OSCE

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

For more information, please contact:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What:

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

Who:

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

When:

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

Where:

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

Registration:

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

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

For more information, please contact:

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

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

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

540464 Communication and Media Relations Section Alexandra Taylor

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What:

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

Who:

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

When:

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

Where:

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

Registration:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

STOCKHOLM, 29 March 2023 – The OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, Valiant Richey, and UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Pramila Patten, expressed their grave concern about the harm of sexual exploitation, and sexual violence and its cost for the whole of society, as a result of the ongoing war against Ukraine.

The two Special Representatives made the following statement on the margins of the Conference on Prevention Models to Address the Demand that Fosters Trafficking for Sexual Purposes, under the Swedish Presidency of the Council of the European Union:

“More than 8 million people have fled Ukraine since the war began, generating the largest refugee crisis since the Second World War. As the war drags on, rising food and energy prices put pressure on national economies and on the most vulnerable people. We must ensure that an emergency response is accompanied by sustainable solutions that increase societies’ resilience against trafficking in persons, especially women and children, for the purpose of sexual exploitation and sexual violence.

We acknowledge that some decisive measures to prevent the trafficking and exploitation of displaced persons from Ukraine, such as information campaigns, hotlines, and training of frontline workers, have been promptly put in place. In line with UN Security Council Resolutions 2331 and 2388, as well as the OSCE recommendations[1], prevention and protection measures should be strengthened, inside and outside Ukraine. Law enforcement, border guards and security officers must be trained and equipped to identify and assist victims and potential victims. Investigators and prosecutors should be given adequate resources and enhance information-sharing networks to ensure accountability for trafficking and any underlying crimes. Victims of trafficking must receive holistic assistance and services for their physical, psychological and socio-economic recovery as well as rehabilitation and reintegration.

Moreover, we must ensure that measures to prevent and combat trafficking adopt a gender-sensitive and survivor-centred approach ensuring that victims of trafficking are treated with dignity. Addressing the vulnerabilities of people on the move remains a priority. In addition, more co-ordinated efforts are required to effectively disrupt and dismantle the human trafficking business model. This includes adopting and implementing necessary legislation to hold traffickers accountable as well as anyone who contributes to trafficking, including facilitators and sex buyers who incentivize exploitation. 

We are extremely concerned that much of the trafficking activities now happen online. Coinciding with the massive displacement, there are large spikes in online searches for explicit content and sexual services from Ukrainians. This has created an alarming incentive for traffickers to recruit and exploit vulnerable women and children at scale.  It is urgent to root out those who create the demand and platforms that allow for this type of violence and exploitation to thrive. Self-regulation and voluntary safety measures implemented by technology companies have been largely ineffective.  States need to put in place policies mandating proactive monitoring and removals of exploitative materials, as well as mechanisms for public reporting and for shutting down abusive platforms.

In response to the increase of trafficking risks and in line with our international, regional and national obligations and commitments, we have a collective responsibility to prevent the current humanitarian crisis turning into a human trafficking crisis. We commit to scaling up and strengthening our actions to enhance the overall response to trafficking in human beings for the purpose of sexual exploitation, and all forms of sexual violence.’

[1] Recommendations of the OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings on the need to enhance anti-trafficking prevention amid mass migration flows | OSCE, March 2022 and Recommendations on enhancing efforts to identify and mitigate risks of trafficking in human beings online as a result of the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine | OSCE, April 2022

ANKARA, 29 March 2023 - The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) today opened an election observation mission for the 14 May general elections in Türkiye, following an official invitation from the national authorities. 

The mission is headed by Ambassador Jan Petersen and consists of a core team of 14 international experts based in Ankara and 28 long-term observers, who will be deployed throughout the country from 7 April. ODIHR will request 350 short-term observers, to arrive several days before election day. 

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

Observers will closely monitor all aspects of the elections, including pre- and post-election developments. Specific areas of focus include the implementation of the legal framework, candidate registration, the conduct of the campaign including on social networks, as well as the work of the election administration at all levels, election dispute resolution and media coverage. They will also assess the implementation of previous ODIHR election recommendations.

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

On election day, the ODIHR mission will join efforts with the delegations of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe to observe the opening of polling stations, voting, the counting of ballots and the tabulation of results.

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

Media contacts:

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

Egor Tilpunov, Media Analyst with the Election Observation Mission: egor.tilpunov@odihr-turkiye.org

540245 Munira Shoinbekova, OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe Farhod Nabiyulloev

The OSCE Border Management Staff College (BMSC) concluded its 34th Staff Course on 24 March 2023. Twenty-three mid to senior-ranking security and management officials from border, customs, migration, internal affairs, maritime security, and drug control agencies attended the course.

They represented fourteen OSCE Participating States and Partners for Cooperation, namely Azerbaijan, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Italy, Jordan, Moldova, Mongolia, North Macedonia, Portugal, Slovakia, Tajikistan, Thailand, and Turkmenistan.

The course was comprised of seven study modules. The core course curriculum covered border security and management in the context of the OSCE’s three-dimensional comprehensive security concept. Topics covered during the course included the promotion of border security and management in the OSCE area, border security, and management models, organizational management and leadership, as well as basic learning and teaching skills. Participants of the course were also engaged in group research projects related to and covering the OSCE’s three dimensions of security.        

A roundtable discussion entitled “Co-operation in countering the threat of trafficking in human beings in the context of border security and management” was also conducted in the framework of the course. The event presented a unique opportunity to discuss the threat of trafficking of human beings in an open forum with representatives of law-enforcement agencies from countries of origin and destinations of trafficked persons as well as international organizations working in the field.

In her closing remarks, Dr. Tea Jaliashvili, Acting Head of the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe, congratulated the participants and added that today, border guards and border control officials are under increased pressure, due to the ongoing conflicts in the OSCE region, and that she is confident, that the newly obtained knowledge has advanced their skills and capability enabling them to effectively respond to these new threats.

Beate Schmidt, a Deputy Intermediate Manager and a participant from Germany thanked the college for the unique opportunity and said that having a class as diverse in nations and characters to come and work together, posed the first challenge and yet was the most exciting part of the course. Ms. Schmidt enjoyed the Leadership and PNR/API sessions among all the other offerings and said that she would use the knowledge in reviewing her approach at the airport.

Elvin Orujov, a Deputy Head of Customs from Azerbaijan noted that the course represented a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for him to enrich his professional knowledge on a wide variety of border-related subjects. He is going to implement certain points he learned in the course in his daily work such as SWOT analyses. He also noted the value of establishing professional connections and friendships that will last for many years to come.

This course concluded Phase II of the Border Management Staff College.

540266 OSCE Centre in Ashgabat

An OSCE-organized regional training workshop on countering illicit trafficking of drugs and new psychoactive substances concluded on 29 March 2023.

Implemented in partnership with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the two-day event aimed to share effective ways to combat the trafficking of illicit drugs at the border. The regional event brought together, online and in-person, around 100 officials from relevant border and anti-drugs agencies of the five Central Asian countries.

In his opening speech, John MacGregor, Head of the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat, referred to the 2012 OSCE Permanent Council’s Decision No. 1048 on the OSCE Concept for Combating the Threat of Illicit Drugs and the Diversion of Chemical Precursors, which stated that the world drug problem “remains a common and shared responsibility that requires effective and increased international co-operation and demands an integrated, multidisciplinary, mutually reinforcing and balanced approach.”

“Notably, the regional workshop facilitates the exchange of best practices on drug policy responses among border security and law enforcement officials from Central Asian countries,” he said.

“It is our hope that the workshop will provide a platform for greater international and regional co-operation to counter the impact of the world drug problem on regional security, stability and economic prosperity,” added MacGregor.

In the course of the event, representatives from five Central Asian countries presented national experiences of combating the new challenges of the drug threat in their respective countries. Experts from Turkiýe, Italy and the Central Asian Regional Information and Coordination Centre addressed a broad spectrum of issues, focusing on existing regional mechanisms for countering illicit drug trafficking, law enforcement and legislative measures, and modern border control systems for the identification of new psychoactive substances. The existing mechanisms of cross-border co-operation among law enforcement agencies in information sharing were also discussed.

The workshop is a good example of multi-stakeholder partnerships. Representatives from the UNODC, the OSCE Secretariat’s Transnational Threats Department, the Border Management Programme in Central Asia as well as the Central Asia Drug Action Programme, presented their ongoing programmatic activities, aimed at the expansion of regional and international mechanisms in the fight against new drug threat challenges.

The regional training workshop is organized within the framework of the Centre’s extrabudgetary multi-donor project “Strengthening State Border Service Capacities of Turkmenistan” and supported financially by the Government of Japan.

Mirvete Islam, OSCE Mission to Skopje

The Ministry of Education and Science and the OSCE Mission to Skopje launched two calls for proposals under the Mission’s Building New Bridges’ project, which is designed to enhance relationship among youth from diverse backgrounds and languages during the school day and through joint extra-curricular activities. 

One call is for the Integrated Education Fund, which will provide support to public schools and municipalities to promote joint-curricular activities among children who learn in different languages.

The Call for proposals under the Integrated Education Fund is available at this link.

The second call is for the Youth Inter-cultural Arts Fund, which will provide funding for Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) to implement arts-based initiatives that promote inter-ethnic dialogue, combat discrimination and foster social cohesion.

The grant application for the Youth Inter-cultural Arts Fund is available here.

Both funding opportunities are part of the Mission’s efforts to fortify social cohesion through integrated education and youth empowerment under the auspices of Mission’s donors - the Kingdom of Norway, Poland and The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.

The project builds on the Mission’s previous work on inter-ethnic integration in education to advance democracy and social cohesion in the country, including the original Building Bridges Fund, which supported almost 200 schools and kindergartens to organize joint extra-curricular activities that directly benefiting more than 35,000 students.

540080 WIN for Women and Men. Strengthening comprehensive security through innovating and networking for gender equality. WHAT DOES IT TAKE – achieving equality for minority women

On 28 March, OSCE Secretary General Helga Maria Schmid and High Commissioner on National Minorities (HCNM) Kairat Abdrakhmanov presented the findings of the research on the intersectionality of gender and national minorities.

An event, organized by the office of the HCNM in co-operation with the Gender Issues Programme, aimed to draw the attention of OSCE participating States to the scarcity of comprehensive data on interlinkages between gender equality and national minority issues.

“This research shows that national minority women face unique challenges and obstacles, which should not go unnoticed or unaddressed,” said OSCE Secretary General Schmid. “It is essential to listen to them and their experiences and work together to strengthen their participation and rights – this will benefit the whole society”, she added.

The research found that minority women in need of support are often not aware of public services that are available. They also face specific challenges such as lacking personal documentation, and higher rates of poverty and unemployment. Traditional gender roles and expectations for girls to marry young and take care of their families are among the main reasons why minority girls drop out of school. For minority women, political participation is closely linked to engagement in civil society- a dimension that can be leveraged to boost involvement in public life.

Participants also discussed best practices that can support the full and equal involvement of national minority women in public life, improve their access to economic and social rights, and increase their participation in processes for peace and security.

High Commissioner Kairat Abdrakhmanov noted that achieving equality for minority women requires a multilayered approach to tackle an issue that is complex, multifaceted and often difficult to analyze. High Commissioner Abdrakhmanov stressed that factors such as socio-economic inequalities in society, structural discrimination, rural-urban divides and traditional gender roles should be accounted for and reflected in participating States’ policies. “Only then, will societies be truly inclusive and as such more resilient to crisis and conflict”, he added.

Participants highlighted that co-operation within and between participating States and larger multilateral structures is key to achieving sustainable equality. With this research project and event, the office of the HCNM and the Gender Issues Programme drew attention to the joint OSCE commitment to address exclusion and discrimination when it comes to national minority women. The research was commissioned under the WIN for Women and Men: Strengthening Comprehensive Security through Innovating and Networking for Gender Equality (WIN) project. This project advances gender equality to achieve and maintain stable, prosperous, and peaceful societies in the OSCE area.

TASHKENT, 28 March 2023 - The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) today opened a limited referendum observation mission for the 30 April constitutional referendum in Uzbekistan, following an official invitation from the national authorities.

The mission is headed by Ambassador Albert Jónsson and consists of a core team of 10 international experts based in Tashkent and 14 long-term observers, who will be deployed throughout the country from 5 April.

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

Observers will closely monitor all aspects of the referendum, including pre- and post-referendum developments. Specific areas of focus include the implementation of the legal framework, the conduct of the campaign including on social networks, as well as the work of the referendum administration at all levels, referendum dispute resolution and media coverage. 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.

The day after the referendum, the mission’s preliminary findings and conclusions will be presented at a press conference. A final report with an assessment of the entire referendum process and containing recommendations will be published some months after the referendum.

Media contacts:

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

Elma Šehalić, Media Analyst with the Limited Referendum Observation Mission: Elma.Sehalic@odihr.uz

10th Anniversary of Anti-Discrimination Forum Trebinje Željka Šulc

Trebinje, 28 March 2023 – The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina supported today’s meeting of the Anti-Discrimination Forum Trebinje (ADF) to mark its tenth anniversary.

Ever since it was founded in 2013, the ADF has aimed to strengthen civil society organizations’ capacities to identify, report and address human rights concerns and discriminatory practices. The ADF has also worked tirelessly with decision makers at all levels to incorporate the needs of vulnerable groups and groups facing discrimination when developing legislation.

“The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina has been supporting the ADF for the past 10 years. ADF presents a unique platform for discussing human rights and anti-discrimination topic in Trebinje and Eastern Herzegovina. Members of the ADF are civil society organizations, public institutions from Trebinje as well as the Institution of Human Rights Ombudsman/Ombudsmen of BiH. Through all these years, ADF members, with the support of the Mission, have engaged in discussing and devising advocacy strategies on key human rights issues. The Mission is committed to continue supporting the ADF going forward”, said Esther Garcia Fransioli, Acting Head of Human Rights Section of the OSCE Mission to BiH.

Representative of the Institution of Human Rights Ombudman/Ombudsmen of BiH, Regional Centre Mostar, Naida Spužević, has been regular member of ADF Trebinje since its foundation. She noted:

“In the past years, the Ombudsman Institution has made a significant contribution to the work of ADF through open communication and counselling its members. The ADF also serves as an exchange platform between the Ombudsmen Institution’s Regional Office in Mostar and local CSOs and NGOs, not only in sharing of practices and experiences but also addressing concrete cases of discrimination and violations of human rights. The Ombudsman Institution will continue to support the promotion of human rights through the work of ADF as well as through contacts with individual NGOs and CSOs in eastern Herzegovina.” she said.

“The Association ‘International Centre for the Promotion of Human Rights’ is a regular member of the Anti-Discrimination Forum. I must highlight that the Forum created opportunities for networking of non-governmental organizations and discussion focused on issues of importance to the promotion and protection of basic human rights and fundamental freedoms, with an aim of building and developing a better, and more just society for all.” said the President of the Association, prof. dr. Aleksandra Vuković. “The Association participated in the work of the Forum - important topics discussed include labor and social legislation, anti-discrimination legislation with an emphasis on workplace bullying and harassment, employment, the right to healthcare and social protection, rights of national minorities, to name a few. In its further engagement and as part of the Forum, the International Centre for the Promotion of Human Rights will continue to highlight the importance of the principles of equality, tolerance and non-discrimination as the cornerstone of any democratic society.”

539966 Communication and Media Relations Section Alexandra Taylor

On 23 and 24 March, the OSCE facilitated the third gathering for representatives of asset management agencies and civil society from South-Eastern Europe to discuss the progress on establishing procedures for the re-use of confiscated criminal assets for social purposes.

Re-using assets confiscated from organized crime and corruption to prevent crime prevention, recompense victims and contribute to the good of the general is a practice that is gaining in importance in many participating States. Event participants benefited from the experience in the European Union, as representatives from the French Asset Recovery and Asset Management Office and the Romanian National Agency for the Management of Seized Assets presented their countries’ path in regulating re-use mechanisms and related good practices. 

During the second day of the workshop, participants worked in groups to discuss feasible action points that would allow them to enhance the joint efforts in re-using criminal assets in a transparent and regulated manner.

The OSCE’ Transnational Threats Department and the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities have been supporting participating States in South-Eastern Europe in making use of asset recovery provisions as a response to the threats posed by organized crime and corruption through an extra-budgetary project implemented since early 2020. The project also advocates for the inclusion of civil society organizations in this process and supports their collaboration with government institutions, especially in the re-use phase. More information about the project is to be found under this link.

This event concluded the first phase of this extra-budgetary project.The OSCE will continue supporting participating States by enhancing asset recovery efforts through Phase II , from 2022 to 2025, with the financial support of Germany and the United States of America.  

Court of Conciliation and Arbitration Annual Report 2022

The OSCE Court of Conciliation and Arbitration’s 2022 annual report, published on 24 March 2023, gives an account of institutional matters and emphasizes the multiple endeavors undertaken by the Bureau members to raise awareness of the Court and its potential.

The report highlights activities around the 30th anniversary of the adoption of the Stockholm Convention on Conciliation and Arbitration within the OSCE, which is the Court’s founding document. The government of Sweden actively contributed to the commemoration. In addition to bilateral talks with Bureau members, the government co-organized a seminar in Stockholm in December 2022 to mark the 30th anniversary of the Convention. The seminar was hosted by the Stockholm Center for International Law and Justice, a part of the University of Stockholm.  

Further activities included President Decaux’s address to the OSCE Permanent Council in May 2022, where he made an appeal to the States parties and participating States reminding them that the 1992 Stockholm Convention is an asset shared by all members of the OSCE community.

In addition, the report gives an account of the third edition of the moot court organized by the Faculty of Law of the University in Ljubljana. Students and future jurists became acquainted with the arbitral proceedings as featured by the Convention on Conciliation and Arbitration.

The Court of Conciliation and Arbitration provides a set of mechanisms for the peaceful settlement of disputes between States. The Court was established by the Convention of Stockholm, which entered into force on 5 December 1994. To date, 34 OSCE participating States have ratified the Convention.