Central Europe

An OSCE-supported three-day seminar on the preparations for the expected second round of the Eurasian group’s (EAG) mutual evaluation of Kazakhstan’s compliance to the Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF) standards on anti-money laundering and countering terrorist financing (AML/CFT) efforts concluded on 25 November 2020 in Almaty.

Some 35 representatives from the Agency for Financial Market Regulation and Development, the Financial Monitoring Committee and the National Bank attended the event, which was held in a hybrid format.

International experts from the Russian Federation, Uzbekistan, Belarus and Ukraine shared their expertise on ways to demonstrate a country’s technical compliance with the FATF Recommendations and the effectiveness of the AML/CFT system. They also elaborated on the best practices in the AML/CFT national risk assessment, improvement of interagency co-operation and building an effective partnership with the private sector on AML/CFT.

The OSCE Programme Office in Nur-Sultan organized the event in co-operation with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the Agency for Financial Market Regulation and Development and the Financial Monitoring Committee as part of the Office’s multi-year efforts to promote good governance and advance the host country’s AML/CFT system in compliance with FATF standards.

On the occasion of the Annual 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, the OSCE Presence in Albania joins the host country’s awareness-raising campaign modelled after the UN worldwide campaign. This year’s theme for the campaign is “Listen. Believe. Support.”

“It is an imperative not to ignore or minimize violence against women. Violence must not be covered up and kept behind closed doors. Gender-based violence, compromises the whole of Albania’s economic and social fabric. We need a strong response to support all institutions and civil society organizations in an across-the-board effort, including the security, social services, and policy-making dimension,” noted Vincenzo Del Monaco, Head of the OSCE Presence in Albania. “Without renewed efforts to reduce and eliminate gender gaps, violence against women is set to persist and to be accepted as an inevitable fact of life. That should never be the case.”

Selenica Municipal Councillor Aleksandra Arshiaj, one of the seventeen women councillors participating to the Presence’s Women Municipal Excellence Programme (WoMEP), said: “Violence against women is never the solution. We should listen and be present for women who have suffered from violence. We need to proactively prevent violence and support women at the local and the national level.”

The messages conveyed by Del Monaco and Arshiaj focus on the urgent need for the Albanian society to become aware and address the impact of violence against women, as presented by the 2019 OSCE-led survey on Violence Against Women.

The OSCE Presence reinforces its commitment to join forces with national institutions, law enforcement agencies, civil society organizations and international development partners to work to change these perceptions and to strengthen the capacities of the host country to tackle gender based violence in all domains. “As the OSCE in Albania we will Listen – Believe and Support women, always, during, but also after the 16 Days Campaign,” Del Monaco concluded.

Summary

• In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded two ceasefire violations. In the previous 24 hours, the Mission recorded no ceasefire violations in the region.
• In Luhansk region, the SMM recorded no ceasefire violations. In the previous 24 hours, the Mission recorded 15 ceasefire violations in the region.
• Two men were injured due to an explosion on 12 November in Oleksandrivka, Donetsk region.
• The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske and observed a calm situation in all three areas.
• The SMM facilitated and monitored adherence to localised ceasefires to enable repairs to and the operation of critical civilian infrastructure.
• The Mission continued following up on the situation of civilians, including at five entry-exit checkpoints and five checkpoints of the armed formations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
• The Mission’s freedom of movement continued to be restricted, including at checkpoints of the armed formations near Khreshchatytske and Hryhorivka, both in southern Donetsk region.*

Enhancing prison health care systems was the focus of an OSCE-organized online seminar that took place on 23 and 24 November 2020.

The two-day seminar was delivered by experts from the United Kingdom, the Swedish Prison and Probation Service and international organizations, including Penal Reform International and the World Health Organization, as well as the Human Rights department of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights.

The online event brought together representatives of the Mejlis (parliament) of Turkmenistan, the Ombudsperson’s office, the Institute of State, Law and Democracy, and the BAR Association of Ashgabat, Prosecutor General’s office, Ministries of Interior and Adalat (Justice), the Supreme Court and other law-enforcement bodies.

Experts presented international framework for the protection of prisoners and elaborated for standards related to prison management and prison staff as well as contacts with the outside world.

“As part of their professional duty, prison staff take responsibility for the prisoners’ health and safety and regular training and capacity-building are crucial for enhancing understanding of prisoners’ rights and special needs,” said Natalya Drozd, Head of the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat.

“The OSCE Centre in Ashgabat organized this seminar to facilitate the exchange of best practices in promoting prisoners’ rights and enhancing the penitentiary system and it is our belief that the event will contribute to the Centre’s co-operation with the host Government in this important area launched ten years ago.”

The seminar highlighted health care provisions, challenges, and examples of good models of prison health care systems. Special attention was paid to COVID-19 response in a prison health care system, and incident prevention and response in light of protecting the safety of prisoners and staff.

SUMMARY

Kamensk-Shakhtinskiy, Russian Federation. The Observer Mission (OM) continues to operate 24/7 at both Border Crossing Points (BCPs). The overall number of border crossings by persons decreased at both BCPs compared to the previous week.

OPERATIONAL REMARKS

The OM is currently operating with 22 permanent international Mission members, including the Chief Observer (CO) and one first responder[1]. The Mission is supported administratively by a staff member and the Chief of Fund Administration based in Vienna.

Update on COVID-19 measures

Activities have been impacted by COVID-19 and measures undertaken by the OM to ensure the safety and duty of care of its Mission members and compliance with measures set by the host country authorities. The Mission is continuing to keep the situation under review, in close contact with the OSCE Secretariat and the Chairmanship. Following the host country recommendations, the observers are adhering to social distancing. Due to the preventive measures taken by the central and regional authorities, the OM is faced with certain difficulties, but is still able to continue to fulfil its mandate without any limitations in its observation and reporting activities.

OBSERVATIONS AT THE BORDER CROSSING POINTS

Persons crossing the border

The profile of persons crossing the border can be categorized as follows:

1. Adults travelling on foot or by car with little or no luggage.
2. Persons in military-style outfits.
3. Families (often including elderly persons and/or children) travelling on foot or by car with a significant amount of luggage.

The average number of entries/exits decreased from 7,400 to 7,298 per day at both BCPs compared to last week[2].

During the reporting period, the majority of border crossings were to the Russian Federation, with an average net flow of 12 per day for both BCPs. The Donetsk BCP continued to experience much more traffic than the Gukovo BCP.

Responding to the COVID-19 situation, the host country has closed its borders for the majority of foreigners starting from 18 March. Among the exceptions of persons allowed to cross the border (which entered into force on 19 March), are Ukrainian citizens and stateless persons holding passports or identification documents proving permanent residence in certain areas of Luhansk and Donetsk regions of Ukraine. In addition, reportedly, due to the threat of the spread of COVID-19, starting from 10 April, the organized passenger transport commuting between the non-government-controlled areas of Luhansk region of Ukraine and the Russian Federation was temporarily suspended and restored from 25 June.

Persons in military-style outfits

During the reporting period, the number of persons in military-style outfits crossing the border was 13, compared to 14 last week. Five persons crossed into the Russian Federation while another eight persons crossed into Ukraine. These individuals crossed the border on foot.

Families with a significant amount of luggage

The OTs continued to report on families, sometimes with elderly persons and/or children, crossing the border at both BCPs with a significant amount of luggage, or travelling in heavily loaded cars. During this reporting week, five families were observed crossing into the Russian Federation and one family was observed crossing into Ukraine, compared to the previous reporting period when seven families were observed crossing into the Russian Federation and another seven families crossing into Ukraine.

Bus connections                                         

Regular local and long-distance bus connections continued to operate between Ukraine (mostly from/to the Luhansk region) and the Russian Federation. During the reporting period, the OTs observed a slight decrease in the overall number of buses crossing the border at both BCPs (263 compared to 277 observed during the previous week). There were 132 buses bound for the Russian Federation and 131 bound for Ukraine.

On some occasions, the OTs noticed the bus drivers removing the itinerary signs from the windshields of their buses, while some buses did not display their route at all. The majority of long-distance buses commuting between the Luhansk region and cities in the Russian Federation had Ukrainian licence plates issued in the Luhansk region.

Trucks

During the reporting period, the OTs observed a decrease in the overall number of trucks crossing the border at both BCPs (794 compared to 830 during the previous reporting week); 414 at the Gukovo BCP and 380 at the Donetsk BCP, 401 of these trucks crossed into the Russian Federation and 393 crossed into Ukraine. Most of the trucks observed by the OTs had Ukrainian licence plates issued in the Luhansk region; however, on a daily basis, the OTs also noted trucks registered in the Russian Federation, Belarus, Lithuania and trucks with “LPR” plates.

The OTs also continued to observe tanker trucks crossing the border in both directions. During the reporting period, the OTs observed just a slight decrease in the overall number of tanker trucks crossing the border at both BCPs (39 compared to 40 during the previous reporting week). These trucks were observed crossing the border at both BCPs. The trucks had the words “Propane” and “Flammable” written across the tanks in either Russian or Ukrainian. The majority of tanker trucks had hazard signs, indicating that they were transporting propane or a mix of propane and butane. All trucks underwent systematic inspection by the Russian Federation officials, which could include an X-ray check. Due to the unfavourable observation position at the Gukovo BCP, the OTs continued to be unable to observe any X-ray checks.

Compared to the previous week, the total number of X-ray checks at the Donetsk BCP decreased from 140 to 117. The total number of 117 trucks scanned (100 per cent) were bound for Ukraine.  

Minivans

The OM continued to observe passenger and cargo minivans[3] crossing the border in both directions at both BCPs. The OTs observed minivans predominantly with Ukrainian licence plates issued in the Luhansk region; however, the OTs also saw minivans registered in the Russian Federation. During the reporting period, the OTs observed a decrease in the overall number of minivans crossing the border at both BCPs (150 compared to 188 observed during the previous week); 83 crossed into the Russian Federation and another 67 into Ukraine.

Trains

The OTs continued to pick up the sound of trains on the railway tracks located approximately 150m south-west of the Gukovo BCP. During the reporting week, the OTs heard trains on 13 occasions; the OTs assessed that six trains were travelling to the Russian Federation and the remaining seven trains were travelling to Ukraine (more details are provided in the sections “trends and figures at a glance” below).

Visual observation was not possible because of the line of trees located between the train tracks and the BCP.

Other observations

The majority of vehicles crossing the border had Ukrainian licence plates issued in the Luhansk region or Russian Federation licence plates. A significant number of vehicles with “LPR” plates were also observed crossing the border in both directions on a daily basis. The OTs also observed vehicles with Georgian and Lithuanian licence plates.

On 23 November at 14:40, the OT at the Donetsk BCP observed a white minivan with "LPR"  plates entering the BCP from the Russian Federation and parking at the customs control area. The van had an inscription "Ritual Services" (in Russian) on the side. Besides the driver, the OT observed two passengers in the front compartment. After undergoing border control procedures, the vehicle left for Ukraine at 15:15. The OT was unable to notice any other details from its position.

For trends and figures at a glance covering the period from 20 October to 24 November 2020, please see the attachment here.

[1]                      First responders are OSCE staff or Mission members deployed for a short period of time.

[2]              Based on data received from the Regional Representation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation.

[3]              Cargo minivans: light commercial vehicles with a maximum authorized mass of more than 3.5 t and not more than 7.5 t; with or without a trailer with a maximum mass of less than 750 kg (small cargo vehicles which correspond to driving licence C1).

Representatives of the State Concerns “Turkmengas” and “Turkmenoil”, Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection and other relevant agencies of Turkmenistan discussed environmental protection in the oil and gas sector at an OSCE-organized online webinar on 23 and 24 November 2020.

The two-day event presented best practices and innovative approaches of OSCE participating States in the area of environmental management and ecologic protection in oil and gas exploration and production.

International experts provided insights into environmental engineering surveys and environmental impact assessments in oil and gas projects.

“Dynamic development of Turkmenistan’s fuel and energy sector is of particular significance for the country’s economy, this is why it is important to ensure balance between operations of oil and gas facilities and preserving environment,” said Natalya Drozd, Head of the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat. “We organized this seminar to support the efforts of the host country to boost the development of fuel and energy industry while also promoting environmental sustainability.”

The seminar also addressed measures aimed at the reduction of greenhouse effects from flaring associated petroleum gas and explored ways for developing and integrating technological solutions for decarbonization of the oil and gas industry.

Participants discussed OSCE best practices in applying pollution prevention management approaches in the oil and gas industry and emphasized the importance of the development of educational ecologic programmes for oil and gas companies.

Summary

• Between the evenings of 20 and 22 November, the SMM recorded three ceasefire violations in Donetsk region. In the previous reporting period, it recorded 32 ceasefire violations in the region.
• Between the evenings of 20 and 22 November, the SMM recorded 20 ceasefire violations in Luhansk region. In the previous reporting period, it recorded two ceasefire violations in the region.
• The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske and observed a calm situation in all three areas.
• The SMM facilitated and monitored adherence to localised ceasefires to enable maintenance to and the operation of critical civilian infrastructure.
• The Mission continued following up on the situation of civilians, including at three entry-exit checkpoints (EECP) and two checkpoints of the armed formations in Donetsk region, and at three EECPs and the corresponding checkpoints of the armed formations in Luhansk region.
• The SMM observed a calm situation in east and south-east Kherson region.
• The SMM observed areas around polling stations during the second round of local elections on 22 November and found the situation calm and peaceful.
• The Mission’s freedom of movement continued to be restricted, including at checkpoints of the armed formations near Kreminets and Staromykhailivka, Donetsk region, and near a border crossing point outside government control near Leonove (formerly Chervonyi Zhovten), Luhansk region.*

On 23 and 24 November 2020, the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan is organizing a roundtable conference to discuss the main points of the Lund Recommendations and good practices from the OSCE area and Uzbekistan. The National Human Rights Centre of Uzbekistan and the office of the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities jointly organized the event.

Experts from the office of the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities, international experts and representatives from national authorities are attending the conference. They will share their experiences on OSCE-wide good practices on the effective participation in political life, accommodating diversity through the effective participation in cultural and religious life, an inclusive approach to the socio-economic participation, and on opportunities for and barriers to the participation of minority women.

John MacGregor, OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan, stressed the importance of OSCE commitments related to human rights and freedoms of persons belonging to national minorities. “We should all remember that to belong to a national minority is a matter of a person’s individual choice and no disadvantage may arise from the exercise of such choice. OSCE participating States have agreed to respect the right of persons belonging to national minorities to effective participation in public affairs, including participation in affairs relating to the protection and promotion of the identity of such minorities,” MacGregor said.

Christophe Kamp, Director of the office of the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities, said: “One of the most important messages behind the Lund Recommendations is that a meaningful level of representation and participation of minorities in all fields of a country’s public life is vital to foster loyalty to, and trust in, the institutions of the State. This also requires a willingness on the part of minorities to engage: integration is a two-way process”.

The OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan organized a capacity-building training seminar for representatives from the Chamber of Advocates on best practices and exchange of experiences in the field of the institutional development of the institution of the bar. The event, held from 18 to 20 November 2020, was opened by Alim Ernazarov, Chairperson of the Chamber of Lawyers of Uzbekistan and Ambassador John MacGregor, OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan.

More than 50 participants, lawyers from the Chamber of Advocates, national partners and representatives from international organizations and non-governmental organizations attended the seminar.

“Our office stands ready to improve co-operation with the Chamber of Advocates and to provide necessary support to its further development. This event is part of our efforts to further enhance the independence of the justice system. The importance of defence lawyers was underlined in the 2005 Ministerial Council Decision on upholding human rights and the rule of law in criminal justice system,” said John MacGregor, OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan.

He also referred to ODIHR’s urgent comments on the Draft Decree of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan on Measures to Further Improve the Institution of the Advocacy and Radically Increase the Status of Advocates provided in April this year, noting their relevance and saying that they deserve necessary attention.

International experts from Germany, Canada and the Russian Federation shared their experiences and expertise, from the national perspective, with the Chamber of Advocates to help further enhance the institution’s independence, internal structuring, financial sustainability and ICT tools in delivering justice.

The event was organized under the OSCE Project Co-ordinator’s project “Enhancing the capacities of the Chamber of Advocates of the Republic of Uzbekistan”.

The COVID-19 pandemic reminds us all that the local government level is the closest to its citizens, and thus better positioned to respond to their specific challenges and needs, stated participants of an online discussion hosted on 19 November 2020 by the OSCE Presence in Albania, with support of the Ministry of Interior. The meeting was held to discuss the key findings of a situation assessment report prepared by the Presence on the response of 13 targeted municipalities to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The aim of the report – which focused on the first six months of 2020 – is to shed light on how the 13 local government units reacted, what changes they took, and how these changes affected their citizens’ life during the COVID-19 pandemic. It also aims at creating local governance knowledge sharing on disaster governance and recovery for the future.

Attending the meeting were the representatives of the 13 municipalities, the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Finance, the Agency for the Support of Local Self-Government, Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative Albania - AlbEITI, and the Association for Local Autonomy and the Albanian Association of Municipalities.

Discussions focused on the negative impact of the pandemic on local incomes and revenues in the targeted municipalities, and stressed the need for a revision of the shared taxes distribution such as the mining royalties.

The report was prepared based on findings from a targeted survey, direct meetings and desk research that the Presence, in close co-operation with the Ministry of Interior and the Agency for Support of Local Self Governance, conducted during the period August–October 2020.

The municipalities covered in the report were Vlora, Berat, Skrapar, Kukës, Mat, Klos, Mirdita, Bulqiza, Roskovec, Patos, Selenica, Fushë-Arrëz and Ura Vajgurore.

SARAJEVO, 23 November 2020 – The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) digitally presented today its third report on the monitoring of corruption cases before courts in BiH.

The report, titled “Third Annual Report on Judicial Response to Corruption: The Impunity Syndrome” draws on and continues the work presented in the two previous reports issued in February 2018 and April 2019.

The report assesses the effectiveness of judicial response to corruption in 2019, based on the trial monitoring of 302 corruption cases, tried in 45 courts across Bosnia and Herzegovina. It also follows up on the 24 recommendations from the previous reports with the aim to improve the processing of corruption cases in BiH.

“The title of the report, “the Impunity Syndrome”, is stark but, unfortunately, paints a realistic picture of the current situation,” said Kathleen Kavalec, Head of the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina. “A crisis of ethics in the BiH judiciary and the failure to ensure accountability for corruption cannot be ignored. Re-establishing integrity, impartiality and accountability within the judiciary is a necessary precondition for a more effective judicial response to corruption.”

The report’s findings reveal a failure of the criminal justice system, resulting in de facto impunity for the perpetrators of many serious offenses.

The United States Ambassador to BiH, Eric Nelson, said: “In BiH, an effective judicial system that combats corruption is the key part of this country’s Euro-Atlantic integration. Unfortunately, various levels of the judicial system are failing in this regard. The international community, including the United States, OSCE, and European Union, is very active in advocating for a transparent and effective judiciary. Unfortunately, we are not seeing results. The recommendations of this report make it clear there needs to be increased transparency in the judicial process. Outside actors, such as the international community, cannot be the only guarantee of reform. The government needs to take action. Their citizens deserve it.”

Ambassador Johann Sattler, Head of the EU Delegation and EU Special Representative in BiH, noted that widespread corruption in the public sphere, and its strong link to organized crime, is one of the most arduous problems BiH is facing today and citizens are rightfully alarmed by it. “It is high time for the authorities to show they are willing to make the changes that the country desperately needs by swiftly passing the necessary legislation ensuring integrity, transparency and accountability of public office holders, which is also key to rebuilding public trust.”

The report was developed within the framework of the project “Assessing Needs of Judicial Response to Corruption through Monitoring of Criminal Cases” supported by the United States Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs. 

Summary

• The SMM recorded 32 ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and two in Luhansk region. In the previous reporting period, it recorded 23 ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and none in Luhansk region.
• The Mission followed up on reports of three men killed on 30 October by the detonation of an explosive device in Horlivka, Donetsk region.
• The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske and observed a calm situation in all three areas.
• SMM unmanned aerial vehicles spotted new trench extensions on both sides of the contact line near Pisky and Vesele, Donetsk region.
• The SMM facilitated and monitored adherence to localised ceasefires to enable repairs to and the operation of critical civilian infrastructure.
• The Mission continued following up on the situation of civilians, including at entry-exit checkpoints and corresponding checkpoints of the armed formations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
• The Mission’s freedom of movement continued to be restricted, including near government-controlled Berdianske and a checkpoint of the armed formations near Olenivka, Donetsk region.*

Summary

• The SMM recorded 23 ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and none in Luhansk region. In the previous reporting period, it recorded seven ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and one in Luhansk region.
• The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske and observed a calm situation in all three areas.
• The SMM facilitated and monitored adherence to localised ceasefires to enable repairs to and the operation of critical civilian infrastructure.
• The SMM visited two border crossing points in non-government-controlled areas of Donetsk region.
• The Mission continued following up on the situation of civilians, including at entry-exit checkpoints and corresponding checkpoints of the armed formations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
• The Mission’s freedom of movement continued to be restricted, including again at a railway station in government-controlled Kostiantynivka, Donetsk region.*

WARSAW, 20 November 2020 – The  ruling by the Disciplinary Chamber of the Supreme Court of Poland on 18 November 2020, stripping Judge Igor Tuleya of his immunity, raises concerns about judicial independence in the country.

The independence and impartiality of judges is a crucial component of the right to a fair trial. In both 2017 and 2020, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) made recommendations to improve legislation regarding the executive branch influence over disciplinary proceedings against judges in Poland. ODIHR reports have found that shortcomings in the current legal framework seriously undermine judicial independence and the separation of powers in Poland.

Poland, like all OSCE participating States, has committed to “support and advance the independence of judges and the impartial operation of the public judicial service” as well as to “respect the internationally recognized standards that relate to the independence of judges”. ODIHR will continue to follow the developments in this case and stands ready to support the Polish authorities to address concerns.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the work of prosecutors’ offices was the focus of the fifth meeting of the Executive Board of the Permanent Conference of Organized Crime Prosecutors (PCOCP) on 12 November 2020. The meeting was held online with the support of the OSCE Mission to Serbia.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has created new opportunities for organized criminal groups to engage in international criminal activities, mainly involving corruption in procurement processes, smuggling and counterfeiting of medical supplies, pharmaceutical products and protective gear,” said Miljko Radisavljević, Head of the PCOCP Secretariat and Serbia’s Deputy Republic Public Prosecutor. “This state of affairs requires that members of the PCOCP and signatories of the Belgrade Declaration of Intent, to enhance co-operation and expand their network.”

The PCOCP stems from an initiative of the OSCE Mission to Serbia, and includes thirteen prosecution offices from EU Member States and South-Eastern European countries. The network stresses the importance of financial investigations as a tool to fight organized crime.

Umberto Severini, Head of Security Co-operation Department at the OSCE Mission to Serbia, said: “The PCOCP is an essential platform in fighting transnational organized crime by providing a forum for co-operation and information exchange in Europe and the region between member prosecution offices. The OSCE Mission initialized the platform thanks to its partnership with the Serbian authorities   and continues to support PCOCP and to provide incentives for new members to join the network.”

The OSCE Secretariat supports the PCOCP through an extra-budgetary project on the recovery of assets from organized criminals, implemented jointly by the Transnational Threats Department (TNTD) and the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities (OCEEA) with the financial support of the United States Department of State, Italy, Germany and the United Kingdom.

Iris Pilika, co-manager of the project and OCEEA Programme Officer, updated the meeting’s participants on the project’s ongoing and future activities.

The sixth Media Development Forum – a platform for professional dialogue on media issues among state institutions, media and civil society – concluded on 20 November in Tirana. The OSCE Presence in Albania organized the two-day annual event.

The Forum focused on a variety of issues. Among these were the working environment for journalists in Albania; effects of the COVID-19 pandemic; media freedom and freedom of speech in Albania; the government-proposed legislation to regulate online media; the media personnel’s professional growth; and best practices aimed at improving communication between state authorities and journalists for a better flow of information and against fake news.

“We are here to make available our technical support through the implementation of a number of projects. To improve the level of professionalism in reporting, to make more transparent the ownership of media, to support media to self-regulate and to improve the performance and professionalism of the public TV broadcaster”, said Vincenzo Del Monaco, Head of the OSCE Presence, at the opening of the forum.

Luigi Soreca, Head of the European Union Delegation to Albania; Jutta Gützkow, Head of the Council of Europe Office in Tirana; and Jürgen Heissel, Director of the Office of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media also delivered welcoming remarks.

A special ceremony was held on the margins of the Forum to mark the completion of a three-month internship programme at the Albanian Public Broadcaster (RTSH) by six journalism students from the Tirana University. The internship was part of the Media in Focus project, implemented by the OSCE Presence with EU funds, which aims at strengthening the public broadcaster and the journalism school in Albania.

Thoma Gëllçi, RTSH General Director said: “The OSCE Presence in Albania has played a crucial role in transforming and empowering the Albanian public broadcaster. I highly appreciate the partnership among the OSCE, the European Union and the European Broadcasting Union in providing assistance and training for RTSH. I believe the public broadcaster will be a strong and reliable media alternative for audiovisual broadcasting in the country”.

An OSCE-supported training webinar on anti-corruption expertise took place on 19 November 2020. The OSCE Programme Office in Nur-Sultan organized the event in partnership with the NGO Legal Media Center.

Some 50 representatives of the special anti-corruption monitoring group, and members of the commission for the selection of anti-corruption experts, attended the event. Participants focused on legal and organizational foundations of anti-corruption expertise in draft legal acts to identify corruption-generating factors and eliminate these factors.

Participants also discussed preparing proposals to eliminate identified corruption-generating norms, including recommendations to prevent the onset of corruption offenses.

The international expert from Lithuania focused on eliminating ambiguities, shortcomings, gaps and contradictions from the regulations and shared best practices of his country in this matter.

The webinar is part of the Programme Office’s multi-year efforts to promote good governance by focusing on anti-corruption activities in Kazakhstan.

The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) organized a webinar on “Exploitation of Children through Child Marriage” on 20 November, World Children's Day. The event brought together representatives of key local institutions in combatting trafficking in human beings and protecting victims. Members of the judiciary, representatives of executive and legislative bodies, civil rights organizations and human rights defenders from BiH and neighbouring countries also participated.

Participants discussed the effectiveness of domestic and international frameworks, which should ensure protection from human trafficking and early/forced marriages as well as protect victims before the relevant domestic and international bodies. Child marriage often meets the definition of trafficking in human beings and represents a violation of human rights and the destruction of human dignity.

“It is not surprising that many girls of underprivileged backgrounds have become prey of organized criminal groups, which exploit child brides into forced criminality, forced begging or prostitution,” said Jasna Dobricik, Head of the Human Dimension Department of the OSCE Mission to BiH. “The crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic is likely to lead to an increase in early marriages, as families from vulnerable communities might see the possibility of marrying off their daughters as an available means of survival in the absence of an adequate support from society.”

The event is part of the wider efforts of the OSCE Mission to BiH to combat human trafficking and promote human rights.

An OSCE-supported seminar on introduction to gender perspectives and women’s human rights, organized by the OSCE Programme Office in Nur-Sultan, concluded on 20 November 2020.

The seminar was designed to broaden the participants’ understanding of the key notions of gender, the tools and strategies of promoting gender equality, as well as women's political and economic participation at decision-making levels. Participants enhanced their knowledge on national and international legal instruments for enhancing gender equality. They were familiarized with the concept of gender mainstreaming as a tool of social policy and learned different methods to implement this concept at regional and local levels.

Some 24 women attended the training. The event will be followed up by five similar seminars, from December 2020 through February 2021, covering topics of gender and the security sector, violence against women and girls, gendered language, and the media.

The event is part of the Programme Office’s continuous efforts to support gender mainstreaming and economic empowerment initiatives in the host country.

Enhancing digital learning at university was the topic of an OSCE-organized online course that took place on 19 and 20 November 2020.

The OSCE Centre in Ashgabat organized the two-day event to support Turkmenistan’s efforts in introducing new methods of online teaching using internet resources and platforms.

The course brought together teaching staff and students of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Institute of International Relations and the International University of Humanities and Development of Turkmenistan.

Professors from the Faculty of International Relations at the Belarus State University highlighted their good practices in distance learning and teaching through the use of internet platforms and communication.

“The OSCE attaches special importance to youth and enhancing their engagement in the Organization’s activities aimed at promoting peace and security,” said Natalya Drozd, Head of the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat. “As quality education is key to the development of youth, we organized this course to contribute to the efforts of the host country to reform and modernize its educational system in line with best international standards and the development of new technologies.”

During the course, international experts elaborated on distance learning and self-study opportunities made possible through the Moodle educational system. Participants also learnt about electronic libraries and discussed the use of modern technologies in research work.