OSCE

521464 OSCE Centre in Ashgabat

An OSCE-organized online seminar on international standards and national experiences in preventing violence against journalists and promoting their rights was held from 27 to 28 June 2022.

Two international experts facilitated the meeting for representatives of structures involved in the implementation of the National Human Rights Action Plan (NHRAP) for 2021-2025 provisions on freedom of the media and freedom of the journalistic profession.

The two-day event brought together representatives from the Mejlis (lower chamber) of the Milli Gengesh (parliament), the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the General Prosecutor’s Office, the Ombudsperson's Office, the Supreme Court, the Bar Association, and the Institute for State, Law and Democracy, lecturers from institutions of higher education as well as journalists from national print, broadcast and online media.

The experts covered a number of important issues related to the safety of journalists, including the creation of a safe environment for their work and protection of female journalists online. They elaborated on the rights of journalists in the 21st century and journalists’ relations with the audience.

“Journalists play a vital role in covering important political processes, and ensuring the safety of journalists helps to strengthen democratic states,” said John MacGregor, Head of the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat. 

“Since 1975, the OSCE participating States have significantly enhanced the package of commitments ensuring the media freedom and we firmly believe that our event will make an efficient contribution to the practical implementation of the relevant provisions of the National Human Rights Action Plan,” added MacGregor.

Andrey Rikhter, Advisor to the Office of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media (RFoM), presented the OSCE’s key commitments related to the freedom of the media  and the 2018 Ministerial Decision on the Safety of Journalists, which calls on the OSCE participating States “to fully implement all OSCE commitments and their international obligations related to freedom of expression and media freedom, including by respecting, promoting and protecting the freedom to seek, receive and impart information regardless of frontiers.”

521437 Farhod Nabiyulloev Munira Shoinbekova, OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe

To mark the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe supported Tajikistan’s Drug Control Agency (Agency) in organizing awareness-raising campaign from 17 to 25 June in all regions of Tajikistan. 

The campaign titled “Anti-drug Caravan 2022 – Youth against drugs” took place in Khorog, Kulob, Bokhtar, Tursunzoda, Khujand and Dushanbe cities. Over 850 participants, including representatives of local governments, law enforcement agencies, civil society and youth, participated in the campaign and raised awareness of the significant problem illicit drugs represent to society.

On the final day of the campaign held in Dushanbe, the Director of Tajikistan’s Drug Control Agency, Major-General Habibullo Vohidzoda, said that the Agency carried out uncompromising combat against drug abuse and illicit trafficking. He noted that such events promote a healthy lifestyle, prevent drug abuse and raise awareness of the problems that illicit drugs inflict on society.

“Today, on the eve of the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, I am grateful for preparing a wonderful final chord for the 2022 caravan, which will be of benefit to uphold negative attitude towards drug use, including through the media, public associations, volunteer organizations,” said Ambassador Vuk Zugic, Acting Head of OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe. “We will continue to solve the problem of freeing people from drug addiction together,” added Ambassador Zugic.

High-level representatives of the Agency, OSCE, local authorities and law enforcement awarded young winners of regional sports competitions and drawing contests with certificates and memorable gifts. Each campaign showcased a theatrical performance about drug abuse and cultural and entertainment programme.

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

Election experts from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) presented the final report and recommendations of the observation mission to the 17 and 31 October 2021 local elections in North Macedonia during a visit to Skopje from 20 to 23 June.

The ODIHR experts met with representatives of the State Election Commission, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Interior, the State Audit Office, the State Commission for the Prevention of Corruption and the Agency for Audio and Audiovisual Media Services. Meetings were also held with representatives of the parliament, media, civil society and the international community.

The ODIHR experts reiterated that while the elections were generally well-administered despite challenges in implementing new technologies for the biometric identification of voters, the electoral legal framework still requires substantial review. The experts urged the government and other stakeholders to take immediate steps to renew the electoral reform process.

ODIHR drew attention to its priority recommendations, such as creating more equitable conditions for electoral campaigns and political advertising, enhancing the capacity of election management bodies and creating additional mechanisms to ensure transparency in political and campaign financing. The implementation of gender-related electoral recommendations was also discussed during a dedicated stakeholder meeting.

The authorities presented their ongoing projects and initiatives and shared their additional recommendations for potential legal reforms. The meetings also highlighted opportunities for ODIHR’s potential engagement to assist the authorities in implementing the electoral recommendations. This may include providing a formal review of the electoral legal framework and participating in the working group on electoral reforms, supporting efforts to implement electronic tools for the financial reporting of political parties and assisting in the development of strategies for regulating and ensuring adequate transparency of online political campaigns and expenditures.

All OSCE participating States have committed to promptly follow up on ODIHR electoral assessments and recommendations.

VIENNA, 28 June 2022 – Integrating women and youth to be part of solutions to challenges in times of crisis was at the centre of the OSCE Mediterranean Partners for Co-operation Group meeting that took place in Vienna today.

Chaired by North Macedonia, the meeting focused on empowering women and youth to be part of the solutions to the repercussions from the Covid-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and the ensuing economic challenges.

“The importance of equal and meaningful participation, inclusion, representation and equal rights for all cannot be underestimated and efforts need to be increased in this regard,” said Igor Djundev, Ambassador of North Macedonia to the OSCE. “We will build on this and work on further empowerment of women and youth providing high priority during our Chairmanship in 2023.”

“From the Covid-19 pandemic to conflicts, including the ongoing war and humanitarian crisis across Ukraine, women and youth are bearing the brunt of today’s insecurity. As such, no crisis can be solved without including women and youth as part of the solution,” emphasized OSCE Secretary General Helga Maria Schmid. “This applies not only to the OSCE area, but also to the Mediterranean regions, and our partnership provides a unique and useful platform for co-operation.”

“Inclusivity builds trust and makes our societies stronger, particularly in times of crisis,” said Matteo Mecacci, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights. “We will continue to work towards the full and meaningful participation of women and youth in political and public life across the OSCE region, which means ensuring that women have a real opportunity to influence the work of democratic institutions and that young people’s voices are heard and acted on.”

The OSCE Mediterranean Partners for Co-operation bring together the OSCE’s 57 participating States as well as Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia.

521296 Željka Šulc

SARAJEVO, 28 June 2022 – The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) today presented, in Sarajevo, the report A Race Against Time: Successes and Challenges in the Implementation of the National War Crimes Processing Strategy of BiH.

The report highlights the main achievements and obstacles relating to war crimes processing in BiH and provides recommendations for different relevant stakeholders in order to more efficiently and fairly process the remaining backlog of cases.

“The OSCE Mission to BiH calls on all stakeholders, national and international, to act swiftly and take every possible step within their powers to ensure that the remaining war crimes cases are processed efficiently and fairly.  Justice has become a race against time. Nearly 500 cases, involving over 4,000 known suspects, remain uncompleted by prosecutors. The victims and their families have had to wait far to long for the justice that is due them. More can be done and more must be done,” said Ambassador Kathleen Kavalec, Head of the OSCE Mission to BiH.

“Over the past decade, the European Union has deployed great efforts to assist the country to effectively tackle the backlog of war crimes cases within the country’s judiciary. Thanks to EU financial assistance starting in 2013, the backlog has been reduced by almost 60%. War crimes processing in BiH has overall been efficient and effective, and the EU/ OSCE collaboration on helping the processing of cases is regarded as an example of successful assistance to domestic stakeholders. We will continue to do so. At the same, the OSCE report presented today comes at a crucial time, when we know that time is running out. The OSCE’s recommendations must be turned into concrete actions. Therefore, I urge all stakeholders, from the judicial and the prosecutorial services, from the authorities and the HJPC, to double their efforts so that all victims can finally get the justice they deserve,” said Johann Sattler, Head of EU Delegation to BiH and EU Special Representative in BiH.

“The report has been published at a very important moment for Bosnia and Herzegovina. Many aspects of implementation of transitional justice have yet to be systemically sensitised in Bosnia and Herzegovina even after 25 years. The OSCE Mission recognised the importance of this issue long ago, both from the standpoint of the victims and from the standpoint of the right of the accused to a fair trial within a reasonable period of time, and ultimately from the standpoint of citizens themselves, who have the right to truth and reconciliation. This report represents a comprehensive analysis to guide the work of all the authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the implementation of the National War Crimes Strategy. This document presents a detailed picture of the current state of affairs in this field. Consequently, the report provides very detailed and very serious recommendations. We will agree with many of those recommendations, and we may disagree with some others, but undoubtedly, they will serve to correct our actions and provide a good basis for enhanced and more efficient work of law enforcement, legislative, executive and judicial authorities,” said Minka Kreho, a judge of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The analysis and recommendations presented in this report on the processing of war crimes cases are based on the findings of the OSCE Mission to BiH’s Trial Monitoring Programme.

521137 OSCE Centre in Ashgabat

An OSCE-organized online seminar on best practices in preventing and countering bribery and corruption took place in Ashgabat from 23 to 24 June 2022. The purpose of the event was to present best practices of the OSCE participating States in developing measures to prevent and combat corruption through respect for transparency, good governance principles and high ethical and professional requirements.

The event brought together representatives from the Ministry of Finance and Economy, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of National Security, the Central Bank, the Prosecutor-General’s Office, the State Customs Service and the Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs and other state agencies, banks and non-governmental structures.

International experts from Latvia and Ukraine briefed participants on the areas, objectives and documents of the OSCE anti-corruption activities. The experts presented best practices in developing organizations' internal anti-corruption systems, and implementing innovative digital tools to prevent and combat corruption. The seminar also addressed the specifics of asset and conflict of interest declaration systems, protection of whistleblowers reporting about corruption, and implemention of tools to prevent and combat bribery and corruption in local governments.

“We are all aware that corruption is one of the biggest threats to security and stability and a big barrier t the implementation of good governance principles,” said Ivana Markovic-Boskovic, Economic and Environmental Officer of the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat. “On the opposite, good public and corporate governance and strong institutions are essential foundations for a sound economy, which can attract investments, and thereby enable States to allocate scarce resources in an efficient manner, reduce poverty and inequality, increase social integration and opportunities for all as well as protect the environment.”

“Therefore, measures that help prevent and counter corruption in both the public and private sectors should be vigorously encouraged by all of us,” added Markovic-Boskovic.

The OSCE and its field operations support concrete anti-corruption programmes and activities through capacity-building and awareness-raising events, scoping and advisory missions, as well as activities aimed at strengthening institutional and legislative frameworks.

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

The November 2021 presidential and early parliamentary elections in Bulgaria were administered efficiently, but took place in an atmosphere of disillusionment towards the political establishment and voter fatigue from two previous parliamentary elections held within the same year. The roll-out of electronic voting machines was successful despite logistical and technical challenges. While some parties commended country-wide efforts by law enforcement as effective in curbing vote-buying, others claimed that these actions aimed to intimidate their supporters.

These are some of the main conclusions from the final report on the November 2021 elections published today by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR).

Key recommendations include:

• Revising the legal framework well in advance of the next election in an inclusive and transparent consultation process, to ensure a coherent and stable electoral framework;
• Providing clear rules and deadlines to carry out a count of control slips produced by the voting machines, to ensure the accountability of electronic voting;
• Implementing a strategy to reduce the number of citizens without a permanent address and conducting a nationwide campaign to issue identification documents to voters belonging to vulnerable groups;
• Removing undue restrictions on Bulgarian citizens with dual citizenship to stand for office;
• Increasing the transparency of police actions to prevent vote-buying by publicizing the criteria, the methodology and the grounds on which warning protocols are issued to potential perpetrators.
• Encouraging broadcasters to abandon the practice of directly engaging journalists in preparing paid campaign material;
• Reviewing the framework for electoral dispute resolution to allow for direct challenging of election results by the contestants and broadening legal standing for voters whose rights are violated to lodge a complaint.

ODIHR deployed an Election Assessment Mission on 25 October 2021 to observe the presidential and early parliamentary elections on 14 November and the second round of the presidential election on 21 November.

All 57 participating States across the OSCE region have formally committed to following up promptly on ODIHR’s election assessments and recommendations.

521119

Improving national capacities of government institutions on open data and digitalization was the focus of a series of training seminars organized by the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities (OCEEA) in co-operation with the Anti-Corruption Agency of the Republic of Uzbekistan (ACA) from 22 to 24 June 2022.   

The training was organized in line with the presidential decree ‘On measures to increase the level of openness of the activities of state bodies and organizations and the introduction of an assessment system’ adopted on 14 June 2022. The Decree sets important milestones and concrete indicators based on which the performance of opening the government data by state institutions will be evaluated by the ACA and published in the annual Openness Index of government bodies.

The trainings organized on 22 and 23 June provided participants with insights from international and national trainers on how to improve transparency and accountability through open datasets. A one-day special session for national trainers on training methodologies and techniques on provision of open data training followed the two-day workshop. The participants, selected among ACA personnel, will use this knowledge to train 600 staff members of local municipalities across the country during 2022.

"Open data and digital technologies are a powerful tool to ensure transparency of government institutions and their accountability to the public by increasing the efficiency of public oversight over government activities. Open data also brings additional benefits to the economy and the business climate by helping business to develop others digital products,” said Project manager, Eni Gjergji

She reassured that the OCEEA will continue supporting the country in enhancing national authorities’ capacities on the use of open data and digital technologies. 

The training seminars mark the start of the implementation of a Memorandum of Understanding between OCEEA and the ACA of the Republic of Uzbekistan, which was signed in November 2021.  They were organized in the framework of the extra-budgetary project "Promoting good governance and a positive business climate in the OSCE region through digitalization and the use of open data" funded by the United States and Poland. 

521095

The fourth Annual General Meeting of the Balkan Asset Management Interagency Network (BAMIN) was held with the support of the OSCE between 22 and 24 June 2022 in Budva, Montenegro. The Annual General Meeting brought together 50 participants from 21 jurisdictions, as well as a representative from the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol), to discuss the responsibilities, tasks and powers that constitute an effective asset management agency.

This year’s meeting built upon recommendations from the third Annual General Meeting, where BAMIN members and observers highlighted the need to clarify and document the mandate of an effective asset management office or department. Existing international standards suggest that jurisdictions should establish specialized offices or equivalent mechanisms to ensure the adequate management of sequestrated assets. However, the legal and procedural functions of asset management offices have yet to be recorded.   

The event gathered the views of practitioners from the region on what the mandate of an effective asset management office should be. These insights will be then used to develop a guidelines document, which will be disseminated among the BAMIN network.

A Europol representative presented an overview of the draft Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on asset recovery and confiscation, and a representative from the Belgian Central Office for Seizure and Confiscation outlined the key elements of an effective asset management system.

The OSCE supports BAMIN through its extra-budgetary project Strengthening the fight against transnational organized crime in South-Eastern Europe through improved regional co-operation in asset seizure, confiscation, management and re-use, a cross-dimensional initiative implemented by the Office of the Co-ordinator of Economic and Environmental Activities (OCEEA) and the Transnational Threats Department (TNTD). This regional project is financially supported by the United States Department of State, Italy, Germany and the United Kingdom.

WARSAW, 24 June 2022 – Ensuring accountability is the most effective means of ending the use of torture and ill-treatment committed during armed conflicts, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) said ahead of the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture on 26 June.

“The importance of holding perpetrators of torture to account is crucial if we are to prevent it taking place in the future,” said ODIHR Director Matteo Mecacci. “This also makes accountability an important factor in any peacebuilding efforts. And where impunity is tolerated, efforts to prevent torture cannot succeed.”

While torture and other ill-treatment are prohibited by international law, they remain widespread during armed conflict. The fact that prisoners of war are associated with enemy forces means that they are particularly at risk, even though torture or inhuman treatment of POWs are considered grave breaches of the Geneva Convention.

Women and girls are disproportionately vulnerable to sexual violence during armed conflict, which often amounts to torture and may be considered a war crime or crime against humanity under international humanitarian law. However, many victims are unwilling to report these crimes, often due to a sense of stigma and shame. Beyond the long-term consequences for survivors, sexual violence has an impact on the entire community, and failing to prosecute perpetrators can contribute to normalizing sexual violence and increase gender inequalities even after conflicts have ended.

At the same time, ensuring accountability for allegations of torture and other ill-treatment during armed conflict presents major challenges. These range from access to victims, through the ability to document allegations and preserve evidence, to the capacity and political will of states to adequately investigate these violations.

Torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment are prohibited worldwide, and ODIHR works closely with its partners to move towards eradicating them entirely. All OSCE participating States have emphasized that no circumstance whatsoever, whether a state of war or a threat of war, internal political instability or any other public emergency can justify torture. In 2020, all the 57 states of the OSCE recognized that a special focus should be made on preventing torture and other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment during armed conflicts.

521131 OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities The Hague Recommendations Regarding the Education Rights of National Minorities OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities presents first ever children's illustrated Macedonian-Albanian/Albanian-Macedonian dictionary FRAZA quadrilingual phrasebook FRAZA information video

OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities (HCNM) Kairat Abdrakhmanov launched the expanded version of the first-ever Macedonian-Albanian-Turkish-Serbian digitalized phrasebook today in Skopje on 23 June 2022.

Following the success of the initial Macedonian-Albanian/Albanian-Macedonian phrasebook in 2020, the HCNM and Nansen Dialogue Centre, Skopje (NDC Skopje) extended the innovative digital tool FRAZA to further incorporate the Turkish and Serbian languages, two additional commonly spoken languages in the country. The expanded phrasebook is part of the HCNM’s ongoing support for policies aimed at overcoming language barriers and providing individuals in diverse societies, such as the one in North Macedonia, with the necessary tools to help facilitate communication with each other. This digital tool builds upon the earlier HCNM and NDC Skopje initiative to develop the first-ever illustrated children’s Macedonian-Albanian/Albanian-Macedonian dictionary for primary schools.

“Language is so much more than just a means of communication — it is central to a person’s identity and their sense of belonging,” said Abdrakhmanov. He explained that in countries with diverse societies like North Macedonia, the ability to learn and communicate in a multitude of languages is a key component of a cohesive and stable society, one that incorporates the rights of all its citizens.

The phrasebook contains 42 dialogues providing useful phrases and pronunciation. Through a user-friendly interface, the phrasebook covers the common activities which can enable people to communicate with one another in everyday scenarios.

The phrasebook is freely available online, with android and iOS applications with enriched audio recordings of pronunciations.

521080

The second part of a two-week training programme on open-source digital forensics for law enforcement experts from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan took place from 20 to 24 June in Nur-Sultan. The course, organized by the OSCE Transnational Threats Department in close co-operation with the OSCE Programme Office in Nur-Sultan and the Law Enforcement Academy under the General Prosecutor’s Office of the Republic of Kazakhstan, follows the first part, which took place in May.

Digital forensic experts from Estonia, Georgia, Norway and Romania delivered the training, which was originally developed by the European Cybercrime Training and Education Group (ECTEG). The course provides participants with the knowledge and skills necessary for understanding the steps and key principles of the digital forensic process, reading computer data and using available open-source forensic tools to analyze data.

“Nowadays, digital evidence plays a key role in all sorts of crimes, including traditional ones. The capacity to examine digital evidence is thus becoming an essential part of modern policing,” said Anna Illamaa, one of the trainers and a digital examiner at the Estonian Police and Border Guard Board.

This was echoed by Ivar Friheim, an investigator and lecturer from the Norwegian Police Service, who underlined that “as digital technologies are becoming an indispensable part of our every-day life, digital footprints provide key evidence in many criminal investigations, just as fingerprints or DNA samples”.

The course was delivered as part of the OSCE extra-budgetary project “Capacity Building on Combating Cybercrime in Central Asia” funded by the United States of America and the Republic of Korea.

521005

To celebrate the multi-annual OSCE Leaders against Intolerance and Violent Extremism (LIVE) initiative, the OSCE Transnational Threats Department’s Action against Terrorism Unit (TNTD/ATU) hosted a 2-day in-person workshop for facilitators in Central Asia and South-Eastern Europe trained under the LIVE initiative in Vienna on 21-22 June.

The event provided a platform to launch and shape the LIVE Community of Practice (CoP), through which facilitators in Central Asia and South-Eastern Europe will continue to exchange good practices in preventing violent extremism and radicalization that lead to terrorism (PVERLT) by engaging leaders of the civil society. Recently selected Leads of the LIVE Community of Practice discussed the role of the PVERLT network and how to effectively maintain and strengthen it. Training elements at the event provided an opportunity for the Community of Practice Leads to strengthen their peer coaching and mentorship skills with a focus on PVERLT.

While the event also marks the phase-out of the Secretariat’s multi-year stewardship of the initiative, TNTD/ATU will continue its steadfast support of the role of civil society in preventing violent extremism.

“Strengthening the promotion of human rights at the local level is an important element in PVE. This work becomes counterproductive if it does not pay due attention to respect for human rights and the rule of law. The OSCE plays a very important role in this. Regional cooperation in matters of security and ensuring human rights significantly increases the effectiveness of all stakeholders, including civil society, in preventing violent extremism”, highlighted Alexandr Klyushev, LIVE facilitator and Chair of the Association of Religious Organizations of Kazakhstan.

Enabling future cross-country and cross-regional interaction, the LIVE Community of Practice will offer an online space for LIVE facilitators to exchange experiences relevant to their ongoing work in preventing violent extremism. 

“Being part of the LIVE Community of Practice is a great opportunity for me in terms of knowledge and information sharing, networking, and exchanging good practices in preventing violent extremism. It is important to have such spaces to share challenges, have a dialogue on what are the innovative ways to address them, focusing on issues such as working together with communities, with young people, building media literacy or gender-responsive P/CVE”, said Erinda Bllaca from the Institute for Activism and Social Change (IANS) from Albania.

Selected female LIVE Community of Practice Leads have been invited to also become part of the WIN network for women in P/CVERLT in South-Eastern Europe and Central Asia, which is being established under the OSCE’s WIN project. It holds the potential to serve as a trust building mechanism between authorities and non-governmental actors and promote a comprehensive approach to P/CVERLT and as such complements the LIVE Community of Practice.

The two-day event was implemented under the LIVE initiative, a flagship training programme that seeks to build the resilience and capacity of communities in preventing violent extremism. Through tailored training courses, LIVE promotes context-specific efforts against violent extremism developed and led by women, youth, and community leaders. From 2018 to 2021, TNTD/ATU, in co-operation with the OSCE field operations, delivered a series of regional LIVE train-the-trainer seminars for South-Eastern Europe and Central Asia, and supported OSCE field operations in their implementation of national LIVE training courses. To date, over 700 individuals have been trained using the LIVE methodology.

520960 Kunduz Rysbek

Mailuu-Suu is a small town located in the Jalal-Abad province, Kyrgyzstan, with a population of 22 thousand people. During the Soviet years, the town used to be a regional centre for mining uranium ore – a large industry that came to a halt with the breakup of the Soviet Union in the early 1990’s. Mailuu-Suu’s industrial past left multiple uranium tailings pits that partially have been rehabilitated and recultivated; yet, there still remain tailings pits that pose threat to the local population’s and ecosystem’s health.

Today, Mailuu-Suu has potential for the development of small hydropower plants, production of glass, wool, and building materials. As such, on 16 June with the support of the OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek Mailuu-Suu hosted a Development Forum, which aimed to promote investment potential and stimulate socio-economic and environmental development of the town. The Forum provided a platform for the representatives of the National Investment Agency, private sector, the Mailuu-Suu City Hall, the Kyrgyz National Parliament, Kyrgyz Republic’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Emergency Situations, the European Commission, International Atomic Energy Agency, UN agencies, and OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek to discuss challenges and opportunities for revitalizing the town’s economy in a sustainable manner.  

Within the framework of the Forum, an opening of the Museum of the History of Mailuu-Suu and the Uranium Heritage of Kyrgyzstan took place – a one of a kind in Central Asia. The Museum – designed to serve as a "living" place – is a space where everyone can share relevant historical materials, stories and memories in the recording booth, and participate in open discussions on various topics, such as radiation safety and reclamation of uranium tailings. It is envisioned that the Museum will contribute to the development of cultural tourism of the town as well. 

The Museum was created with joint efforts of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Kyrgyz Republic, the Mailuu-Suu City Hall, the European Commission, OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek, and UNDP. Also, the assistance was provided by the State Corporation Rosatom.

520927 Nino Sukhitashvili OSCE Mission to Moldova

Nineteen art students and two representatives from the teaching staff of the Republican College of Fine Arts “Alexandru Plamadeale” from Chisinau and the Bender Higher Education Art College “Victor Postoikin” took part in a four-day plein-air held in Old Orhei from 14 to 17 June 2022. 

Over the four days of the plein-air activity young women and men were given opportunity to express themselves on the topic of peace and freedom of movement. The results of their work will be later presented via an art exhibition. 

The event also fostered discussions and reflection among the participants on benefits of peace and unifying power of art. 

“I could not imagine that in a few days we can unite with people we have never met before, and find such a spiritual and creative contact. These days are some of the best and happiest in my life. We all have changed and become friends,” said Elena Reabciuc, student from the Bender Higher Education Art College “Victor Postoikin”.

“It is really something. I feel so blessed to be surrounded by people, who love art with all their heart. Our joint plein air is so emotional and inspiring that we will remember it for a long time. I really hope it is just a beginning of a story,” said Nichita Prepelita, student from the Republican College of Fine Arts “Alexandru Plămădeală” from Chisinau.

The event was organized within the framework of the OSCE Mission to Moldova’s project “Peace through art on both banks of the Dniester/Nistru river” aimed at building confidence and trust between the art community from both banks.

520849 OSCE Centre in Ashgabat

Social entrepreneurship, best practices and lessons learnt were discussed during an OSCE-organized online seminar in Ashgabat on 20 and 21 June 2022.

The seminar brought together representatives from the Ministry of Trade and Foreign Economic Relations, Ministry of Finance and Economy of Turkmenistan, Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of Population, Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs of Turkmenistan, commercial banks and other relevant institutions as well as the, Women's Union and Youth Organization of Turkmenistan.

Two international experts from Germany and the Russian Federation presented best practices of the OSCE participating States in developing measures and tools for promoting social entrepreneurship as well as strengthening the role of women-entrepreneurs.

"Taking into account the topical agenda of the OSCE Chairmanship in 2022 and national priorities, the Centre has intensified co-operation with the government on using science and know-how tools for sustainable development and green recovery, encouraging collaborative approaches in digitalization processes, and further promoting entrepreneurship and economic opportunities for women," said Ivana Markovic-Boskovic, Economic and Environmental Officer of the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat.

The experts touched upon the development of social entrepreneurship, and introduced measures to support social business, as well as financial instruments for its enhancement. Discussions focused on the role of women in the development of social entrepreneurship, the forecast of social entrepreneurship in Europe, and barriers encountered by social entrepreneurship.

520810

The OSCE Transnational Threats Department’s Action against Terrorism Unit (TNTD/ATU) marked a decade of efforts to prevent and counter violent extremism on 20 June 2022 in an anniversary Seminar held in Vienna. The seminar, titled In Retrospect: 10 Years of a Comprehensive Approach to Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism - Good Practices and Evolving Challenges in the OSCE area, was an opportunity to take stock of good practices, to identify and discuss evolving and existing challenges in the OSCE area, and to draft a set of recommendations that stakeholders can use moving forward.

Opening the seminar, representative of the 2022 Polish OSCE Chairmanship Michał Drożniewski emphasized the importance of cross-sectoral collaboration and multi-stakeholder approaches to address the threat of violent extremism in this complex security environment, characterized by the emergence, and re-surfacing of new and old challenges.

The event brought together around 70 participants from delegations to the OSCE and government officials, civil society, including alumni of the ‘Leaders against Intolerance and Violent Extremism’ (LIVE) capacity-building project, and from the OSCE executive structures and institutions.

“In addressing violent extremism, we need a joint approach, which brings together the governments, civil society and in which the private sector can act as an ally.  Building trust is not an easy task but we cannot succeed without each other”, said Elvira Hadžibegović, who serves as the civil society representative in the Montenegrin National Operational Team for preventing and countering violent extremism.

Building on the discussion, the event involved thematic workshops that addressed gender sensitive approaches, local structural drivers, and emerging and evolving threats of violent extremism, such as increased information disorder and the need for media literacy.

“It is important that all stakeholders see prevention efforts as something valuable. We need to educate them on human rights to build a strong basis for prevention efforts and resilience to violent extremist threats”, concluded Anna Gussarova, Director of Central Asia Institute for Strategic Studies in Kazakhstan.

Since 2011, the OSCE TNTD/ATU has provided support to more than a dozen participating States through national policy seminars on comprehensive approaches to preventing and countering violent extremism and radicalization that lead to terrorism (P/CVERLT). On top of providing support and tools for the development and review of policies, the seminars have helped to promote inclusive, gender-sensitive and human rights-based approaches to P/CVERLT, and strengthened co-operation between government and civil society.

VIENNA, 20 June 2022 — The OSCE Secretary General, Helga Maria Schmid, will visit Lithuania and Estonia from 21 to 22 June for meetings with high-level officials.

During the visit, Schmid will discuss the current role of the OSCE in the region particularly in light of the war in Ukraine and its ramifications, as well as perspectives for future engagement. 

In Lithuania, the Secretary General will meet with President Gitanas Nausėda, Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis, Minister of Environment Simonas Gentvilas, Speaker of the Seimas (the Parliament) Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen and Chair of Committee on Foreign Affairs Laima Liucija Andrikienė.

In Estonia, Schmid will meet with President Alar Karis, Acting Foreign Minister and Minister of Entrepreneurship and Information Technology Andres Sutt, and Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Parliament Marko Mihkelson. The Secretary General will receive the Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana from the President, for services to European security.

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The OSCE Mission in Kosovo held its fourth Media Fellowship programme, an annual initiative that seeks to develop young journalists and establish a network of fellows from different communities. 

From 13 to 18 June 2022, eight young journalists from all over Kosovo had the opportunity to visit journalist associations, public broadcasters, press councils, and investigative media outlets in Prishtinë/Priština and Belgrade. They learned first-hand about professional reporting standards, journalism standards, balanced narratives, media and information literacy, and adherence to codes of ethics.

“The OSCE Mission supports networks such as the Media Fellowship, which brings together experienced media professionals with young journalists from diverse ethnic communities to share experiences and facilitate a transfer of expertise,” said Ambassador Michael Davenport, Head of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo. “In addition to supporting young journalists in their professional development, the programme also aims to improve social cohesion and inter-community relations, a common goal we share with the media,” he added.

“I appreciate the opportunity that I have been given to see closely how my colleagues here in Kosovo and in Belgrade work, and in this way contribute to the exchange of different ideas and experiences in the media, which helps us develop professionally. As a young journalist early in my career I found this event very helpful and enlightening,” said Afërdita Lukaj from Kanal 10 TV.

For Uroš Milosavljević from TV Most, the Fellowship “was a great opportunity to meet people on both sides and see that we are actually very similar, in addition to the work that connects us.”

Other journalists selected as this year’s fellows are: Vlerë Mehmeti (Koha Group), Agnesa Sahiti (Klan Kosova TV), Benita Zeneli (ATV), Nemanja Jakšić (Radio Kontakt Plus), Teodora Živanović (TV Most), and Dragana Vukosavljević (KoSSev news portal).

They are also the latest addition to the Media Fellowship Alumni, which to date has gathered around 30 journalists from different communities in Kosovo.

The group will pay a similar study visit to Tirana in September, where they are scheduled to meet representatives of media institutions, regulatory bodies and various media outlets.

Launched in 2017, with a two-year break during the pandemic, the OSCE Media Fellowship programme cultivates local journalistic talent while promoting gender equality, multi-ethnicity, and reconciliation in Kosovo.

VIENNA, 19 June 2022 – Today, on the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict, OSCE Secretary General Helga Maria Schmid called for an urgent end to the use of rape and other sexual crimes as a tactic of war in Ukraine and elsewhere in the OSCE region and beyond.

“I am shocked by continued reports of sexual violence against women and girls, including rape, torture, trafficking and sexual exploitation occurring in Ukraine and in other conflict areas. Men and boys are also the targets of such crimes. This violence is completely unacceptable and must stop,” she said. 

The Secretary General reiterated her call on the Russian Federation to immediately cease all hostilities. She also called for the swift and independent investigation of all reports of sexual violence and other suspected crimes.

“Let me make this clear: sexual violence is a real threat to security. It affects victims, their families and their societies. It has a deep and lasting impact – including on the ability of communities to recover when the fighting has stopped,” she said. 

“We know that women and girls are often the targets of exploitation and trafficking. The OSCE is playing a leading role in helping to prevent trafficking and exploitation, including in its online forms,” Schmid said.

The Secretary General also emphasized the need to enhance international support to survivors of exploitation and sexual violence and to work with civil society to ensure that humanitarian efforts respond to the specific needs of women. 

“Working with civil society, particularly women’s organizations who serve and engage with local communities, is paramount,” she added. 

“The OSCE is engaged in these efforts, but we all need to do more to support victims and communities. There can be no impunity for these horrific crimes.”