukraine. Enhanced co-operation to address challenges to regional and global security was at the center of her meeting with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.  

Secretary General Schmid reiterated the OSCE’s commitment to strengthening the long-standing and fruitful cooperation with the UN to address the complex security challenges facing our region and the world.

“It is so important that we work with the UN and its agencies to co-ordinate our efforts. We each bring unique strengths and expertise, and this co-operation ensures that we can work efficiently and effectively for the benefit of all affected by security challenges – whether traditional conflict or terrorism, climate change, human trafficking, or sexual violence. Security means putting people first,” said Schmid.

Secretary General Schmid also met with Ministers from participating States and officials from other international and regional organizations to discuss how best to tackle a broad range of challenges to security, including Russia’s war against Ukraine, border disputes, terrorism, climate change and environmental degradation, human trafficking, sexual violence, and more.

Schmid also participated in side-events on sexual violence in conflict, avoiding humanitarian crises through mediation, and human trafficking and sexual exploitation in the context of the war against Ukraine.

ERGNETI, 23 September 2022 - The 108th Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM) was held today in Ergneti, under the co-facilitation of Ambassador Marek Szczygieł, Head of the EU Monitoring Mission in Georgia (EUMM) and Ambassador Viorel Moşanu, Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office for the South Caucasus.

The EUMM and OSCE representatives commended the commitment of the participants to the IPRM. The co-facilitators welcomed the temporary openings of crossing points during the Lomisoba religious celebrations in June and in late August. They also assessed as a positive step the announcements that temporary openings of two crossing points would continue during the last ten days of each month until December 2022, reiterating their calls for the full resumption of freedom of movement across the administrative boundary line (ABL) for the benefit of local communities. The co-facilitators took note of the participants’ readiness to consider further steps in this regard. They pointed to the situation of the conflict-affected population, highlighting how women, children and elderly were facing particular challenges.

Ambassadors Szczygieł and Moşanu commended the recent release of detainees and urged a humanitarian approach towards resolution of existing detention cases.

IPRM participants discussed additional issues that negatively impact the lives and livelihoods of the population living along the ABL, including access to education, continued ‘borderisation’ activities, as well as access to irrigation and drinking water, a problem aggravated by the dry summer season. In this regard, the co-facilitators stressed the importance of the EUMM-managed Hotline to facilitate the exchange of information on irrigation and maintain regular communication.

The co-facilitators encouraged all participants to commit to a non-confrontational behaviour with regard to any security developments along the ABL, while highlighting the need for continuation of the effective use of the Hotline to defuse tensions and build confidence among the IPRM participants.

The participants agreed to convene the next regular meeting on 10 November 2022.

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On 23 September 2022, the Second International Tashkent Anti-Corruption Forum was organized by the Anti-Corruption Agency of the Republic of Uzbekistan in co-operation with the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan (PCUz) and the Prosecutor General’s Office of Uzbekistan.

More than 140 participants (35% women and 65% men), including experts from 12 countries and 14 international organizations discussed in the capital of Uzbekistan the openness and transparency as an effective mechanism for fighting corruption, the formation of an effective assessment of corruption risks, and the role of education in fight against corruption.

The participants touched upon the essence and features of anti-corruption reforms on the example of different countries and best practices. The host parties brought to the attention of the international community the results of reforms carried out in the Republic of Uzbekistan in the field of combating corruption.

Expected result of the event is to draft proposals and recommendations for the development of an anti-corruption policy and new anti-corruption tools based on international best practices.

In order to use open data towards state efforts on combating corruption, the PCUz within its activities to promote preventing and combating corruption through digitalization and increased transparency collaborated with the International Open Data Charter (ODC) to conduct an open-data mapping exercise and issue recommendations for anti-corruption open data policies and practices implementation based on the exercise. This includes the evaluation of the status of anti-corruption data via the mapping exercise to produce a set of recommendations for datasets to be opened. These recommendations were developed for the Anti-Corruption Agency of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

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On 23 September 2022, the Office of the Co-ordinator of the OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities (OCEEA) participated in the Second Tashkent Anti-Corruption Forum, organized by the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) of the Republic of Uzbekistan, jointly with international partner organizations. The event gathered more than 100 participants representing national and foreign anti-corruption authorities, civil-society organizations and other stakeholders to discuss transparency and integrity measures in the public sector, assessing anti-corruption risks, as well as anti-corruption education.

OCEEA representatives briefed participants on the support provided by the Office to anti-corruption reforms in the country, including in legislation on public sector transparency and integrity and capacity building of civil servants on open data. OCEEA presented the Open Data E-learning Platform, an important milestone in training civil servants on the use and analysis of open data in support of anti-corruption work. The Platform, developed through OSCE support and launched this week, allows the continuous training of civil servants responsible for data management in public administration.

"The government data once opened to the public and civil society organizations for re-use and re-publication becomes an important tool for the efficient public oversight of governmental activities. Publicly available government data also brings additional benefits to the country’s economy by stimulating businesses that use the data to develop their digital products and contribute to improving the business climate. Taking into account all these factors, this creates a win-win situation for governments, businesses and society as a whole,” said Igli Hasani, the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities in his remarks at the plenary session of the Forum.

The project activities and the development of the E-learning Platform were in line with the implementation of a Memorandum of Understanding between OCEEA and the ACA, which was signed in November 2021, and organized in the framework of the extra-budgetary project "Promoting good governance and a positive business climate in the OSCE region through digitalization and the use of open data" funded by the United States and Poland. 

NEW YORK, 23 September 2022 - OSCE Chairman-in-Office and Foreign Minister of Poland Zbigniew Rau, Foreign Minister of Sweden Ann Linde, and Foreign Minister of North Macedonia Bujar Osmani, representing the OSCE Troika and the Organization’s Secretary General Helga Maria Schmid met on the margins of the 77th session of UN General Assembly.

During the meeting, they discussed Russia’s ongoing aggression against Ukraine. Expressing their unwavering support for Ukraine, the Ministers and Secretary General Schmid reviewed details of the support for Ukraine announced in August, which is meant to help address the immediate threats and risks posed by the war as well as to support Ukrainian institutions and civil society organizations in developing Ukraine’s long-term democratic and social resilience.

In the face of further threats from the Russian Federation, the Ministers and Secretary General Schmid reiterated their call for the Russian Federation to end aggression, withdraw its forces from Ukraine, and comply with OSCE principles, including respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders and refraining from the use or threat of force. They deplored the appalling violence against civilians and stressed that those responsible must be brought to justice.

They further discussed the impact of the war across the OSCE region, including the economic, environmental, and humanitarian challenges posed not only in the immediate neighborhood but in Central Asia, Southeastern Europe, and beyond.

The recent escalation of hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan was also a focus of the meeting. The Troika Ministers and Secretary General discussed possibilities for stronger OSCE involvement in the area. They agreed on the relevance of the peace talks facilitated by the EU and recalled the experience and tools of the OSCE in the region.

The Ministers and Secretary General Schmid addressed the recent armed clashes at the border between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, urging the parties to respect the ceasefire and stabilize the situation through diplomatic solutions. They stressed that the OSCE remains ready to assist if requested.

Bearing in mind the important work of the Organization in supporting and advancing comprehensive security, the Troika Ministers and Secretary General underlined the need for adoption of the OSCE’s budget. They welcomed the priorities of the incoming OSCE Chairmanship of North Macedonia, which are focused on safeguarding OSCE principles and commitments. The Ministers and Secretary General also discussed the preparations for the OSCE Ministerial Council to be held in the city of Łódź, Poland on 1-2 December.

Željka Šulc

OSCE Mission publishes public opinion survey results on BiH citizens’ perception of elections and electoral processes

The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) published its survey findings today following a state-wide survey on citizens’ perception of elections in BiH.

The survey aimed to identify how citizens experience and understand the electoral process, their views on the importance of voting and their voting patterns, to what degree they participate in politics, and generally how citizens perceive election integrity in BiH.

The survey reveals a low-level of public trust in the integrity and fairness of election processes and institutions, as well as a high number of voters who have directly experienced electoral fraud.

Over half of respondents reported that they voted in most elections, while every fourth person reported voting “sometimes”. Every fourth respondent was offered money to vote for a party or a candidate and over a fifth of respondents experienced someone telling them who to vote for at the polling station. Only 23 per cent of respondents felt that elections in BiH are conducted in a fair or mostly fair manner.

“Unfortunately, the expressed lack of citizen trust in the BiH electoral process is not a surprise. Recent amendments to the BiH Election Law will improve election integrity, as will the Mission’s broader efforts to assist the CEC and advocate for further reforms. Most importantly, the people of this country have the power to improve the process by exercising their right to vote and demanding change” said Dr. Susan Penksa, Acting Head of the OSCE Mission to BiH.

The survey indicated that further changes to relevant laws and regulations are necessary to improve citizens’ trust in the electoral process, as over 60 per cent of respondents are in favor of changes to the BiH Election Law.

The OSCE Mission to BiH, in co-operation with the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR), will continue to support relevant institutions, particularly the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH and the BiH Central Election Commission, in their efforts to improve the electoral legislation and practices in accordance with international standards and in the best interest of citizens and democracy in BiH.

526738 Željka Šulc

The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina supported a “National Cyber Incident Classification” workshop for South-East and Eastern Europe in Banja Luka on 22 and 23 September 2022. The workshop was organized by the OSCE’s Transnational Threats Department (TNTD), in co-operation with the Republika Srpska Ministry of Scientific and Technological Development and the Higher Education and Information Society.

The workshop gathered experts in the cyber/ICT security field from South-East and Eastern Europe, and included policymakers, security officials and ICT experts. Discussions aimed to raise awareness on the importance of national cyber incident classification and enable an exchange of good practices in national cyber incident classification systems across the OSCE area.

Ambassador Tadeusz Chomicki, responsible for Cyber and Tech Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Poland and representing the 2022 OSCE Chairmanship pointed out that “threats to critical infrastructure are often trans-border, therefore, developing and implementing national cybersecurity incident classification systems are an important element for international co-operation, to achieve comparable situational awareness and assessment of how serious the threat is and how many countries it may effect.”

Mr. Jiri Rous, Head of the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Banja Luka Field Office recalled that “it is high time for BiH to operationalize the computer emergency response teams (CERTs) for BiH and FBiH institutions, and to initiate collaborative development of a cybersecurity framework strategy for BiH”.

"Cyber incidents are becoming more frequent and represent a growing threat to security and stability," said Assistant Minister of Security of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mladen Mrkaja.

"We at the Ministry of Security are working on certain systematic solutions, primarily on the establishment of a computer security incident response team for BiH institutions. The biggest challenge we face is the provision of adequate personnel trained to combat cyber incidents and infrastructure protection. For this reason, it is necessary to make additional efforts to build these capacities", added Mrkaja.

"Due to the increasingly frequent hacker attacks that are occurring, it is necessary to establish a metric system for the classification of cyber incidents in order to adequately respond to these threats," said the Minister for Science and Technology Development, Higher Education and Information Society of Republika Srpska, Srđan Rajčević. "The three basic postulates of cyber security are the availability, integrity and confidentiality of data. When one of those principles is violated, then we have something called a cyber incident, which now occurs on a daily basis," added Minister Rajčević.

Communication and Media Relations Section

The OSCE Moscow Mechanism rapporteur Professor Angelika Nussberger presented findings collected in the ‘Report on Russia’s Legal and Administrative Practice in Light of its OSCE Human Dimension Commitments’ to the OSCE Permanent Council on 22 September 2022.

The rapporteur was appointed by 38 participating States when the Mechanism was invoked  on 28 July to, “establish a mission of experts to look into and report on the ongoing concerns we have identified as particularly serious threats to the fulfilment of the provisions of the OSCE human dimension by the Russian Federation, to assess Russia’s legal and administrative practice in light of its OSCE commitments, to establish the facts, and to provide recommendations and advice.”

The Mechanism, agreed by all OSCE participating States, allows for an investigation to be launched without consensus and independently of the OSCE Chairmanship, institutions and decision-making bodies if one State, supported by at least nine others, “considers that a particularly serious threat to the fulfilment of the provisions of the [OSCE] human dimension has arisen in another participating State.”

The Permanent Council is one of the OSCE’s main decision-making bodies, and convenes each week in Vienna to discuss developments in the OSCE area and make decisions on future activities.

The observations of the mission of experts are available here.

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As part of its ongoing multi-year program to combat the illicit trafficking of cultural property, from 12 to 14 September in Edinburgh, Scotland, the OSCE Transnational Threats Department led a workshop comprised of subject matter experts to develop a first of its kind interactive training program for OSCE participating States’ law enforcement and border security personnel.

The scenario based training program will assist the OSCE participating States to more effectively confront this emerging transnational threat, with its close linkages to transnational organized crime, money laundering, and terrorist financing.

The group was comprised of experts from several countries in the OSCE Area representing border security and law enforcement agencies, museums, and international organizations including the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, UN Office of Counter Terrorism, International Council of Museums, Cranfield University Forensic Institute, British Museum, and Blue Shield International.  

During the three-day workshop, the experts exchanged views and experiences as they worked to develop the specialized training program that will include case study analysis, crime scene investigation, cross border co-operation, international legal instruments and legislation, and undercover operations.

The interactive and scenario based training program will be used in upcoming workshops to be held in Helsinki, Finland, and Sofia, Bulgaria.

VIENNA, 22 September 2022 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Teresa Ribeiro, today again strongly denounced the continued infringement on the right to freedom of expression and media freedom by the Russian authorities.

The Representative’s comment follows the statement issued by media regulatory agency in Russia, Roskomnadzor (Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Media) on 21 September, in which it urged that all media outlets have to use only information from Russian official sources when reporting on mobilization measures to army. The regulator said that the dissemination of “false information” would entail administrative liability and online blockings.

“The pressure exerted on freedom of expression and media freedom has reached another disappointing point in Russia. With an information infrastructure completely under control of the government and no room for other news than the state controlled one, the authorities continue moving towards isolation of its citizens from any form of independent information, therefore depriving them from one of their most fundamental rights: freedom to seek and receive information of all kinds,” Ribeiro said.

“I reiterate my call on the authorities to fulfill their relevant OSCE principles and commitments and ensure an enabling environment for media to freely report on matters of public interest without undue interference, threats and intimidation,” the Representative concluded.

The Representative also expressed concern regarding reports that several media workers were obstructed or detained by law enforcement officials, while fulfilling their professional activities and covering public protests related to announcement of mobilization to army, in different cities of the country.

The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media observes media developments in all 57 OSCE participating States. She provides early warning on violations of freedom of expression and media freedom and promotes full compliance with OSCE media freedom commitments. Learn more at www.osce.org/fom, Twitter: @OSCE_RFoM and on www.facebook.com/osce.rfom.

526690 Office of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Ton van den Brandt

The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Teresa Ribeiro, conducted her first official visit to North Macedonia from 12 -14 September 2022.

During her visit, Ribeiro met with several governmental authorities, including the Prime Minister of the Republic of North Macedonia Mr. Dimitar Kovačevski, Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr. Bujar Osmani and Speaker of Parliament Mr. Talat Xhaferi. Ribeiro also met with the Minister of Information Society and Administration Mr. Admirim Aliti, Minister of Interior Mr. Oliver Spasovski, and the State Public Prosecutor Mr. Ljubomir Joveski.

Furthermore, the Representative had an exchange with the media regulator, the Agency for Audio and Audiovisual Media Services (AAAVMS), the public service broadcaster, the Macedonian Radio Television (MRT), and several journalists and civil society representatives. Ribeiro also met with the EU Ambassador to North Macedonia.

Ribeiro addressed with her counterparts, among other issues, the safety conditions of journalists, with a particular focus on online safety of female journalists; the need for timely adoption of pending legislative amendments to media laws and the criminal code; the ensuring of access to public information; the editorial independence and financial sustainability of the public service broadcaster and the media regulatory authority.

Among the main concerns raised by media representatives were working conditions of journalists, namely, low wages, lack of proper contracts and social security benefits; diminishing trust in media; online harassment and abuse; and a steady increase in lawsuits aimed to silence and discourage critical reporting.

Ribeiro underlined the important role of the government in ensuring an enabling working environment for the media, both in the law and in practice, and expressed her readiness to provide necessary assistance and support to North Macedonia in line with her mandate.

Further, the Representative and her counterparts acknowledged that media freedom is key for peace and security and sustainability of democracy in the OSCE region, and agreed to further engage in this field during North Macedonia’s 2023 OSCE Chairpersonship-in-Office.

526642 OSCE Centre in Ashgabat

Issues of improving investment climate and strengthening of regulatory basis in the export management area were addressed during an OSCE- online seminar in Ashgabat on 21 and 22 September 2022.

The OSCE Centre in Ashgabat organized this event to present best practices of the OSCE participating States in achieving better integration into global economy and trade through improving the investment climate and strengthening regulatory framework in the export management area.

The seminar brought together representatives from the Mejlis (Lower Chamber) of the Milli Gengesh (National Council) of Turkmenistan, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Trade and Foreign Economic Relations, Ministry of Finance and Economy of Turkmenistan, state and commercial banks and other relevant stakeholders.

Two international experts from Georgia and Kazakhstan and presented innovative solutions to increase foreign direct investment, systemic measures to promote regional and international co-operation through export facilitation, discussed the role of direct investment in the economy and investment attraction issues in the energy sector with a focus on the extractive industries.

“The OSCE attaches great importance to addressing a growing need to sustain and further promote economic connectivity, including through facilitating trade, accelerating economic development and growth, attracting targeted foreign direct and domestic investments, growing and diversifying value-added exports and ultimately building a regionally diversified economy,” said Ivana Markovic-Boskovic, Economic and Environmental Officer of the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat.

“It gains even greater importance in the circumstances of a global pandemic, as well as economic post-recovery period, when it is crucially important to support the national economy and the businesses to make the most of their potential,” added Markovic-Boskovic.

Experts also highlighted the importance of strengthening strategic export control measures, increasing competitiveness and role of small and medium enterprises in export capacity building.

526594 Aisuluu Duishebaeva is a women-enterpreneur developing first lavender farm in the Central Asian region. Kunduz Rysbek

A woman-entrepreneur developing first lavender farm in Kyrgyzstan

Imagine beautiful lavender fields, the majestic smell in the air, and purple blooms as far as the eye can see. Imagine these fields not in Provence, France, but in Issyk-Kul province of Kyrgyzstan. Sounds surreal, but it is true – Kyrgyzstan officially has the first lavender farm in the country and in the Central Asian region as a whole.  

Lavender is not something that a Kyrgyzstani farmer would usually grow in the backyard. Potatoes, wheat and onion are among the main agricultural crops grown in the country. However, Aisuluu Duishebaeva thought differently.

Aisuluu Duishebaeva, 38, used to work for various international organizations based in the capital city Bishkek, mostly on projects related to agricultural development in Kyrgyzstan. Through the years, she obtained relevant experience and expertise in organic agriculture and soon decided to move forth on her own.

“Details matter. Many farmers lack knowledge about safer and more efficient crop processing,” says Aisuluu. For instance, traditionally farmers apply fertilizers on crops when insects already hatched from eggs and are grown, which damages the crops and have little effect on the grown insects, “At that time, the treatment becomes useless, and the chemicals remain in the soil, in the water and air”, claims Aisuluu. However, if fertilizers are applied at early stages of seeds growth, which is in early Spring in Kyrgyzstan, then the insects are still in cocoon, and thus the treatment easily kills the pests and does little harm to the soil and crops. Such early-on treatment also requires less fertilizers, which would help farmers save money and time.       

Her previous career experience also helped Aisuluu learn that pure essential oils can be grown in mountainous areas, that is, in areas with no developed industrial infrastructure. Kyrgyzstan, from this point of view, was ideally suited for the experiment: a high-mountainous country, with clean air, and high unemployment in rural areas, especially among women and people with disabilities. Furthermore, in comparison with other crops, pure essential oils are expensive on world markets and thus could potentially bring in good income.

Interestingly, niche pharmaceutical companies across the globe always seek organic pure essential oils, because 80% of perfumes are made from them. “Unfortunately, today the global perfumes market is flooded with synthetic oils, which is why the fragrances fade quickly, and the smell is spoiled, especially when mixed with human sweat,” shares Aisuluu.

It was January 2020 when Aisuluu purchased a farmland in Issyk-Kul province and decided to start her own lavender farm. Needless to say that no one, herself included, expected that what seemed like a regular flu would turn into a global infection, closing borders between states and locking people at home. COVID-19 changed Aisuluu’s life, but did not affect her determination.

Having spent three months in lockdown in Bishkek, Aisuluu finally was allowed to travel to her farmland in the summer of 2020. She had missed the first and second crop planting seasons, and there were no seeds to plant yet, because the lavender seedlings she ordered from Bulgaria in February 2020 arrived to Kyrgyzstan only in November same year, that is when there was snow on the ground. 

Yet, this situation taught the young farmer how to manage crises in business. Aisuluu allocated certain plots of the land for organic berries and vegetables, and soon started supplying them to eco shops in Bishkek – a practice she still does to date. This helped generate some income, which sustained Aisuluu until next lavender seedlings planting season.

“When I arrived on the farmland there was nothing, a dry and windy wasteland. I did not have any place to stay, so I lived in my car for three months in the summer 2020, until we managed to build a small farmhouse,” remembers Aisuluu with a smile on her face.

The lavender she grows is of exceptionally high quality, because it is 100% organic, both the process and the product. Aisuluu plants the lavender seedlings by hand, does weeding by hand, never applies any fertilizers, and handpicks the bushes herself. All this is done to avoid the use of any chemicals, kerosene and machinery, which destroys the quality of lavender.    

Today, Aisuluu successfully exports pure lavender and Damascus rose essential oils to a high-end perfume company in Japan that creates custom fragrances for each client. This demonstrates the exceptionally high quality of Aisuluu’s products. Soon the exports will flow westward, to Germany. But the road to exports was full of barriers, “No one helped but my brother, and when I learned that I won a business grant from the OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek it took me some time to process and start believing it,” shares the young entrepreneur.   

Last year in 2021 in collaboration with the PEAK programme that helps with development of startups and small and medium-sized enterprises, the OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek awarded an in-kind grant to Aisuluu Duishebaeva in the form of a fruit dryer machine and a distiller, the total cost of which was 8000 EUR. These new equipment helped Aisuluu expand production possibilities of pure essential oils, as she explains, “One can use a distiller only for one crop species, in other words I cannot use same distiller for obtaining essential oils from Damascus rose and then the lavender, it would spoil the purity of both oils. Therefore, getting a new distiller from the OSCE was a game changer for my business.”     

In the future, Aisuluu plans to increase the volume of lavender cultivation. On average, the villages of Kyrgyzstan allocate 10-15 acres of land per household. Unfortunately, parts of this available land remain unused, and families simply construct outbuildings there. “When I succeed, I believe I can prove to local communities, especially rural women, that allocating some 2-3 acres of household land to growing lavender can be as profitable as it is unique”, says Aisuluu her eyes shining with enthusiasm. “Imagine bringing together 1000 households, that is at least 1000 rural women in Kyrgyzstan, and teaching them, working with them, providing new incomes and opportunities – this is something I strive for,” dreams Aisuluu, “exactly this would also help my business grow lavender oil volumes and place my homeland as one of lavender oil exporter countries on the global map.”   

At the same time, Aisuluu stressed that focusing on improving quality of her essential oils comes first, while growing production volumes is secondary, "My utmost goal is not to constantly increase in production volumes, but to add value, thereby adding value to the land I was born and live in, to my community, and to new women-owned businesses across Kyrgyzstan."  

Since 2017  the OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek has been supporting the development of SMEs across Kyrgyzstan. Notably, to date the Programme Office helped establish and continues to support the operation of Entrepreneurship Support Centres in Batken, Osh, Djalal-Abad, Talas and Issyk-Kul provinces. In 2020-2021 on the basis of the two ESCs in Batken and Issyk-Kul provinces, the Programme Office has developed a women’s entrepreneurship support project, which has won the 2022 OSCE Gender Champion Award in the Best Initiative category. The Programme Office’s team remains committed to supporting sustainable development of women and men’s SMEs in the provinces of the host state.

On 22 September 2022, the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Law Faculty of the Sarajevo University launched the second Media Law School – this time focussed on freedom of expression on social networks.

On 22 September 2022, the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Law Faculty of the Sarajevo University launched the second Media Law School – this time focussed on freedom of expression on social networks.

The four-day event in Neum is providing 18 law students from Sarajevo, East Sarajevo, Bihać, Tuzla, Zenica, and Mostar with a unique opportunity to learn about online freedoms, the self-regulation of online and social media and the responsibilities of the state under articles 10 and 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

“Freedom of expression is fully protected and guaranteed under the domestic legal framework. However, the processing of potential violations still represents a challenge for the BiH judiciary. BiH lacks a comprehensive framework that would bring the online protection of this right up to contemporary international standards,” said Miloš Bogičević, Head of the OSCE Mission to BiH Human Rights Section.

In addition to attending lectures, students will work on hypothetical cases and participate in a moot court competition. The Media Law School is also a valuable opportunity for young people from across the country to meet, network, and learn together.

This accredited learning programme, which awards participants with 3 ECTS credits, forms part of a wider co-operation agreement between the Sarajevo Law Faculty and the OSCE Mission to BiH, signed earlier this year.

VIENNA, 21 September 2022 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Teresa Ribeiro, expressed her concern today over the new conditions La Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional (LFP), the Spanish football authority, has introduced for the broadcasting of football matches for the 2022-2023 season.

According to reports, the conditions come down to a ban on journalists to ask uncomfortable questions to footballers and managers. In case speakers, narrators, commentators and editors fail to comply with the obligation to report in a positive way, the conditions grant the LFP authority to ask the platforms with the broadcasting rights not to “reoffend” and to request the withdrawal of “non-complying” journalists.

“The new conditions unreasonably limit media freedom and the public’s right to information. This is unfortunately becoming a growing practice in the world of football. It conveys a message that certain powerful groups in society can impose their own rules on the media and de facto force journalists to communicate only information that favors their interests. It is important to remember that State authorities have positive obligations to protect freedom of the media and access to information of public interest,” Ribeiro said.

The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media observes media developments in all 57 OSCE participating States. She provides early warning on violations of freedom of expression and media freedom and promotes full compliance with OSCE media freedom commitments. Learn more at www.osce.org/fom, Twitter: @OSCE_RFoM and on www.facebook.com/osce.rfom.

526465 Željka Šulc

SARAJEVO, 21 September 2022 - Following a series of youth essay and art competitions organized by the OSCE and United Nations in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2020 and 2021 to mark the 25th anniversary of the Dayton Peace Agreement and the country’s commitment to Agenda2030, the two organizations have gathered a selection of essays and artwork in a publication presenting young peoples’ reflections on peace in BiH. The publication, entitled The Peace Young People Wish to Build in BiH, was presented today in Sarajevo on the occasion of the International Day of Peace, and was followed by a conversation with young authors.

“The stories that young people have shared in this booklet offer a vision for a peaceful, prosperous and equitable future for Bosnia and Herzegovina. I encourage everyone, and especially colleagues in the media and those working on youth policies, to read what these talented young people have written, and engage with the authors so we can all help them to achieve this vision”, said dr. Ingrid Macdonald, the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Bosnia and Herzegovina.  

“The words and pictures presented here are truly inspirational. They capture the spirit of a country free of political divisiveness. A place where mutual empathy, respect and understanding are the common currency, and where the legacy of the past is not denied, but overcome,” said Dr. Susan Penksa, Acting Head of the OSCE Mission to BiH.  “The compelling youth visions of a prosperous and peaceful BiH should motivate elected leaders and candidates for office to focus their efforts on ensuring that BiH is a country where everyone is treated equally and where the values of trust, integrity and mutual respect are held high,” she added.

21 September has been marked as the International Day of Peace since 1981, when it was established by the United Nations General Assembly. The young authors and activists gathered at the event noted that the peace in BiH should never be taken for granted. All has to be done to make BiH a better place no youth will ever want to leave. 

The Peace Young People Wish to Build in BiH publication is available at the following link: The Peace Young People Wish to Build in Bosnia and Herzegovina | OSCE.

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On 21 September 2022, the OSCE Mission to BiH and the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), in co-operation with the FBiH Centre for the Education of Judges and Prosecutors, launched a two-day training for judicial officials and members of law enforcement on the protection of human rights in counter-terrorism investigations.

An ODIHR human rights and counter-terrorism expert and a former police officer from Northern Ireland will deliver the course for fellow experts from the Prosecutor’s Office of BiH, the State Investigation and Protection Agency, the Court of BiH, and the BiH Ministry of Security.

Drawing on the OSCE/ODIHR manual, Human Rights in Counter-Terrorism Investigations, the training will provide participants with an opportunity to examine human rights considerations and safeguards related to intelligence and information gathering and analysis, special investigation techniques, arrest and detention, searches, and interview techniques.

The OSCE views security as anchored in respect for human rights, democracy, and the rule of law, and the preservation of peace requires the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms. “Respect for human rights is essential in terms of the prevention of terrorism, as human rights violations can drive terrorism; deepen alienation, isolation, and exclusion; and lead individuals to violent radicalization. Respect for human rights also increases the effectiveness of counter-terrorism investigations,” said Rebecca Agule, Head of the Rule of Law Section at the OSCE Mission to BiH.

This training is part of the wider efforts of the OSCE Mission to BiH to support institutions in BiH to strengthen the rule of law, including by ensuring respect for human rights and improving the investigation of terrorism.

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On 19 and 20 September, the Balkan Asset Management Interagency Network (BAMIN), supported by the OSCE Transnational Threats Department (TNTD) and the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities (OCEEA), held online training sessions on the management of seized and confiscated vehicles. The training focused on both national and cross-border aspects of managing these vehicles.

This two-day training was the culmination of a series of “vehicle management clinics” held during July and August, where participants shared good practices, challenges and case studies from their jurisdictions.

This information was used to tailor the two-day training, where topics discussed included: difficulties during the valuation phase of vehicles and various valuation modalities; transportation costs associated with cross border vehicle recovery; how to avoid depreciation costs; social re-use and more. In total, 25 representatives of asset management agencies from 13 jurisdictions took part in the training.

OSCE supports BAMIN through the extra-budgetary project “Strengthening the fight against transnational organized crime in South-Eastern Europe through improved regional co-operation in asset seizure, confiscation, management and re-use”, with the financial support of the United States Department of State. The Network currently comprises of 18 jurisdictions, with four additional jurisdictions interested to join.

COPENHAGEN/WARSAW/VIENNA, 20 September 2022 – The OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs Zbigniew Rau, OSCE Secretary General Helga Maria Schmid, OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Margareta Cederfelt and Matteo Mecacci, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, condemned the plans to hold “referenda” on Ukraine’s occupied territories.

Any elections or referenda on the territory of Ukraine can only be announced and conducted by legitimate authorities in compliance with national legislation and international standards. Therefore the planned “referenda” will be illegal.

As the war following the Russian Federation’s invasion of Ukraine continues, any so-called “referenda” planned by or with the support of the forces illegally exercising de facto control in the occupied territories of Ukraine would be in contravention of international standards and obligations under international humanitarian law, and their outcome will therefore have no legal force.

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The OSCE Mission in Kosovo supported the Office of Good Governance in presenting on 19 September 2022 the new Strategy for Advancing the Rights of the Roma and Ashkali Communities.

The Strategy 2022-2026 focuses on five priority areas: education, employment and social welfare, health, housing and discrimination. It provides a new opportunity to safeguard the rights of Roma and Ashkali communities in Kosovo and ensure equal treatment without discrimination.

“This Strategy and its accompanying Action Plan for 2022-2024 show the government’s firm commitment to improving the lives of vulnerable communities in Kosovo society,” said Ambassador Michael Davenport at the launch event . 

“The Strategy is a guiding document which will help not only government, but also municipalities, civil society organisations and the media to play their part in advancing community rights, combating discrimination and creating opportunities, especially for women and youth. Everyone can play their part in ensuring effective implementation.”

The OSCE Mission in Kosovo has also provided its expertise in the drafting process, focusing on the local level component of the Strategy. The Mission organized 25 meetings with 30 municipal-level interlocutors from 20 municipalities, 10 regional workshops with 22 municipalities with 114 persons participating in the consultative process, with participation of representatives from municipal level institutions, community leaders and civil society.

The OSCE Mission in Kosovo is mandated with the protection and promotion of human and community rights, as well as with democratization and public safety sector development.