Central Europe

505099 Marina Živaljević

Gender responsible budgeting is not just a matter of social justice, but a necessary precondition for sustainable development and social cohesion. This was one of the conclusions of a workshop on gender responsive budgeting, organized by the OSCE Mission to Montenegro, in co-operation with the Secretariat of the Competitiveness Council and the Ministry of Finance and Social Welfare on 19 November 2021 in Podgorica.

The workshop included some 40 representatives of the Ministry of Finance and Social Welfare, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management, the Ministry of Justice, Human and Minority Rights, the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports, the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Economic Development. Participants learned how to define and enter gender indicators into the information system for programme budget management, and how to draft a statement on gender responsive budgeting.

“Gender-responsive budgeting is an opportunity to improve gender equality and the economy as a whole, because it contributes to the overall economic growth,” said Bojan Paunović, Director General of the State Budget Directorate in the Ministry of Finance.

As part of the process of preparing the 2022 Budget, the Ministry of Finance and Social Welfare issued instructions for budget preparation for 2023 where  the programme budget is  integrated. Each spending unit will require a statement specifying gender priorities and budgetary measures aimed at strengthening gender equality.

The activity was an introduction to the implementation of gender budgeting requirements, and the Mission will continue to support the capacity development of government institutions in this direction in 2022.

SDGs SDGs:  16 - Peace, justice and strong institutions

Summary

• In Donetsk region, between the evenings of 19 to 21 November, the Mission recorded 223 ceasefire violations, including 59 explosions. In the previous reporting period, it recorded 421 ceasefire violations in the region.
• In Luhansk region, between the evenings of 19 to 21 November, the SMM recorded 64 ceasefire violations, including 37 explosions. In the previous reporting period, it recorded 121 ceasefire violations in the region.
• The Mission followed up on recent damage to civilian properties in Lozove and Marinka, Donetsk region, as well as to a civilian property and a working hospital in Zolote-5/Mykhailivka and Dovhe, Luhansk region.
• The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske.
• The SMM facilitated and monitored adherence to localized ceasefires to enable the operation of critical civilian infrastructure.
• The Mission continued following up on the situation of civilians, including at five entry-exit checkpoints and four corresponding checkpoints of the armed formations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
• The SMM monitored gatherings in Kharkiv and Lviv.
•  The SMM’s freedom of movement continued to be restricted, including at a checkpoint of the armed formations near Mineralne, Donetsk region, and at a border crossing point outside government-control in Voznesenivka (formerly Chervonopartyzansk), and at the Chervona Mohyla railway station in Voznesenivka, Luhansk region. Its unmanned aerial vehicles again experienced instances of probable jamming.*

505048 Munira Shoinbekova, OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe Nuriya Sherzodova

The OSCE’s Border Management Staff College (BMSC) held a roundtable discussion on 19 November 2021 to examine the security and humanitarian situation in Afghanistan and the current and potential threats it poses to the Central Asian Region and beyond.

The event, held in a blended format, brought together more than sixty participants, representing government agencies, civil society, diplomatic missions, international organizations, experts, and mid-to-senior level officers of the 30th Staff Course from Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bulgaria, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Mongolia, North Macedonia, Portugal, Tajikistan, Thailand, Tunisia, and Turkey.

In his opening remarks, Valeriu Chiveri, Head of the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe (POiD), stressed the timeliness of the discussions on increasing border security and management in the light of developments in Afghanistan. Valeriu Chiveri also named the projects of the OSCE POiD aimed at strengthening border control, capacity-building, management, and surveillance including unified budget project “Border Security Management” and extra-budgetary projects “Stabilization of Tajikistan's southern border region with Afghanistan”, “Patrol Field Capacity Building of the Tajik Border Troops through promotion of Regional Co-operation” and  “Border Management Staff College”.

The roundtable event provided a platform to exchange views on strengthening national, regional, and international border security co-operation on identifying, combating, and mitigating possible cross-border threats, including illegal crossings, illicit drug and arms trafficking, the export of violent extremism, and the threat of terrorism. In parallel, emphasis was put on the protection of the rights of refugees and respect for the principle of non-refoulment and implementation of national referral mechanisms.

Ihar Kuzminich, Acting Director of the BMSC, highlighted that the BMSC regularly organizes roundtable discussions on the most pressing topics about threats to borders security and management (BSM) and this event was the last in a series of three roundtable discussions on the issue.

Keynote speaker Mulugeta Zewdie, Representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Tajikistan, noted that borders are porous, but with proper co-ordination and a system, the large influx of refugees can be monitored and addressed. Zewdie also mentioned key commitments concerning the Afghan refugee situation in Tajikistan, which included a joint action plan, development of temporary accommodation, and identification of border crossing points.

Other contributors to the discussions included Kevin Allen, Principal Liaison Advisor at UNHCR, Mona Koehler-Schindler, Associate Human Rights Officer, Anti-Terrorism Issues at the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, Stefan Wolff, Professor of International Security at the University of Birmingham, Luka Buhin, Project Support Officer at the OSCE Conflict Prevention Centre, Forum for Security Cooperation Support Unit and Dennis Cosgrove, Head of Border Security and Management Unit of the OSCE Transnational Threats Department.  

VIENNA, 22 November 2021 — OSCE Secretary General Helga Maria Schmid, will visit Bosnia and Herzegovina from 22 to 24 November for meetings with high-level officials and other stakeholders. She will also visit OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina and one of its field offices.

Schmid will meet with the members of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Željko Komšić, Milorad Dodik and Šefik Džaferović, as well as Foreign Affairs Minister Bisera Turković. She will also have discussions with the Collegium of Parliament Houses and Inter-Agency Working Group on Election Law Reform.

Talks will focus on promoting dialogue and reconciliation, pursuing the country’s reform priorities, including election, education, judicial and anti-corruption reforms.

Schmid will also meet with representatives of civil society and OSCE partners.

SDGs SDGs:  16 - Peace, justice and strong institutions

Summary

• In Donetsk region, the Mission recorded 421 ceasefire violations, including 95 explosions. In the previous reporting period, it recorded 715 ceasefire violations in the region.
• In Luhansk region, the SMM recorded 121 ceasefire violations, including 51 explosions, 37 of which were assessed as a live-fire exercise outside the security zone. In the previous reporting period, it recorded 245 ceasefire violations in the region.
• Members of the armed formations denied the Mission access to Staromykhailivka and threatened to shoot down an SMM mini-unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).*
• The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske. It recorded ceasefire violations inside the disengagement area near Petrivske.
• The SMM facilitated and monitored adherence to localized ceasefires to enable the operation of critical civilian infrastructure.
• The Mission continued following up on the situation of civilians, including at five entry-exit checkpoints and four corresponding checkpoints of the armed formations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
• The SMM’s freedom of movement continued to be restricted, including at checkpoints of the armed formations near Petrivske, Staromykhailivka, Ozerianivka, Donetsk region, and near Stanytsia Luhanska bridge and Zolote, Luhansk region. Its UAVs again experienced multiple instances of probable jamming and jamming.*

MOSCOW, 19 November 2021 — The OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Sweden’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Ann Linde, concluded her second official visit to Moscow today.

During her meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Sergey Lavrov, Chairperson-in-Office Linde underlined the need for a sincere, results-oriented co-operation and a constructive dialogue to address and mitigate the key security threats in the OSCE region. Current issues such as the situation on the border of Belarus and developments with regard to Armenia and Azerbaijan were discussed.

Peaceful and sustainable resolution to conflicts in the region, in line with international law and OSCE commitments and principles, was given high priority during the discussion.

“We held constructive talks on the need to de-escalate tensions in and around Ukraine and ease the hardship for civilians on both sides of the contact line. We owe it to the people in the conflict-affected areas to end violence and prevent further casualties and suffering in eastern Ukraine,” Linde said.

The Chairperson-in-Office also stressed the importance of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM). “As the objective eyes and the ears of the international community on the ground, the Mission’s safe and secure access throughout Ukraine is more important than ever in the current circumstances of heightened tensions,” Linde said.

OSCE commitments on democracy, human rights and the rule of law were also on the agenda.

“We have all committed to the OSCE’s concept of comprehensive security. This means that we have agreed that political, economic and human dimensions of security, including human rights, democracy and the rule of law, are interrelated. In our talks today I have stressed the importance of working together in this area, as well as on issues related to climate change and its security implications, gender equality and women’s economic empowerment,” she said.

During the visit, she also held discussions with Dmitry Kozak, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Russian Presidential Executive Office, and Sergei Ivanov, Special Presidential Representative for Environmental Protection, Ecology and Transport.

The Chairperson also met with representatives of civil society in Russia.

SDGs SDGs:  16 - Peace, justice and strong institutions

On 19 November at 09:45, at a checkpoint in Staromykhailivka (non-government-controlled, 15km west of Donetsk), two visibly armed members of the armed formations denied the SMM passage into the settlement, referring to a need to obtain approval from their superiors. The patrol’s task was to follow up on allegations of damaged civilian property in the settlement. At 10:25, they said that the SMM should contact senior members of the armed formations to facilitate access to the settlement.

After waiting for about 50 minutes at the checkpoint, the patrol informed the members of the armed formations at 10:35 of their intention to fly their unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) over the settlement to follow up on the alleged damage. After consulting with superiors on the phone, the members of the armed formations threatened to shoot down the SMM’s UAV if it was launched. The Mission did not launch the UAV and left the area.

The Mission highlights that 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. Also the SMM again notes that technical assets are an inseparable part of the Mission’s operational infrastructure; as such they are included in the specification of OSCE Permanent Council Decision No. 1117 that the SMM shall have safe and secure access throughout Ukraine. Unrestricted and unconditional access to all areas, including by technical means, 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.

504922 Strengthening the fight against transnational organized crime in South-Eastern Europe through improved regional co-operation in asset seizure, confiscation, management and re-use

On 19 November, the Transnational Threats Department (TNTD) and the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities (OCEEA) organized a technical briefing to discuss the impact of a regional project “Strengthening the fight against transnational organized crime in South-Eastern Europe through improved regional co-operation in asset seizure, confiscation, management and re-use”. Through the cross-dimensional project, the OSCE Secretariat, in close co-operation with the field operations in the region, supports government beneficiaries and civil society organizations on the process of asset recovery, management, and re-use while promoting regional co-operation.

In her opening remarks, Alena Kupchyna, Co-ordinator of Activities to Address Transnational Threats, highlighted the remarkable achievements of the Project. “The initiative succeeded in embodying and making use of our Organization’s biggest advantage, a comprehensive approach to security,” she said.

With the aim of enhancing the capacity of criminal justice practitioners in increasing the number of assets confiscated from organized crime, the project experts delivered specialized workshops, as well as conducted analysis on the application of the measures on asset seizure and confiscation.

The project has also enhanced regional co-operation by providing support to two co-operation mechanisms: the Balkan Asset Management Interagency Network and the Permanent Conference of Organized Crime Prosecutors.

“Organized crime in its most dangerous expression is transnational. Therefore, it is essential for authorities to develop mechanisms that enable them to act against such threat in a quick and timely manner,” emphasized Igli Hasani, Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities, while reiterating the vital importance of the two networks.

In recognizing the importance of involving civil society in the prevention of and fight against organized crime, the initiative is building capacities of civil society organizations and policy makers on the social re-use of assets confiscated from organized crime. Recently, an apartment in Elbasan, Albania, was converted into a social enterprise for production of crafts where 21 women are employed and trained.

The extra-budgetary cross-dimensional project is funded by the United States, Italy, Germany and the United Kingdom.

SDGs SDGs:  16 - Peace, justice and strong institutions

Summary

• In Donetsk region, the Mission recorded 715 ceasefire violations, including 98 explosions. In the previous reporting period, it recorded 408 ceasefire violations in the region.
• In Luhansk region, the SMM recorded 245 ceasefire violations, including 130 explosions. In the previous reporting period, it recorded 256 ceasefire violations in the region.
• The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske. It recorded ceasefire violations and spotted people inside the area near Zolote.
• The SMM facilitated and monitored adherence to localized ceasefires to enable the operation and repair of critical civilian infrastructure, as well as a transfer of funds from non-government to government-controlled areas.
• The Mission continued following up on the situation of civilians, including at five entry-exit checkpoints and four corresponding checkpoints of the armed formations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
• The SMM monitored the security situation in east and south-east Kherson region.
• The Mission monitored gatherings in Lviv and Kyiv.
• The SMM’s freedom of movement continued to be restricted, including at checkpoints of the armed formations near Petrivske, Starolaspa and Nova Marivka, Donetsk region and at two border crossing points outside government control in Luhansk region. Its UAVs again experienced multiple instances of probable jamming and jamming.*

504871 Marina Živaljević

About three quarters of citizens perceive the Police more positively as compared to last year, while 41% of citizens claim that the police have experienced changes for the better in the previous 12 months. These are key findings from a Perception of the Police in Montenegro survey commissioned by the OSCE Mission to Montenegro, conducted by the Consultancy Agency DeFacto.

This is the third consecutive year in which this survey was conducted, fielded between 29 September and 17 October 2021 on a representative national sample of 1,002 respondents.

Results were presented on 19 November to representatives from the Ministry of Interior and Police Directorate. The survey found that the Police Directorate is the third most-trusted institution in Montenegro, behind religious institutions and the Army of Montenegro, enjoying trust of 53.9% of respondents. Almost two-thirds of respondents, an increase of 7.7% from last year, feel that the police co-operates with their community. Over 82% of respondents feel safe in their community and 68.6% of respondents describe the security situation in Montenegro favourably. Belonging to an ethnic community is no longer an indicator of a negative attitude towards the police.

Police officers are well perceived: 74.5% of respondents believe that police officers are polite, 70.2% find police communicative and 66.3% as willing to help. Three out of five respondents state that the police serve as a service to citizens, while 52.1% believe that the police are adequately trained. According to the research findings, the police are the most efficient in the field of protection of citizens’ safety (59.9%), border management and security (53.5%) and traffic safety (50.3%).

Security, safety and peace are the main associations with the police. Compared to last year, significantly higher satisfaction score has been recorded in the fight against crime, corruption and drug trafficking. According to the research, drug trafficking, drug use and corruption are perceived as Montenegro’s top security threats.

Also, the research findings show that 84.3% of respondents believe that women and men are equally capable of carrying out police duty, a result almost identical to last year’s. Compared to last year’s survey, respondents reported an increase in their level of being informed from 39.8% to 55.4%.

The Perception of the Police in Montenegro research provides information on citizens’ attitudes about the Police Directorate, its employees and the activities they carry out. The findings serve the Police Directorate to further develop a professional and democratic police service, which enjoys the trust of citizens with the capacity to detect and fight corruption and organized crime, while increasing security in the community.

Richard Wheeler

A five-day OSCE-supported refresher course for 20 border service’s document security instructors concluded in Almaty, Kazakhstan on 12 November 2021.

Border service officers of Kazakhstan’s National Security Committee participated in the three-stage series of training events aimed at developing officers’ instructors’ capacities in detecting falsified travel documents. Participants reviewed security features in paper, security printing techniques, polymer substrate, impostors’ identification techniques, and forgery cases. They learned about new trends in counterfeiting face recognition and photo comparison, and advanced their presentation techniques. Experts presented samples of real and forged travel documents for the participants to analyse and assess their authenticity.

During exercises, participants practiced different ways of forged or counterfeit passport detection using various identification techniques, risk profiling, and picture-to-picture comparison methods. Experts provided participants with illuminated magnifiers and USB-digital microscopes to allow the border control officers to practice skills. In addition to learning best practices in document verification, the future instructors received additional guidance and practiced their skills on how to teach these concepts to others.

This tailored training course was developed by the Austrian Interior Ministry. The event was organized by the OSCE Programme Office in Nur-Sultan in co-operation with the Border Guard Service under the National Security Committee. The training course was supported by the OSCE Transnational Threats Department’s Border Security and Management Unit.

The OSCE Programme Office in Nur-Sultan, in co-operation with the National Commission for Women, Family and Demographic Policy under the President of Kazakhstan (National Commission) organized a training seminar for regional secretaries of the Commission in Nur-Sultan on 18 and 19 November 2021.

The seminar aimed to strengthen participants’ knowledge and understanding of gender mainstreaming principles and gender perspectives in the management of local institutions. The topics were designed to enhance the authorities’ capacity in reporting and monitoring of the implementation of the national gender policy in line with the second phase of the plan on implementation of the Concept of Family and Gender Policy for 2020–2022. The seminar also focused on enhancing the capacities and skills of regional secretaries in public speaking, structuring teamwork and horizontal and vertical co-operation and communication. Some 30 participants attended the seminar including 15 regional secretaries of National Commission.

The event is part of the Programme Office’s continuous efforts to support gender mainstreaming and economic empowerment initiatives in the host country.

504778 Munira Shoinbekova, OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe

Tajik youth increased their understanding and knowledge about negative impacts of corruption and how they can prevent corruption in Tajikistan at an OSCE-organized workshop on 16 and 17 November 2021 in Dushanbe.

Some 35 young women and men from different universities of Tajikistan attended the event. The main discussion topics were international standards in the field of prevention of corruption and conflict of interest; ethics and code of conduct in public service; assessment and indicators of corruption risks; transparency and openness of state institutions; restrictions and prohibitions for public servants and conflict of interest.

Filippo Crivellaro, Head of the Economic and Environmental Department at the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe said: “As a driving force of each society, youth plays important role in democratic and economic development of the country. For this reason, the OSCE supports the efforts to raise awareness of young women and men about the consequences of corruption and integrate them in broader anti-corruption efforts.”

THE HAGUE, 19 November 2021 — “Barriers to equality have a devastating impact on so many aspects of Traveller and Roma life, including their health, education, accommodation and employment,” said Martin Collins, Co-Director of Pavee Point Traveller and Roma Centre, Dublin, Ireland.

He received the 2020 Max van der Stoel Award on behalf of Pavee Point at a ceremony at the Peace Palace in The Hague today.

“This award offers great encouragement for our work. We hope it will also give renewed impetus to duty bearers to work in partnership with Travellers’ organizations to address racism and inequality,” Collins added.

Anastasia Crickley, Pavee Point Chairperson, who also attended the ceremony, explained: “This award reinforces our determination to continue in Max van der Stoel’s footsteps until Travellers, Roma and all minorities everywhere can live sustainably with full equality and justice. I salute the tireless work of the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities and his staff towards this goal.”

Addressing representatives from governments, civil society and international organizations who attended the award ceremony, Crickley added: “This acknowledgement of Pavee Point’s contribution to Traveller and Roma rights shows that our work, which has achieved progress against the odds, including during COVID-19 pandemic, has relevance for each of the 57 OSCE participating States.”

Presenting the award, the Dutch Foreign Minister Ben Knapen said: “I want to commend Pavee Point on the excellent work it has been doing for over three decades. Where there was no path, you have made one by walking. Today’s award is well-deserved. Your work is an example to us all, and I am proud that we can honour Max van der Stoel’s memory by celebrating your achievements.”

Speaking on behalf of the jury, former OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities (HCNM) and Chairperson of the 2020 jury, Lamberto Zannier, explained: “The jury had a difficult choice to make as we considered many excellent nominations. However, Pavee Point, with its unique grassroots efforts, systemic work and carefully tailored approach which is sensitive to the needs of their community, stood out among the nominees, gaining a unanimous vote. For over thirty years, this organization, consisting of Travellers, Roma and members of the majority population, has worked at the local, regional and national levels to ensure that Travellers and Roma have a voice and are included in decision-making processes.”

The OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities Kairat Abdrakhmanov said: “Pavee Point stood out among the nominees. Their method of work embodies what my eminent predecessor and the first High Commissioner on National Minorities Max van der Stoel valued as the most effective way to improving the position of national minorities, which is to allow them to empower themselves so they take ownership of actions that bring about change. Pavee Point Traveller and Roma Centre serves as an outstanding example of an organization that has done exactly this: empower national minorities so that they themselves can become the driving force for positive change.”

The OSCE Secretary General Helga Maria Schmid congratulated Pavee Point for their achievement in empowering Roma and Sinti communities in Ireland: “These are the type of stories we need to hear more, to be inspired and reminded what ultimately this is all about: promoting conditions in which people can live in true and lasting peace free from any threat to or attempt against their security, as affirmed in the Helsinki Final Act, our foundational document”. She also praised the great work that the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities has been doing for almost 30 years. “The work of the High Commissioner on National Minorities, with its early warning function and early action to address tensions, is of utmost importance for the OSCE concept of comprehensive security”.

“It has become clear that the COVID-19 pandemic has further fuelled racism and discrimination against Roma and Sinti as well as other national minorities across the OSCE region,” said Matteo Mecacci, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights. “The efforts of the Pavee Point Traveller and Roma Centre to increase participation and support the genuine equality of minority communities should be an inspiration to governments across the region as they seek to end the exclusion of Roma and Sinti.”

Representing the Irish Government, Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth Roderic O’Gorman said: “I am grateful for the opportunity to congratulate Pavee Point as the first Irish recipient of this award. […] Through celebrating the unique cultures, languages, traditions and shared experiences of these communities, Pavee Point helps to improve solidarity between Travellers and Roma, while also advancing understanding among wider Irish society. […] Pavee Point has contributed to making Ireland a more diverse and inclusive society.”

The Max van der Stoel Award — a prize of €50,000 — has been co-sponsored by the HCNM and the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs 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 countries.

The 2020 Award Ceremony was postponed to 2021 due to COVID-19 restrictions. 

Event material can be found here.

504763 Marina Živaljević

Through two working sessions on 2 and 3 November and 19 November, the OSCE Mission to Montenegro organized a workshop dedicated to designing a public outreach campaign, to raise awareness on the dangers of misuse and proliferation of small arms and light weapons.

The campaign will be launched in 2022, and includes developing promotional videos, materials and activities to encourage citizens to return illegal weapons without any sanctions, or legal weapons they would like to dispose of safely.  

Communications Expert Danica Ilić facilitated the workshop with representatives of the Ministry of Interior, the Police Directorate and the Ministry of Economic Development.

Mladen Marković, Chief Police Inspector and President of the Montenegrin Commission for Small Arms and Light Weapons said that this activity aims to prepare citizens and state institutions for the upcoming amendments to the Law on Weapons. “In an open and transparent manner, we want to raise citizens’ awareness of dangers and harmful consequences of possessing illegal weapons. We want to reduce the amount of illegal weapons and educate citizens about their rights and obligations related to this area, including the possibility of legalization and surrender of weapons without legal consequences,” said Marković.

The final draft of the campaign’s communication strategy and plan for implementation will be completed by mid-December.

SDGs SDGs:  16 - Peace, justice and strong institutions

Summary

• In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded 408 ceasefire violations, including 150 explosions. In the previous reporting period, it recorded 299 ceasefire violations in the region.
• In Luhansk region, the Mission recorded 256 ceasefire violations, including 205 explosions. In the previous reporting period, it recorded 145 ceasefire violations in the region.
• The SMM followed up on reports of damage to civilian properties and a working school in non-government controlled areas of Luhansk region.
• The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske.
• The SMM facilitated and monitored adherence to localized ceasefires to enable the operation and repair 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 two border crossing points outside government control and monitored border areas outside government control in Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
• The Mission’s freedom of movement continued to be restricted, including at checkpoints of the armed formations near Novohryhorivka, Zaichenko and Khreshchatytske (formerly Krasnoarmiiske), Donetsk region. Its UAVs again experienced multiple instances of probable jamming and jamming.*

How to undertake financial investigation to effectively cut off terrorism financing channels was the focus of a three-day training course for experts from Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), which concluded on 18 November 2021. The OSCE and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), in co-operation with the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina organized the course.

Twenty participants from BiH took part in the training course, which is part of a comprehensive, progressively advanced training programme on countering the financing of terrorism (CFT), and is implemented jointly by the OSCE Transnational Threats Department and UNODC.

Seven local trainers, who participated in the OSCE and UNODC train-the-trainer course, and international experts, delivered the course to fellow experts from the Ministry of Security of BiH, the BiH Prosecutor’s Office, the State Investigation and Protection Agency, the Ministry of Interior of the Federation of BiH, the Ministry of Interior of Republika Srpska and Brčko District Police.

Participants learned about analytical techniques and methods that can be applied for the successful conduct of proactive and reactive financial investigations.

The course represents the second module of the OSCE-UNODC training programme, which aims to build up BiH’s CFT framework and increase the country’s capacity to detect and combat terrorist financing and strengthen compliance with international commitments and standards in this area.   

The course was organized with the financial support of the United States and Italy.

Richard Wheeler

A working group meeting on environmental protection under the Secretariat of the Intergovernmental Chu-Talas Water Commission (Commission) took place on 18 November 2021 in Almaty. The meeting was organized by the OSCE Programme Office in Nur-Sultan (POiN) and the OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek (POiB) in close co-operation with the Commission.

In April, July and October, the two OSCE Programme Offices supported research conducted by territorial units of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan’s Hydro-Meteorological services, which included carrying out tests and a follow-up water samples analysis at the Chu-Talas River Basins in Kazakhstan’s Zhambyl region and Kyrgyzstan’s Chu and Talas regions. The samples were taken from 16 different sites in both countries, and involved 17 different tests to identify possible contaminants.

Some 20 water specialists from Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan discussed the results of the laboratory water quality assessment and examined opportunities for future collaboration. They agreed to prepare a joint annual report on water quality and joint hydro meteorological indicators. Based on the laboratory results, a national expert delivered a presentation of the final report on water quality in the basin, which was shared as part of a data exchange initiative between Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. According to the results of water samples collection for 2021 compared to 2020, no significant changes in the quality of surface waters of the Chu and Talas rivers were recorded. High and extremely high pollution was not found.

Participants also learned about the findings and recommendations of a separate OSCE-supported study on needs assessment for the conservation of wetlands in the Chu River Basin. This study, supported by the POiN, was implemented from July to November 2021 in co-operation with the Association for the Biodiversity Conservation of Kazakhstan and four national experts specializing on ichthyofauna, ornithology, geobotany and hydrology. The study developed a preliminary assessment of the condition of wetlands in the lower reaches of the Chu river basin, with a follow-up action plan to maintain the sustainable development of ecosystems in the area.

The Chu-Talas Water Commission promotes bilateral co-operation between Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, and aims to improve access to information by involving stakeholders in the process of river management and by promoting activities for the protection of water ecosystems.

The event is part of multi-year efforts by the POiB and POiN to raise awareness and to build the capacity of state institutions in the area of water governance by contributing to transboundary dialogue on managing water resources.

504694 Željka Šulc

“There are no winners in war” say the protagonists of ‘Maglaj – War and Peace’, a documentary by the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina released publicly online today with the Swedish Embassy in Sarajevo on behalf of the 2021 Swedish Chairpersonship of the OSCE.

The documentary chronicles three war veterans from Maglaj; Rizo Salkić, Boro Jevtić and Marko Zelić. The three men fought on opposing sides during the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1992 to 1995 and now promote co-existence, acceptance and reconciliation.

“These three brave men from Maglaj send a strong message at a time when we need it the most. They fought on different sides during the war in the 90s. Now they come together to talk about the futility of war and the struggle to build peace that unites them today. I am glad Swedish support is making it possible for more people in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and beyond, to listen to them sharing their experiences.” said Ambassador Johanna Strömquist, Swedish Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina.

“The documentary highlights the important work Rizo, Boro and Marko are doing for reconciliation.  Moreover, it reflects just one of many positive stories of peace-building we see at the local level across Bosnia and Herzegovina. I thank the three veterans and all the people of BiH who serve as ambassadors of peace.” added Kathleen Kavalec, Head of the OSCE Mission to BiH.

The 26-minute documentary is available here: https://www.osce.org/mission-to-bosnia-and-herzegovina/503818

ERGNETI, 18 November 2021 — The 103rd Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM) convened today in Ergneti, co-facilitated by the EU Monitoring Mission in Georgia (EUMM) and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). In view of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, all necessary health precautions were followed at the meeting venue.

Participants discussed the impact of the closure of crossing points and other restrictions affecting the livelihoods of the conflict-affected population. They focused on the most recent security developments at the administrative boundary line (ABL), detention cases, the situation in the Chorchana-Tsnelisi area and the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Annika Söder, Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office for the South Caucasus, called on participants to apply a pragmatic and humanitarian approach during the upcoming holiday season. She stressed her appreciation of the participants’ commitment to engage in regular exchange in the IPRM format.

Kate Fearon, Deputy Head of the EU Monitoring Mission in Georgia, further encouraged the participants to continue using the IPRM meetings, as well as the EUMM-managed Hotline, to exchange information and noted their importance for confidence-building.

The co-facilitators also stressed the importance of continued dialogue and called for mutually acceptable solutions that uphold humanitarian principles and human rights, and that respond positively to the needs of the conflict-affected population living on both sides of the ABL. They reiterated that they stand ready to support all efforts towards the resumption of greater freedom of movement. During the meeting, attention was drawn to the Women, Peace and Security agenda and how this could further be integrated into the IPRM format.

Participants agreed to plan for a subsequent meeting on 20 January 2022.