Central Europe

508571

New guidelines to help organize joint classes for students learning in different languages of instruction were promoted in Skopje today, as part of the OSCE Mission to Skopje’s efforts to increase integrated education in North Macedonia.

Available in Macedonian, Albanian and Turkish, the guidelines help teachers, school principals and municipal representatives plan, realize and evaluate joint classes to improve integration in schools.

The guidelines were developed by the Ministry of Education and Science and the City of Skopje, and supported by the OSCE Mission to Skopje in co-operation with the USAID Youth Interethnic Integration in Education Project, implemented by the Macedonian Civic Education Center.

“These joint classes provide opportunities for regular interaction, forging authentic bonds between students coming from different communities. It is especially encouraging that the feedback from the teachers and students involved has been overwhelmingly positive,” said Clemens Koja, Head of the OSCE Mission to Skopje.

“Some years ago, even joint extracurricular activities would have perhaps been hard to imagine. However, thanks to the commitment from the institutions, local communities and schools, students are increasingly able to learn in different languages in regular classes,” Koja added.

The Minister of Education and Science, Mila Carovska, said that through the support of several other institutions and partner organizations, the Ministry has realized significant achievements related to the promotion of integrated education.

"The new concept for primary education, new curricula and learning resources that have been introduced to primary schools in phases, rest on multiculturalism and inter-culturalism as core values. The new guidelines for organizing joint curricular classes are an excellent tool to harmonize the relationships between teachers, students and parents from different communities in our society," said Minister Carovska.

508532 Munira Shoinbekova, OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe

Seventeen directors from the OSCE-supported Women’s Resource Centres (WRCs), of which twelve are women, learned how to successfully manage projects and raise funds to ensure sustainability in their WRCs at a training course in Dushanbe. The OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe organized the course, which took place from 13 to 17 December 2021.

Participants learned about organizational development, development of concepts and project proposals in accordance with the requirements and criteria of the donor, project application and project concept, fundamentals of project cycle management, fundraising and donor co-ordination skills as well as effective presentations and reporting skills.

Manzura Salomova, Director of the State Institution “Markazi khudshinosii bonuvon” (Women's Self-Awareness Center in Dushanbe of the Executive Body of the State Authority of Dushanbe) said: “The training was prepared and organized at the highest level. The proposed topics were recognized as very important for the work of the leaders of public organizations and myself.” She added that she was confident that such training courses would improve the knowledge and skills of leaders of civil society organizations and other local officials. She also suggested to conduct similar training courses in the future on various topical issues to make public organizations more active.

Gholib Urunov, Director of WRC “Markazi dastgirii jamoati Vorukh”, (Vorukh Community Support Centre) , said: “During the workshop we received information on the activities of other WRCs by sharing experiences as well as we discussed and developed the mechanisms for implementation of the activities planned in the new follow up project.”

The Programme Office provides a comprehensive support to victims of domestic violence in the regions through a network of 14 OSCE-established WRCs in close partnership with local authorities. The current activity is being implemented within the project Supporting and Strengthening the Women’s Resource Centres in Tajikistan of the OSCE Programme Office funded by Norway, the United States of America, Finland, the European Union, Andorra and Germany.

508535 OSCE Centre in Ashgabat

An online seminar on improving the investment climate by developing public-private partnerships (PPPs) was organized by the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat on 16 and 17 December 2021.

Representatives from the Ministry of Trade and Foreign Economic Relations, the Ministry of Finance and Economy, “Turkmennebit” State Concern, the Central Bank of Turkmenistan, and other state agencies and private sector participated in the event.

Two international experts from Kazakhstan and the United Kingdom presented best practices of OSCE participating States in the implementation of the PPP mechanism and improving policy system governing the investment climate for both domestic and foreign investors.

The experts also discussed possible steps to improve the investment climate in Turkmenistan through PPPs. They addressed the issues of attracting investors and financiers to participate in the new markets, and presented a comparative legal analysis of the concept of PPPs in Central Asian countries.

Referring to the 2017 OSCE Ministerial Council Vienna Decision on Promoting Economic Participation, Rune Castberg, Officer-in-Charge of the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat said: “Promoting PPPs will contribute to any country`s economic development as these partnerships are a great tool for enabling governments to finance infrastructure investment projects. Successful PPPs — with satisfied investors, improved infrastructure and a deal based on transparency, fairness and sound financial management — attracts other investors.”

He also added that in full accordance with its mandate, the OSCE sees the promotion of a positive investment climate as an important priority for its work in the economic field.  

508382

On 15 December 2021, a meeting dedicated to the 10th anniversary of Mobile Police Receptions (MPR) entitled "Activities of MPR units and social partnership with the population" took place at the Academy of the Ministry of the Interior of the Kyrgyz Republic.

MPR units were created in 2011 to facilitate citizens' access to the police and to strengthen public confidence in law enforcement agencies. Increased public safety is achieved when the population and the police start engaging in a dialogue and working together.

Mobile Police Receptions are not just a patrol service. They serve people in the most remote areas of the country, where there is no access to law enforcement bodies. Moreover, it provides a wide range of social and legal support in issues of abaction, resolving land and water disputes, tracing and returning home missing children, bride-kidnapping, domestic violence and a lot more. Ninety-five per cent of calls to MPR refer to social problems.

MPR units have contributed greatly to building public trust in law enforcement forces and advancing the democratization of police work in all provinces of the country.

Forty-nine MPR units have been patrolling throughout the country with the support of the OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek.

"With the implementation of the MPR project, the efficiency of the work of the internal affairs bodies has increased, the system of work with the population improved, new steps for a fruitful dialogue with society developed, and the level of public confidence in the police increased," said Oktyabr Urmambetov, Deputy Minister of the Interior.

Analysis has shown that, for 10 months of 2021, the total number of trips of MPR units in Kyrgyzstan amounted to 5,722, visited by 23,144 citizens, and 5,678 appeals processed.

Alexey Rogov, Head of the OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek noted: “MPR units have shown their effectiveness in the most difficult times for the country and society, such as during the COVID-19 pandemic. Over the past two years, MPR units have been touring Kyrgyzstan, especially the remote areas of the country, talking to people about the preventive measures against COVID-19, the importance of vaccination and distributing humanitarian aid to vulnerable groups of the population”.

WARSAW, 17 December 2021 - As the world nears the end of a second year marked by the Covid-19 pandemic, we see clearly that its impact has hit the most vulnerable hardest, with many migrants who were already facing challenges to access their basic rights now having greater difficulty in accessing employment, education, housing, and even the right to international protection, said the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights on the eve of International Migrants Day.

“While countries have needed to make difficult choices in order to protect people from infection, we see that the pandemic is having a disproportionately negative effect on groups who were already vulnerable,” said ODIHR Director Matteo Mecacci. “It is particularly important at this difficult time that safeguarding the rights of migrants and refugees is not forgotten or – still worse – ignored.”

Although there have been many positive practices around the OSCE region to provide migrants with access to healthcare or show more flexibility with some administrative requirements, global refugee protection has come under strain as the number of forcibly displaced people has grown to unprecedented levels. But having access to international protection and ensuring that no individual is sent back to a country in which they would face persecution is a key element of international law. It is also a cornerstone of the international human rights system.

At the same time, over the past year we have seen civil society organisations that monitor and support the rights of migrants come under attack. All OSCE countries have recognised the essential role of civil society in maintaining security and peace in the area of migration, and need to make every effort to protect civil society activists at risk of persecution including by offering international protection and visa facilitation as appropriate.

The racism, xenophobia, and intolerance we are witnessing in many places against migrants, refugees, and other minorities not only have a negative impact on their well-being and current and future opportunities, but also undermine the social bricks and mortar that keep any society together. ODIHR’s ongoing efforts to support migrant integration and respect for the rights of migrants and refugees is complemented by its work to monitor and address hate crimes across the OSCE region. More information about ODIHR’s work and resources on migration is available here.

SDGs SDGs:  16 - Peace, justice and strong institutions

Summary

• In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded 257 ceasefire violations, including 123 explosions. Of these, 154 were assessed as live-fire training exercises. In the previous reporting period, it recorded 444 ceasefire violations in the region.
• In Luhansk region, the Mission recorded 81 ceasefire violations, including 30 explosions. Of these, 40 were assessed as live-fire training exercises. In the previous reporting period, it recorded 104 ceasefire violations in the region.
• Members of the armed formations twice denied the SMM passage near Zolote and Molodizhne, and once delayed its passage near Stanytsia Luhanska, Luhansk region.*
• The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske.
• The SMM facilitated the operation of critical civilian infrastructure.
• The Mission continued following up on the situation of civilians, including at three entry-exit checkpoints and four corresponding checkpoints of the armed formations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
• The SMM visited a border crossing point and monitored areas near the border outside government control in Luhansk region.
• The Mission’s freedom of movement continued to be restricted, including twice in non-government-controlled areas of Donetsk region and once at a border crossing point near non-government-controlled Voznesenivka (formerly Chervonopartyzansk), Luhansk region. Its unmanned aerial vehicles encountered instances of GPS signal interference assessed as caused by probable jamming.*

VIENNA, 16 December 2021 — Marking the 2021 International Migrants Day, the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities (OCEEA), will host a discussion on the challenges created by an increasingly polarized discourse on migration and migrants. The event, “Understanding attitudes to migrants beyond polarization”, will take place on 17 December at 2:30 p.m. at the Hofburg in Vienna and online

Moderated by Ambassador Florian Rauning, Permanent Representative of the Permanent Mission of Austria to the OSCE, the event will feature opening addresses by:

• Luca Fratini, Director of the Office of the OSCE Secretary General;
• Nina Kodelja, Deputy Secretary General of Central European Initiative (CEI);
• Michael Shotter, Director of Migration, Asylym and Visa of the Directorate General Migration and Home Affairs/European Commission;
• Tatiana Esposito, Director General of the Directorate Migration and Integration Policies of Italy’s Ministry of Labour and Social policies.

Participants will discuss why bridging the gap between perception and reality about migration matters for social cohesion and the stability of hosting societies.

This event is organized as part of the E-MINDFUL project, an initiative by the OSCE and the International Labour Organization co-funded by the European Commission’s DG HOME. The project aims to provide knowledge and tools on how to re-balance the often biased narrative about migration and migrants.

Markus Pilgrim, Director of the Office for Central and Eastern Europe at the ILO will close the event.

The conference will take place on Friday, 17 December, from 2:40 p.m. to 5:45 p.m. and is open to media representatives. For the Zoom link please send an email to E-MINDFUL@osce.org.

508367 Public Affairs Unit, OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights Katya Andrusz

The 2021 parliamentary elections in Cyprus were governed by the legal framework that generally provided for the conduct of democratic elections; however, the legislation remains overly complex and requires comprehensive review. While the party finance legislation was amended to enhance transparency, the rules remained insufficiently detailed and contained legal gaps. Moreover, the transparency of campaign finance and possibility of public scrutiny were undermined by the lack of timely information on campaign expenditures. These are some of the main conclusions from the final report on the 30 May elections published on 15 December 2021 by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR).

The report offers 10 recommendations to further improve the conduct of elections, increase transparency and raise public confidence in the electoral process.

Key recommendations include:

• Conducting a comprehensive review of the electoral legal framework well in advance of the next elections to harmonize, clarify and update respective laws;
• Amending the legislation to explicitly provide for the presence of citizen and international observers;
• Continuing efforts to create an enabling and inclusive environment and further facilitate access of persons with all types of disabilities to the election process;
• Ensuring the effectiveness of campaign finance oversight by introducing a limit on campaign expenses for political parties and providing guidelines on the distinction between campaign and general party expenses;
• Tying the budget of the public broadcaster to a clear criterion to ensure its independence and encourage the development of investigative journalism.

ODIHR deployed an Election Expert Team for this election on 17 May 2021.

All 57 countries across the OSCE region have formally committed to follow up promptly on ODIHR’s election assessments and recommendations.

508409

A three-day online training course on “Strengthening Capacities of the Service on Countering Illicit Drug Trafficking of the Ministry of Interior of the Kyrgyz Republic in Combating the Spread of Illicit Drugs Facilitated by the Internet” concluded on 15 December 2021 in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.

Fifteen representatives from the Service on Countering Illicit Drug Trafficking of the Ministry of Interior of the Kyrgyz Republic developed techniques in identifying internet websites with malicious content and improved their understanding of the dark web. Participants also enhanced their knowledge about the role of cryptocurrencies in drug-related crimes and explored anti-money laundering methods.

The OSCE Transnational Threat Department in co-operation with the OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek and the Siberian Law Institute of the Ministry of the Interior of Russia organized the training course.

“The Siberian Law Institute has a long-standing history of hosting anti-drug training courses for Kyrgyz officials and deploying instructors directly to the country,” said Dmitry Kim, Police Major-General and Head of the Institute. “Our joint actions and exchange of best practices, including in on-line meetings and seminars, will contribute to the promotion of counter-narcotics activities,” he concluded.

“Focusing on countering trafficking in illicit drugs on the internet is very important given that illegal sales of drugs on the internet are increasing in Kyrgyzstan. We should learn best international practices in addressing this threat and apply skills and knowledge within our country and region,” said Aidar Shigaev, Police Lieutenant-Colonel and Head of the Organizational and Analytical Department of the Service on Countering Illicit Drug Trafficking of the Ministry of Interior of the Kyrgyz Republic.

The event was organized upon the request of Kyrgyzstan and in line with the 2012 OSCE Concept on Combating the Threat of Illicit Drugs and the Diversion of Chemical Precursors and the 2015 OSCE Ministerial Council Declaration on the OSCE’s Activities in Support of Global Efforts in Tackling the World Drug Problem.

508433 Communication and Media Relations Section Alexandra Taylor

Four OSCE diplomats received the OSCE’s White Ribbon award for their work promoting gender equality. The awards went to Annika Söder (Sweden), Marina Wyss (Switzerland), Fiel Vanthemsche (Belgium) and Sebastian Gahnström (Finland). The winners were announced in Vienna on 9 December and the awards were handed over at the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna on 16 December 2021. 

Annika Söder, the Special Representative of the Chairperson-in-Office for the South Caucasus, was honoured as a role model for women in conflict resolution. She continuously works on involving women and mainstreaming gender at all levels of the Geneva International Discussions and in the field in Georgia.  

Marina Wyss, Deputy Head of Mission for Security Policy Issues in the Swiss delegation to the OSCE, was instrumental in establishing and leading the "Women in the First Dimension" network.  She was recognized for her effort to increase the number of women working in the first dimension and build their capacity through networking and a tailor-made mentoring programme, which she initiated. 

Fiel Vanthemsche of Belgium has been an outspoken advocate for the need to push for more action on Women, Peace and Security (WPS) and combating violence against women. He succeeded in getting 53 participating States to support a statement on WPS and organized the event “How to Engage Men and Boys in the Fight to Eliminate Violence Against Women and Girls” for members of OSCE delegations. 

Sebastian Gahnström of Finland received the award in recognition of his engagement in advancing the OSCE’s work on combating and preventing violence against women and girls. He helped create the Eliminating Violence Against Women Group of Friends and took the lead in organizing an event for OSCE delegations entitled “The Shadow Pandemic: Fighting Against the Global Increase in Domestic Violence. A Major Symptom of the Covid-19 Pandemic”.  

The White Ribbon awards are presented annually to male or female OSCE delegates from participating States or Partners for Co-operation who have used their position to advocate for gender equality and taken steps to advance women’s empowerment. For the first time this year, the award was opened up to all members of OSCE delegations and winners were chosen by a committee consisting of high-level representatives of the OSCE MenEngage Network, the Chairpersonship, the Women Ambassadors Network, Women in the First Dimension, and the Secretariat.

SDGs SDGs:  16 - Peace, justice and strong institutions

Summary

• In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded 444 ceasefire violations, including 89 explosions. In the previous reporting period, it recorded 127 ceasefire violations in the region.
• In Luhansk region, the Mission recorded 104 ceasefire violations, including 14 explosions. In the previous reporting period, it recorded 126 ceasefire violations in the region.
• Small-arms fire was assessed as directed at an SMM mini-unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) near non-government-controlled Yasne, Donetsk region.*
• The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske.
• The SMM facilitated the operation of critical civilian infrastructure.
• The Mission continued following up on the situation of civilians, including at three entry-exit checkpoints and the corresponding checkpoints of the armed formations in Luhansk region.
• The SMM visited a border crossing point outside government control in Donetsk region.
• The Mission monitored the security situation in east and south-east Kherson region.
• The SMM’s freedom of movement continued to be restricted, including at three checkpoints of the armed formations in southern Donetsk region. Its UAVs encountered multiple instances of GPS signal interference assessed as caused by probable jamming.*

SDGs SDGs:  16 - Peace, justice and strong institutions

On the morning of 15 December, the armed formations in Luhansk region twice denied, and once delayed, the Mission’s passage to government-controlled areas from non-government-controlled areas.

The first denial occurred at 09:17 at the checkpoint of the armed formations near the southern edge of the disengagement area near Zolote. The second occurred at 11:02 at a checkpoint of the armed formations on road T-0504 about 1.5km south-west of Molodizhne. Members of the armed formations cited a “lack of security guarantees” on the first occasion and “orders from their superiors” on the second.

At 09:30, the passage of another SMM patrol travelling through the checkpoint of the armed formations south of the Stanytsia Luhanska bridge was delayed for 25 minutes. A member of the armed formations cited a “lack of prior notification” and a “lack of order from superiors”.

In all instances, the SMM had preannounced its passage as a temporary, COVID-19 related courtesy.

For recent restrictions faced by the Mission when crossing the contact line, see previous SMM Spot Reports.

The Mission again notes that such denials and delays not only restrict the SMM’s freedom of movement across the contact line, but also prevent the SMM’s logistical operations, which are essential for the effective functioning of the Mission.

The OSCE Permanent Council Decision No. 1117 specifies that the SMM shall have safe and secure access throughout Ukraine. Unrestricted and unconditional access to all areas is essential to ensure effective monitoring and reporting of the security situation, as well as other mandated tasks. The mandate also tasks the Mission to report on any restrictions of its freedom of movement or other impediments to fulfilment of its mandate.

VIENNA, 15 December 2021 – Building trust, improving military transparency, countering the illicit trafficking of small arms and light weapons, and improving the participation of women in the armed forces were at the centre of Austria’s Chairpersonship of the OSCE Forum for Security Co-operation (FSC). This was the message emphasized by Dieter Kandlhofer, Secretary General of the Austrian Ministry of Defence, at the last meeting held under the Austrian FSC Chair.

“Our aim was to continue using the Forum as a crucial platform for dialogue that takes into account cross-cutting issues,” said Kandlhofer in his opening remarks. “With its mandate to promote politico-military security in the OSCE area, the FSC serves the purpose to help build trust among the 57 participating States. As such, consistent efforts to rebuild trust were the main priority during our period as chair.”

Kandlhofer also highlighted the efforts made by the Austrian FSC Chair over the previous four months. “The strengthening and intensification of military contacts was one of the key topics of the Austrian FSC Chair in recent months,” he said. “Other priorities were regional conventional arms control, small arms or light weapons and ammunition storage security as well as the OSCE Code of Conduct. We brought these topics to life by putting them at the centre of six security dialogues and additional events.”

He also highlighted the efforts made by the Austrian FSC Chair to build consensus in the lead-up to the December 2021 Ministerial Council. These proposals focused on arms control, improving military contacts between states, countering the illegal proliferation of small arms and light weapons and their associated ammunition. In addition, the Austrian FSC Chair and the Swedish OSCE Chairpersonship introduced a document on promoting equal opportunities for full and meaningful participation of all armed forces personnel with a particular focus on women.

“While consensus could not be reached, we have succeeded in ensuring continued, meaningful exchanges among states on these themes. In difficult times, maintaining dialogue on these important issues is a success. I hope that these topics, which are so essential to European security, will continue to be part of the FSC’s efforts in 2022,” he concluded.

The Forum meeting also featured an intervention by OSCE Secretary General Helga Maria Schmid, who emphasized the importance of reviving conventional arms control and updating the OSCE’s confidence- and security-building measures.

Following the close of its FSC Chairpersonship, Austria will continue its work at the FSC Troika, which consists of the incoming and outgoing FSC Chairs. On 8 January 2022, Azerbaijan takes over the Chairpersonship of the FSC, and Belarus will join the FSC troika.

Richard Wheeler

The OSCE Programme Office in Nur-Sultan handed over 200 devices for verifying travel document authenticity to the Border Service of the Committee for the National Security of Kazakhstan. The signing of the donation agreement was held on 13 December 2021 in Nur-Sultan. The Border Service will use the devices to identify forged travel documents during border control procedures in border crossing points across the country.   

Volker Frobarth, Head of the OSCE Programme Office and Deputy Director of the Border Service Colonel Askhat Sadykulov participated in the hand-over ceremony. Both underlined the importance of the co-operation between the two organizations. Both parties reaffirmed their openness to continue partnership in the upcoming year by organizing joint events and supporting and sharing experiences within the field of border security and management.

The handover of the devices will supplement the Programme Office’s multi-year programme to build the Border Service’s capacity in travel document security and enhance the national security in the host country.

The OSCE Programme Office in Nur-Sultan, in co-operation with the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the Hertie School of Governance in Berlin, organised a Young Policy Advisers Course (PolAd) from 22 to 26 November 2021 in Nur-Sultan.

The event brought together 5 international experts and 23 young representatives of line ministries, Parliament, local self-governance bodies, academia, and the business sector in Kazakhstan.

The course’s objective was to develop the participants’ skills needed to undertake core tasks and policy-making functions, and address sensitive policy issues in Kazakhstan.

The course curriculum included innovative mixed-method adult learning techniques, such as one-on-one mentoring, experiential learning (simulations and role-play), expert lectures, and peer-to-peer collaboration. The lectures and exercises of the course were designed to enhance participants’ practical skills in core functions and effective policy advising, shaping complex political environments, conducting inclusive policy analysis, and developed their soft skills in policy writing, speech writing, devising communication strategies, public diplomacy, working with media, communicating effectively, and other necessary skills.

The event is a part of the Programme Office’s continuous efforts to support the promotion of democratic institutions and OSCE commitments in the field of democratic governance in Kazakhstan.

508223

The OSCE Transnational Threats Department and the OSCE Presence in Albania jointly organized the online training course “Implementing Intelligence-Led Policing on Strategic and Operational Levels” on 9 and 10 December.

Forty-six law enforcement managers from the Albanian State Police explored the theory of intelligence-led policing (ILP), crime analysis, assessments and decision-making procedures. They also discussed its strategic and operational components, and reviewed the implementation approaches of ILP in Albania. 

“For years, the Albanian State Police has been applying intelligence-led policing as a working model that has provided more efficient policing and enabled the existing resources and procedures to be at their most optimal level for achieving the best possible policing results,” said Tonin Vocaj, Director of the Criminal Police Department of the Albanian State Police.

He added that the model will help to make well-informed decisions regarding the setting of strategic priorities and objectives, their continuous monitoring and more professional intelligence and resources management.

The training course was organized in the framework of the OSCE extra-budgetary project “Building intelligence-led policing capacities on regional and national levels in the OSCE area”. The project aims to enhance the use of mechanisms and tools for intelligence-led policing. It involves 20 participating States from across the OSCE region. The training course is open to all interested OSCE participating States and Partners for Co-operation should they request its capacity-building support.

SDGs SDGs:  16 - Peace, justice and strong institutions

Summary

• In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded 127 ceasefire violations, including 11 explosions. In the previous 24 hours, it recorded 164 ceasefire violations in the region.
• In Luhansk region, the Mission recorded 126 ceasefire violations, including 18 explosions. In the previous 24 hours, it recorded 278 ceasefire violations in the region.
• The SMM saw damage to a residential property in non-government-controlled Horlivka, Donetsk region, and to a storage building in government-controlled Muratove, Luhansk region.
• Small-arms fire was assessed as directed at a Mission mini-unmanned aerial vehicle near non-government-controlled Zhovte, Luhansk region.*
• Members of the armed formations denied the SMM passage near Zolote and Molodizhne, Luhansk region.*
• The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske.
• The SMM facilitated the operation of critical civilian infrastructure.
• The Mission continued following up on the situation of civilians, including at four entry-exit checkpoints and the four corresponding checkpoints of the armed formations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
• The SMM visited two border crossing points outside government control in Luhansk region.
• The Mission observed a gathering in Kyiv.
• The SMM’s freedom of movement continued to be restricted, including at three checkpoints of the armed formations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Its unmanned aerial vehicles encountered instances of GPS signal interference assessed as caused by probable jamming.*

Richard Wheeler

An OSCE-supported online public discussion on "Analysis of the problem of gender inequality in Kazakhstan" was conducted online on 2 December 2021. The event was organized by the OSCE Programme Office in Nur-Sultan as a part of the international campaign “16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence” in co-operation with the MediaNet International Centre for Journalism.

The event focused on the Analysis of the results of a public opinion poll on the assessment of gender inequality in Kazakhstan that was conducted by Medianet. Participants discussed the state policy on gender equality in Kazakhstan, harassment as a discrimination by sex and protection of women journalists.

Some 35 participants, representing NGOs and independent experts attended event. The participants also discussed the findings of the analysis on stereotypes of perception of men and women in media.

The public discussion is part of the Programme Office’s efforts in supporting the host country in strengthening human rights and fundamental freedoms.

508034

Committed to advancing participation of youth in crime prevention efforts, the OSCE Transnational Threats Department and the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities — together with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) —  launched the project “Enhancing Youth Crime and Drug Use Prevention through Education on Legality and Awareness Campaigns Addressing Threats of Organized Crime and Corruption” on 13 December 2021.

In line with the OSCE’s comprehensive approach, this initiative will aim to prevent youth involvement in and exploitation by organized crime and corruption, by complementing criminal justice efforts and promoting respect for the rule of law through education and other social activities. This initiative will be initially implemented in Central Asia with the support of the OSCE Academy in Bishkek and in close co-operation with the UNODC.

In his opening remarks, Ambassador Igli Hasani, Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities, highlighted that “It is widely accepted that corruption disproportionately affects people living in poverty and those whose voices are marginalized. This is especially true for young people.  Youth can lead the way in preventing corruption and promoting a new culture of integrity across all levels of society. It is high time we invest in them!”

Ambassador Alena Kupchyna, OSCE Co-ordinator of Activities to Address Transnational Threats, emphasized the strategic nature of the initiative, stressing that: “This OSCE-wide project addresses an important gap in the OSCE’s comprehensive approach to organized crime prevention – the involvement of youth.” She also noted that the initiative is an example of “strengthened partnership and strategic alignment between the OSCE and the UNODC in addressing transnational organized crime, corruption, and drug use.”

Both OSCE Co-ordinators acknowledged the importance of education, and the need to equip youth with the values and knowledge necessary to reduce their risk of becoming either victims or offenders.

Jean-Luc Lemahieu, Director of the Division for Policy Analysis and Public Affairs of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime stressed that: “The international community must meaningfully engage young people in crime prevention strategies to create a better world for future generations”.

Ambassador Gesa Bräutigam, Permanent Representative of Germany to the OSCE, emphasized that: “The resilience of societies against the risks of organized crime, corruption and drug use is only as strong as the resilience of the most vulnerable group to be affected by these threats - youth." She stated: "These young people are the next generation of political leaders, entrepreneurs and civil society actors. It is crucial to invest in their education, raise awareness on the dangers and impacts of organized crime, corruption and drug use and foster a sustainable culture of integrity and lawfulness."

This new OSCE initiative places a special emphasis on enhancing youth’s education and understanding of the true danger and impact of organized crime and corruption. It will increase institutional teaching capacity in this area, launch broad awareness campaigns and empower youth, families, civil society and relevant institutional actors to facilitate in-depth discussions and prevention events on organized crime, corruption and drug use.

This extra-budgetary initiative is currently funded by Germany.

508196 Marina Živaljević

Despite the challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Governing Board of the Regional Youth Cooperation Office (RYCO), under Montenegro’s presidency, delivered their programme for youth in the region in 2021. As it prepares for 2022, RYCO will continue to build up its effectiveness and visibility to provide more opportunities for youth.

These were some of the conclusions of the 15th RYCO Governing Board Meeting, organized in hybrid format from 9 to 11 December 2021 in Podgorica, with the financial support of the OSCE Mission to Montenegro.

The meeting was an opportunity for Montenegro to hand over the chairpersonship of the RYCO Governing Board to Serbia for 2022. Members of the Board discussed the status of projects and plans for 2022, the main pillars for RYCO’s future engagement, the operational plan and strategy, the budget and the ongoing registration process of local branch offices.

Marko Begović, Director of the Directorate for Sports and Youth of Montenegro and this year’s Chair of the Governing Board, expressed his appreciation for the RYCO initiative and strong support for the process of youth regional co-operation.

Albert Hani, RYCO’s Secretary General, said that RYCO faced many challenges in the previous year, emphasizing that, even though pandemic prevented many activities, the Local Branch Office in Montenegro supported the organization of the Governing Board meetings.

Edin Koljenović, Head of RYCO’s Local Branch Office in Montenegro, said that his gratitude for the successful organization of this year’s sessions of RYCO’s Governing Board goes to the OSCE Mission to Montenegro, which will continue its support throughout 2022.