Central Europe

545710

Promoting and strengthening the National Action Plan (NAP) for the implementation of the UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325 “Women, Peace and Security” was the focus of a three-day training held on 6-8 June in Tashkent. The training was conducted by the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan (PCUz) together with the National Human Rights Centre and the Republican Commission for the Enhancement of the Role of Women in Society, Gender Equality and the Family.

During the event, representatives from  judiciary and law enforcement agencies  enhanced their knowledge and skills in implementing the recently endorsed NAP, by ensuring access to justice for vulnerable groups of population, including victims of gender-based violence, as well as enhancing women’s role in the security sector. In recent years, Uzbekistan has made significant progress in implementing the Women, Peace and Security Agenda and promoting women's participation in public and political life, as well as in the security sector. As stated by Senator Gulnora Marufova, member of the Committee of the Senate of the Oliy Majlis (National Parliament) of the Republic of Uzbekistan on Women and Gender Equality, “the Agenda of Women, Peace, and Security is interlinked with various spheres of national politics. We are convinced that it is impossible to achieve sustainable development without increasing the role of women in the socio-political life of the country and further enhancing the role of women in decision making process for the significant matters of national and foreign policy.”

Nadia Yakhlaf-Lallemand, Head of Human Dimension at the PCUz, noted that the UNSCR 1325 is embedded in the OSCE security policy, and that the PCUz is supporting the host country in both promoting the NAP and facilitating the exchange of best practices from the OSCE region and beyond.

Dilnoza Muratova, Deputy Director of the National Human Rights Center of the Republic of Uzbekistan, briefed participants on the adopted NAP, underlining that "the enacted National Action Plan focuses on priority areas in which it is feasible to change the situation, introduce more effective policies and strive to achieve results in ensuring peace and security in the country.”

This training program was organised within the framework of the projects “Promoting Gender Equality and Combating Human Trafficking” and “Support to Democratic Policing and Addressing Transnational Threats”.

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

Election experts from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) presented final reports on France’s 2022 presidential and parliamentary elections in Paris from 5 to 7 June 2023.

The experts discussed the report’s key findings and recommendations with government officials, representatives of the National Assembly, the National Commission for Control of Electoral Accounts and Political Finance, the media regulatory body and the Constitutional Council.

Discussions focused on consolidation of electoral legislation, enhancement of transparency of campaign finance, decriminalization of defamation, balanced campaign coverage by the media, including online, alternative voting methods and the need to ensure standardized training of poll workers.

“The follow-up visit to France opened a frank discussion on how to address ODIHR recommendations with effective and workable solutions, by harmonising well-established and trusted local democratic traditions with international standards and commitments for the conduct of elections,” said Ambassador Urszula Gacek, Head of the ODIHR Election Assessment Mission for the 2022 parliamentary elections.

ODIHR election observation activities also assess the country’s efforts to implement previous recommendations through changes in legislation, procedures and practices. For France, the ODIHR mission evaluated the follow-up to recommendations on the 2017 presidential election and concluded that two recommendations (7 and 9) were fully implemented, one recommendation (1) was mostly implemented and six recommendations remain to be addressed.

ODIHR discussed with authorities potential avenues for future co-operation. The ODIHR assistance offered includes expert discussions, thematic workshops and legal reviews related to potential changes to the electoral legislation.

In the 1999 OSCE Istanbul Document, all OSCE participating States committed themselves to “follow up promptly the ODIHR’s election assessment and recommendations”.

VIENNA, 8 June 2023 – In line with the mandate of the Organization, and through the particular efforts of the Office of the Co-ordinator for Economic and Environmental Activities, the OSCE has been working on addressing environmental and security impacts and challenges of the war in Ukraine, in partnership with UN agencies and field operations. The recent destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam in Kherson oblast creates additional challenges, dramatically increasing threats to livelihoods and intensifying economic risks for the populations concerned.

Ukrainian authorities have solicited support from the OSCE to further monitor and address these challenges.

OSCE experts underline the immediate and long-term implications of the destruction of the dam, both in the immediate surroundings, as well as further downstream and at the trans-national level, with serious dangers to public health, economic activities, energy security and ecosystem integrity.

The flooding of land and farms is threatening to compromise agricultural outputs and the collapse of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric power plant could trigger a massive disruption of electricity supply in the region. Furthermore, nuclear security could be compromised, as decreased water levels in the reservoir serving the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) could affect the functioning of the plant, a situation that is being closely monitored by Ukraine’s National Nuclear Energy Generating Company, Energoatom, and the International Atomic Energy Agency. Finally, extensive pollution, both hazardous and non-hazardous, threaten to plague vast downstream areas with the destruction of industrial infrastructures. This is all in addition to the plight of tens of thousands facing evacuation and displacement due to the destruction of the dam.

The consequences are significant and will need to be assessed fully.

The OSCE stands ready to continue supporting Ukraine and will coordinate modalities with national authorities in the coming days.

SKOPJE, 8 June 2023 — The OSCE Mission to Skopje, together with the Ministry of Education and Science, awarded grants to 14 schools across North Macedonia that will support the implementation of joint curriculum classes - classes which pair teachers to instruct integrated classes in two languages as a means to foster exchange between different ethnic communities.

“This marks the beginning of a new joint undertaking that will extend over several years, bringing about significant and positive changes in public educational institutions and municipalities nationwide,” said the Head of the OSCE Mission to Skopje, Ambassador Kilian Wahl.

The huge response to the call for applications has shown the widespread ambition for schools to go the extra mile to foster ethnic integration and understanding by teaming up with other monolingual schools to offer these integrated classes. In Kumanovo, for example, the Faik Konica Slupcane Kumanovo Primary School is partnering with the Magdalena Antonova Primary School located 13 kilometres away. The partnering of three primary schools, the 25 Maj, Bane Krapchev, and Naum Naumovski Borche schools in Gazi Baba, provides another example of the will to work together despite physical distance.  

Highlighting the spirit of collaboration and partnership in realizing this project, Minister of Education and Science Jeton Shaqiri said, “thank you to the OSCE Mission to Skopje, which under the management of  Ambassador Wahl has gained a new impulse, especially in terms of building a peaceful, safe and harmonic environment in schools.”

The Mission is also awarding five grants to civil society organizations (CSOs) that work to bring children and young people from diverse ethnic backgrounds together. One such grant is being awarded to the CSO Sumnal, which will use the funds to work with schools in Bitola to overcome discrimination against the Roma community through a series of art workshops.

“I am impressed by the proposed activity portfolio. I see willingness, creativity and concrete commitment for advancing the relations between the new generations,” stated Minister Shaqiri.

The grants are part of a longer term vision to support unity and integration across the country.

The Building New Bridges project will issue further calls for grant applications in autumn 2023. 

“We are confident that we can make a positive impact on the lives of young people from diverse backgrounds and help create a more inclusive and prosperous future for all in North Macedonia,” concluded Ambassador Wahl.

545650

On 6 and 7 June 2023, the OSCE Secretariat’s Transnational Threats Department (TNTD) and the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities (OCEEA), in co-operation with the 2023 OSCE Chairpersonship of North Macedonia (CiO) and the Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime (GI-TOC), held a regional multi-stakeholder event in Skopje, North Macedonia to discuss how to strengthen youth resilience to organized crime and corruption.

The need to enhance youth education and awareness of the dangers of organized crime and corruption in order to equip young people with the knowledge necessary to reduce their risk of becoming either victims or offenders was one of the key takeaways from the event. Participants also highlighted that stronger inter-institutional and whole-of-society co-operation is needed to identify and jointly address risk factors for youth engagement in criminality at an early stage. Finally, participants stressed the importance of youth dialogue and engagement to prevent organized crime and corruption.  

OSCE Chairman-in-Office Bujar Osmani said: “We need to actively engage young people by providing national, regional and cross-regional platforms for dialogue and experience-sharing, and by giving youth a voice in the design and development of policies and initiatives to prevent organized crime and corruption.”

The event gathered representatives from several ministries, including Internal Affairs, Justice and Education, Ombudsman Offices and Anti-Corruption Agencies from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia, alongside academia, civil society and young people from the region. It enabled policymakers and practitioners to discuss youth crime trends, identify capacity needs and exchange best practices related to youth crime prevention – all with direct input from young people themselves.

OSCE CiO’s Special Representative on Youth Memet Zhaku said: “As the next generation of politicians, entrepreneurs and civil society actors, young people have an important role to play in building a culture of lawfulness and integrity across all levels of society. They are key to strengthening whole-of-society resilience to organized crime and corruption”.

The director of GI-TOC’s Observatory of Illicit Economies in South Eastern Europe, Fatjona Mejdini emphasized that: “Civil society plays a crucial role in helping youth build resilience  against organized crime and corruption and empowers them to become positive agents of change in their communities”.

The workshop was held in the framework of the OSCE-wide multi-year project “Enhancing youth crime and drug use prevention through education on legality and awareness campaigns addressing threats of organized crime and corruption” funded by Italy. Other donors supporting this project are Andorra, Germany and Poland.

COPENHAGEN, 7 June 2023 – Registration is open for journalists interested in covering the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s 30th Annual Session, taking place 30 June – 4 July in Vancouver.

Hundreds of parliamentarians from North America, Europe and Central Asia will meet next month in Vancouver, Canada, for the 30th Annual Session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly. Taking place 30 June to 4 July at the Vancouver Convention Centre under the theme of “Strengthening Regional Security by Fostering Democratic and Inclusive Societies: The Role of the OSCE PA,” the meeting will be addressed by representatives of the Canadian parliament and government, as well as high-level officials from the OSCE.

Following several days of committee work, the Annual Session will culminate in the adoption of the Vancouver Declaration on 4 July, containing recommendations to national governments, parliaments and the international community. The largest event on the Assembly’s calendar, the Annual Session will focus largely on the Russian Federation’s war against Ukraine and its related political, security and humanitarian impacts.

Programmes, reports and draft resolutions are available at the OSCE PA’s website.

Journalists who wish to attend the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s Annual Session will need to complete the accreditation form by Monday 26 June.

The Annual Session will be livestreamed on YouTube and Facebook – no registration necessary to follow online. Follow on social media with the hashtag #OSCEPAVancouver23.

The OSCE PA brings together 323 delegates from 56 parliaments, plus a guest of honour from the Holy See. Established by the 1990 Paris Summit with the aim of advancing the aim of comprehensive security, the Assembly provides a forum for parliamentary diplomacy, monitors elections, and strengthens international co-operation to uphold commitments on political, security, economic, environmental and human rights issues.

The OSCE is not responsible for the content of the media advisory as it is the product of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA), an independent and autonomous organization. All queries should be directed to the OSCE PA press office.

Tashkent, 7 June 2023 – Observers from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) will hold a press conference on the opening of the election observation mission to the early presidential election in Uzbekistan on Thursday, 8 June.

The press conference will take place via Zoom only.

What:

• An introduction to the role of the ODIHR election observation mission and its planned activities

Who:

• Ambassador Urszula Gacek, Head of the ODIHR election observation mission

When:

• 15.00 local time (GMT+5) on 8 June 2023

Registration:

Please register by 13:00 local time on 8 June by contacting Elma Šehalić at the following link.

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

Media Contact:          

Elma Šehalić, Media Analyst: Elma.Sehalic@odihr.uz, +998 90 830 2891

545602 OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities Collection of Council of Europe and OSCE National Minority Standards

On 7 June, OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities Kairat Abdrakhmanov together with Secretary General of the Council of Europe Marija Pejčinović Burić,  launched the webpage: Collection of Council of Europe and OSCE National Minority Standards. Developed jointly, the webpage serves as an online resource, collecting in one place access to all key documents and texts on national minority standards from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe and the Council of Europe. The webpage aims to make these standards more widely accessible and available to policymakers, civil society and government authorities dealing with national minority issues.

The joint webpage is not only an example of the HCNM’s and Council of Europe’s long-standing co-operation; it is also part of each institution’s marking of important milestones. This year is the 30th anniversary of the office of the High Commissioner on National Minorities opening its doors in The Hague, and, for the Council of Europe, 2023 is the 25th anniversary of the entry into force of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities and the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages.

The initiative for the webpage started in 2021 during a meeting between High Commissioner Abdrakhmanov and Secretary General Pejčinović Burić when they decided to revisit the 2007 joint publication ‘National minority standards; A compilation of OSCE and Council of Europe texts’. This valuable compendium included all of their relevant national minority related texts to date, but as both institutions have since significantly added to their range of instruments for strengthening engagement in national minority issues, the 2007 publication was in great need of updating.

The development of the updated Collection as a webpage, rather than as a printed publication, is not only more eco-friendly, it also allows for a far greater number of texts and documents to be accommodated, including in various languages, and for the standards to be more widely available. Moreover, as the HCNM and the Council of Europe continue to develop and expand their approaches to the evolving challenges related to national minorities, the webpage will be updated to include these additions.

How to enhance anti-trafficking national leadership structures is the focus of the largest annual meeting of the National Anti-trafficking Co-ordinators and Rapporteurs, which has started today at the headquarters of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, France.

The Office of the OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings (OSR/CTHB) and the Council of Europe (CoE) co-organized the meeting, which concludes tomorrow.

More than 130 participants, representing nearly 60 countries from the Council of Europe and OSCE regions and beyond, are gathered to discuss ways to strengthen the mandates and roles of the National Anti-Trafficking Co-ordinators and Rapporteurs (NACs and NARs), or equivalent mechanisms. NACs and NARs are critical parts of an effective national anti-trafficking strategy, preferably placed in a high-level position in government and in independent human rights bodies, to better leverage, direct, and harmonize the different instruments of the anti-trafficking efforts and maximize their impact.

“The elevated risk for exploitation today means that there is a pressing need and obligation to take action. Success in overcoming the challenges we face requires national leadership,” OSCE Secretary General Helga Maria Schmid stressed in her welcoming remarks.

“Unfortunately, States are still not doing a good enough job at identifying and protecting victims of trafficking when the data tells us that less than 1% of all trafficking victims are ever identified, and far too few of those who are identified receive the services and support they need, tailored to their specific vulnerabilities and circumstances,” added Andrea Salvoni, Acting Co-ordinator of the OSCE OSR/CTHB, in his opening remarks

“Our collective duty is to ensure that the fight against human trafficking remains at the top of the political agenda at the national, regional and international levels,” stated Maria Spassova, Vice-Chair of the Committee of the Parties to the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings. “The Reykjavik Declaration recently adopted by the Heads of State and Government of the Council of Europe emphasized the need to combat human trafficking and foster international co-operation,” she added.

“The annual meetings of national anti-trafficking co-ordinators and rapporteurs provide a platform for exchange of information and ideas, and reinforce their resolve to guide action against human trafficking in the face of new challenges and competing priorities,” concluded Petya Nestorova, Executive Secretary of the Council of Europe Anti-Trafficking Convention.

Better identifying and assisting victims of transnational trafficking, enhancing proactive use of financial investigations, understanding and addressing trafficking in human beings for the purpose of forced criminality, and ways to enhance the mandates and roles of the NACs and NARs are among the topics to be treated during the working sessions of the two-day meeting.    

OSCE Centre in Ashgabat

A regional workshop on countering terrorism was held on 5-6 June 2023 in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, focusing on the prevention of bioterrorism attacks involving biological agents and toxins.

The workshop was organized by the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat in partnership with the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Centre (UNCCT) of the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) Programme on Countering Terrorist Use of Weapons and with the expert support of the OSCE Secretariat’s Forum for Security Co-operation Support Unit.

The two-day event brought together, both online and in-person, about 90 officials from the five Central Asian countries with expertise in the control of infectious viruses, bacteria and toxins.

In his opening speech John MacGregor, Head of the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat, quoted the OSCE Principles Governing Non-Proliferation, which, adopted in 1994 and updated in 2013, call on OSCE participating States “to take further steps to stop the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and to intensify co-operation on a non-discriminatory and equitable basis.”

“By pooling together leading subject matter experts from the OSCE Secretariat, as well as various UN agencies and international organizations, the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat and UNCCT/UNOCT have contributed to further advancing global non-proliferation efforts,” added MacGregor.

In his video address during the opening session, UNOCT Under-Secretary-General Vladimir Voronkov, noted the timeliness of this workshop on preventing bioterrorism attacks based on a number of recent concerning incidents, the latest of which occurred in January this year in Germany, as well as the risk associated with the deployment of a range of agents by terrorists such as ISIL/Daesh.

Under-Secretary-General concluded by emphasizing that “bioterrorism is a global threat. One of the most important lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic is that global issues need global solutions.”

The regional workshop aimed to raise awareness among Central Asian countries’ law enforcement, border security officials and healthcare professionals of current biological threats related to global terrorism. Special emphasis was placed on raising participants’ awareness of biological threats triggers and indicators to prevent bioterrorism attacks.

In addition, experts from the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA); the 1540 Committee of the United Nations Security Council; the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL), the World Customs Organization (WCO); the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research (UNICRI), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia (UNRCCA) contributed to the regional event online and in-person.  They underscored the need to implement a wide range of measures at the national and regional level to prevent bioterrorism attacks involving biological agents and toxins, as well as to further expand regional and international cooperation to comprehensively address the threat of biological terrorism.

The regional training workshop was organized within the framework of the Centre’s extrabudgetary multi-donor project “Strengthening State Border Service Capacities of Turkmenistan” and supported financially by the Government of Japan.

545590

TIRANA, 6 June 2023 – The OSCE Presence in Albania, in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Albania, the Ministry of Interior, and the Albanian State Police, launched today the Awareness Raising and Communication Strategy and Action Plan 2023-2027 on Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW). The first awareness raising campaign under the umbrella of the Strategy was also launched at the event.

Small arms and light weapons continue to present a significant threat to public safety in Albania[1]. The strategy and the action plan aim to reduce the demand for and misuse of SALW in Albania by implementing co-ordinated, inter-institutional, and comprehensive awareness-raising activities. The strategy also emphasizes the importance of constructive engagement and dialogue with the public.

Deputy Minister of Interior Besfort Lamallari, Acting Head of the OSCE Presence Clarisse Pasztory, Director of the Albanian State Police Public Security Department Rebani Jaupi and UNDP Program Manager Vladimir Malkaj addressed the event. International development partners, officials of the OSCE Conflict Prevention Centre, South Eastern and Eastern Europe Clearinghouse for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SEESAC), civil society organizations, Local Safety Councils and the media were also in attendance.

Aligned and building on the achievements of “SALW, their Ammunition and Explosives Control Strategy of Albania”, the strategy seeks to reduce the demand for and misuse of SALW in Albania. The OSCE Presence developed the strategy following a series of consultation meetings with stakeholders – such as the Ministry of Interior, the Albanian State Police, the National SALW Commission, civil Society, Local Safety Councils, youth groups, media, SEESAC and UNDP Albania – based on data-driven research and incorporating regional and international best practices in awareness raising.

As the UNDP Albania launches and implements the Awareness Raising Campaign, the OSCE Presence will build upon these efforts by continuing the implementation of additional campaigns outlined in the strategy.

The strategy and the ongoing awareness raising campaign are integral parts of the SALW projects that are carried out by the OSCE Presence and UNDP Albania in partnership with the Ministry of Interior and the Albanian State Police.

The OSCE-implemented project receives financial support from the European Union, Germany, and France. The UNDP project is made possible through financial contributions from Germany, Sweden, the United Kingdom, France, the Netherlands, and Norway, facilitated by the Western Balkans SALW Control Roadmap Multi-Partner Trust Fund. The project is further supported by the European Union.

[1] According to South Eastern and Eastern Europe Clearinghouse for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons, 430 SALW incidents, resulting in 32 fatalities, were reported in Albania in 2022.

VIENNA, 6 June 2023 — United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk will address the OSCE Permanent Council on Thursday, 8 June.

Journalists are invited to cover the UN High Commissioner’s speech set to begin at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, 8 June as part of a pool (spaces limited).

Please register for the pool (in-person participation only) no later than 14:00 on Wednesday, 7 June by sending an email to press@osce.org with your name, outlet and profession.

The OSCE Permanent Council is a decision-making body gathering representatives of all 57 participating States of the Organization and 11 Partners for Co-operation. It convenes weekly in Vienna to discuss developments in the OSCE area and to make decisions.

545596

From 30 May until 2 June 2023, the OSCE Presence in Albania together with the University of Tirana and the Faculty of Law organized a research visit to two prestigious universities in the United Kingdom and worldwide – the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge.

The visit aimed to build the capacities and resources of the Faculty of Law to deliver and manage the programme in Criminology, as well as to gather best practices on the establishment and work of university research centres.

The delegation from Albania was composed of University of Tirana Rector, Prof. Dr. Artan Hoxha, Dean of the Law Faculty Prof. Assoc. Dr. Dorina Hoxha, lecturers of the Faculty of Law and the Faculty of Social Sciences, and team of the OSCE project “Establishing a Master’s Programme in Criminology”. They met with professors and senior staff of both universities, including Head of Oxford University Sociology Department, Prof. Federico Varese, Director of the Oxford Centre for Criminology Prof. Ian Loader, and Director of the Institute of Criminology at the University of Cambridge Prof. Manuel Eisner.

The exchange will also contribute to the establishment of the Research Centre in Criminology within the Faculty of Law in Tirana - as a hub that will facilitate sustainable research capacities in the field of criminology, continuous support to the Master’s Programme on Criminology, and contribution to data driven policy making.

“The Research Centre in Criminology will increase the scientific research and co-operation with the respective law enforcement agencies. The support of the Cambridge Institute of Criminology will guide us to new methods of scientific research and will create a basis for the development of joint projects in certain fields of criminology”, said Dean Hoxha. “The engagement of the best students with the Centre is a priority in order to motivate young researchers in the field of criminology”, she added.

OSCE Project Manager Alba Jorganxhi said: “Both Oxford and Cambridge universities have a worldwide reputation for excellence in research and teaching. The established co-operation will contribute to supporting a multi-disciplinary approach in crime prevention in Albania, in particular by developing the links between criminal justice and social justice. We are very pleased to facilitate this exchange and stand ready to support any upcoming co-operation between the universities”.

The OSCE Presence organized the visit as part of its extra-budgetary project “Establishing a Master’s Programme in Criminology”, which is financially supported by the U.S. Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, and implemented in close co-operation with the Faculty of Law of the University of Tirana, with the support of the Faculty of Social Sciences, the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Interior. The Master’s Programme, initiated in December 2020, offers a comprehensive, integrated curriculum that benefits various career paths in the justice system. Through the Master’s programme, the Presence aims at improving the research capacities of professionals, academics and policy-makers in Albania to identify the root causes of crime.

Information for Google Short description:  ODIHR presents recommendations on improving the legislative process in Bosnia Herzegovina 545428 Public Affairs Unit, OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights Katya Andrusz

Making use of recommendations developed by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) to improve the lawmaking process in Bosnia and Herzegovina and ensure that it complies with human rights was the focus of discussions with national stakeholders organized by ODIHR in co-operation with the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina.

In a series of events that took place from 30 May to 2 June 2023, ODIHR discussed recommendations from its Assessment of the Legislative Process in Bosnia and Herzegovina with key actors in the lawmaking process at the state and entity levels in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as reviewing and analyzing the country’s legislative framework and practices.

More than 70 representatives from the Parliament of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the National Assembly of Republika Srpska, as well as from international organizations took part in the meetings.

A result of two years of work, the ODIHR assessment report was completed in December 2022, following an official request from the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina. The report identifies a number of areas for reforming the legislative process to improve legislation, as well as the tools and mechanisms to make lawmaking procedures more effective, inclusive and transparent.

The report aims to contribute to promoting inclusiveness, effectiveness and efficiency of the lawmaking processes to enable the development and adoption of qualitative, human rights-compliant and enforceable legislation. It builds upon the work carried out by ODIHR and its unique methodology for assessing legislative processes of individual OSCE participating States over the past 20 years and is part of the OSCE’s ongoing activities to assist Bosnia and Herzegovina in its efforts to implement key OSCE commitments, including those on the need to formulate and adopt legislation through an open, transparent and inclusive process.

545278

BANJA LUKA, 2 June 2023 - Head of the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ambassador Brian Aggeler, concluded his two-day visit to Banja Luka today where he attended several events and met with political, media and NGO representatives.

Ambassador Aggeler gave an opening statement at the European Union and Czech Embassy’s Conference on Media Freedom and Civil Society, highlighting the importance of free media and civil society. “Without press freedom, there is no truly independent journalism. Corruption, nepotism, the wasting of public resources and other government malfeasance will continue to fester”, Ambassador stated.

During a meeting with Tanja Topić, Head of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation Office in Banja Luka, Ambassador Aggeler discussed the current socioeconomic and political situation in the country.

At the Republika Srpska National Assembly, and with RSNA Speaker Nenad Stevandić, Ambassador Aggeler and representatives of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) Legislative Support Unit discussed ODIHR’s urgent comments on the RS Criminal Code amendments to re-criminalize insult and defamation in the RS.

The visit was also an opportunity for Ambassador Aggeler to meet with RS journalists and activists, and to learn more about their recent discussions with European counterparts. They attended 16 meetings with high officials in Brussels, Strasbourg and Vienna to alert officials there on the potential effects of defamation re-criminalization in RS.

Ambassador Aggeler concluded his visit at the launch of ODIHR Assessment of the Legislative Process in Bosnia and Herzegovina. He underscored the important role that Committees play in the lawmaking process, and that they should be empowered to scrutinize draft laws at various stages. Enhancing transparency, openness, and inclusivity, particularly through improved committee work and public hearings, can facilitate participatory adoption of laws.

The OSCE Mission to BiH remains committed to supporting these areas.

545263 Communication and Media Relations Section Alexandra Taylor

On 1 June, the OSCE Transnational Threats Department (TNTD), in close co-operation with the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan, organized a webinar for cadets and lecturers from the Academy of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan in Tashkent.

The event is a continuation of the webinar series launched last year to raise awareness about key trends and developments in contemporary policing among students and staff of the Academy. This year, webinars will focus on cyber-related topics in response to the rapid growth of both cyber-enabled and cyber-dependent crimes in Uzbekistan.

The first webinar was dedicated to threats posed by malicious software (malware), with a specific focus on ransomware. Opening the event, Martha Stickings, Deputy Head of the Strategic Police Matters Unit in the OSCE Secretariat’s Transnational Threats Department, said: “rapidly emerging technology-facilitated crimes including malware and ransomware present particular challenges to law enforcement. The OSCE is committed to supporting police cadets in Uzbekistan to develop the knowledge and skills necessary to identify and investigate these and other cybercrimes in line with international best practice”.

Presenters included TNTD staff and two law enforcement experts from Germany and Norway. Participants were introduced to key concepts and trends related to malware and ransomware, and then presented with two practical case studies of malware and ransomware investigations: operation “Falling sTAR” and operation “Emotet”.

Concluding the discussion, Abdurasul Iminov, Deputy Head of the Information Technology Department at the Academy, underscored his appreciation for the continuous excellent co-operation between the OSCE and the Academy while highlighting the importance of exchanging international experience and expertise in tackling today’s complex transnational security challenges.

The event was attended by over 140 cadets and lecturers. Three more webinars, focusing on online payment fraud, Dark Web criminal landscape, and crypto-currency related crimes, are planned for later in 2023. The webinars complement the national and regional training activities conducted by the OSCE in Uzbekistan under the extra-budgetary project “Capacity building on combatting cybercrime in Central Asia”.

545254 Andrii Dziubenko Strengthening Capacity of the National Police of Ukraine to Combat Trafficking in Human Beings, including Cyber-Enabled Crime

The first group of 30 law enforcement officers from the National Police of Ukraine (the NPU) have improved their knowledge and skills in countering cybercrime during the 3-day training course organised by the OSCE Support Programme for Ukraine in Lviv from 29 to 31 May 2023.

Modern criminals actively use Internet technologies for their activities - including trafficking in human being. By using social media, data encryption, dark web, blockchain and other technologies, they can effectively and anonymously recruit, organize the movement and exploitation of victims across national borders. The digital space is also actively used to promote and sell content that depicts the sexual abuse of children. Omnipresence of mobile devices enable the exploitation of children through webcams, online chats, and other communication channels.

Addressing the participants of the training, Police Colonel Yuriy Vykhodets, the Head of the Cyberpolice Department of the National Police of Ukraine noted: "Today almost every crime within the responsibility of the NPU involves the use of digital technologies, and therefore all the knowledge and skills acquired by the participants will become an important support for the entire law enforcement system of Ukraine".

The training provided knowledge on new methods used by criminals and on developing effective countermeasures. Law enforcement officers learn about police intelligence analytics tools; open source intelligence (OSINT); data processing and analysis. This is especially important for the cases where victims are unknown or missing; these tools help the police to locate them by matching descriptions, physical characteristics, or other information against databases or existing records. Special attention was paid to the issues of identifying, recording and analysing “digital traces” that can be used as electronic evidence in court to bring perpetrators to justice. Among other topics, the participants discussed various aspects of the use of virtual assets and payment instruments by criminals, to enable tracking down and eventually blocking the work of organised crime groups. Also, digital specifics of human trafficking were reviewed in detail.

The OSCE Support Programme for Ukraine will conduct 9 other training sessions for the officers from the Cyberpolice and Migration Police Departments. By the end of the year, it is planned to train up to 300 police officers.

This activity is part of the Project “Strengthening Capacity of the National Police of Ukraine to Combat Trafficking in Human Beings, including Cyber-Enabled Crime”, with the financial support of the Participating States and partners, a list of which can be found here.

Željka Šulc

SARAJEVO, 1 June 2023 — Following the final verdict in the Stanišić and Simatović case by the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (MICT), the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina issued the following statement:Yesterday's final verdict in the Stanišić and Simatović case, issued by the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (MICT), marks a significant step towards the provision of justice to victims in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) who have been forced to wait, for far too long, for effective redress for crimes committed during the war in the former Yugoslavia. The further importance of this verdict lies in its attribution of criminal responsibility to individuals who committed such heinous crimes while holding high level positions of power.

As the final case before the MICT related to the war in the 1990s, Stanišić and Simatović closes one chapter in this essential pursuit of accountability, but these efforts must continue through domestic investigations and prosecutions. The Mission reiterates its commitment to supporting institutions across BiH in the processing of war crimes cases in accordance with the obligation to investigate and prosecute war crimes cases effectively, as established under international humanitarian law, and with the Revised National War Crimes Processing Strategy, pursuant to internationally recognized fair trial standards.

Establishing lasting peace and protecting the rule of law require ensuring accountability for these atrocity crimes. Victims and survivors of the war deserve justice and the truth, as well as redress, respect, dignity and compassion. We urge all leaders to promote peace and stability by respecting the verdicts of the international and domestic judicial institutions handling war crimes cases, noting the role such verdicts play in creating a comprehensive record of the war and in combatting historical revisionism.

Looking to the future, political, religious and other public figures, as well as educators, must lead the way in building bridges and trust across the difficult and emotionally-laden chasms still affecting the South-Eastern Europe region. 

545227 Public Affairs Unit, OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights Katya Andrusz

Election experts from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) presented their final report on Italy’s 2022 parliamentary elections in Rome this week, discussing the report’s key findings and recommendations with government officials, representatives of election administration, both houses of the Italian Parliament, the media regulatory body, the public broadcaster and the Court of Audit.

Discussions focused on consolidation of electoral legislation, enhancement of transparency of campaign finance, balanced campaign coverage by media, in particular online, efforts to increase women’s active participation in political life, and the need to ensure standardised training of poll workers.

“We very much appreciate the ongoing co-operation and dialogue with the Italian authorities,” said Eoghan Murphy, Head of the ODIHR Election Assessment Mission for the 2022 parliamentary elections. “We have had a very positive engagement on ODIHR electoral recommendations and welcome plans for further reforms.”

ODIHR also discussed the sharing of best practices across the OSCE region and potential areas for further co-operation in bringing Italy’s elections closer in line with international standards and commitments.

ODIHR election observation activities also assess the country’s efforts to implement previous recommendations through changes in legislation, procedures and practices. For Italy, the ODIHR mission evaluated the follow-up to recommendations on the 2018 parliamentary elections and concluded that one had been fully implemented, another one had been mostly implemented, five were partially addressed and 12 remain to be addressed.

In the 1999 OSCE Istanbul Document, all OSCE participating States committed themselves to “follow up promptly the ODIHR’s election assessment and recommendations”.

545218 Communication and Media Relations Section Alexandra Taylor

The Balkan Asset Management Interagency Network (BAMIN) held its first Steering Group Meeting of this year on 30 and 31 May 2023, in Chisinau, Moldova. During the meeting, the Moldovan National Anti-Corruption Centre’s Criminal Assets Recovery Agency took over the Presidency of the BAMIN, previously held by Montenegro’s Department of Confiscated Property Management within the Cadastre and State Property Administration.

The BAMIN Steering Group is the main decision-making body of the network and currently includes Croatia, Moldova and Montenegro.

The BAMIN is an informal network comprised of 21 asset management offices, with countries from South-Eastern Europe acting as full members and others as observers or associates. As the only informal network focusing on the challenges related to the cost-effective management of seized and confiscated criminal assets, good practices, and international standards, the Network is continuously expanding its membership and geographical coverage.

The Network offers training in areas identified by its members, such as the management of seized or confiscated vehicles or cryptocurrencies, peer mentoring of complex cases that involve assets located in multiple jurisdictions, and the development of manuals and other publications.

During the two-day meeting in Chisinau, the Steering Group discussed the Network’s membership, expansion and strategic direction for the upcoming five years. The group additionally explored future presidencies, co-operation with the Camden Asset Recovery Inter-Agency Network (CARIN) and upcoming activities.

The OSCE’s Transnational Threats Department (TNTD) and the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities (OCEEA) support the BAMIN as part of a regional project “Strengthening Asset Recovery Efforts in the OSCE Region”.  With an overarching approach to addressing the entire asset recovery cycle, the project supports participating States in making effective use of asset recovery provisions in the fight against organized crime and corruption. Italy, Germany and the United States of America financially support the project, currently implemented in South-Eastern Europe, while tailored activities in Moldova are under discussion with national stakeholders.