ASTANA, 15 May 2015 – Current trends, principles and tasks in developing sectoral legislation topped the agenda of an OSCE-supported international conference in the framework of annual ”Shaikenov Readings”, which took place today in Astana.
The event, named in honour of Nagashbay Shaikenov, one of the most prominent legal scholars and state figures in the modern history of Kazakhstan, was dedicated to the 20th anniversary of Kazakhstan’s Constitution and was organized by the OSCE Programme Office in Astana in partnership with the Justice Ministry’s Legislation Institute.
Some 90 high-level government officials, parliamentarians, representatives of academia, non-governmental and international organizations, legal practitioners and national and international legal experts discussed a wide range of issues related to the theoretical and practical aspects of reforming various sectors of national legislation. They also reviewed progress in legal reform under the 2010-2020 Concept of Legal Policy of Kazakhstan related to criminal, administrative and civil justice modernization with an emphasis on the protection of citizens’ rights. Other topics included strengthening the responsibility of business entities under a draft Commercial Code and the role of labour legislation in the fulfilment of state’s social obligations.
Zauresh Baimoldina, Kazakhstan’s Justice Deputy Minister said: "Ensuring the rule of law is one of the most important tasks of institutional reforms aimed to strengthen statehood and implement national development strategies. It focuses on legislative protection of fundamental rights, improved law-making process and a business-friendly investment climate as a prerequisite to sustainable economic growth and citizens’ well-being."
“Well-balanced and reasonable development of all branches of legislation in line with OSCE principles and commitments is instrumental in reinforcing the rule of law and ensuring the better protection of human rights and freedoms enshrined in Kazakhstan’s Constitution,” said Natalia Zarudna, Head of the OSCE Programme Office in Astana.
As a result of the discussions, participants developed a set of recommendations, inter alia, related to further development of legislation on access to information, local self-governance, the green economy, Commercial, Civil and Tax Codes as well as the continuation of administrative, civil and criminal justice reforms.
The conference is part of the Programme Office’s long-term activities in supporting the process of legal system reform in Kazakhstan.
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SKOPJE, 15 May 2015 – OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities Astrid Thors visited Skopje on 14 May together with Ambassador Gérard Stoudmann, Special Representative on the Western Balkans of the OSCE Chairperson in Office, and Ambassador Dejan Šahović, Head of the Chairmanship Task Force. She continued her meetings in Skopje and Tetovo on 15 May in order to conduct an independent assessment of the situation in line with her mandate.
Thors already warned against the possible misuse of the political crisis to trigger inter-ethnic tensions during her February visit. She also emphasized that the failure to fully guarantee good governance and rule of law would leave the society vulnerable to political instrumentalization.
The recent tragic events, yet to be clarified, which occurred in Kumanovo have raised the specter of a return to the violence of the past. The High Commissioner commends the local population, of all ethnicities, for the remarkable unity it has shown, and its commitment to peaceful solutions. She calls on all political parties to refrain from any action that could jeopardize this solidarity.
Citizens have made the call for justice and for a society free of violence. The High Commissioner calls on all political leaders to fulfill their demands. Thors added that the current political crisis in the country must be resolved in a way that ensures that trust in the functioning of democratic institutions is restored, adding that “hasty solutions are not an option, either for justice or for long term stability.” She called on the international community to lend its support to a political process which avoids reopening old inter-ethnic grievances in the country, and safeguards the stability of the region.
During her visit, Thors met with the leaders of the coalition government, as well as with representatives of the opposition and civil society.
Related StoriesASHGABAT, 15 May 2015 – 19 officials from the Defense Ministry of Turkmenistan concluded a five-day OSCE-supported training course today on reciprocal inspection procedures under the Vienna Document, a key politically-binding document focusing on confidence- and security-building measures in the military sphere. The OSCE Centre in Ashgabat organized the practical course to facilitate the exchange of best practices to fulfill commitments contained within the Vienna Document 2011.
“The training course builds on the successful co-operation developed over the years between the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat and the Government of Turkmenistan in the area of promoting confidence- and security-building measures,” said Ambassador Ivo Petrov, Head of the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat.
Experts from the National Agency for Control and Inspection (NAKI) of the Defense Ministry of Belarus shared experiences in implementing international commitments in the area of arms control and presented the main provisions of the 2011 Vienna Document.
Discussions focused on annual exchanges of information and preliminary notification about certain military activities, as well as preparations for and the conduct of evaluation visits to military sites and airbases and defense planning. The agenda of the training course included a practical exercise for conducting an evaluation visit to a military unit.
“The training course was designed to provide defense officials from Turkmenistan with the updated knowledge and skills necessary for planning, conducting and reporting on inspections,” added Ambassador Petrov. “Activities of this type are essential for promoting openness and transparency in military activities of the OSCE participating States.”
Related StoriesTIRANA, 15 May 2015 – The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) today formally opened an election observation mission for the 21 June local elections in the Republic of Albania. The mission’s deployment follows an official invitation from the Albanian Government.
The mission is led by Ambassador Audrey Glover and consists of a core team of 13 experts based in Tirana and 18 long-term observers to be deployed in teams of two across the country. In addition, ODIHR will request 250 short-term observers to monitor proceedings on election day.
The mission will observe the elections for their compliance with OSCE commitments, other international obligations and standards for democratic elections and with national legislation. Observers will closely monitor the candidate and voter registration, campaign activities, the work of the election administration and relevant governmental bodies, election-related legislation and its implementation, the media environment and the resolution of election-related disputes. As part of the observation, the mission will also monitor the media coverage of the campaign.
In the course of its observation, the mission will meet with representatives from state authorities, political parties and candidates, and with representatives from civil society, the media, and the international community.
On election day, observers will monitor the opening of polling stations, voting, the counting of ballots and the tabulation of results. For election day, the OSCE/ODIHR election observation mission will join efforts with a delegation from the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe.
A statement of preliminary findings and conclusions will be issued on the day after the election. A final report on the observation of the entire electoral process will be published approximately two months after the completion of the electoral process.
The OSCE/ODIHR Election Observation Mission and the OSCE Presence in Albania operate separately under their respective mandates.
For further information please visit http://www.osce.org/odihr/elections/albania or contact Elma Šehalić, Media Analyst of the election observation mission, on +355 69 257 5055 or at elma.sehalic@odihr.al
or
Thomas Rymer, ODIHR Spokesperson, on + 48 609 522 266 (mobile) or at thomas.rymer@odihr.pl (email)
Related StoriesUne première fois rejetée en commission parlementaire, l’adoption d’un mécanisme contraignant pour certains minerais issus des zones de conflit pourrait revenir par la petite porte à l’occasion du vote du texte le 20 mai.
Cette recension d’ouvrages est issue de Politique étrangère (1/2015). Marc Hecker propose une analyse croisée de deux ouvrages : celui de François Vignolle et Azzeddine Ahmed-Chaouch, La France du Djihad (Paris, Éditions du Moment, 2014, 208 pages) et celui de Dounia Bouzar, Ils cherchent le paradis, ils ont trouvé l’enfer (Ivry-sur-Seine, Les Éditions de l’Atelier, 2014, 176 pages).
Depuis 2012 et la prise de contrôle par les rebelles de plusieurs postes-frontières, l’afflux de combattants étrangers n’a cessé d’augmenter en Syrie. À la fin 2014, près de 15 000 personnes ont ainsi rejoint les rangs de l’opposition à Bachar Al-Assad, dont environ 3 000 Occidentaux. Parmi ces derniers, les Français sont les plus nombreux. D’après les chiffres communiqués par le ministère de l’Intérieur en novembre 2014, plus de 1 000 ressortissants français étaient alors impliqués dans les filières syriennes.
Les deux ouvrages présentés ici apportent des éclairages complémentaires sur ce phénomène inquiétant. Le premier est l’œuvre de deux journalistes d’investigation, François Vignolle et Azzedine Ahmed-Chaouch. Il met l’accent sur la dimension sécuritaire du djihad syrien : on nous y présente les « nouveaux Merah » et autres « petits soldats d’Allah » qui, radicalisés très rapidement par le biais des réseaux sociaux, ont quitté précipitamment la France pour combattre aux côtés de l’État islamique. Certains d’entre eux rêvent de revenir en Europe pour y commettre des attentats.
La diversité des profils de ces « djihadistes made in France » est frappante. La proportion de convertis est élevée, probablement supérieure à 20 %. Celle des femmes avoisine également les 20 %. La part des individus connus des services de police avant leur départ est significative, mais ils ne sont pas majoritaires : parmi les Français qui sont morts en Syrie, les deux tiers avaient un casier judiciaire vierge. Et parmi ces derniers, certains avaient fait de bonnes études. La dernière phrase de l’ouvrage – citation d’un avocat – résume la teneur générale du livre : « Lorsqu’on commence à avoir peur de ses enfants, on peut craindre pour l’avenir de son pays. »
L’ouvrage de Dounia Bouzar est très différent : il se focalise sur des parents qui n’avaient pas peur de leurs enfants, ont été confrontés à un processus d’endoctrinement brutal, et déploient des efforts incommensurables pour les ramener à la raison (et à la maison). Beaucoup de ces enfants sont des adolescentes qui, dans une période de faiblesse consécutive à un deuil, ont été séduites par la rhétorique des djihadistes. À force de conversations sur Facebook, elles ont décidé de partir en Syrie où certaines d’entre elles ont épousé des combattants.
Le désarroi et l’abnégation des parents sont émouvants. Des termes très forts sont employés : « mères orphelines », « kidnapping moral », « anesthésie affective », etc. Pour l’auteur, le processus qui a conduit les enfants à se séparer de leurs parents s’apparente à une emprise sectaire. En l’occurrence, le principal gourou serait le chef de la branche francophone de Jabhat Al-Nosra. Pour désendoctriner ces adolescentes, il faudrait se situer non dans le registre de la rationalité ou dans celui de la théologie, mais dans celui des émotions.
On comprend à la lecture de ces deux ouvrages la complexité de la situation pour les autorités françaises. Les adolescentes décrites par Bouzar ressemblent plus à des victimes qu’à de dangereux terroristes. D’autres individus ayant rejoint le djihad syrien sont, en revanche, une menace réelle pour l’Europe, comme l’illustre le cas de Mehdi Nemmouche. En l’absence de méthode scientifique séparant le bon grain de l’ivraie, il appartient aux juges de trancher, au cas par cas.
S’abonner à Politique étrangère.
TASHKENT, 15 May 2015 – Developing financial investigation capabilities and improving co-operation among national law enforcement agencies, prosecutors and Financial Investigation Units (FIU) for detecting and disrupting criminal networks were key topics of a three-day workshop that ended today in Tashkent.
The event was aimed at enhancing financial investigation capacities by applying existing instruments and formalizing a system of joint financial investigations. It was organized by the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities, the UNODC, the EAG and the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan
“In many ways, this regional workshop builds upon inter-agency and international co-operation in combating corruption and money laundering and aims to further improve the capabilities of law enforcement agencies, prosecutors and FIUs to work together to conduct financial investigations for such serious crimes as corruption”, said Andrei Muntean, OCEEA’s Senior Economic Officer.
Oliver Gadney from the UNODC stated, “Effective financial investigation can deliver some of the deepest and most lasting disruptions to criminal and terrorist enterprises. The latter continue to pose serious challenges to many countries.”
He added that the workshop has brought together experts from across a wide region who face common threats from terrorist and criminal finance, and has provided an opportunity to share good practices in developing and enhancing their investigation teams.“
Aliaksandr Vadziany, EAG Administrator, added, “The seminar provided for an excellent opportunity for the participants to share experiences between the states of the Central Asian region and beyond to gain access to financial investigation and other methods of combating money-laundering and financing of terrorism in other countries”.
The workshop gathered over 40 representatives of Financial Intelligence Units, law enforcement agencies and prosecutors from Central Asian countries, Pakistan and Iran and provided a platform for expert speakers from international organizations, as well as from Russia, Belarus, Lithuania, China and the United States to help the participants develop national financial investigation strategies in working groups.
The workshop received financial support from the United States of America.
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Les responsables des Nations unies ont critiqué le rôle de la « Troïka » dans la crise de la dette en Europe, et reproché à l'UE de bloquer l'adoption de règles mondiales d'aide aux pays en faillite.
Le premier film du réalisateur hongrois László Nemes, ancien assistant du grand Béla Tarr, est en compétition à Cannes pour la Palme d’Or.
Synopsis – Octobre 1944, Auschwitz-Birkenau. Saul Ausländer est membre du Sonderkommando, ce groupe de prisonniers juifs isolé du reste du camp et forcé d’assister les nazis dans leur plan d’extermination. Il travaille dans l’un des crématoriums quand il découvre le cadavre d’un garçon dans les traits duquel il reconnaît son fils. Alors que le Sonderkommando prépare une révolte, il décide d’accomplir l’impossible : sauver le corps de l’enfant des flammes et lui offrir une véritable sépulture.
Le film de Miklós Jancsó réalisé en 1965 « Szegénylegények » sera aussi projeté en marge de la compétition.
The OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Baku and the Azerbaijani Press Council are pleased to announce two contests for media reports highlighting the problems of domestic violence in Azerbaijan.
The first contest is for the articles published in newspapers and online media, the second one for TV reports. An evaluation committee comprising the representatives of the OSCE, Press Council and the State Committee for Family, Women and Children Affairs will award prizes for the best reports produced from 1 May 2015 to 30 November 2015.
The deadline for entries is 30 November 2015. The results will be announced in December 2015.
The competition is open to media representatives only. The authors of the winning articles and reports will receive certificates and cash prizes: first place - 1500, second – 1200 and third – 1000 AZN. Each contest also includes an award for the best report from young journalists – 1000 AZN. These contests are part of the PCiB’s project on supporting the implementation of the law on the prevention of domestic violence.
Questions about the contest may be directed to Zhala Azizova, National Project Officer, at zazizova@osce.org and Avaz Rustamov, representative of the Press Council, at evez.rustemov@gmail.com.
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