OSCE

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

528978 Marina Živaljević

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

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

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

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

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

Video spot 1 - Facebook

Video spot 2 – Facebook.

528924

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What: 

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

Who: 

• Ambassador Urszula Gacek, Head of the ODIHR observation mission

When: 

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

Where:

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

Registration:

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

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

Media Contact: 

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

528903

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

528768 Marina Živaljević

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

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

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

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

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

528756

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

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

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

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

526011 Communication and Media Relations Section Alexandra Taylor

The International High-Level Conference on “International and Regional Border Security and Management Cooperation to Counter Terrorism and Prevent the Movement of Terrorists” will take place in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, from 18 to 19 October 2022.

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

The Conference will comprise a High-Level Opening Session, a Ministerial Session, four Thematic Working Sessions and a Closing Session.

The President of the Republic of Tajikistan, H.E. Mr. Emomali Rahmon, will open the event followed by a video message from H.E. António Guterres, United Nations Secretary-General, and H.E Helga Maria Schmid, OSCE Secretary General.

The OSCE Co-ordinator of Activities to Address Transnational Threats, Ambassador Alena Kupchyna, will attend the Conference in person throughout the two days as well.

VIENNA, 14 October 2022 — One year after prominent journalists Maria Ressa and Dmitry Muratov were awarded with the Nobel Peace Prize, the media freedom situation has further deteriorated, stated OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Teresa Ribeiro today. While the Novaya Gazeta newspaper in the Russian Federation, of which Dmitri Muratov is chief-editor, was ordered to shut down, Maria Ressa now faces the immediate threat of imprisonment for her journalistic work.

“The awarding of the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize underscored the significance of media freedom for democracy, security and peace,” Ribeiro said. “Their cases painfully illustrate that not even a Nobel Peace Prize can protect from attacks and illegitimate persecution of journalists and independent media. It also illustrates that we need to even further step up our work for enhancing media freedom and the safety of journalists.”

The Representative expressed particularly serious concern about the immediate and increasingly likely risk of imprisonment of Maria Ressa after her appeal was rejected. “Ressa has continuously spoken truth to power despite a sustained campaign of attacks, harassment and trumped-up libel cases against her,” said Ribeiro. “Next to threatening Ressa’s personal liberty, the case also sends a chilling message to other investigative journalists in the country and across the globe. Also in the OSCE region, we increasingly witness legal harassment, strategic lawsuits and criminalization of journalistic work in an attempt to prevent scrutiny and silence investigative reporting. But independent media has an essential role in sustaining democracy and journalists should be able to carry out their professional work under safe conditions, without threat or fear of reprisals.”

Ribeiro stressed that the Nobel Commission last year chose to award Maria Ressa and Dmitry Muratov as symbols for all courageous journalists. “Ressa is a member of the OSCE Advisory Group of Eminent Experts on Freedom of the Media, which was established on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of my mandate. Her relentless courage and commitment to media freedom have inspired many new ideas and initiatives on tackling emerging challenges to media freedom; her journalism and advocacy continue to be an inspiration for journalists and media freedom advocates alike,” Ribeiro stated.

“This year has proven more than ever that independent quality journalism is essential for peace. There can be no security without media freedom.”

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.

528732 Communication and Media Relations Section Alexandra Taylor

From 10 to 14 October, the Border Security and Management Unit of the OSCE Transnational Threats Department, in close co-operation with the OSCE Presence in Albania, organized advanced training on the Identification of Forged Documents for 15 border police officers (3 women, 12 men) from Albania.

The training was delivered by experienced trainers from the Ministry of Interior of Austria – a long-standing partner of Travel Document Security training of the OSCE - and has built on the existing skills of law enforcement personnel related to travel document security. In-depth knowledge about the manufacturing process, document security features, as well as the latest trends in counterfeiting methods and means of identifying them, were laid as the centre point of this advanced training.

This one week-training course is a follow-up to the basic training conducted last year and was carefully tailored to enhance the capacities of police officials from the Albanian Border Police to detect forged documents. Training topics included extensive knowledge of security features in documents, security printing inks, introduction to printing techniques, passport production, introduction to devices for document verification machine-readable zone, and Face verification.

The initiative encouraged active discussions and included practical examples and capstone reviews, as well as a strong interactive component, which included memory tests, exercises on facial appearance and comparison, lectures, and practical modules on anatomical features and examination techniques of facial components. In addition, the training course had a specific session on Schengen Visa Security, Schengen Visa features, and related forgery methods.

This training course is a part of a series of activities on the detection of forged travel documents and impostors organized by the Transnational Threat Department in different participating States since 2015, in close co-operation with the respective OSCE field operations.

528735 OSCE Centre in Ashgabat

Some seventy students representing the Institute of International Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Magtymguly Turkmen State University and the International University for Humanities and Development attended an OSCE-organized lecture course on political communication, which took place from 11 to 14 October 2022.

The four-day course, held in an online format, introduced students to the  functions and objectives of political communication, basic models of communication applied to the political sphere and classical theories of political communication. International experts presented the concept of political image and provided insights into electoral communication and creation of political messages.

“It is impossible to overestimate the significant role of political communication in the modern political environment across the globe,” said John MacGregor, Head of the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat. “As Turkmenistan strives to promote its policy of positive permanent neutrality for the benefit of Turkmenistan, the region and the whole world, it is very important to train students in political communication.”

“We organized this lecture course to contribute to the education of young professionals who in the near future will take lead in the country’s affairs,” added MacGregor.

The lecture course also addressed circulation of political information in traditional and online media and the use of digital platforms in the activities of government bodies. The students discussed the role of digital divide and media literacy in contemporary political communication.

Special emphasis was placed on the information policy of government bodies and practices of their interaction with media and public. The experts presented best practices in political speechwriting and shared recommendations for successful communication in politics.

REYKJAVIK, 13 October 2022 –Valiant Richey, OSCE Special Representative for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, concluded his two-day visit to Iceland. He noted positive efforts the country made in combating human trafficking in recent years, and encouraged authorities to  enhance their work on evolving threats, such as online exploitation.

During the visit, Richey met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Thórdís Kolbrún Reykfjörd Gylfadóttir, and high-level representatives from the Ministries of Justice, Foreign Affairs, Labor and Social Welfare, as well as the National Police Commissioner and other key anti-trafficking stakeholders, including civil society and the national anti-trafficking commission.

Since his last visit to Iceland in 2019, Richey noted the progress made on anti-trafficking efforts. “The recent adoption of a law that covers more forms of exploitation and is easier to apply is welcomed, and it is encouraging that 2022 witnessed Iceland’s first trafficking in conviction in more than a decade,” he said.

However, OSCE Special Representative emphasized that investigation and prosecution rates still remain too low in comparison to the number of estimated victims. “Authorities should step up their efforts on proactive identification of victims, including online, as well as training of police and prosecutors to ensure they have the expertise to tackle this evolving crime.”

Following the visit, representatives of the Office of the Special Representative conducted a series of technical workshops for members of Iceland’s anti-trafficking community in order to strengthen domestic systems of prevention, protection and prosecution. These included a one-day session to assist Icelandic authorities in implementing the anti-trafficking policy recommendations the Office issued in early March to respond to the unfolding humanitarian crisis in Ukraine.

The Office of the Special Representative also held a half-day meeting with members of Iceland’s Working Group for its National Action Plan to Combat Trafficking in Human Beings. The discussion focused on how Iceland can modernize its National Action Plan to respond to the evolving nature of human trafficking.

528699 Marina Živaljević

Building on the training courses in 2020 and 2021, the OSCE Mission to Montenegro finalized in September advanced training sessions on infographics and data visualization for eight staff of Parliamentary Institute and Parliamentary Budget Office, enabling them to develop creative solutions for Parliament’s publications, produced in a clear and concise form.

In a teamwork, parliamentary staff created an infographic on internal migration in Montenegro, which they will amend periodically and have it published. Additionally, participants created a template for all future publications of the Parliamentary Budget Office, containing all necessary graphic standards. Created infographic have already became part of Parliament’s reports and papers, being also available on Parliament’s website, thus reaching the broader audience.

In parallel, during October, a basic training workshop on infographics and data visualization was organized for another group of 24 parliamentary staff of various parliamentary units. This second group gained basic skills to present structured and easy-to-understand information in their publications, presenting them more directly to Members of Parliament.

Luka Laković, Mission-engaged data visualization expert, said that the ability to create infographics without external engagement of professional designer is a great asset to Parliament in terms efficiency, which is increasingly recognized within Parliament and by other institutions and companies.

The Mission will continue to support Parliament and its professional staff in enhancing their professional competency, thus strengthening institutional capacity and transparency of Parliament.

528605

The OSCE Presence in Albania presented today its project on advancing the training capacities of the School of Magistrates and the Security Academy in the fight against trafficking in human beings.

The Project – financed by the governments of the United States of America, Norway and Italy – aims to support the Albanian institutions to offer regular, specialized and sustainable training programmes for relevant law enforcement units across sectors as well as for judges and prosecutors. This will enable proper identification and support of victims and consistent application of law based on the seriousness of the crime.

“This project arrives at a crucial moment for the Albanian criminal justice system. With a new generation of criminal justice professionals and law enforcement personnel being deployed, it is crucial for them to not only receive training on this particularly dynamic and complex area – human trafficking – but to have institutional resources that can continuously keep them up to date on legal changes and best practices to respond to persistent and ever emerging challenges in this field,” the Head of Presence, Ambassador Vincenzo Del Monaco, said at the opening of the event.

He highlighted the accomplishments in this area in terms of strengthening legislation, establishing action plans, developing capacities of various professionals and conducting awareness raising. Del Monaco added that more needs to be done, with full commitment from stakeholders across the law-enforcement, social, and justice institutions as well as the international community. “No country is free from the plague of human trafficking, however progress to prevent and limit this crime is possible,” he said.

Deputy Head of Mission of the U.S. Embassy Demian Smith, Head of the OSCE division in the Italian Foreign Ministry Mario Bartoli, Deputy Minister of Interior Romina Kuko, Director of the School of Magistrates Arben Rakipi, General Director of the State Police Muhamet Rrumbullaku, and rector of the Security Academy Ilirjan Mandro also addressed the launching of the project.

In addition to the project, the Presence will soon support the Albanian institutions and particularly the Ministry of Interior, to initiate an analysis of the necessary resources and political will for law enforcement, prosecution and judiciary bodies – be they financial, human, material or policy resources – to carry out their anti-trafficking tasks.

528593 Communication and Media Relations Section Alexandra Taylor

On 12 October, the OSCE Transnational Threats Department’s Action against Terrorism Unit (TNTD/ATU), organized a training on “Understanding the Role of Gender in Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism and Radicalization that Lead to Terrorism” (P/CVERLT) in Valletta, Malta, with the support of the Embassy of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan in Vienna, and the International Institute for Justice and the Rule of Law.

The training demonstrated how integrating a strong gender perspective and close collaboration across sectors in P/CVERLT programming and operations is more efficient and strengthens a community-oriented approach that protects and promotes human rights.

This pilot training, held in Arabic to tailor to the regional context of the OSCE Mediterranean Partners for Co-operation, brought together 14 Jordanian participants from law enforcement agencies and civil society to reflect and exchange on how gender relates to and intersects with VERLT.

Discussing the roles of gender norms in violent extremist recruitment, First Lieutenant Dr. Marrow Abu Drais, a Gender Liaison Officer in the Public Security Directorate of Jordan concluded: “Gender norms of the society create pressures on men and women, which can make an individual feel frustrated. The violent extremist groups exploit this feeling and that is why it is important to address this in our efforts to prevent violent extremism.”

During the event, the participants also designed action plans for gender mainstreaming in P/CVERLT and explored how to apply the new skills and knowledge in practice.

“Understanding how gender influences and shapes violent extremism is crucial for the effectiveness of the P/CVE programming and responses by law enforcement and civil society. The training aims to support these actors in integrating a gender perspective in their work by providing context-specific tools and examples,” emphasized Ola Saleh, the expert facilitator of the training.

TNTD/ATU will expand the topic to deliver training with other OSCE participating States and Partners for Co-operation, tailoring the training curriculum to other contexts.

The training is part of an Extra-Budgetary Project funded by Italy, Austria, and Slovakia and based on the OSCE guidebook on Understanding the Role of Gender in Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism and Radicalization That Lead to Terrorism - Good Practices for Law Enforcement.

528545 Communication and Media Relations Section Alexandra Taylor

On 5 and 6 October, women human rights activists from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Ukraine gathered to share successful practices of supporting survivors of sexual violence against women in conflict, setting up referral mechanisms, and holding perpetrators accountable amid war and post-conflict settings.

In her opening remarks, the OSCE Senior Adviser on Gender Issues, Lara Scarpitta reiterated the OSCE’s unwavering commitment to fight all forms of violence against women and girls including conflict-related sexual violence. 

“Sexual and gender-based violence is on the increase and is exacerbated by the war in Ukraine.  They are not just horrific violations of women’s human rights. They are crimes with devastating and long-lasting impacts on the survivors, their families, and their communities. Supporting and protecting survivors and ending impunity are key steps to long lasting peace,” she highlighted. 

Scarpitta also stressed the crucial role women’s organizations hold in supporting survivors and upholding human rights. “We pay them tribute for their incredible courage, resilience, and determination,” she said. OSCE representatives emphasized the importance of ensuring that the mental health and personal security of women human rights activists should also be prioritized, alongside essential work on ensuring a comprehensive response to violence.

The networking event was organized by the OSCE Gender Issues Programme with the support of the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina. The event was attended by 20 women human rights activists from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Ukraine.

This initiative was organized within the framework of the multi-year WIN project, which aims to build capacity and increase the participation of women in conflict prevention, mediation, and other processes relevant to comprehensive security.

528530 Marina Živaljević

During September 2022, around 7.800 first graders in all elementary schools across Montenegro were presented with educational colouring books, designed and printed with the support of the OSCE Mission to Montenegro, in co-operation with the with the Montenegrin section of the International Police Association and the Women Police Association of Montenegro.

In all Montenegrin municipalities and villages, police officers distributed crayons and colouring books designed to draw children’s attention to important topics such as healthy lifestyles, ecology, prevention of family and peer violence, and dangers on social networks.

Each of the topics were presented through good and bad examples of social behaviours, created in a manner appropriate for this age and approved by the competent institutions. Distribution of the colouring books was followed by educational lectures, allowing children to ask police officers questions and learn more about the illustrated topics.

As a long-term strategic partner in development and improvement of the work of the Police Directorate, the Mission will continue to support activities aimed at children’s and citizens’ awareness of police work, encouraging police to act preventively and educationally.