Central Europe

The OSCE and the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) held a roundtable discussion on enhancing cyber resilience of intelligent transport systems for both private and public sectors on 8 September 2020 in Geneva.

Discussions focused on the various types of cyber threats posed to intelligent transport systems, and methodologies available to governments to address critical security risks.

“Given the complexity and vulnerability of intelligent transport systems to cyberattacks, it is important to develop a coherent security approach involving co-operative efforts of the international community as well as both the public and private sectors,” said Eni Gjergji, Economic Advisor in the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities.

Over 100 representatives of ministries of transport and other relevant agencies, cyber security experts from the automotive, IT and telecommunication sectors from the Euro-Asian region participated.  Participants took stock of the various types of emerging risks and threats to intelligent transport systems in view of digitalization processes, enhanced inter-connectivity of vehicle and transport infrastructure IT systems and automation.

François E. Guichard, Secretary of the Working Party on Automated/Autonomous and Connected Vehicles, UNECE Sustainable Transport Division, said that the security of intelligent transport systems would benefit from the recently adopted UN Regulation on cyber security, which introduces stringent requirements that manufacturers of different types of vehicles (cars, vans, trucks, buses, trailers, etc.) will have to comply.

“We are pleased to observe that the adoption of this Regulation is already stimulating the development of the cyber security ecosystem that is needed to address those risks, given the increased connectivity and complexity of vehicles and of the technologies delivering ITS,” said Guichard.

Ways of capturing the benefits of new technologies without compromising the safety and other progresses achieved during the last decade in the inland transport systems were also discussed.

Because of this expert roundtable, recommendations were put forward as to how the cyber resilience of intelligent transport systems can be further enhanced and the role UNECE, OSCE and other relevant partners could play in this regard.

The roundtable is part of a series of events co-organized by the UNECE Sustainable Transport Division, in the framework of its annual Inland Transport Security Discussion Forum, and the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities (OCEEA).

The UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the OSCE’s Transnational Threats Department, in co-operation with the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan, organized an online train-the-trainer course aimed at strengthening Uzbekistan’s capacity to investigate terrorist financing. The event was held on 7 and 8 September 2020.

Participants were senior experts and practitioners from Uzbekistan’s Department for Combating Economic Crimes at the General Prosecutor's Office, the Academy of the General Prosecutor's Office, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the General Prosecutor's Office, and the State Security Service.

Forming part of a multi-annual training programme, the train-the-trainer course follows previous courses delivered by the OSCE and the UNODC in 2019, in Vienna and Tashkent that focused on applying the latest tools and strengthening analytical skills to effectively disrupt terrorist networks.  

The training programme on countering terrorist financing aims to increase Uzbekistan’s capacity to detect and combat terrorist financing and strengthen compliance with international standards in this area. In particular, UN Security Council Resolution 2462 (2019), the Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering (FATF)’s standards, UN norms and OSCE commitments to promote human rights-based approaches in countering terrorist financing. Participants worked on real-life scenario-based exercises.

The course emphasized the key role of inter-agency and international co-operation and of multi-stakeholder approaches in countering terrorist financing.

The OSCE Mission to Montenegro delivered 21 laptops and three professional cameras to the Faculty of Political Sciences’ Journalism Department on 8 September 2020, in Podgorica. The delivery is part of the Mission’s activities aimed at strengthening the practical and hands-on teaching of journalism at the University of Montenegro.

“The technical equipment will further contribute to developing of students’ practical skill set, and will prepare them to maintain high journalism standards in producing media content under changing and challenging circumstances,” said Maryse Daviet, Head of the OSCE Mission to Montenegro.

Daviet noted that “this approach coincides with the Mission’s efforts to strengthen the capacities of media-related institutions in delivering practical training courses aligned to the needs of the fast growth of information technologies and the emergence of converged newsrooms.”She added that “digitally proficient and skilled journalists, upholding the highest ethical journalism standards, contribute to a well-informed society.”

The Mission supports programmes to enhance journalists’ ability to use modern technical equipment, which is especially important in the new working environment as a result of the current pandemic.

The OSCE Mission to Montenegro and the Ministry of Human and Minority Rights’ Department for Gender Equality organized a virtual workshop for municipal Gender Focal Points’ network on monitoring, evaluation and report writing, from 2 to 4 September 2020.

Participants from 11 municipalities actively took part in the exercise that provided them tools to apply their skills and knowledge in reporting responsibilities.

The training aimed at aligning the monitoring and evaluation process of local action plans with the reporting needs at the national level, especially in terms of results, goals and impact. Trainers offered a model for consistent and high-quality status and progress reports. These reports will reflect the goals and objectives achieved during the implementation of local action plans for achieving gender equality and the level of their harmonization with the national action plans in this area.

Summary

• Between the evenings of 4 and 5 September, the SMM recorded an undetermined explosion in Donetsk region and no ceasefire violations in Luhansk region. In the previous reporting period, the Mission recorded 12 ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and none in Luhansk region.
• Between the evenings of 5 and 6 September, the Mission again recorded an undetermined explosion in Donetsk region and again no ceasefire violations in Luhansk region.
• The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske. During evening and night hours, an SMM long-range unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) spotted people inside the latter two areas.
• An SMM long-range UAV spotted new military positions near Starohnativka, Donetsk region.
• The Mission visited three border crossing points in non-government-controlled areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, and monitored border areas in non-government-controlled 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 amid the COVID-19 outbreak, including at an entry-exit checkpoint and its corresponding checkpoint of the armed formations in Luhansk region.
• The SMM’s freedom of movement continued to be restricted, including at a border-crossing point near Voznesenivka in Luhansk region and at a checkpoint of the armed formations near Novoazovsk in Donetsk region.*

Some 20 representatives of the media, academia, international organizations, journalists and bloggers took part in an OSCE-supported online seminar on conflict-sensitive reporting. The OSCE Programme Office in Nur-Sultan organized the event on 7 September 2020.

Participants were familiarized on journalists’ safety when reporting in a conflict area and were provided with the necessary tools needed for conflict analysis to ensure informed reporting. They also learned about the cycles that conflicting parties go through. Participants explored ways of enhancing the professionalism of reporting on conflict-related issues by learning how journalists and bloggers should behave in order to avoid becoming involved in a conflict to better report on the situation. Participants had an opportunity to apply their newly acquired skill in a practical situation using an interactive approach.

The event is part of the Programme Office’s activities aimed at promoting media development and freedom of expression in line with OSCE principles and commitments.

An OSCE-supported half-day training webinar on prosecution for money laundering and best practices in forensic investigation concluded on 7 September 2020 in Nur-Sultan.

The OSCE Programme Office in Nur-Sultan, in partnership with the Committee of Financial Monitoring under the Finance Ministry and the Law Enforcement Academy under the Prosecutor General’s Office/Regional Hub organized the event.

Some 20 representatives of Kazakhstan’s law enforcement agencies attended the webinar, which focussed on best global practices related to financial crime investigation as well as international co-operation in financial investigation.

An international expert from Israel covered topics such as criminal prosecution for money laundering and interdepartmental co-operation - in particular, among prosecutors, representatives of the Financial Intelligence Units and the law enforcement agencies. Particular attention was paid to Israel’s practices related to forensic investigation and criminal confiscation.

The training webinar is part of the Programme Office’s multi-year efforts to promote good governance by focussing on anti-money laundering/combating the financing of terrorism in Kazakhstan.

VIENNA/PRAGUE, 7 September 2020 – Preventing and combating corruption through innovation, increased transparency and digitalization while promoting security, stability and economic growth in the OSCE region will be the focus of the first ever “blended” Concluding Meeting of the 28th OSCE Economic and Environmental Forum, which opens on Thursday, 10 September 2020, in Prague.

During the two-day event, senior government officials and experts from academia, NGOs, international organizations and the private sector of the 57 OSCE participating States will discuss the role of digital technologies, good governance and the rule of law in preventing and combating corruption. Particular attention will be given also to the efforts to counter this phenomenon in the field of environmental protection and sustainable management of natural resources.

The objective of the Forum is to identify needs and priorities and to stimulate the political will of participating States. The idea is to share best practices and provide a platform for dialogue for international actors, business and academic community, as well as civil society.

Tomáš Petříček, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Czech Republic, Gent Cakaj, Acting Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of Albania and Tuula Yrjölä, Officer in Charge/Secretary General and Director of OSCE Conflict Prevention Centre will open the Forum.

Marina Sereni, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Italy, Keith Krach, Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy and the Environment, U.S Department of State, Jean-Luc Lemahieu, Director of Division for Policy Analysis and Public Affairs (UNODC), and Professor Paola Severino, Special Representative of the Chairperson-in-Office on Combating Corruption will give keynote speeches.

Media wishing to follow the opening virtually, on Thursday, 10 September, from 09:30 to 11:00, can register by sending an email to press@osce.org by Wednesday, 9 September, 16:00. Once registered, a Zoom link will be provided.

Follow the Forum via @OSCE Twitter, #EEFOSCE.

Summary

• The SMM recorded 12 ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and none in Luhansk region. In the previous reporting period, the Mission recorded five ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and 23 in Luhansk region.
• A woman was injured by the explosion of an object in Sloviansk, Donetsk region.
• The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske. During evening hours, an SMM long-range unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) spotted people inside the disengagement area near Zolote.
• An SMM long-range UAV spotted a cargo train travelling north-west during late evening hours in an area adjacent to the border with the Russian Federation.
• The Mission visited a border crossing point in non-government-controlled areas of Donetsk region.
• The SMM facilitated and monitored adherence to localized ceasefires to enable repairs to, and the operation of, critical civilian infrastructure.
• The Mission continued following up on the situation of civilians amid the COVID-19 outbreak, including at an entry-exit checkpoint in Luhansk region.
• The SMM’s freedom of movement continued to be restricted, including at a checkpoint of the armed formations near Olenivka, Donetsk region.*

BISHKEK, 7 September 2020 – The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) today opened a limited election observation mission (LEOM) for the 4 October parliamentary elections in Kyrgyzstan, following an invitation from the national authorities.

The mission is led by Thomas Boserup and consists of a core team of 12 experts based in Bishkek and 18 long-term observers, who will be deployed throughout the country from 11 September.

The mission will assess whether the elections are held in line with OSCE commitments and other international obligations and standards for democratic elections, as well as with national legislation. Observers will closely monitor fundamental aspects of the elections such as voter registration, campaign activities, the work of the election administration and relevant government bodies, election-related legislation and its implementation, and the resolution of election-related disputes. As part of the observation, the mission will also monitor media coverage of the campaign.

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

Due to the health emergency caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the related travel restrictions, ODIHR is not able to deploy short-term observers ahead of the 4 October elections as originally planned. The format of the observation activity has therefore been adjusted to a  LEOM, which will include long-term observers based around the country. While mission members will visit a limited number of polling stations on election day, there will not be any systematic observation of voting, counting or tabulation of results.

An interim report will be published to update the public and media during the course of the observation. The day after the elections, ODIHR’s preliminary findings and conclusions will be presented at a press conference. A final report summing up the observation and making recommendations for improvements will be published approximately two months after the end of the election process.

NB The ODIHR Limited Election Observation Mission and the OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek operate separately and independently under their own mandates.

For further information, please visit https://www.osce.org/odihr/elections/kyrgyzstan or contact Claudia Aranda, Media Analyst, at claudia.aranda@odihr.kg or +996 770 804 051,

or

Lauren Baranowska, ODIHR, at: lauren.baranowska@odihr.pl or +48 695 916 998

Summary

• The SMM recorded five ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and 23 in Luhansk region. In the previous reporting period, the Mission recorded 13 ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and two in Luhansk region.
• Small-arms fire was directed at an SMM unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) near Dovhe, Luhansk region.*
• The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske. During evening hours, SMM UAVs spotted people inside the latter two 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 amid the COVID-19 outbreak, including at the entry-exit checkpoint in Luhansk region.
• The Mission’s freedom of movement continued to be restricted.

Ceremonies to inaugurate offices for Public Councils, devoted to promoting community policing, and to open a third Model Police station took place on 31 August in Dushanbe and on 1 September 2020 in the district of Varzob, respectively.

Providing resources for improving community policing is part of joint efforts by the OSCE Programme Office (POiD) in Dushanbe and Tajikistan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA).

Valeriu Chiveri, Head of the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe, and Lieutenant-General Nazarzoda Sharif, Head of the MIA Directorate took part in the inauguration of the offices for Public Councils. The office premises are fully refurbished and equipped with furniture and modern technology. They will provide a place for territorial police inspectors, members of the Public Council and the community to meet and address public concerns. At the opening ceremony, Lieutenant-General Nazarzoda noted that the opening of these offices would help the Public Council more proactively reach out to citizens.

During the ceremony on 1 September in the village of Safed-dara in the Varzob district, Head of POiD Chiveri, Deputy Interior Minister Major-General Ibrohimzoda Nozim and Sheralizoda Muhammadullo, Chairperson of the Varzob district, inaugurated a third Model Police station, adding to the two stations in Tajikistan.

The Model Police station, composed of three offices and a conference hall, provides the possibility for members of local community and territorial police inspectors to meet and discuss joint measures to ensure public order in their community.

“We hope that the established Model Police station will help to build a close relationship with the local population in order to create accountability and trust between the police and civil society,” said Major-General Ibrohimzoda.

The Tajik MIA and the OSCE jointly implement measures to promote community policing, gain public support and build co-operation between the police and the citizens of Tajikistan.

VIENNA, 4 September 2020 – Increasing the resilience and stability of the cyber/ICT environment through co-operation is the main topic of the OSCE Albanian Chairmanship conference taking place on 7 and 8 September in Vienna.

Albania’s Deputy Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Agron Tare and Hungary’s Minister of State for Security Policy Péter Sztáray will open the event.

High-level officials from OSCE participating States, heads and representatives of relevant agencies, cyber/ICT security experts, representatives of international and regional organizations as well as of the private and non-governmental sectors will attend.

They will share views on current global ICT developments, discuss how governments approach cyber/ICT security in the OSCE area, how women participation contributes to cyber stability and how to further co-operate on cyber/ICT security with OSCE Partners States.

Participants will also have the opportunity to hear updates on the latest developments in the UN Working Groups dealing with international ICT-security in the context of international security, and to get insights into the implementation of the OSCE cyber/ICT confidence-building measures.

Media representatives are requested to confirm their attendance by 6 September, Sunday at press@osce.org

The opening of the conference will be streamed online at www.osce.org/live 

Agenda of the meeting is here.

GENEVA, 4 September 2020 - We, the Co-Chairs of the Geneva International Discussions (GID), reiterate our call for co-operation and dialogue, especially across conflict lines, during this global pandemic.

The GID format remains a crucial venue to address both security and humanitarian concerns, particularly for conflict-affected populations. We welcome the participants’ regular consultations with us during the pandemic, as well as the resumption of the regular meetings of the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM) in Ergneti. We encourage the resumption of the Gali IPRM.

However, at the same time, we are concerned that crossing points remain closed. While the pandemic situation requires due caution, some crossing points, such as the one at Odzisi, have been closed for over a year, predating COVID-19. Restrictions on freedom of movement complicate medical treatment, transportation, and communication, as well as access to livelihoods.

We expect all sides to increase their efforts to build trust and confidence and work constructively with the Co-Chairs, as well as with international humanitarian and human rights organizations.

We look forward to making progress on core agenda items during the next GID round on 6-7 October 2020 in Geneva.

BISHKEK, 4 September 2020 – Observers from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) will hold a press conference on the opening of the observation mission to the parliamentary elections in Kyrgyzstan on Monday, 7 September.

What:

• An introduction to the role of the ODIHR election observation mission and its planned activities
• The press conference can be attended in person or via Zoom (details below)

Who:

• Thomas Boserup, Head of the ODIHR Election Observation Mission

When:

• 12.00 on 7 September 2020

Where:

• Hotel Sheraton Bishkek, Grand Bishkek Ballroom, section A, 148B, Kievskaya Street, Bishkek

Registration:

• No registration is necessary if you are attending the press conference in person, but only questions from journalists will be taken
• To take part via Zoom, please register with: Lauren Baranowska, ODIHR: lauren.baranowska@odihr.pl or +48 695 916 998 and Claudia Aranda, Media Analyst for the Election Observation Mission: claudia.aranda@odihr.kg or +996 770 804 051

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

Summary

• The SMM recorded 13 ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and two in Luhansk region. In the previous reporting period, the Mission recorded no ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and 63 in Luhansk region.
• The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske. During evening hours, SMM unmanned aerial vehicles observed people inside the latter two disengagement 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 amid the COVID-19 outbreak, including at the entry-exit checkpoint and its corresponding checkpoint of the armed formations in Luhansk region.
• The Mission’s freedom of movement continued to be restricted, including at checkpoints of the armed formations near Shevchenko and Nova Marivka, both in Donetsk region.*

VIENNA, 3 September 2020 – The OSCE Special Representative for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, Valiant Richey, wrapped up a series of two-day online consultations with high-level officials of Finland today. He concluded that the Finnish Government is demonstrating strong political initiative to combat trafficking but needs to increase its efforts to counter impunity and identify victims, particularly children and those exploited online. 

The Special Representative held meetings with a number of Finnish officials, including the Ministers of Justice, Interior and Foreign Affairs, as well as with the Prosecutor General, the Non-Discrimination Ombudsman and National Rapporteur on Trafficking and the Deputy National Police Commissioner. The meetings focused on the government’s ongoing efforts to prevent and tackle trafficking in human beings and implement solutions to some new and persistent challenges. 

Thanking Special Representative Valiant Richey for the meeting, Minister of Justice Anna-Maja Henriksson said: “It was extremely valuable to hear the OSCE’s views on preventing human trafficking in various countries and to discuss how to best work together against it. The Finnish government is very dedicated to working against human trafficking.”

“High-level political engagement is the best driver for change, and recent efforts in Finland demonstrate strong commitment to achieving results”, said Special Representative Richey. He noted that the recent reform that enables agencies to join forces with the police to identify victims of trafficking is “a positive step towards more expansive, victim-centred anti-trafficking policies”. He also commended collaboration between police and labor inspectors and the planned creation of a specialized unit on investigating human trafficking cases.

However, Richey said that Finland still faces significant challenges when it comes to countering human trafficking. “The number of prosecutions remain quite low in Finland, especially in comparison to the increasing number of identified victims,” Special Representative Richey said; adding that this can create a perception of impunity for traffickers and deny victims the justice they deserve.

The meetings also covered trends in the OSCE region and in Finland, such as the impact of COVID-19 on vulnerable communities susceptible to trafficking, the rise of online exploitation, and the need for a more comprehensive criminal justice response, especially to trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation.

“We should focus on what victims need, not what we need from victims,” said Richey, calling for robust victim assistance coupled with investigation strategies focused on gathering corroborating evidence without relying exclusively on victim testimony. He noted that promising prosecution approaches in the OSCE region emphasized the use of technology, financial investigations and special investigative techniques to support successful cases and seize traffickers’ assets.

The meetings laid the foundation for an in-person visit to Finland later this year to support the work of a newly established Working Group under the leadership of the National Co-ordinator in developing a national action plan and other anti-trafficking policies.

The OSCE Special Representative regularly conducts official visits to support OSCE participating States in their efforts to counter human trafficking, as well as to share knowledge and collect best practices to fight this heinous crime. While current travel restrictions make on-sight visits more challenging, the Office of the OSCE Special Representative continues to engage and provide tailored support to participating States through online formats.

Twenty-five participants from Uzbekistan participated in a Model OSCE conference from 2 to 4 September 2020. Participants were graduates or current students from the University of World Economy and Diplomacy (UWED) in Tashkent.

The online event, the first of its kind in Uzbekistan, was co-organized by the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan (PCUz) and UWED.

During the event, participants had the opportunity to enhance their knowledge about OSCE structures, develop their negotiation and drafting skills of international documents, and understand the work undertaken by the OSCE in Uzbekistan in its three programmatic dimensions. They were also acquainted with the 1975 Helsinki Final Act, the OSCE’s landmark document that set the foundation for European peace, guaranteed by a co-operative multilateral system based on shared values and commitments. The Model OSCE in Uzbekistan coincided with the 45th anniversary of the Helsinki Final Act.

“The Model OSCE is a simulation activity in which students must recreate the OSCE’s Permanent Council in a crisis situation,” explained John MacGregor, OSCE Project Co-ordinator. “Each student is assigned a country and must negotiate on behalf of her/his country to resolve the crisis. By the end of the exercise, the students must develop a joint action plan on how to settle the crisis and avoid the escalation of the conflict”. “I have often said that one of the greatest resources of Uzbekistan is its cohort of well-educated young people,” continued MacGregor.

Gulnoza Ismailova, Vice Rector on Science and Innovations at the University of World Economy and Diplomacy, said: “The first Model OSCE in Uzbekistan presented an opportunity for young people to understand how international diplomacy works and to become familiar with the work of the OSCE and the dynamics of international organizations.”

The event is part of the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan’s activities aimed at involving young people in promoting peace and security and protecting the rights of youth.

The OSCE Presence in Albania launched a project aimed at strengthening the capacities and increasing transparency and accountability of the public procurement system in Albania, on 1 September 2020.

Through this project, and with the support of the Permanent Delegation of Italy to the OSCE, the Presence will conduct research to identify risks and prevent corruption in public procurement. It will provide recommendations to improve the policy framework and capacity development, as well as promote data transparency and data monitoring among civil society actors.  

The Presence has contracted the Berlin-based Hertie School of Governance’s European Research Centre for Anti-Corruption and State-Building and the Albanian Institute of Science to initiate a comprehensive risk assessment in public procurement in selected public sectors. They will also develop a visual mapping to identify gaps and provide recommendations to mitigate risks through improvements in both policy framework and operational management.

In addition, the Presence will develop a roadmap for the establishment of a professional training programme for public procurement officials to increase their capacities and improve efficiency, planning and monitoring procedures.

Throughout the project, the Presence will work closely with the Albanian Public Procurement Agency, the Public Procurement Commission, the Albanian Public School of Administration, and the Department of Public Administration.

The project adds to the Presence’s efforts to support Albania’s government in the fight against corruption.

Some 35 participants from government bodies, academia, civil society and media-related NGOs participated in an online discussion on access to information in Kazakhstan. The OSCE Programme Office in Nur-Sultan and the NGO Legal Media Centre jointly organized the event, held on 2 September.

The Legal Media Centre provided participants with an overview of the national legislation on access to information, different categories of information classification, protection of the right for access to information and transparency, and accountability issues. A national expert presented the legal analysis of the legislative acts regulating the information for official use (restricted information). Participants also discussed issues of information accessibility regarding budget expenses, procedures governing the release of official information held by different government agencies, and participation of civil society in the legislative process regulating the access to information.

The event is part of the Programme Office’s activities aimed at promoting media development and freedom of expression in line with OSCE principles and commitments.