Central Europe

OSLO, 8 September 2022 – Valiant Richey, OSCE Special Representative for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, concluded his four-day visit to Norway today. He highlighted the country’s progress made in establishing specialized institutions to protect child victims of crime and noted a need for update of the anti-trafficking strategy and improved national co-ordination of victim assistance. 

During his visit, Richey met with members of the Norwegian parliament, and high-level anti-trafficking stakeholders, including government officials from the Ministry of Justice and Public Security, Ministry of Labour and Social Inclusion, law-enforcement agencies and prosecution, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Children and Families, Ministry of Health and Care Services, the Financial Intelligence Unit and the Court of Appeal. Richey also consulted with anti-trafficking NGOs providing victim assistance, visited the Oslo Children’s House and a drop-in centre for persons in prostitution, and concluded the visit with a final briefing to the inter-ministerial group overseeing anti-trafficking activities in Norway.

Richey highlighted the need for increased political will to combat trafficking in human beings, including updating the country’s anti-trafficking action plan, improving coordination and prevention efforts, and boosting identification of victims of human trafficking, particularly children.

“There is solid work on the ground in Norway, but it needs to be backed with a national strategy that reflects current challenges like the misuse of the internet to exploit women and children,” the Special Representative stressed. “Mapping of risk areas and proactive identification and outreach, including on online platforms are crucial components to identify and help victims.”

The Special Representative also noted numerous good practices including adjudication of ground-breaking trafficking cases, identification of trafficking victims during asylum procedures, tracing illicit financial flows to identify exploitation and the newly adopted Transparency Act that obligates companies to ensure human rights standards. He also commended the measures taken to mitigate the risks of exploitation of refugees from Ukraine and urged continued attention as the war persists.

The Special Representative conducts multiple country visits each year to help increase the capacity of OSCE participating States to address human trafficking, share recommendations for further action, and collect best practices for fighting this heinous crime. A report detailing the findings of his visit will be released during the first quarter of 2023.

525498

From 6 to 8 September, the OSCE Transnational Threat Department’s Border Security and Management Unit organized a working visit to Georgia, with the support of the Georgian Revenue Service and Ministry of Internal Affairs. This visit was an opportunity for members of the Platform, which focuses on preventing and countering corruption at the border, to improve their skills and learn from the Georgian experience.

Integrity standards and regulations on preventing corruption at the border were explored during the visit, which brought together 11 participants from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Moldova, Montenegro, and Ukraine.

The participants had the opportunity to learn from best practices and challenges faced by their Georgian counterparts related to the integrity and anti-corruption efforts made by border and law enforcement agencies.   

During the visit, the participants analyzed Georgia’s law-enforcement and administrative rationalizations  and digitalization, which considerably reduced corruption in public administration. They have also elaborated on the co-operation between Customs Service and the Patrol Police, as well as co-operation with neighboring countries on integrity matters and the mutual advantages of this partnership. Internal control mechanisms, declaration of assets and whistleblowing were also discussed by the members of the Anti-corruption Platform.

In addition, the participants looked into the correlation between gender and corruption and assessed the impact of gender mainstreaming in building integrity and preventing corruption in border agencies.

One of the highlights of this initiative was the site visit to the Sadakhlo Border Crossing Point with Armenia, where the delegates had the opportunity to see the anti-corruption practices and policies they had discussed put into practice.

PRAGUE, 9 September 2022 – Expanding the use of green technologies, reducing reliance on fossil fuels and energy diversification are vital to security, stability and post Covid-19 sustainable economic recovery across the OSCE region, said participants of the concluding meeting of the 30th Economic and Environmental Forum (EEF) of the OSCE in Prague. The Forum focused on promoting security and stability in the OSCE area through sustainable economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The Russian aggression will bring economic and environmental harm for generations to come. When thinking about a sustainable economic and environmental recovery, we must also think about a recovery from the atrocious war waged against Ukraine. This is an issue that concerns all of us,” said OSCE Chairman-in-Office and Poland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Zbigniew Rau. “Our efforts must particularly be focused on supporting the Ukrainians who are defending their future as an independent nation. By doing so they are also defending our fundamental European values,” he added.

“We would now certainly prefer to debate only the most appropriate policies for reconstructing our economies, so badly hit by the COVID-19 epidemic, and celebrate the landmark anniversary of the EEF,” said Jan Lipavský, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, speaking at the opening of the Forum. “Yet the Russian war against Ukraine deeply affects also our efforts in the economic and environmental dimension of the OSCE. It has devastating consequences for Ukraine and it has severe effects on all of us. Indiscriminate attacks by Russia’s forces on civilian infrastructure inflict tragic human losses. They also cause huge environmental damage and hamper economic recovery in Ukraine and beyond.”

OSCE Secretary General Helga Maria Schmid affirmed that the war against Ukraine has also put energy security back to the forefront of the international agenda: “The war has first and foremost devastating consequences for the Ukrainian people, but is also felt far beyond Ukraine. It has adverse effects on energy and food security, as well as on the environment. The OSCE can help to address this.”

The meeting, which brought together some 250 participants from governments, civil society, the business community and other international organizations, marked two important milestones for the OSCE: the 30th anniversary of the Economic and Environmental Forum and the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities.

Discussions at the Forum took stock of the Organization’s decades-long work in addressing economic and environmental threats to security, the role of Forum in advancing dialogue and co-operation in the second dimension, green growth and innovation for sustainable recovery. Looking to the future of the Economic and Environmental Dimension, participants emphasized the need to prioritize core issues with security implications such as climate change, environmental degradation and energy security.

525474

The OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek and the OSCE Transnational Threats Department piloted a new training-of-trainers course on requesting electronic evidence across borders on 5 to 8 September in Kyrgyzstan. The course, developed jointly by the UNODC, Interpol, and the OSCE with the financial support from the European Union, is based on the United Nations Practical Guide on Requesting Electronic Evidence Across Borders.

Over 30 Kyrgyz representatives from law enforcement and governmental agencies, educational institutions, and the judiciary learnt about the instruments available for requesting electronic evidence from service providers based in foreign jurisdictions. These included preservation requests, voluntary disclosure requests, download tools offered by service providers, police-to-police cooperation channels, emergency disclosure requests, and mutual legal assistance requests.

The course also discussed the challenges in obtaining electronic evidence and the importance of respecting human rights and fundamental freedoms. While it was thematically focused on counter-terrorism, its principles and procedures can be applied to any criminal investigation.

“Electronic evidence is an integral part of any criminal investigation. With most Internet service providers being based abroad, access to this evidence can be challenging for criminal justice actors and increasing number of criminal investigations thus requires international co-operation,“ said Alexander Rogov, Head of the OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek.

This was echoed by deputy director of the Anti-Terrorism Centre of the State Committee for National Security of the Kyrgyz Republic, who underlined that: “Digital devices have become part of our everyday life and are used by all segments of society, including malicious actors such as terrorists. It is increasingly important for law enforcement authorities to be able to obtain electronic evidence to effectively counter various security threats.”

The three-day course was followed by a one-day roundtable in which participants and experts discussed possible changes in the operational procedures of Kyrgyz law enforcement to improve their capabilities and capacity to obtain electronic evidence from abroad.

The OSCE Transnational Threats Department will organize similar training in other OSCE participating States in Central Asia.

525432 Head of the OSCE Mission to Skopje, Clemens Koja, addressing the Sixth Regional of Equality Bodies in South-East Europe, held in Skopje on 5-7 September 2022.  Mirvete Islam, OSCE Mission to Skopje Ilona Kazaryan

SKOPJE, 7 September 2022 – State bodies for equality in the region play an important role in the fight to create more equal societies, free of discrimination.  These bodies in North Macedonia and throughout the region face numerous challenges in relation to resources, inter-institutional co-operation, loopholes in legislation, which could seriously affect the efficiency of their operation. To tackle this, they need to intensify mutual co-operation and with domestic court instances. This is one of the conclusions of the regional conference that took place in Skopje.

At the three-day event, organized by the OSCE Mission to Skopje in co-operation with the national Commission for Prevention and Protection from Discrimination, representatives of equality bodies from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Montenegro, Serbia, and Slovenia, as well as experts working on human rights and protection against discrimination, discussed ongoing challenges related to enhancing the role of equality bodies in preventing and protecting from discrimination.

“The Mission`s longstanding commitment towards promoting equality for all, irrespective of sex or gender, disability, age group, ethnicity, religion or belief or similar, and work with the institutions and civil society organizations, has shown that discriminatory practices affect many lives, especially women and girls, minority groups such as Roma, persons with disabilities, but also others,” said the Head of the OSCE Mission to Skopje, Clemens Koja at the launching of the regional conference.

“The fight against discrimination concerns the society as a whole, not only one institution or a group. Therefore, I am calling on all state or non-state actors to fully engage and take the responsibility for achieving equality and ending discrimination. We should all commit to take a stand for zero tolerance against discrimination,” he added.

Commission member Igor Jadrovski added: “Successful co-operation in exchanging experiences and sharing common challenges and best practices between equality bodies from South-Eastern Europe is a key aspect of strengthening equality bodies in preventing and protecting against discrimination.”

Disaster risk reduction challenges in Bosnia and Herzegovina Željka Šulc

SARAJEVO, 7 September 2022 - The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) welcomes BiH accession to the European Union (EU) Civil Protection Mechanism. The Mechanism strengthens co-operation and solidarity on civil protection among its 27 members and 7 participating states to improve prevention, preparedness and response to natural and other disasters.

As a full member of the Mechanism, BiH will be able to more effectively co-ordinate preparedness and rescue activities with actors in country as well as with those beyond its borders. Unique access to best practice and experience of the Mechanism’s members will also help BiH to develop its policies to a higher standard. With natural hazards on the rise, such policies will enable the civil protection system to function far more effectively in diminishing the consequences in times of emergency – including those caused by wildfires, floods and earthquakes.

The OSCE Mission to BiH is proud to have played a part in helping BiH achieve this important milestone. Among our key initiatives, we have supported the establishment of the 112 Operational-Communication Centre within the BiH Ministry of Security and the development and updating of the Document on Disaster Risk Assessment from Natural and Other Disasters in BiH. We will continue to assist BiH with strengthening its capacity for protection and rescue and for disaster risk reduction – helping save lives, the environment, this country’s rich cultural heritage, and people’s property.

525408

From 5-9 September, the OSCE, jointly with the Institute for Teaching and Port Research of the Normandy Business School (IPER) is conducting a week-long training for female professionals of the ports of Baku (Azerbaijan), Aktau and Kuryk (Kazakhstan), Constantza (Romania) and the Maritime Agency of Georgia at the port of Le Havre, France. The event is part of the hybrid course, OSCE-IPER Women in Port Management.

This week-long training course consists of lectures by senior managers of port authorities, maritime specialists and university professors. The training expands on the knowledge and skills developed during the two-week online component that took place in May 2022.

The course addresses opportunities and challenges in port management, with a focus on port sustainability, and is an opportunity for the participating mid-level female professionals to expand their knowledge, advance their careers and network with others working in the industry. In addition to expert-led lectures, the women also take part in field visits to Le Havre port, where they have the opportunity to see a leading port site in operation.

Over the course of the week, the participants will increase their knowledge on port and maritime economy, strategic management, sustainability strategies and port technologies & information systems.

This training also provides them with comprehensive insight into sustainable port operations and management, equipping them with the knowledge and skills needed to reduce their ports’ carbon footprints, increase operational efficiency and foster women’s increased representation in leadership roles across the industry.

This hybrid training programme is organized by the OSCE in partnership with IPER within the framework of the Promoting Green Ports and Connectivity project.

WARSAW, 7 September 2022 – Following verdicts against a number of human rights defenders in Belarus in a trial held behind closed doors, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) expressed alarm about the increasing repression of human rights defenders in the country as well as the lack of fair trial guarantees.

Yesterday’s sentences by the Minsk City Court included two human rights defenders: Maria (Marfa) Rabkova, volunteer service coordinator of Human Rights Centre ’Viasna’, who was sentenced to 15 years, and Andrei Chapiuk, a Viasna volunteer, sentenced to six years in prison.

“The space for human rights defenders in Belarus to carry out their important work is continuing to shrink,” said ODIHR Director Matteo Mecacci. “Today’s sentences are further testimony to the organised repression of human rights defenders, which is having a chilling effect on all those active in combating human rights violations and upholding fundamental freedoms in the country. ODIHR remains ready to assist Belarus in coming in line with international standards and ensuring the human rights of all are protected.”

The environment for human rights defenders in Belarus deteriorated after the August 2020 presidential election. Organizations working to safeguard human rights and fundamental freedoms in Belarus have had their premises raided and ransacked, their equipment confiscated, or their bank accounts frozen. Hundreds of organizations have been forcibly shut down, or opted to close, as it has become impossible to operate freely and legally in Belarus.

In this context, ODIHR is deeply concerned by the violations of the right to a fair trial, including closed court proceedings as well as the unjustified and excessive sentences handed down to human rights defenders. ODIHR once again reiterates the offer it has made on a number of occasions to undertake fair trial monitoring in Belarus.

All 57 countries of the OSCE have recognized the vital role that human rights defenders play in their societies to ensure full respect for human rights, democracy and the rule of law, and ODIHR takes this opportunity to urge the Belarusian authorities to meet their international obligations and OSCE commitments to respect human rights and fundamental freedoms. ODIHR continues to stand firmly with human rights defenders across the region and to offer its expertise and tools to help in these efforts, for the benefit of all citizens.

525417 Communication and Media Relations Section

The OSCE Forum for Security Co-operation remains the forum in which to discuss security issues, despite Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine emphasised Deputy Permanent Representative Fiel Vanthemsche as he outlined Belgium’s priorities as FSC Chair during today’s opening session.

“Despite Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and its devastating impact on civilians and infrastructure, dialogue on politico-military issues is essential in the OSCE. This is true even when no solution seems to be in sight,” said Vanthemsche. “As the FSC marks its 30th anniversary this year, although some participating States throw their commitments over board, there remains a need for those committed to our common OSCE values and principles to discuss essential security topics. Belgium firmly considers dialogue as the only way forward.”

While the war against Ukraine will remain at the heart of the FSC’s discussions during Belgium’s tenure as FSC Chair from September to December 2022, Vanthemsche highlighted five priority areas for discussions.

“Our aim is to raise the awareness on the politico-military relevance of Children and Armed Conflict, and the nexus between the Environment and Security, topics that have not been featured by the FSC before,” he said. “Three other topics, on Women, Peace and Security, effectively dealing with Explosive Remnants of War, and the pursuing discussions surrounding the Code of Conduct on Politico-Military Aspects of Security, will be at the heart of our efforts. The cruel war in Ukraine unfortunately demonstrates, again and again, the need to continue working on all of these issues.”

The Chairmanship of the Forum for Security Co-operation rotates three times a year. It takes the lead in setting the agenda for each meeting of the Forum and brings attention to issues concerning the implementation of commitments adopted by the Forum.

525333 Public Affairs Unit, OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights Katya Andrusz

The April 2022 presidential election in France was competitive and pluralistic, and fundamental freedoms were respected. Voters were provided with ample and diverse information enabling them to make an informed choice among the 12 candidates, and the election administration worked effectively and enjoyed a high level of public trust. Meanwhile, some aspects of the electoral process need improvement, including those related to voting methods, election observation, campaign finance oversight and media regulation.

These are some of the main conclusions from the final report on France’s 2022 presidential election, published by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR). The report offers 16 recommendations to bring elections in France closer in line with OSCE commitments and other international standards for democratic elections.

Recommendations include:

• Consolidating the electoral legal framework, clarifying legal provisions on the use of public resources during the campaign, refining campaign finance rules and guaranteeing the access of citizen and international observers to all stages of the electoral process;

• Reviewing the existing legal framework regulating media concentration, defamation and campaign coverage;

• Cancelling proxy voting and exploring alternative voting methods to uphold OSCE commitments and other international standards for democratic elections;

• Collecting comprehensive gender-disaggregated data about the electoral process and making it available to the public;

• Enhancing transparency and the effective oversight of campaign finances;

• Ensuring effective resolution of election disputes;

• Training polling board chairs to ensure effective and consistent management on election day;

• Continuing efforts to ensure the independent participation of people with intellectual or psychosocial disabilities in public life.

ODIHR deployed an Election Assessment Mission on 28 March 2022 to observe the presidential election. All 57 participating States across the OSCE region have formally committed to following up promptly on ODIHR’s election assessments and recommendations.

VIENNA, 6 September 2022 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Teresa Ribeiro, today condemned the shutdown of Novaya Gazeta newspaper and reiterated her call on the Russian authorities to fully respect OSCE media freedom commitments.

On 5 September, the Basmanny district court in Moscow stripped Novaya Gazeta of its print media registration. The case stems from the media regulator Roskomnadzor’s accusation of the publication about failing to provide its editorial statute within a required timeframe.

Today, the same court invalidated the registration of Novaya Rasskaz-Gazeta magazine, which was launched by the editorial office of Novaya Gazeta in July 2022. The decision also refers to the Roskomnadzor’s claim that the media outlet had not been published for more than a year.

On 15 September, the Russian Supreme Court is expected to pass a verdict on whether to terminate the registration of Novaya Gazeta’s website following another lawsuit by Roskomnadzor.

“The chain of recent developments to suppress Novaya Gazeta, one of the most prominent media outlets in the Russian Federation, again clearly adds to the already over-restrictive nature of media environment in the country,” Ribeiro said. “I reiterate my call on the Russian authorities to stop these continued, highly disproportionate, measures against media and journalists and abide by their OSCE principles and commitments on freedom of expression and media freedom.”

The Representative further expressed serious concern about the recent detention of Novaya Gazeta’s journalist Andrei Zayakhin on alleged charges of financing extremist activities, and application of restrictive measures that effectively prevent him from exercising any kind of journalistic activities.

Ribeiro also noted that the authorities continue to hamper journalists’ ability to perform their professional duties through the vicious practice of labelling them as “foreign agents”, which she has spoken out against on many instances in the past. In the latest move, on 3 September, several media workers, including Kirill Martynov from Novaya Gazeta – Europa, journalist and war photographer Sergey Loyko, journalist and documentary writer Ekaterina Gordeyeva, Ukrainian journalist Dmitry Gordon and others, were added to the respective register.

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 facebook.com/osce.rfom.

VIENNA/PRAGUE, 7 September 2022 – The Concluding Meeting of the 30th OSCE Economic and Environmental Forum will be held from 8 to 9 September in Prague. The meeting will be opened by OSCE Chairman-in-Office and Foreign Minister of Poland Zbigniew Rau, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Czech Republic Jan Lipavský, and OSCE Secretary General Helga Maria Schmid. 

The theme for this year’s ongoing Economic and Environmental Forum is “Promoting security and stability in the OSCE area through sustainable economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic”, and this week’s Concluding Meeting will hold a discussion on the two milestones, the 30th Anniversary of the Forum and 25 years since the establishment of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities. 

The debate will also address specific topics such as the promotion of sustainable economic recovery from the pandemic, green growth, innovation for sustainable economic recovery, greening the economy and the role of the energy sector. 

The keynote address will be delivered by Yaroslav Demchenkov, Deputy Minister of Energy of Ukraine.

At the closing session, the Permanent Representative North Macedonia to the OSCE, Ambassador Igor Djundev, will present the priorities of the incoming 2023 OSCE North Macedonia Chairmanship in the Economic and Environmental Dimension 

The opening session of the meeting takes place from 09:30 on 8 September and will be livestreamed on https://www.osce.org/live. 

The Economic and Environmental Forum enables political dialogue among the 57 OSCE participating States on key economic and environmental issues related to security and gathers representatives from governments, state institutions, international organizations, the business sector, civil society and academia. 

For more information visit: https://www.osce.org/chairmanship/518730

Interested media can contact bartosz.kempinski@msz.gov.pl.

525282 Munira Shoinbekova, OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe Farhod Nabiyulloev

Integrating a gender sensitive and gender inclusive approach in border security and management in times of crisis and conflict was the focus of a roundtable discussion organized by the OSCE Border Management Staff College on 2 September 2022 in Vienna.

The participants exchanged ideas on incorporating gender sensitive approaches to improve the effectiveness of border security and management agencies in preventing and detecting a variety of cross-border crimes. The topics of discussion also included combating sexual and gender-based violence, trafficking in human beings and protecting the human rights of those fleeing across borders in times of crisis and conflict.

In her opening remarks, the OSCE Secretary General Helga Maria Schmid emphasized the importance of incorporating gender sensitive approaches in times of crisis, particularly when war is being waged in the OSCE region and millions of civilians consequently fled their homes. She also noted that in times of crises, women and girls are disproportionately impacted, being at great risk of abuse, trafficking and violence.

The Acting Head of the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe Tea Jaliashvili echoed the Secretary General’s remarks. She underlined the fact that the roundtable discussion helped to  review the connections between gender-inclusive and human rights-based border security and effective border managed in line with the OSCE’s comprehensive approach.

During practical exercises, the participants learned about unconscious biases, discrimination towards people in-need of protection and recognition of potential victims of human trafficking at the borders.

The roundtable discussion represented the third in a series of discussions covering various aspects of international cooperation in the context of border security and management.

LJUBLJANA, 6 September 2022 – Today marks the 10th anniversary of the Ljubljana Guidelines on Integration of Diverse Societies, a comprehensive set of guidelines established by the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities (HCNM) to address challenges related to managing integration processes in diverse societies.

To mark the anniversary, the HCNM held a conference today in Ljubljana, bringing together experts, policymakers and practitioners in the field of minority rights and integration together with ambassadors and representatives of the OSCE participating States. They discussed the ongoing relevance of the key principles in the Guidelines, successes and challenges of implementation, lessons learned and ways to better operationalize them to complement continuous efforts of the HCNM to promote integration of diverse societies.

“The key takeaway from the Ljubljana Guidelines comes back to one single point: that society as a whole, not just one specific group, benefits from diversity and integration policies,” said OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities Kairat Abdrakhmanov.

Published in 2012, the Ljubljana Guidelines seek to provide guidance to OSCE participating States on how best to integrate diverse societies. They are based on the experience of the HCNM and the advice from internationally recognized experts. 

Almost exactly 10 years ago, on 7 November 2012, then OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities Knut Vollebaek, presented the Guidelines with the words: “All OSCE participating States are multi ethnic. Living together with people of different cultures, ethnicities and religions is not a matter of choice; it is a fact of life. It is up to us to make the best of it.”

The Ljubljana Guidelines are among the most frequently used guidelines by successive High Commissioners and are as relevant today as when they were published.

Opening the conference, High Commissioner Abdrakhmanov stated, “I hope that today’s event will serve as a catalyst for us not only to reflect on and learn from the past, but also to recognize that respecting and effectively governing diversity within our society is vital for our future.”

The Anniversary Conference is supported by and organized in co-operation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Slovenia.

OSLO, 5 September 2022 – The OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, Valiant Richey, will visit Norway from 6 to 8 September. The visit is organized in co-operation with Norwegian authorities, with a focus on fulfilling the OSCE commitments in the field of anti-trafficking. 

Special Representative Richey will assess the country’s response to trafficking, including the measures taken to address technology-facilitated trafficking and mitigate risks of exploitation facing Ukrainian refugees. Richey will also meet national stakeholders, notably members of the Standing Committee on Justice. 

During the visit, discussions will also focus on the implementation of the new Norwegian Transparency Act. First of its kind, the Act requires companies to ensure the respect for human rights and decent working conditions for employees throughout their supply chains. 

Country visits by the Special Representative provide a unique opportunity to consider the main challenges in a country and to provide recommendations, as well as to learn about promising practices to share with other governments.

For additional information, please contact Lilia Rotoloni, Public Information Officer, e-mail: Lilia.Rotoloni@osce.org.

525228 Marina Živaljević

Participants of a two-day regional conference “Countering online Child Exploitation in Southeast Europe”, organized by the OSCE Mission to Montenegro on 5 and 6 September 2022 in Budva, shared approaches and experiences and committed to improve their regional co-operation in providing an effective response to online sexual exploitation of children.

The conference was organized with the support of the office of the Special Representative and Coordinator for combating trafficking in human beings and the International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children (ICMEC) based in the United States, and in partnership with the Montenegrin Ministry of Interior and the Police Directorate.

Around 50 delegates from police services and cyber-crime units, prosecutors and members of NGOs from Albania, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Hungary, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Slovenia, Turkey and USA presented their countries’ experiences and discussed how to address critical gaps in protection of children against online sexual exploitation, strengthen the regional response and assess training and capacity building needs.

Opening the conference, Head of the OSCE Mission, Dominique Waag, said we must renew our strong commitment to ensure that children everywhere enjoy a safe childhood.

“As the internet’s reach expands, so do the threats and dangers children experience online. Social media platforms can be misused to groom children who may be subjected to sexual exploitation as well as all forms of child trafficking. Sexual exploitation of children can result in serious, lifelong consequences for the physical and psychological development and well-being of a child. An effective response to online exploitation of children requires co-operation amongst the police, judiciary, and prosecutors, as well as with civil society, teachers and parents. It also requires an improved regional co-operation and better ways to share data,” said Ambassador Waag, adding that these crimes involve in many cases organized crime groups.

Tijana Šuković, Head of the Department for Combating Human Trafficking in the Montenegrin Ministry of Interior, said that the Ministry has been clearly committed to fight against all forms of abuse of children, as well as discovering and sanctioning those who threaten their rights. “Most often, the problems related to the misuse of social networks are related to the appearance of child pornography. Bearing in mind that people are trafficked, among other things, for pornographic purposes, it is important to pay due attention to the misuse of technology by human traffickers,” said Šuković.

Guillermo Galarza Abizaid, Vice President of the ICMEC, said that online child sexual exploitation is a global crime affecting millions of children daily. “Law enforcement, the tech industry, NGOs, and others are crucial in the fight against online child sexual exploitation. Developing partnerships with critical stakeholders is essential, and we must continue to address policy, legislation, prevention, awareness and trainings for crucial personnel and all relevant parties,” said Abizaid, adding that regional events are essential to learning from one another. “It takes a network to defeat a network,” concluded Abizaid.

Ivana Popović, senior police officer in the Sector for combatting high-tech crime in the Police Directorate, said that not only in Montenegro, but elsewhere, the age of children who actively use social networks is getting lower. “Children aged eight and older have already entered the virtual world, presenting themselves older than they are. Most of them want to dislocate from the reality, which makes them an easy target for predators. In most cases, parents do not even know that their child has an account on any of the social networks, nor are they aware of the correspondence in which their children participate. It is important that parents talk to their children and report suspicious cases to the police immediately, so that more serious consequences are avoided,” said Popović.

In 2013, the OSCE participating States committed to train law enforcement officials, and other relevant officials regarding the use of the Internet for human trafficking and related crimes, including all forms of child trafficking and sexual exploitation of children.

525225 Albanian journalists exchange views with OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media during their exchange workshop in Vienna.

From 1 to 3 September, the OSCE Presence in Albania supported the organization of an exchange workshop in Vienna for journalists covering parliamentary affairs in Albania. The delegation consisted of nearly a dozen of journalists from different media outlets in Albania plus representatives from the Communications and Media Service of the Albanian Assembly.

During the exchange visit, the group had the opportunity to meet with the OSCE Representative of the Freedom of Media, Teresa Ribeiro, representatives of the Communication Department and News desk from the Austrian Parliament, and participated in an exchange workshop with representatives of the Austrian Presseclub Concordia.

These events offered the Albanian journalists the opportunity to discuss challenges they face in their daily work with their Austrian counterparts. It enabled them to exchange experiences on journalistic practices and parliamentary coverage in the dissemination of information to the public. Moreover, it introduced them to the work of the Representative on the Freedom of Media, whose role is to serve as an early warning function to ensure the safety of journalists and support the OSCE’s participating States abide by their commitments to freedom of expression and a free media.

The delegation rounded out its activities meeting the Albanian Ambassador to the Permanent Mission to the OSCE and other International Organizations in Vienna. Ambassador Eglantina Gjermeni, a former Albanian Assembly Member, shared insights and perspectives on Albania’s role in the peace and security issues of the day and its position within global organizations.

These activities and the exchange of views and best practices will help in strengthening Albania’s ties to its European press and intergovernmental counterparts. In turn, this effort will help promote greater transparency and accountability of the Albanian Assembly through the improved reporting and efforts of journalists covering the proceedings of the legislative body and its committees.

This event was organized under the framework of the “Support to Parliament and Civic Education in Albania” project, supported by the OSCE Presence in Albania and the Swiss Agency for Development and Co-operation (SDC).

525174 Youth Trail on Cultural Heritage, Te Kube, Gjirokastra.

From 24 to 28 August 2022, twenty young activists from the Western Balkans gathered in Tirana and traveled to Gjirokastra to discuss, learn and explore approaches on social interaction and promote democracy, peace and security through inter-generational dialogue.

Since 2017, the OSCE Youth Trail has brought hundreds of young people from the region to create a joint platform on promoting democratic values, co-operation, peace and security. The seventh edition of “Youth Trail” focused on how inter-generational dialogue shapes social interactions, promotes democratic values, nurtures good relations and contributes to the peace and security in local and regional level.

The participants discussed the intergenerational communication gap and its effects while working together, as well as experienced implications and outcomes of teamwork. They were assisted from experts of the field, and were presented with several insights and resources to reflect and act on building new culturally based communication bridges.

During the activity, the participants completed different workshops on themes of storytelling, women role and power dynamics, and intergenerational interaction, with the aim of reflecting on and drawing from good practices, to ultimately understand the impact on stability and sustainability of the communities, and consequently the democratization process.

The participants heard firsthand from local families about the challenges of preserving the old concept of traditional family contrasted with modern life, heard the contributions of historical figures to freedom — such as Musine Kokalari from Gjirokastra, an Albanian woman intellectual — through the words of one of her descendants, and were guests of a carpenter who demonstrated the old craft of woodworking and the challenge of transmitting the tradition to the younger generations.

“What impressed me was the gold painting in the ceilings of old houses in Gjirokastra, so that when the light comes in, the sparkles they create remind us the beauty of the new day to be lived and celebrated for the whole family,” said one of the participants. Another participant noted how, “Preserving cultural heritage, starts from understanding it, the logic behind it, and the history it embodies. When I go back home, I have quite some questions for my grandmother”.

During their stay in Albania, the young participants met the Ambassador of Austria in Tirana, Christian Steiner, the Regional Youth Co-operation Office (RYCO) Secretary General, Albert Hani, the Deputy Mayor of Gjirokastra, Esmeralda Llongo, and the official of the Greek Embassy in Tirana, Panagiotis Anagnostoupoulos, among others.

The OSCE Presence in Albania organized the seventh edition of “Youth Trail” with the support of the Austrian Development Agency, the Embassies of Greece and Italy in Albania, and in co-operation with the Municipality of Tirana, RYCO, and other OSCE field operations in the region.

VIENNA, 1 September 2022 – In times when the OSCE is seriously tested, it is essential to rebuild mutual trust and confidence, and to demonstrate the political will to re-engage in dialogue on widely shared security concerns, said North Macedonia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Bujar Osmani today.

As he presented North Macedonia’s priorities as the incoming 2023 OSCE Chairman-in-Office to the Permanent Council today, Osmani spoke about Russia’s war against Ukraine, stating that “this war erodes the foundations of the OSCE. It runs counter to the principles we have agreed upon and hold dear. It is a far cry from our milestones and the guiding principles governing relations between participating States.”

He underscored that North Macedonia’s Chairmanship will be working closely with OSCE Secretary General Helga Maria Schmid, OSCE structures and the participating States to safeguard the fundamental principles that lie at the heart of the Organization.

Minister Osmani emphasized that the Chairmanship will focus on the OSCE’s mandate by continuing to make a difference on the ground, implementing the commitments made by all participating States, and rebuilding stability by restoring dialogue.

In the political-military dimension of security, conflict prevention and management will remain a high priority. Protracted conflicts, their related by-products and incremental progress towards peace will top the incoming Chairmanship’s agenda. 

“Ukraine will remain our highest priority. However, let us not forget that there are tensions across the OSCE region that are also of great concern. It is important to build upon the existing formats and to provide support for our presence on the ground and other field operations. The Organization should stay dedicated across the OSCE in search of peace,” said Osmani.

Additionally, he listed border management, hybrid and cyber threats, and Women, Peace and Security agenda as first dimension priorities.

In the economic and environmental dimension of security, the Chairmanship will focus on raising further awareness about the nexus between climate change and security. Energy and food security will also be of special importance as both a consequence of the war and potential triggers for conflicts.

“Connectivity and people-to-people contacts have proven beneficial as part of the confidence-building measures. We will build on this. Our focus in 2023 will be also on combating corruption and promoting good governance,” said Minister Osmani.

Underscoring the significance of upholding of human rights, he stated that the human dimension is essential for to the OSCE’s comprehensive approach to security.

“North Macedonia will initiate a broad debate on the necessity of increased engagement related to the respect of fundamental human rights in the light of the today’s complexities, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, wars and conflicts,” said Osmani.

Suggesting that many issues on the OSCE’s agenda are crosscutting, Minister Osmani also highlighted migration and trafficking in human beings as priority targets.

Finally, Minister Osmani underscored the notion of shared responsibility: “We all share the burden of responsibility. We have the tools, we have the knowledge and we have history as our teacher, we should deliver a better future for our people.”

Secretary General Helga Maria Schmid welcomed Foreign Minister Osmani’s comprehensive presentation of the incoming Chair’s priorities, and pledged her full support to North Macedonia’s Chairmanship.

“I welcome the breadth of North Macedonia’s priorities for 2023 – rightly balanced across our three dimensions – and addressing many of the most pertinent contemporary challenges. My team and those of all other OSCE executive structures will stand behind you in delivering on them,” Secretary General Schmid said in her response to Foreign Minister Osmani at the Permanent Council.

“The work awaiting North Macedonia is not easy and its scale and range – enormous. We are all aware that the Russian Federation’s aggression against Ukraine is not only the biggest threat for the European Security from the end of the II World War, but also a serious challenge to the OSCE itself,” Ambassador Adam Hałaciński, Permanent Representative of Poland to the OSCE, Chairperson of the OSCE Permanent Council, said in his response to Foreign Minister Osmani.

SOFIA, 31 August 2022 - The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) today opened an election observation mission for the 2 October early parliamentary elections in Bulgaria, following an official invitation from the national authorities.

The mission is headed by Nina Suomalainen and consists of a core team of 11 international experts based in Sofia and 12 long-term observers, who will be deployed throughout the country from 7 September. ODIHR has also requested 200 short-term observers, to arrive several days before election day. 

The mission will assess the conduct of the elections for their compliance with OSCE commitments and other international obligations and standards for democratic elections, as well as with national legislation.

Observers will closely monitor all aspects of the elections, including pre and post-election developments. Specific areas of focus include the implementation of the legal framework, candidate registration, the conduct of the campaign including on social networks, as well as the work of the election administration at all levels, election dispute resolution and media coverage. They will also assess the implementation of previous ODIHR election recommendations.

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

On election day, the ODIHR mission will join efforts with a delegation from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe to observe the opening of polling stations, voting, counting ballots and tabulation of results.

An interim report will be published two weeks prior to the elections to update the public and media on the observation mission’s activities. The day after the elections, the mission’s preliminary findings and conclusions will be presented at a press conference. A final report with an assessment of the entire election process and containing recommendations will be published some months after the elections.

Media contacts:

Katya Andrusz, ODIHR spokesperson: Katya.Andrusz@odihr.pl or +48 609 522 266

Inta Lase, Media Analyst with the Election Observation Mission: inta.lase@odihr.bg or +359 87 941 2689