Central Europe

ASTANA, 21 November 2022 – The 20 November early presidential election in Kazakhstan took place in a political environment lacking competitiveness and, while efficiently prepared, the election underlined the need for further reforms to bring related legislation and its implementation in line with OSCE commitments to ensure genuine pluralism, observers from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) said in a statement released today.

The incumbent stood as the joint candidate of all parliamentary parties and, in effect, was not meaningfully challenged in a low-key campaign. The ability of citizens to participate fully in political life remains significantly constrained, including by limitations on fundamental freedoms, the observers said.

The election administration provided extensive voter information in the media, but scarce campaign coverage by the media and the virtual absence of analytical reporting, including online, limited voters’ ability to make an informed choice. The Central Election Commission managed the electoral preparations efficiently and provided comprehensive training for lower-level commissions. While procedures were generally followed during voting on election day, important safeguards were often disregarded in the counting and tabulation process, undermining transparency.

“A lack of pluralism played a significant role in undermining competitiveness in this election, and limitations on free speech and a lack of opportunity to conduct peaceful assemblies narrowed the space for critical voices,” said Urszula Gacek, Head of the ODIHR election observation mission. “We encourage the authorities to continue the ongoing reforms, including with respect to election-related laws and their implementation.”

Independent candidates are not allowed to run for president, and the eligibility requirements, including those concerning education, residency and experience in the civil service or elected government office, are at odds with OSCE commitments and other international standards, the statement says.

Freedom of speech and access to information, guaranteed by the Constitution, are limited by the restrictive legal framework and its uneven implementation. Combined with cases of intimidation and attacks against journalists, this results in self-censorship and lack of scrutiny. All television stations monitored respected legal provisions for equal coverage in the news.

The Constitution, the Election Law and other election-related legislation have been revised several times. Of the latest reforms, only the change to a single, seven-year term in office for the president applied to this election, and previous ODIHR recommendations remain unaddressed, and the legal framework is not fully consistent with international standards and OSCE commitments for democratic elections. Positively, recent digitalization initiatives in the justice sector have facilitated the procedure of complaint submission and increased the responsiveness of state bodies, and the disputes were transferred from civil to specialized administrative courts.

“With the anticipated parliamentary elections coming soon, there is an opportunity to address the issues identified in today’s statement, including with regard to counting and tabulation procedures to safeguard the transparency and integrity of the vote,” Gacek said.

VIENNA, 18 November 2022 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Teresa Ribeiro payed an official visit to Hungary from 15 to 16 November 2022, during which she met with several government officials including Minister for Culture and Innovation János Csák, State Secretary for EU Affairs of the Ministry of Justice János Bóka, State Secretary for Security Policy and Political Director of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Trade Bunford Zsol, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Interior Bence Rétvári, State Secretary for International Communications and Relations of  the Prime Minister’s Office Zoltán Kovács, as well as with Chair of the Cultural Committee of the Parliament László Pósán. The Representative also met with President András Koltay of the media regulator State Office of Media and Communications and with Director Dániel Papp of the Media Services and Support Trust Fund. During her visit, she had discussions with several journalists and representatives of civil society.

Ribeiro and her counterparts discussed the criticism by several international organization on media freedom in Hungary, including from the United Nations, the Council of Europe and the European Union. Ribeiro further raised specific concerns over the reported difficulties that independent media face accessing public information, including the fact that requests for public information are not dealt with in a timely manner by the respective authorities. Several government interlocutors mentioned recent legal changes that would shorten the period for responses to request for government information.

The Representative also pointed to shortcomings related to the independence of the public broadcaster, the governance of the media regulating bodies, and the current practice regarding the granting of broadcasting licenses, as well as to the need to increase transparency around the distribution of state advertising funds. Ribeiro also discussed the issue of surveillance (with spyware) of journalists – which has a profoundly chilling effect on journalists and their sources – including the fact that in some cases judicial oversight seems to be lacking.

“Taken together, all these issues result in a situation is not conducive to a vibrant and pluralistic media landscape.  When looking at the media freedom situation in Hungary, a picture arises of a systemic approach in which some voices do not enjoy the same basic conditions to be heard,” Ribeiro said. “I reminded the authorities of the government’s obligation to ensure a truly pluralistic media ecosystem that allows journalists to scrutinise the work of those in power. I expressed the hope that remedial media-freedom-related measures to strengthen media pluralism in the country will be initiated and expressed my willingness to co-operate with them in enhancing the situation.”

The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media observes media developments in all 57 OSCE participating States. She 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.

531743 Marina Živaljević

Parliament’s oversight role and principles of democratic law making were the topics of a two-day workshop organized by the OSCE Mission to Montenegro in Podgorica on 17 and 18 November.

Around 20 parliamentary committees’ staff discussed principles of democratic law-making, exchanged opinions on the role of civil society, human rights institutions and judiciary in parliamentary oversight. They examined requirements of contemporary law making such as regulatory impact assessment in all its dimensions and gender-assessment of legislation. They also considered the introduction of technology into law making.

Representative of the OSCE Mission, Christine Brandauer, said that strengthening legislative and oversight functions of Parliament is an essential part of the Mission’s work in supporting democratic processes in Montenegro. “Parliamentary staff play a significant role in all stages of the complex process of law making,” said Brandauer.

Through organizing tailored workshops, the Mission responds to the identified needs for improving capacities of the parliamentary staff that provides support to the legislative function of the Parliament. The Mission will continue to support further strengthening of the legislative and oversight roles of parliamentary committees, enhancing the professional capacities of parliamentary staff.

THE HAGUE, 21 November 2022 − OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities Kairat Abdrakhmanov and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands Wopke Hoekstra will present the 2022 Max van der Stoel Award to the Social Justice Center from Georgia. The award ceremony will take place in The Hague, the Netherlands, on Thursday, 24 November.

The Social Justice Center was selected as the winner for its continued efforts to support and empower vulnerable groups, including national minorities, in Georgia. 

According to the Jury, the Social Justice Center works towards long-term political and socio-economic transformation in Georgia, putting the principles of human rights, equality and solidarity into practice. It gives a voice to minority ethnic and religious groups, and supports their interests, with an emphasis on youth and women. It advances equality, solidarity, participation and democracy at the political, economic and social levels through programmes such as its Social Policy Programme, the Equality Policy Programme and the Justice and Democracy Programme. This has resulted in community organizations and campaigns to promote the interests of national minorities.

The Max van der Stoel Award − a prize of €50,000 − has been organized by the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities and sponsored by the Dutch Foreign Ministry every two years since 2003. It is presented to a person, group or institution in recognition of their extraordinary and outstanding achievements in improving the position of national minorities across the OSCE region.

Event material can be found here.

Social Justice Center Equality Policy Programme Director Tamta Mikeladze, Social Justice Center Researcher Kamran Mammadli, OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities Kairat Abdrakhmanov, Foreign Minister of the Netherlands Wopke Hoekstra, and Ambassador of Georgia to the Netherlands David Solomonia will address the event.

The full event programme is available here.

The event is by invitation only. Media representatives who wish to attend the in-person event at the Peace Palace in The Hague on 24 November 2022 starting at 15:30 should send their name, contact details and the name of the media organization they represent to Michelle Pirotta, michelle.pirotta@osce.org, before 15:30 on 23 November.

It will also be possible to follow the ceremony livestream, here:

Follow the discussion on Twitter #MvdSAward.

Communication and Media Relations Section Alexandra Taylor

On 18 November, a four-day course aimed at further strengthening national capacity to counter the financing of terrorism concluded in Gevgelija, North Macedonia. The course was organized by the OSCE Secretariat’s Transnational Threats Department, with the support of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), and the OSCE Mission to Skopje.

Twenty-seven officials, including twelve women, actively participated in the course. They represented eight national agencies involved in countering terrorist financing, including the Republic of North Macedonia’s Ministries of Internal Affairs and Defense, the Basic Public Prosecutor’s Office for Combating Organized Crime and Corruption, the Customs Administration, Financial Police, Intelligence Agency, Financial Intelligence Office, and the Agency for National Security.

The participants learned to assess and disrupt terrorism by examining the “business model” of related groups. A team of local trainers presented techniques such as functional and vulnerabilities analysis, and auditing. By applying these on a localized scenario, inter-agency teams considered which financial disruption option would achieve maximum impact.

Organized with the financial support of the United States, the course is part of a comprehensive multi-annual training programme on countering the financing of terrorism, jointly implemented by the OSCE and UNODC in North Macedonia since 2021.

The programme is designed to support North Macedonia in building its counter terrorist financing framework and in complying with international commitments and standards, in particular UN Security Council Resolution 2462 (2019), and Financial Action Task Force (FATF) standards.

ASTANA, 18 November 2022 – The election observation mission from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) will hold a press conference to present their preliminary conclusions following the early presidential election in Kazakhstan on Monday, 21 November.

What:

• A press conference of the ODIHR election observation mission for the early presidential election in Kazakhstan
• The press conference can be attended in person or via Zoom (details below)
• You can also follow the livestream on www.facebook.com/osce.odihr

Who:

• Urszula Gacek, Head of the election observation mission from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR)

When:

• 15:00 local time  (GMT +6) on 21 November 2022

Where:

• Saryaka III, ground floor, Radisson Hotel Astana, Saryarka Ave. 4, Astana

Registration:

• No registration is necessary if you are attending the press conference in person, but questions will only be taken from journalists

To take part via Zoom, please register with Thomas Rymer, ODIHR limited election observation mission press adviser, thomas.rymer@odihr.kz, and mission media analyst Ružica Jovanović, ruzica.jovanovic@odihr.kz, by 11:00 local time on 21 November.

Mirvete Islam, OSCE Mission to Skopje https://www.osce.org/mission-to-skopje/531194

To help address issues of gender inequality in the justice system, the OSCE Mission to Skopje recently published a baseline study on Gender and Diversity in the Judiciary.

“Only a transparent and inclusive judiciary can enjoy the trust and support of the citizens, which will enable it to perform fully its function of safeguarding justice and human rights. The judicial system should reflect the community it serves, including women, minorities and persons with disabilities,” said Deputy Head of Mission, Jeffrey Goldstein at today’s event to promote the study.

“The participation and equal representation of women in the judiciary increases the quality of judicial work, the reasoning of judicial decisions, the protection of women’s human rights, and better justice sector outcomes for all.”

Speaking at the event, the President of the Judicial Council of North Macedonia, Pavlina Crvenkovska, said: “The Judicial Council aims to promote gender equality during new employments in the judiciary, particularly focusing on ethnic communities. At the same time, we must ensure realization of human rights for all citizens, who are part of court proceedings in order to eliminate discriminatory practices.”    

The Mission has long been involved in the fields of gender, non-discrimination, and judicial reform. It contributed to setting up North Macedonia’s legislative and institutional infrastructure in this area, and assisted the government to draft the Law for Equal Opportunities of Women and Men.

531698 Communication and Media Relations Section Alexandra Taylor

From 16 to 18 November, over 55 experts from Central Asia and Mongolia gathered in Tashkent to discuss how to better protect vulnerable targets, such as critical infrastructure and soft targets, from terrorist attacks. The event was an opportunity to enhance the preparedness of participating States and provide a platform for dialogue on cross-border infrastructure protection.

The workshop was organised by the OSCE Action against Terrorism Unit of the Transnational Threats Department (TNTD), the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan, the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT), the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (UNCTED) and INTERPOL. It also included contributions from all OSCE field operations in Central Asia and the participation of a delegation from Mongolia.

“This workshop reflects the OSCE’s unique strengths in convening multi-level partners, offering a space for experts to share their experience and good practices, and advancing our common anti-terrorism priorities in a human rights-compliant manner,” said Hans-Ullrich Ihm, Acting Head of Mission for the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan.

Event participants contributed to important discussions related to national approaches from across the OSCE area, international legal framework for vulnerable targets protection, public-private partnerships, the role of civil security and the public, and the importance of human-rights complaint approaches to countering terrorist attacks of this nature.

“States are right to take action to protect vulnerable targets from terrorist attacks – indeed, their obligation to do so is grounded in international human rights law, including obligations with respect to the right to life. Any such action – whether preventative or responsive – must itself be consistent with international human rights law, and gender sensitive,” explained the Mandate of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism.

Representing the global policing community, INTERPOL noted, “Law enforcement plays a crucial role in the identification of threats, physical protection, response, investigation, and long-term resilience to terrorist attacks against vulnerable targets. Together, let us continue to foster our collaborative efforts to address current and future terrorist threats.”

The workshop follows a similar event for South East European participating States in 2019 and an “OSCE-wide Expert Seminar on Promoting Resilience of “Soft” Targets against Terrorist Attacks through Public-Private Partnerships” that was held in December 2019. Additional engagements by OSCE field operations include the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat’s Regional Online Training Workshop on Countering Terrorism with a focus on protecting critical infrastructure in June 2022.

531725 Communication and Media Relations Section Alexandra Taylor

The OSCE Transnational Threats Department launched an E-learning Course on the ‘Fundamentals of Preventing Violent Extremism and Radicalization that Lead to Terrorism (VERLT)’ on 22 November 2022.

The self-paced e-learning course targets people with leadership potential, who are well connected in their communities, actively contribute to positive change, and are motivated to make an impact against violent extremism. It strengthens participants’ skills and knowledge in human rights-based prevention efforts so they can further contribute to building the resilience of local communities.

The course is based on the ‘Leaders against Intolerance and Violent Extremism (LIVE)’ capacity-building initiative, which draws both from the OSCE Ministerial Council Declaration 4/15 and the elements of the United Nations Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism.  The LIVE initiative highlights that inclusion of civil society is imperative to effectively address all aspects of violent extremism and it aims at building related capacity to voluntarily, safely and efficiently speak up and take action against VERLT.

The course is currently available in English, with a Russian language version upcoming. Itis divided into four sessions: Understanding violent extremism; Addressing violent extremism; Media and Information literacy, and; Human rights in the context of counter-terrorism and addressing violent extremism.

This resource can be accessed free of charge on the OSCE E-learning platform.

The course was developed under an extra-budgetary programme funded by Austria, Belgium, Finland, Germany, the Netherlands, Slovakia, and the United States of America.

531689 Communication and Media Relations Section Alexandra Taylor

From 14 to 18 November, the OSCE Transnational Threats Department, in close co-operation with the OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek, organized a course on handling digital evidence by first responders at the Academy of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic.

“Today, digital evidence is important in investigating any type of crime. However, unlike physical evidence, data is very volatile and can be easily hampered, changed or deleted. Therefore, it is increasingly important that every police officer has at least basic understanding about handling digital evidence,” stressed Alexander Eliseev, Head of Politico-Military Department at the OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek, during the course’s opening.

Around 20 representatives from the operational units of the Ministry of Internal Affairs as well as the Academy’s staff took part in the training. The participants learned how to identify, seize and secure potential sources of digital evidence at a crime scene, to use open-source forensic tools for first responders, and to conduct basic live data forensics and deal with volatile data. They were also introduced to basics of computer networking as well as online open-source investigations and anonymity on the Internet. Two expert trainers from Estonia and Moldova delivered the course.

“This week’s training is another manifestation of the excellent and long-term partnership that our Academy enjoys with the OSCE. We are pleased to host this course in a new computer classroom donated by the OSCE last year,” said Tariel Abitov, the Head of the Academy of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic.

This training was delivered within the extra-budgetary project “Capacity Building on Combating Cybercrime in Central Asia”, which is funded by the United States of America, Germany, and the Republic of Korea.

531677 Communication and Media Relations Section Alexandra Taylor

On 16 November, the OSCE Transnational Threats Department (TNTD) conducted an awareness-raising event on the benefits of the Intelligence-led Policing (ILP) model at national and regional levels for senior managers (one woman, 14 men) of Georgian law enforcement authorities. This event was organized in close co-operation with the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia.

The event covered an introduction of the general principles and concepts of ILP delivered by an international expert, followed by a practical example of the implementation and impact of ILP approaches in Serbia, presented by a Serbian practitioner and ILP expert. The event concluded with a presentation of the Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs on the current ILP-related developments in the country.

“The OSCE’s efforts in promoting intelligence-led policing have resulted in numerous activities organized jointly with participating States and partners over the last five years. The event in Georgia has once again shown not only the high level of interest in this policing approach but also the effective co-operation between the OSCE and participating States at the Ministerial and the law enforcement levels. We look forward to continuing to offer support to Georgia in the implementation of ILP with practical and hands-on activities,” says Sascha Strupp, Senior Programme and Analysis Officer and ILP Project Manager with the OSCE/TNTD.

The OSCE has been supporting the implementation of the ILP model in participating States in South-Eastern Europe and Central Asia. ILP remains the most widely recognized approach to policing that combines analysis, foresight, prioritization and planning in order to deliver a proactive and effective decision-making framework for policing. The OSCE has been actively promoting ILP through various activities since 2017.

This event is part of an ongoing effort to support Georgia in rolling out ILP across the country and follows up an in-depth needs assessment conducted jointly by the OSCE and Georgian authorities. The session was delivered as part of the extra-budgetary project “Building intelligence-led policing capacities on regional and national levels in the OSCE area”, funded by Germany.

Željka Šulc

Together with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina and the OSCE Transnational Threats Department's Border Security and Management Unit (TNTD/BSMU) organized a two-day regional training on gender mainstreaming in border and law enforcement agencies that concluded today in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. 

The interactive training was delivered to 31 representatives from border and law enforcement agencies (17 men, 14 women) from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, and North Macedonia. They were trained on integrating a gender perspective into their daily work, with a view to increasing the efficiency of border and law enforcement agencies. With the support of an international expert, participants engaged in exercises and joint analysis on Women, Peace and Security, the nexus between gendered biases and stereotypes, and identification of cross-border crime. 

Together with experts from UNODC, the participants also discussed possible ways of preventing and combatting sexual harassment at the workplace, and were equipped with tools and knowledge to recognize and seek redress against such behaviors, in order to ensure a harmonious working environment.

“Over the past years, UNODC has played an increasingly active role in promoting gender mainstreaming and women’s role in such agencies which are important and major counterparts for the Organization”, said Anne Linn Jensen, Programme Officer of the Container Control Programme, UNODC, opening the event. 

The OSCE’s Border Security and Management Unit recalled the importance of men as partners in work on achieving gender equality. Participants then identified ways in which men can be engaged in overcoming gender-related challenges in border agencies.

In order to shed light on the purpose of the event, Inesa Nicolaescu, Associate Border Security Officer, OSCE Border Security and Management Unit noted the following:

“Gender equality and gender-sensitive border management will not only benefit women crossing borders, but also men and children, Thus, it is our common task, both of men and women to achieve gender equality, which will ultimately lead to stability and inclusive security for all of us, ”

This sentiment was matched during the event by Sanja Fitzgerald, National Programme Officer with the Security Co-operation Department of the OSCE Mission to BiH. She highlighted in her address that “Gender mainstreaming is a way to improve effectiveness of operations without necessarily needing to hire new people or obtain new equipment. This is of particular importance for BiH, where border police continues to be understaffed.”

This regional training is part of broader OSCE efforts in implementing its Action Plan for the Promotion of Gender Equality as well as of UNODC’s commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals 5 and 16.

531461 OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities The Ljubljana Guidelines on Integration of Diverse Societies 10th Anniversary Conference: The Ljubljana Guidelines on Integration of Diverse Societies

Promoting policies to facilitate the integration of diverse societies and the inclusion of all social groups is one of the most effective ways to prevent conflicts, said OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities Kairat Abdrakhmanov in his keynote address to the conference “'Together or Apart: Searching for the Middle Ground” on 10 November 2022 in Tallinn. 

The High Commissioner highlighted Estonia’s longstanding experience in integration policies, which has evolved in parallel with the work of his institution. As the office of the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities prepares to mark 30 years since it started its work in 2023, the OSCE region is experiencing dramatic challenges. Abdrakhmanov pointed out that this makes such moments of joint reflection all the more important. He stressed that inclusive, balanced policies in various policy areas can help participating States avoid the risk of national minority issues being instrumentalized. The Ljubljana Guidelines on Integration of Diverse Societies provide a practical blueprint on how to achieve that.

While in Estonia, the High Commissioner met with key representatives of Estonia’s authorities, including Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu, Education Minister Tõnis Lukas and Culture Minister Piret Hartman. He shared with them his observations from his visit to the city of Narva and the wider Ida-Viru region earlier in the week, where he met local authorities and minority representatives, and students and education professionals at the Narva College and the State Gymnasium in Kohtla-Järve. He appreciated the opportunity to discuss issues related to education, use of language, participation and citizenship, among other topics. He also acknowledged the impact of the war in Ukraine on Estonia, and the need to address related integration questions. “I commend the efforts made by the State to come close to the community in Narva at this crucial time, and I recommend such dialogue to continue in a sustained manner,” said Abdrakhmanov.

Reflecting on prospective changes to the education system, the High Commissioner praised the authorities for their plans for increased investment in promoting the State language. He encouraged opportunities for minorities to continue learning and practicing their mother tongues, as well as gradual, inclusive and incentive-based implementation modalities.

531455 OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities

OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities Kairat Abdrakhmanov underlined his continued good co-operation with the Lithuanian authorities during his visit to the country on 7 and 8 November 2022.

He met with Education, Science and Sports Minister Jurgita Šiugždinienė, Justice Minister Ewelina Dobrowolska, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Mantas Adomėnas, Deputy Speaker of the Seimas Radvilė Morkūnaitė-Mikulėnienė, Director of the Department of National Minorities under the Government of the Republic of Lithuania Vida Montvydaitė, and representatives of national minority communities.

Abdrakhmanov said he supported the authorities’ efforts to promote diversity in Lithuania’s society and to ensure equal opportunities for everyone, irrespective of their origin. He said that mature democratic processes and institutions, as well as rule of law, are key safeguards for these processes.

He mentioned that consultative mechanisms and open dialogue between national minority communities and the authorities have led to important legislative changes, such as the law on the spelling of non-Lithuanian names and toponyms. He encouraged the authorities to maintain channels of communication with national minorities on all matters of relevance to them.

The High Commissioner also noted that innovative participatory policymaking enables Lithuania to withstand current challenges, such as regional security threats and an influx of Ukrainian refugees. In particular, the High Commissioner welcomed that the Ministry of Education, Science and Sports is developing adaptive curricula and educational formats to ensure that Ukrainian refugee children and youth in Lithuania can participate in Lithuanian society while maintaining their connections to Ukrainian language, culture and education.

The High Commissioner also underscored a crucial role that the Department on National Minorities under the Government of the Republic of Lithuania plays in fostering integration by facilitating dialogue and co-operation between various national minority communities in Lithuania and the authorities, donors and international organizations.

The High Commissioner also visited Pranciskaus Skorinos Gymnasium, which provides education in the Belarusian language. He appreciated that the school has developed into an inclusive space that not only helps preserve the Belarusian language but also supports multilingualism.

531371 Marina Živaljević

An opinion poll conducted in Montenegro found that 85 per cent of respondents perceive psychological violence against women and girls as being either very common or at least occurring in individual cases. A third of women respondents personally experienced at least one form of psychological violence and over 44.1 per cent of respondents believe this to be the most common form of violence in intimate (partner) and family relationships.

These are some of the key findings from a Survey on attitudes and perceptions of psychological violence against women and girls in family and intimate partner relationships presented on 16 November in Podgorica. The survey was commissioned by the OSCE Mission to Montenegro for the NGO Women’s Safe House and conducted by the DeFacto Agency from May to July on a representative sample of 1,008 citizens over the age of 18. Although this is not a traditional victimological research in terms of its scope, it provides important findings, not only about how psychological violence is perceived by Montenegrin citizens, but also about its prevalence.

“The research has revealed concerning findings. The data, cross-referenced with demographic variables, found that the probability of a woman experiencing psychological violence remains the same, regardless of her age, educational background or employment status, or whether she lives in an urban or rural area. In other words, any woman can be subjected to psychological violence,” said Olivera Komar from the DeFacto Agency.

Following the presentation, Dominique Waag, Head of the Mission stressed that psychological violence against women and girls is a social and public health problem, with serious consequences not only for the victims’ well-being, but also for their children, and more broadly for society as a whole. “Psychological violence often precedes physical. This report sheds more light on the issue and its grave consequences, and can contribute to its early identification in the society , and support reporting and processing complaints,” said Ambassador Waag.

Budislavka Saveljić, executive director of the NGO Women’s Safe House, underlined a concerning finding that as much as one-third of the surveyed citizens believe that women and girls make false claims of psychological violence just to draw attention to themselves. “What is further concerning is that almost one-fifth believe that a man has the right to tell a woman/girl to be quiet if he finds her annoying. Therefore, it is not surprising that more than half of the surveyed women and girls who experienced some form of psychological violence did not report it to anyone, and almost one-third turned only to family and friends,”’ said Saveljić.  

Building on the survey presented today, the Mission supported the Women’s Safe House’s social media campaign to be launched on 17 November, to increase public awareness on psychological violence, the daily experience of those living with it, and the tactics perpetrators use to threaten and exercise control.

In its support to human rights in Montenegro, the Mission remains committed to supporting institutions, NGOs and citizens to eliminate all forms of violence against women and ensure zero tolerance towards it.

531206

The OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan (PCUz) in co-operation with the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the NGO “Legal Problems Research Center”, and the Tashkent State University of Law held an international conference on 15 November in Tashkent.

The event brought together around 75 participants, including leading representatives of the Ministry of Justice and other authorities, the Tashkent State University of Law, international organizations and universities such as the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law  (UNIDROIT), the Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH), the Roma Tre University (Italy),  and the KAZGUU University (Kazakhstan).

Participants discussed the drafting of the Private International Law Code of Uzbekistan, which was supported by the PCUz in co-operation with the Tashkent State University of Law and the Legal Problems Research Centre. The adoption of the Code will support Uzbekistan’s efforts in creating a modern, balanced and well-structured legislative instrument regulating cross-border relations, and serving to improve the investment climate and ensuring the acceleration of the economic development of Uzbekistan.

Another session themed “Role of international co-operation and academia in the development of private international law” was devoted to the significance of implementation of international law along with duties of states to maintain international security, where international experts put forward evidence-based recommendations and proposals that promote private international law development in Uzbekistan.

The event was organized in the framework of the project “Strenghtening Good Governance” and aimed at mainstreaming the legal framework in Uzbekistan in alignment with the Private International Law standards.

VIENNA, 16 November 2022 – OSCE Secretary General Helga Maria Schmid will visit Uzbekistan from 16 to 18 November for meetings with high-level officials and to speak at the “EU - Central Asia Connectivity Conference: Global Gateway for Sustainable Development”.

In Tashkent, the Secretary General will meet with President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Minister of Foreign Affairs Vladimir Norov, and Chairperson of the Senate of the Oliy Majlis (the Parliament) Tanzila Narbaeva. This visit – her first as OSCE Secretary General – is an opportunity to deepen the OSCE-Uzbek co-operation, which marks its 30th anniversary this year.

Schmid will also address the International Forum "Ensuring Children's Rights to a Healthy Environment", organized by the Zamin International Public Foundation together with UNICEF to discuss how we can best protect children from the effects of climate change.

In Samarkand, the Secretary General Schmid will address the EU - Central Asia Connectivity Conference. The event will provide a platform for intra- and inter-regional dialogue on shared solutions that will help to mitigate the impact of the various challenges that the region is facing, from the impact of the new geopolitical context to the underlying and rapidly worsening problems of climate change.

531173 Marina Živaljević

A Regional Conference on the investigation and adjudication of organized crime and corruption, gathering 45 justice sector stakeholders from across the region, as part of the OSCE Regional Trial Monitoring Project, opened on 15 November in Budva, Montenegro.

Participants will discuss common systemic issues in the investigation, prosecution, and adjudication of organized crime and corruption cases. They will focus on sharing best practices, lessons learned and developing solutions to address the identified challenges.

Opening the Conference, Dominique Waag, Head of the OSCE Mission to Montenegro, said to participants that they know better than anyone the challenges in detecting, prosecuting and adjudicating the increasingly sophisticated organized crime with criminal schemes including money laundering and corruption.

“The judiciary’s response must keep pace with the changing dynamics, avoid being stuck in its own mechanics, making sure its response has sufficient deterrence to discourage criminal activity. Accepting trial monitoring is about increasing transparency and independence of the judicial process in the Western Balkans, building confidence in that process and responding to the commitment the OSCE Participating States made back in Copenhagen in 1990,” said Ambassador Waag.

Giulio Venneri, Team leader for Rule of Law and Democracy at the European Commission’s Directorate General for Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations, thanked the OSCE for implementing this very demanding and complex project. He also thanked representatives of the judiciary and prosecutions from across the region for their readiness to engage and contribute to a meaningful stocktaking exercise, based on the initial findings of the interim report delivered by the OSCE monitoring teams.

“If we are in the room with practitioners who genuinely care for their citizens, it is a great opportunity to seize and jointly identify important ways to move forwards the overall efforts for the rule of law. We are here today because ultimately we trust your potentials. This is the most important thing to be flagged today,” said Venneri.

The regional project’s overall goal is to discuss concrete and actionable solutions and to issue recommendations in order to more effectively resolve corruption and organized crime cases in the region. The three-year project (2021-2023) is implemented in close partnership and with the financial support from the European Union.

The project has produced a podcast "The Path to Justice" translated in local languages which can be found here, which highlights the various aspects of the fight against serious organized crime and corruption in the Western Balkans, the role of the justice system in these efforts, and what this means for society throughout the region.

531143 Jeff Bieley Edita Buçaj

To teach schoolchildren about the importance of cultural and religious heritage, the OSCE Mission in Kosovo organized visits for over 130 elementary school pupils and their teachers to four sites in Prizren.

The aim of the visits was to increase the knowledge of schoolchildren from different communities about cultural and religious heritage, and improve their understanding and appreciation of diversity.

The schoolchildren toured the Sinan Pasha Mosque, the Serbian Orthodox Church of St. George, the Catholic Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour, and the League of Prizren memorial complex. They were informed about the history of these sites and their value to society, as well as the importance of protecting and preserving cultural and religious sites belonging to different communities.

“Preserving the rich and diverse heritage across Kosovo requires support from all members of society, and involving young people in this is fundamental. We hope visits like these will help preservation efforts,” said Kavya Rajan, Director of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo’s Department of Human Rights and Communities.

Liridon Agushi, a history teacher from the Ismail Luma Primary School in Lipjan/Lipljan emphasized the importance of this study visit for acquainting the pupils with the diversity of cultural and religious heritage in Kosovo. “We thank the OSCE for organizing this visit, which is the first of its kind for our school, and aims to help students understand and promote multi-culturalism and respect for one another.”

The OSCE Mission is mandated with the protection and promotion of human and community rights, democratization and development of the public safety sector. It continuously supports efforts to protect and promote the rich and varied cultural and religious heritage in Kosovo.

531155 Mirvete Islam, OSCE Mission to Skopje Ilona Kazaryan

To promote investigative journalism and help media professionals hone their digital investigative skills so they can conduct more thorough research to bring the facts to light, the OSCE Mission to Skopje launched an e-learning course on 15 November 2022.

This e-learning course provides a toolbox for journalists investigating corruption or other high profile cases of public interest. The course includes a number of useful tools and techniques that will help investigative journalists to find more information on various online platforms. The course will help journalists to plan an investigation, conduct successful online searches across platforms and gather information, conduct successful interviews and piece together their findings. Also, the course includes many tips by experienced journalists about how to investigate more thoroughly.

While this e-learning course has been primarily designed for investigative journalists, especially those investigating corruption cases, it is applicable to a broader journalistic audience. We believe that everyone who wants to dig deeper into a topic can benefit from the tools, tips and techniques presented in the free e-learning course. We invite you to check out the course, which is available in English, Macedonian, and Albanian language.