Central Europe

Emmanuel Decaux of France has been elected as new President of the OSCE Court of Conciliation and Arbitration on 14 October 2019 after members of the Court, appointed by the States parties to the Convention on Conciliation and Arbitration within the OSCE, were invited to elect a new Bureau of the Court for a mandate of six years. Decaux succeeds Christian Tomuschat of Germany who served in the position from 2013 to 2019.

Decaux is Professor emeritus of the University of Paris II – Panthéon-Assas, where he taught public international law and international human rights law. He was also Director of the Doctorate School of International Law, European Law, International Relations and Comparative Law. He has published on topics of public international law and international organizations, with a focus on the peaceful settlement of disputes and human rights. He is also a member of the Advisory Board of the Security and Human Rights Monitor publication.

In addition to his academic career, Decaux has held several functions within the United Nations. He was a member and then President of the UN Committee on Enforced Disappearances between 2011 and 2019. Prior to that, he was a member of the UN Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights and a member of the Human Rights Council Advisory Committee.

Decaux also participated as a member of the French delegation to three meetings of the Human Dimension Conference (1989-1991) and to the first Human Dimension Implementation meetings organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights in Warsaw. Later he was nominated as an expert as part of the Moscow Mechanism on the Human Dimension on behalf of which he acted twice (in 2003 and 2011) as Rapporteur.

As well as electing a new President, the Court’s members also voted on new members to the Court’s Bureau. 

Tomuschat and Erkki Kourula of Finland were elected to membership of the Bureau. Following a tied vote for several candidates, a second ballot is being organized to complete the Bureau’s membership.

The elections of the President of the Court and the Bureau members were carried out in a written procedure and in line with the provisions set forth in Article 9(3) of the Rules of Procedure of the Court. The election process generated great interest among the appointed members entitled to cast a vote with a participation rate of 73%.

The Bureau is the Court’s executive body and consists of the President, four members (including the Vice-President) and four alternate members.

The OSCE Court of Conciliation and Arbitration is based in Geneva. It was established in 1995 by the Convention on Conciliation and Arbitration as a mechanism for the peaceful settlement of disputes in accordance with international law and the OSCE commitments of the parties. Thirty-four states have now ratified the Convention. Sweden is the Depositary State of the Convention.

436556 OSCE Centre in Ashgabat

The OSCE Center in Ashgabat, jointly with the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities (OCEEA), organized a seminar on institutional and legislative measures to combat corruption on 21 and 22 October in Ashgabat. The event brought together representatives of different ministries and state bodies, including the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Finance and Economics, the Ministry of National Security, the Ministry of Justice, the Central Bank, and the Prosecutor-General’s Office.

The seminar was part of the OSCE’s Strengthening Adherence to Good Governance Principles project. It was led by two experts from Latvia and Lithuania, who described international standards and best practices in developing anti-corruption legislation and international and inter-agency co-operation in the fight against corruption. The lecturers also discussed tools and mechanisms for the retrieval of embezzled funds and their compensation, and best practices for good governance in state procurements.

The lectures provided attendees with a number of examples of effective anti-corruption measures, as well as guidelines on methods for tackling both national and international forms of corruption.

Natalya Drozd, Head of the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat, emphasized the importance of anti-corruption measures for economic and social development in her opening address, as she noted: “The fight against corruption is a key area for law-enforcement and other government bodies, which will aid the development of the local business climate and improve security”. She underlined the role of international co-operation for effective anti-corruption action, and the willingness of the OSCE to participate in and facilitate national, regional and international initiatives.

“The OSCE attaches great importance to the fight against corruption and promotion of the principles of good governance,” said Kurban Babayev, Associate Anti-Corruption Officer of the OCEEA. “Among the OSCE’s recent flagship projects in this area is the launch of its online training modules on good governance and anti-corruption aimed at providing government officials, representatives of law enforcement, private sector and civil society with all the necessary information on available legal tools, the latest legislative and policy trends, and pertinent measures and practices to prevent and suppress corruption.”

In addition to the lectures, a representative of the Ministry of Internal Affairs presented an overview of the national anti-corruption system of Turkmenistan.

VIENNA, 22 October 2019 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, said today that journalists’ safety must be ensured at all times. The statement followed recent incidents with several journalists covering public protests in Baku.

“Media have the right to cover public events, and journalists must be able to report in a free and safe manner, without fear of intimidation,” Désir said.

According to reports, on 19 and 20 October journalists from various media outlets, including Meydan TV, Radio Azadliq (RFE/RL's Azerbaijani Service), Turan news agency, Voice of America’s Azerbaijani Service, Objective TV online channel, Azadliq newspaper, Toplum TV news platform, and some freelance reporters, were mistreated, verbally assaulted and shortly detained by the police while covering public demonstrations in Baku. Reportedly, in some instances, the journalists were affected despite being clearly identified as media.

“I deplore the incidents with journalists covering public protests in Baku and the cases of obstruction of their work, and call on the authorities to promptly investigate them and take steps to ensure restraint on the part of law enforcement representatives towards members of the media,” Désir said.

VIENNA, 22 October 2019 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, expressed his concern today following several violent incidents against journalists in Spain over the past week, as well as the arrest of a journalist on 18 October, after protests started on 14 October in Barcelona.

“I am concerned by the number of incidents and attacks against journalists while covering demonstrations in Barcelona in the past days,” said Désir. “Some of these incidents involved law enforcement officers. I call on the authorities to ensure the protection of journalists and media professionals who are covering the protests in Catalonia.”

According to local media reports, on 14 October, several journalists, who identified themselves as members of the press by wearing press armbands and vests, were injured by police during the demonstrations. These include Elise Gazengel from France 24, Pol Pareja of the website Eldiaro.es, Jordi Mumbrú from the daily Ara, Albert Salamé and Oriol Izquierdo from Vilaweb.cat, Joan Giralt, Freddy Davies and Núria Gebellí from La Directa magazine, Pau Venteo from Catalunya Radio, and Victor Asensio from Elprat TV.

On 15 October, the journalist Quico Sallés from El Mundo and the freelance photographer Sònia Calvó Carrió from eldiario.es, who identified themselves as members of the press, were physically attacked in Barcelona.  

On 16 October, the journalists Sira Esclasans from La Directa, and Carles Márquez from El Periódico were shot at by police with rubber bullets. Bru Aguiló from Fotomovimiento was also reportedly attacked by police and had his equipment damaged.

In addition, on 18 October, the El País photojournalist, Albert Garcia, was arrested while covering the demonstrations, before being released the next day. Meanwhile the journalist Quico Sallés from El Mundo was reportedly struck in the leg by rubber bullets fired by police and again physically assaulted, along with the photojournalist Juan Carlos Mohr whose equipment was also damaged. The journalists Salvador Cot from El Mundo, and Fermín Grodira reportedly suffered verbal and physical attacks while reporting on the demonstrations and had their cameras damaged. The journalists Emilio Morenati and Bernat Arnangué from the Associated Press were also struck by rubber bullets fired by police.

“It is essential to ensure that the press can report freely on public demonstrations, and I call on the Spanish authorities to thoroughly investigate all incidents involving violence against journalists,” Désir said. “I also urge the authorities to ensure that law enforcement personnel refrain from obstructing the work of journalists, and to ensure their safety at all times.”

The Representative recalled that the “Special Report on Handling of the Media during Political Demonstrations: Observations and Recommendations” published by his Office, states that “law-enforcement officials have a constitutional responsibility not to prevent or obstruct the work of journalists during public demonstrations, and journalists have a right to expect fair and restrained treatment by the police.”

The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media observes media developments in all 57 OSCE participating States. He provides early warning on violations of freedom of expression and media freedom and promotes full compliance with OSCE media freedom commitments. Learn more at www.osce.org/fom, Twitter: @OSCE_RFoM and on www.facebook.com/osce.rfom

SDGs SDGs:  16 - Peace, justice and strong institutions

Summary

• Compared with the previous reporting period, between the evenings of 18 and 19 October, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations both in Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
• Between the evenings of 19 and 20 October, the Mission recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more in Luhansk region, compared with the previous 24 hours.
• The Mission saw damage to civilian properties from gunfire in Zolote-5/Mykhailivka and a crater in Pikuzy.
• Inside the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area, the SMM continued to observe reconstruction of the broken section of the bridge.
• The Mission saw clearing of vegetation as well as military and military-type presence inside the disengagement area near Zolote. It registered ceasefire violations inside both disengagement areas near Zolote and Petrivske.
• The Mission observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines in government-controlled areas of Donetsk region and in non-government-controlled areas of Luhansk region.
• The SMM saw anti-tank mines near government-controlled Vodiane, unexploded ordnance near non-government-controlled Verkhnoshyrokivske and demining activities on the road between Pervomaisk and Popasna.
• The SMM monitored events related to marking of the European Anti-Trafficking Day.

436496 Communication and Media Relations Section

The OSCE Conflict Prevention Centre and Hungary’s Ministry of Defence organized a symposium in Budapest from 16 to 18 October 2019 to mark 25 years of the OSCE Code of Conduct on Politico-Military Aspects of Security. This landmark document, signed in the Hungarian capital in 1994, contains key principles and commitments for the organization’s 57 participating States related to security relations between states and to the control of all armed and security forces within a state.

More than 80 participants from OSCE participating States, including state secretaries, senior officers from the armed forces, senior government officials as well as representatives of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, and academia came together to reflect on the Code’s importance and to their share experiences on its implementation.

The event was opened by the Head of the Security Policy and Non-proliferation at Hungary’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Margit Szücs, and by the Chairperson of the OSCE Forum for Security Co-operation and Permanent Representative of the Czech Republic to the OSCE, Ambassador Ivo Šrámek.

The Director of the OSCE Conflict Prevention Centre, Marcel Peško, recalled that: “the Code of Conduct is a visionary document. This symposium creates an opportunity to engage in a forward-looking dialogue beyond the 25th anniversary.”

The symposium was organized with donor support provided by Germany, Switzerland, and the Czech Republic.

COPENHAGEN, 21 October 2019 – OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President George Tsereteli and Secretary General Roberto Montella have wrapped up a visit to Belgrade, where they held a series of bilateral meetings last week and participated in the 141st Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union.

President Tsereteli addressed the IPU, speaking about the importance of parliamentary diplomacy and strengthening international law. He stressed that he is concerned about “a renewed potential for international conflicts, a deteriorating human rights situation globally, and the breakdown of multilateralism in general.”

“Parliamentarians must continue to be a voice of de-escalation and offer creative and concrete solutions,” Tsereteli said. He also advocated a stronger role for civil society organizations, and called for advancing gender mainstreaming and youth participation to provide the opportunity for individuals to improve our institutions and highlight shortcomings.

“It is only by upholding this core mission of parliamentarianism – governing of the people, by the people, for the people – that we can truly strengthen international law and diplomacy, achieve durable peace, protect human rights, address climate change and ensure sustainable economic development so that our children can inherit a better world,” Tsereteli said.

On 16 October, President Tsereteli and Secretary General Montella met with Martin Chungong, Secretary General of the IPU, for discussions on how to enhance co-operation between the OSCE PA and the IPU. The sides discussed concrete plans for a joint meeting, with SG Chungong informing Tsereteli of a regional conference scheduled for next year on counter-terrorism that the OSCE PA could participate in.

Chungong also invited the OSCE PA to participate in the Speakers’ Conference to take place in Vienna 17-20 August 2020. In addition, they discussed practical matters including the IPU’s mechanism of donations used to fund IPU activities.

Watch President Tsereteli’s speech on YouTube or download in PDF format here.

For a press release on Tsereteli and Montella’s Serbian-OSCE PA bilateral meetings in Belgrade, please click here.

Photos of the Belgrade visit are on Flickr

Communication and Media Relations Section

The OSCE Secretariat and Frontex, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, agreed to strengthen their co-operation in combating cross-border crime, trafficking in human beings and addressing migratory challenges, in a Working Arrangement document signed last week.

The document, signed by OSCE Secretary General Thomas Greminger and Frontex Executive Director Fabrice Leggeri, covers different areas of mutual interest, including promoting and enhancing good practices in border management, ensuring fundamental rights protection of people at the borders, and continuing to develop capacities to address emerging forms of cross-border crime.

436409 Communication and Media Relations Section

An advanced training course aimed at increasing border guards’ operational awareness to detect forged documents concluded on 18 October 2019 in Skopje.

This five-day training course was organized by the Border Security and Management Unit of the OSCE Transnational Threats Department in co-operation with the OSCE Mission to Skopje and the Ministry of Interior of the Republic of North Macedonia. 

The course was held at the Police Training Centre in Idrizovo and was conducted by document experts of the Austrian Federal Ministry of the Interior.

Twenty-one second-line officers had the opportunity to examine travel documents security features, printing techniques and security substrates. They also learned how to better detect imposters.

Exercises focused on the differences between genuine and forged documents, as well as on the effective use of equipment; such as magnifying lenses. High-quality magnifiers were donated to the participants by the OSCE.

This course will be followed by a Train-the-Trainers course in November. This is  part of a series of trainings on the detection of forged travel documents that have been organized by the OSCE Border Security and Management Unit since 2015 in different countries.

VIENNA, 21 October 2019 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, announced today that his Office will organize a high-level conference on media freedom issues, to be held in Moscow on 6 November. The conference on “Freedom of the Media and Safety of Journalists in the Russian Federation and the OSCE region: Challenges and Opportunities in the Digital Age”, will be organized by the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation.

The conference will debate four main topics: freedom of the media and media pluralism in Russia and in the OSCE region; the safety of journalists: new challenges and responses; “fake news”, disinformation: how to tackle them, including through Internet regulation, and international standards on freedom of expression; media self-regulation, fact-checking and the role of journalism, ethical standards and media literacy.

The conference will be opened by Representative Harlem Désir, together with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia, Sergey Lavrov, who will both take part in a panel discussion with journalists.

“The conference will bring together representatives of diverse Russian media, including non-state independent media, media experts and representatives of the authorities and institutions of the Russian Federation, to discuss openly media freedom and media development issues, safety of journalists, regulations affecting freedom of expression, self-regulation mechanisms and issues related to disinformation and quality of information in the Russia Federation and the wider OSCE region,” Désir said. “It will be the first such conference organized by my Office in Russia with an open discussion between independent media and government representatives at the highest level.”

The conference will bring together about 200 journalists and representatives from the media and non-governmental organizations, together with international experts, policymakers and representatives of government institutions.

The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media observes media developments in all 57 OSCE participating States. He provides early warning on violations of freedom of expression and media freedom and promotes full compliance with OSCE media freedom commitments. Learn more at www.osce.org/fom, Twitter: @OSCE_RFoM and on www.facebook.com/osce.rfom

436523 Colin McCullough, OSCE Programme Office in Nur-Sultan

A week-long live simulation exercise on how to identify and rescue victims of human trafficking concluded on 18 October 2019 in Karaganda, Kazakhstan. More than 40 professionals from law enforcement, labour inspectorates, prosecutorial offices, NGOs and social services from all across the country participated in the live-action training.

The exercise was jointly organized by the OSCE Programme Office in Nur-Sultan, the Karaganda Academy of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Regional Hub for Countering Global Threats under the Law Enforcement Academy of the General Prosecutor’s Office, the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs of the United States Embassy in Kazakhstan and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

Using actors to create trafficking scenarios, the live exercise offered front-line responders the opportunity to respond to simulated real-life anti-trafficking situations. Fictitious brothels, a construction site and an agricultural field were re-created to simulate cases of human trafficking for labour and sexual exploitation; including child victims.

The event was part of the OSCE Programme Office’s long-standing efforts to support the host country in combating human trafficking and in implementing the OSCE Action Plan to Combat Trafficking in Human Beings.

Colin McCullough, OSCE Programme Office in Nur-Sultan

The civic and social activism of youth was the focus of the annual three-day Zhas (Youth) Camp that concluded on 20 October 2019 in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Some thirty young people were selected to attend the event following a competition held in four major cities where they successfully pitched their ideas for social initiatives and projects.

They were among this year’s Zhas Camp which attracted some 70 participants including political scientists, journalists, civil society activists, and experts on communication and gender issues. The participants discussed issues related to emerging needs, concerns and self-realization of young people, as well as reducing the risks of their social exclusion. A separate discussion with experts from Armenia, Kazakhstan and the Russian Federation was devoted to key trends and challenges of youth participation in political and public life.

The participants had an opportunity to talk with guest speakers about inspirational examples on how to promote and deliver successful social projects and learned about fundraising and public campaign tools.

The camp was co-organized by the NGO Youth Information Service of Kazakhstan and the OSCE Programme Office in Nur-Sultan with support from the Soros Foundation-Kazakhstan and the Friedrich Ebert Foundation.

The event is part of the Programme Office’s efforts to promote youth engagement in resolving issues of security and development.

SDGs SDGs:  16 - Peace, justice and strong institutions

Summary

• Compared with the previous reporting period, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations both in Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
• The Mission saw damage to a functioning school in non-government-controlled Oleksandrivka.
• Inside the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area, the SMM saw workers from government-controlled areas laying gravel and cement at the foundations of and transporting removed parts of the broken section of the bridge.
• The Mission observed military presence inside the disengagement areas near Petrivske and Zolote.
• The SMM saw unexploded ordnance near non-government-controlled Verkhnoshyrokivske and demining activities near government-controlled Hranitne.
• The Mission monitored adherence to the ceasefire to facilitate the operation of and repairs to critical civilian infrastructure along the contact line.
• Restrictions of the Mission’s freedom of movement continued, including at a checkpoint of the armed formations near Verkhnoshyrokivske.

SDGs SDGs:  16 - Peace, justice and strong institutions

Summary

• Compared with the previous reporting period, the SMM recorded a similar number of ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and fewer ceasefire violations in Luhansk region.
• The SMM followed up on reports of a boy injured due exploding ammunition in the Budonivskyi district of non-government-controlled Donetsk city. 
• Inside the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area, the SMM saw workers from government-controlled areas laying gravel at the foundations of the broken section of the bridge.
• The Mission recorded ceasefire violations inside the Petrivske disengagement area. It observed military and military-type presence inside the disengagement areas near Petrivske and Zolote.
• The SMM saw anti-tank mines near Spartak and mine hazard signs near Olenivka.
• The Mission observed two truck convoys from the Russian Federation in non-government-controlled areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
• The Mission monitored adherence to the ceasefire to facilitate the operation of and repairs to critical civilian infrastructure along the contact line.
• Restrictions of the Mission’s freedom of movement continued, including at a checkpoint of the armed formations near Zaichenko.

Communication and Media Relations Section

A three-day training of trainers’ course on enhancing oversight of the security sector jointly organized by ODIHR and the OSCE Secretariat concluded on 18 October 2019 in Yerevan. The capacity building event was designed to increase the human rights investigation skills of staff members of Armenia’s ombuds institution and help them train security sector personnel on human rights compliance.

“Oversight over the security sector has an essential role in human rights protection. It is a key priority in my capacity as the Human Rights Defender of Armenia and I am confident that this training will strengthen capacities and professionalism of the Human Rights Defender's Office. I will be delighted to have another opportunity to co-operate with OSCE/ODIHR and I am very much committed in further achievements in security sector monitoring", said Arman Tatoyan, the Human Rights Defender of Armenia.

The training sessions covered different types of human rights investigations led by national human rights institutions, and focused on topics including complaints handling, data analysis, interviewing, reporting and outreach. Special attention was paid to integrating a gender perspective throughout the investigation cycle.

Omer Fisher, the Head of ODIHR’s Human Rights Department, said that “by investigating human rights violations ombuds institutions provide redress to those whose rights have been violated. What’s more, they also help security sector institutions become more effective and accountable and thus enhance security sector governance.”

The training event drew from the experience of different country examples and featured Susan Atkins, the first UK Service Complaint Commissioner and Sasa Jankovic, Serbia’s former Protector of Citizens, the country’s ombuds institution, as lead trainers.

The training course was the first activity undertaken by the project “Strengthening Security Sector Governance in the Republic of Armenia”. It supports ongoing reforms in the security sector as one of the priority areas agreed with the authorities of Armenia within the framework of the Armenian Co-operation Programme.

436337 Željka Šulc

Over 50 education experts, representatives of ministries of education, pedagogical institutes, universities and academia gathered at the expert meeting and workshop on International Assessments in the Area of Education and Utilization of Their Findings for Education Improvement. The event was organized by the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Hercegovina (BiH) on 17 and 18 October 2019 in Sarajevo.

The two-day workshop, held in co-operation with the BiH Agency for Pre-Primary, Primary and Secondary Education under the slogan Towards Education that Creates Changes, focused on international assessments in the area of education (Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS)) and the prospects of utilizing their findings in helping to improve the quality of education in BiH.

Mark Hanbury, Acting Deputy Head of the Human Dimension Department of the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina stated: “Bosnia and Herzegovina is expecting their first ever results of PISA study and I hope that it will spark public debate on the importance of education quality and catalyze comprehensive education processes and enhance policies that will provide children of BiH with the quality education they deserve. The OSCE Mission to BiH will remain a reliable partner to all education authorities in their efforts aimed at improving the education in BiH.”

Maja Stojkić, Director of the BiH Agency for Preschool, Primary and Secondary Education says that international studies will draw attention to the effects of the efforts undertaken so far on improving the quality of education and provide the guidance and recommendations for further actions. “They should allow us to adopt, implement and monitor the effects of strategic decisions in education on the basis of empirical indicators, obtained by continuous participation in international research. The improvement of the education quality, based on the obtained results, must become a key government priority, and a must for the future and progress of the individuals, economy and society as a whole”, added Stojkić.

Aleksandar Baucal, a professor at the Belgrade Faculty of Philosophy emphasized that international assessment in education is important and highly relevant for increasing the quality of education, but it must be complemented by other relevant means for improving education. “The assessment provides all countries from the region with an opportunity to monitor the quality and equity of current education systems with an international perspective. Findings from these studies are relevant for various stakeholders, citizens, parents, students, teachers, researchers, policy makers and companies to engage in an informed and meaningful way in public discussions on the future development of education.”

The OSCE Mission to BiH will continue its efforts for advocating and supporting the responsible education authorities in taking effective steps towards improving the quality of education by developing policies and practices based on the findings of international assessments in the area of education.

436358 Munira Shoinbekova, OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe

Tajik youth discussed the promotion of women’s rights and gender equality at an OSCE-organized roundtable discussion on 17 October 2019 in Dushanbe. The event was dedicated to the International Day of Rural Women. Some 60 members of the Gender Champions network took part in the discussion, as well as representatives of civil society and the international community.

The event served as a platform for dialogue between youth and international organizations working on gender equality. It also enabled the participants to share success stories on events aimed at promoting women participation in public life.

“I am proud to be a member of the Gender Champions network,” said Avizova Kamila, one of the participants of the event. Every day I change people’s opinion and win their hearts, and this way every day I win”.

Gender Champions is a network of young Tajik women and men who are engaged in promotion of women’s rights, gender equality and women’s participation in political and public life. The network was established in 2017 with the support of the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe.

436313 OSCE Centre in Ashgabat

The OSCE Centre organized a series of lectures on codes of conduct and ethical standards in law enforcement from 14 to 19 October 2019 in Ashgabat. The Institute of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Institute of International Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Border Institute of the State Border Service of Turkmenistan each hosted a programme of lectures. They were attended by police cadets, law students from the Institute of International Relations and the Turkmen State University and cadets of the Border and Military Institutes.

The series was organized to allow students to develop their knowledge of international standards of ethics in law enforcement and to familiarize themselves with practical examples based on the work of international organizations such as the UN, the Council of Europe and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in the area of good governance.

The event was led by Yaroslav Strelchenok, a lecturer on anti-corruption and professional ethics at the University of Turiba in Latvia and consultant-adviser on anti-corruption projects to international organizations.

In her opening speech, Natalya Drozd, Head of the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat, underlined the importance of such events for the training of future state employees. She said: “The professional and moral potential of any working collective, and in particular of law enforcement agencies, is the capacity of their employees to oppose criminality and corruption. It also means their ability to overcome daily challenges and the impact of negative factors which may weaken their feeling of duty, responsibility, integrity and professionalism”.

The lectures touched on anti-corruption practices within state institutions and how to improve the efficacy of such measureUnder the expert’s guidance, students considered issues such as the importance of transparency in state institutions and the correct application of effective codes of conduct. The students also participated in a discussion on conflicts of interests and the potential problems arising from them.

The series of three events brought together more than 250 students from five institutions of higher education.

VIENNA/TIRANA, 18 October 2019 — Representatives of the 57 OSCE participating States, the six OSCE Mediterranean Partners for Co-operation — Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia — and several international organizations will meet in Tirana on 24 and 25 October to discuss the achievements, challenges and future opportunities for the OSCE Mediterranean Partnerships.

The OSCE 2019 Mediterranean Conference will look into ways to further common security in the Mediterranean through dialogue and co-operation on issues of mutual interest.

Albania’s Acting Foreign Affairs Minister Gent Cakaj, representing Albania’s Chairmanship of the OSCE Mediterranean Contact Group, Slovak State Secretary of the Foreign and European Affairs Ministry Lukáš Parízek, Secretary General of the Union for Mediterranean Nasser Kamel, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary Péter Szijjártó, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Marina Sereni, Secretary-General of Foreign Affairs Ministry of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Ambassador Saja Majali, General Secretary/Deputy Minister of the Foreign Affairs Ministry of Algeria Rachid Bladhane will deliver opening remarks on the first day of the Conference.

The ministers and other high-level delegates will exchange views on:

• The importance of joint efforts in countering terrorism, violent extremism and radicalization that leads to terrorism;
• Youth participation and engagement to enhance dialogue and co-operation in the Mediterranean;
• The role of connectivity, digitalization, sustainable development and economic growth in advancing common security in the Mediterranean.

The OSCE has been holding annual conferences with its Mediterranean Partners for Co-operation since 1995. Under the OSCE convention, the Mediterranean Contact Group is chaired by the upcoming OSCE Chairmanship.   

The Conference will take place at the MAK Albania Hotel, Sheshi Italia, Tirana.

The following events will be open to media representatives:

Thursday, 24 October:

09:00 – 09:30            Opening remarks

14:30                          Family photo

Friday, 25 October:

12:00 – 12:30            Closing remarks

12:30 – 12:40            Press conference

Media representatives who wish to attend the Conference or are interested in an interview or background briefing are kindly requested to apply for accreditation by 22 October, Tuesday, 17:00. Send an email to the Albanian Foreign Affairs Ministry at info@mfa.gov.al, and attach the letter from media organization or a press card.

International media representative can register by sending an email to press@osce.org.

Discussions can also be followed on Twitter at @OSCE or by using the hashtag #OSCEMed.

The agenda and more information about the event are available here.  

The first international scientific and practical conference on The Present Day Military Conflicts: Content and Lessons Learned took place on 15 and 16 October 2019 in Tashkent. The event was organized by the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan, in co-operation with the Academy of the Armed Forces of Uzbekistan.

More than 200 participants from the UN, OSCE, NATO, UNICEF, the CiS countries, the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and the Near East South Asia (NESA) Center for Strategic Studies under the National Defence University of the USA, attended the conference.

Also in attendance were experts from higher military educational institutions of Azerbaijan, Belarus, India, Kazakhstan, the Republic of Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, the Russian Federation, the USA, Tajikistan and Turkey.

The main purpose of the conference was to discuss the causes and nature of modern military conflicts, and exchange experiences on measures for their effective prevention and escalation.

The participants exchanged views on the characteristics of modern and future wars and discussed the situation in Afghanistan, the Middle East and the Korean Peninsula.

John McGregor, the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan, said that: “The OSCE provides a platform for dialogue on politico–military issues. The OSCE’s Code of Conduct on Politico–Military Aspects of Security is a key document in this regard and sets out basic norms for the democratic control of armed and security forces, as well as ensuring human rights and fundamental freedoms for armed forces personnel.”