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VIENNA, 20 July 2016 – Presenting the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s work concerning the refugee and migrant crisis at a special meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna today, Swiss parliamentarian Filippo Lombardi laid out the Assembly’s plan of action going forward, which includes monitoring the situation on the ground and developing policy recommendations for the OSCE and its participating States.

The meeting was convened by the OSCE German Chairmanship to present and discuss the report by Amb. Claude Wild, Chair of the OSCE Informal Working Group Focusing on the Issue of Migration and Refugee Flows. The participants discussed in particular the importance of improving global migration governance and how the OSCE can lend its contribution to promoting regional implementation of a global migration governance architecture.

Lombardi noted that the OSCE PA’s Ad Hoc Committee on Migration, which he chairs, has been active in three main areas, including by organizing field visits, strengthening co-operation with the OSCE and other international actors, and promoting discussions on the migration crisis within the OSCE PA.

“The migration and refugee crisis remains high on the agenda of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly as highlighted by the importance accorded to this issue in the Tbilisi Declaration adopted at the OSCE PA Annual Session on 5 July,” Lombardi said. “Indeed, the various aspects of this complex issue are addressed in the resolutions of all three general committees as well as in a number of supplementary resolutions” adopted in Tbilisi, he added.

Stressing the need for better communication strategies between governments and the public, Lombardi said that while media plays a fundamental role in shaping public opinion on migration, “political forces bear an equally important responsibility.

“Governments, diplomats and parliamentarians must join forces to tackle the root causes of migration,” he said.

Lombardi further highlighted a recent field visit to camps in Calais and Dunkirk, the Parliamentary Assembly’s contribution to the 27 June meeting of the Informal Working Group, which was addressed by five OSCE parliamentarians, and noted that the PA’s Ad Hoc Committee on Migration met officially for the first timeduring the OSCE PA Annual Session in Tbilisi on 3 July.

In June, the OSCE PA’s then-human rights and humanitarian committee chair, Portuguese parliamentarian Isabel Santos, joined a delegation of the OSCE’s Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, Ambassador Madina Jarbussynova, for a visit to Lampedusa, Italy, to an aircraft carrier in the Mediterranean Sea, and to a refugee reception centre in Catania.

Migration will also occupy a prominent position in the discussions of the OSCE PA Autumn Meeting to be held in Skopje from 29 September to 2 October, Lombardi pointed out.

Other than Lombardi’s presentation, today’s special meeting of the Permanent Council included a comprehensive report by Amb. Wild, who noted that addressing the migration crisis requires a multidimensional response based on protection, combating crime, border management, successful integration, and solidarity and partnerships. The OSCE has a number of comparative advantages when addressing migration and refugee flows and is thus uniquely positioned to address this crisis, he emphasized.

Lombardi welcomed the priorities of the OSCE’s Informal Working Group and stressed that members of the PA’s Ad Hoc Committee have agreed to keep in mind the principles identified by this body in carrying out its work.

The Permanent Council and the Ministerial Council are the primary decision-making bodies of the OSCE.

To learn more about the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s work in the field of migration, please click here. A video interview conducted with Ad Hoc Committee Chair Filippo Lombardi is available on the OSCE PA’sYouTube channel.

OSCE/ODIHR and OHCHR train prosecutors and lawyers in Kyrgyzstan on international standards regarding freedom of religion or belief

By feeds.osce.org
Published On :: Mon, 01 Aug 2016 14:09:24 +0000

International standards and the national legal framework on freedom of religion or belief were the focus of two consecutive training events organized jointly by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institution and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the Regional Office for Central Asia (ROCA) of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) from 25 to 28 July 2016 in Bishkek.

The training for 25 prosecutors and 31 defence lawyers from all regions of Kyrgyzstan was provided in close co-operation with the Training Centre for Prosecutors under the General Prosecutor’s Office of the Kyrgyz Republic and the Training Centre for Lawyers. The course covered a wide variety of topics directly relevant to the work of the participants, including recent developments in Kyrgyzstan.

Drawing on the guidance of national and international experts, participants discussed the nature of the right to freedom of religion or belief, its interrelatedness with other human rights and fundamental freedoms, the nature, extent and impact of violations of freedom of religion or belief, and the duties of the state to respect, protect and fulfil this universal human right. Participants also took part in mock trials on cases involving interference with freedom of religion or belief, such as through the banning of religious clothing and discrimination against religious organizations.

“In using topical case studies, the participants were able to apply the knowledge they had acquired in a practical ‘courtroom’ environment and improve their legal skills in analysing freedom of religion or belief cases and advancing cogent and structured arguments,” said Mark Hill, one of the participating international experts and a senior barrister from the United Kingdom.

Dilnoza Satarova, Associate Officer on Freedom of Religion or Belief at ODIHR, said: “ODIHR welcomes co-operation with the Training Centre for Prosecutors of Kyrgyzstan and the Training Centre for Lawyers in organizing this course. Such capacity-building activities are key to advancing freedom of religion or belief for all, and ODIHR stands ready to support similar initiatives in Kyrgyzstan in the future.”

The two events are part of a series of training events for lawyers, prosecutors and judges on a variety of human rights-related issues conducted as part of the OHCHR project “Peace and Reconciliation through strengthening the rule of law and protection of human rights”, which is funded by the Peacebuilding Fund.

ODIHR Director Link and IHRA Chair Constantinescu, on day to commemorate genocide against Roma and Sinti, say greater efforts needed to protect endangered memorial sites and ensure dignity of victims

By feeds.osce.org
Published On :: Tue, 02 Aug 2016 08:28:11 +0000

WARSAW / BUCHAREST, 2 August 2016 – Michael Georg Link, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and Ambassador Mihnea Constantinescu, Chair of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA), called today for greater efforts to protect endangered memorial sites related to the Roma and Sinti genocide during World War II.

Speaking on the occasion of the commemoration of the liquidation of the “Gypsy family camp” at Auschwitz-Birkenau in 1944, when the close to 3,000 remaining Roma and Sinti in the camp were murdered, they stressed that states have to do more to demonstrate their sincere and strong commitment to education about and remembrance of the genocide.

“Positively, we have seen increasing attention in recent years on the part of OSCE participating States to commemorate the Roma and Sinti genocide, and to educate people about this horrible event. This practice and these experiences should be widely shared and replicated,” Director Link said. “Promoting understanding of the Holocaust and its effect on different communities can help to create empathy and promote equality and non-discrimination for all.”

“Accurate and ethical education about the Holocaust includes the respectful and dignified preservation of memorial sites,” said Ambassador Constantinescu. “States have to take resolute action to protect endangered memorial sites and continue to do more to commemorate the Roma and Sinti victims. The history of these endangered sites should be included as part of broader efforts to educate about the consequences of indifference to racism.”

They called on governments to ensure that endangered memorial sites for Roma and Sinti victims are preserved and protected, to include this history as an integral part of civic and human rights education in their countries. They stressed that current developments, including a disturbing rise in xenophobic public rhetoric and racism, mean it is even more essential to build strong alliances among different communities.

In 2003, with the Action Plan on Improving the Situation of Roma and Sinti within the OSCE Area, the OSCE participating States committed themselves to strengthen education about the Roma and Sinti genocide. Through its Contact Point for Roma and Sinti Issues, ODIHR promotes knowledge about and recognition of the plight of Roma and Sinti during the Holocaust to counter present-day discrimination and racism, and to promote tolerance. According to ODIHR’s recent publication Teaching about and Commemorating the Roma and Sinti Genocide: Practices within the OSCE Area, seven OSCE participating States officially commemorate the Roma and Sinti genocide on 2 August, while a larger number of states commemorate the Roma and Sinti victims on the International Holocaust Memorial Day, 27 January.

The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance is an inter-governmental organization and the foremost international network of political leaders and professionals advancing and shaping Holocaust education, remembrance and research. Its 31 member countries are committed to the tenets of the Stockholm Declaration. The IHRA Committee on the Genocide of the Roma aims to increase the commitment of IHRA Member Countries to educate, research and commemorate the genocide of the Roma.

Political science students discuss youth participation in security policy development at OSCE-supported meeting in Bosnia and Herzegovina

By feeds.osce.org
Published On :: Sun, 12 Jun 2016 11:12:50 +0000

NEUM, Bosnia and Herzegovina, 12 June 2016 – The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) organized a two-day alumni meeting for over 20 students who attended the OSCE-organized Youth and Security Summer School when it was held for the first time last year. The peace and security studies students of the Universities of Sarajevo, Mostar and Banja Luka discussed current security challenges and ways to promote youth participation in the development of a comprehensive security policy for BiH.

“The meeting is an excellent opportunity for enhancing the knowledge and capacity of future security professionals. It provides a platform for them to actively participate in developing and implementing security policy,” said Jonathan Moore, Head of the OSCE Mission to BiH. “The recommendations they produced will be forwarded to the BiH Council of Ministers’ Inter-Ministerial Working Group on Monitoring and Implementation of Security Policy.”

Damjan Jugovic, student at the Faculty of Political Sciences in Sarajevo and member of the OSCE’s Youth Advisory Group said: “This is a chance for us to get more acquainted with the work of different security and intelligence agencies in BiH and support the co-operation between students from different universities.”

The students also expressed hope that affiliation with the summer school would help them in their future careers. “Having met peers from Mostar and Banja Luka, I realized that we all think alike. We want change and a better future. I am sure the practical knowledge we gained from the school will increase our chances for employment,” said Jovana Bilinac, student at the Faculty of Political Sciences in Sarajevo.

The main goal of the Summer School on Youth and Security of the OSCE Mission to BiH is to promote the development of democratic institutions through education of young security experts. The school provides a forum for them to discuss a wide range of security- and policy-related issues and increases their participation in political life as well as decision-making processes.

The organization of the alumni meeting was supported by the Hungarian Embassy in BiH.

OSCE-supported Central Asian Youth Network focuses on renewing dialogue, rebuilding trust and restoring security

By feeds.osce.org
Published On :: Tue, 05 Jul 2016 14:02:34 +0000

ALMATY, 5 July 2016 – The annual OSCE Central Asian Youth Network (CAYN) forum and seminar began today in Almaty.

The three-day event was organized by the OSCE Programme Office in Astana for some 35 university students and CAYN alumni from Central Asia, Afghanistan and Mongolia. Representatives of the OSCE and expert speakers from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Norway and the Russian Federation are also taking part.

The topic of this year’s forum “Renewing dialogue, rebuilding trust, restoring security” was selected to reflect the priorities of Germany’s 2016 OSCE Chairmanship. The participants will discuss the key challenges for comprehensive security in Central Asia and beyond, and explore ways to address them in their communities and together with co-operation from neighbouring countries. They will also address the issue of civil society’s role in promoting fundamental freedoms and human rights, and re-examine co-operation in Central Asia on its way to integration with a special emphasis on connectivity and multilateral co-operation.

“Through CAYN we hope that when you begin to take responsibility for your communities and your countries you can say with confidence that you have learned about key security challenges in the region,” said Head of the OSCE Programme Office in Astana György Szabó. “Moreover, you have heard perspectives from some of the best minds in the region and experts from around the world on how to address them.”

Renate Schimkoreit, Consul General of the Federal Republic of Germany to Almaty presented the priorities of the German OSCE Chairmanship. Pal Dunay, Director of the OSCE Academy in Bishkek and Milena Stošić, Special Representative of the OSCE Chairmanship-in-Office on Youth and Security, will focus on engaging youth in promoting OSCE values and principles and in addressing security challenges and threats in the wider region. Special attention will be paid to youth involvement in the OSCE's 'United in Countering Violent Extremism' campaign.

The forum will be followed by training workshops focused on using technology for governance, civil society development, networking and data utilization. The event will culminate with an outdoor exercise to promote team building.

Nurlan Dulatbekov, a Member of Kazakhstan’s Parliament spoke about the role of promoting social security as part of national and regional security as well as initiatives to counter violent extremism through engaging youth at the grassroots level.

The event is part of the Office’s efforts to enhance young people’s understanding of contemporary security threats and challenges and to explain the OSCE’s role in addressing them.

OSCE enhances legal and human rights education in Armenia

By feeds.osce.org
Published On :: Fri, 08 Jul 2016 11:46:41 +0000

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The OSCE Office in Yerevan supported a summer school focusing on public international law from 30 June to 9 July 2016 which also included a two-day training course on international human rights law at the Russian-Armenian (Slavonic) University in Yerevan (RAU).

The summer school and the human rights law training course highlighted developments within the field of international law and provided an opportunity for future lawyers to grasp the main lines of the discipline and analyze the status of human rights in an international context.

“OSCE commitments affirm the fundamental character of human rights education and we hope that the summer school will provide a great opportunity to learn and cultivate values and skills for the better protection of human rights across the country,” said Radka Rubilina, Human Rights Officer at the OSCE Office.

Some 35 students of law, international relations and political science learned about international legal frameworks and sources, the theory and practice of international human rights law, the mechanisms for promotion and protection of human rights at the international and regional levels, including the functions of international organizations.

“My hope is that the summer school and the human rights training course will be a continuous initiative,” said Chairperson of the Law and Policy Chair at RAU Larisa Alaverdyan. “Besides the immediate interest in the proposed topics, the exchange of knowledge and ideas among students is of great importance.”

The summer school and the training course were organized with the support of the OSCE Office in Yerevan jointly with United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the Council of Europe, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the Mission Armenia charity NGO, and RAU.

OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities holds fifth regional summer school on multilingual and multicultural education in Central Asia

By feeds.osce.org
Published On :: Tue, 19 Jul 2016 09:00:13 +0000

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A week-long regional summer school on multilingual and multicultural education was held from 10 July to 16 July 2016 in Cholponata in Kyrgyzstan - the fifth regional summer school organized as part of the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities’ (HCNM) Central Asia Education Programme.

Organized by the HCNM in co-operation with Kyrgyzstan’s Ministry of Education and Science, UNICEF and the Office of the UN High Commissioner on Human Rights in Kyrgyzstan, the summer school brought together 86 participants representing education institutions of the Central Asian States and of the wider region, including teacher trainers, methodological experts, university and pilot school managers and teachers, as well as international experts.

The summer school was aimed at providing practical expert support to further develop the capacity of education authorities and practitioners within multilingual and multicultural education.

Opening the summer school, Deputy Minister of Education of Kyrgyzstan Toktobubu Ashymbaeva highlighted the important role of the teacher in multilingual education programmes.

During the week, participants discussed pre-service and in-service teacher training, as well as facilitating the implementation of multilingual education programmes. Participants also developed training materials aimed at monitoring and evaluating multilingual and multicultural education programmes. As a result, eleven thematic materials were developed with the aim to further adapt them for practical use within the education institutions of the region.

Flera Saifulina, Head of the National Education Department of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Tatarstan in the Russian Federation, found that the diverse forms of activities enabled participants to express their opinions, raise concerns and receive comprehensive answers from fellow experts. She also expressed satisfaction to see how education is used for the integration of societies in the Central Asian countries.

Tatiana Aderikhina, Co-ordinator of Education and Child Protection Issues at UNICEF Kazakhstan, said: “I am glad that the cooperation between HCNM and UNICEF Kyrgyzstan continues as it brings synergies and benefits the target country.”

Zaiyrbek Ergeshev, representative of the Department of the Ethnic and Religious Issues of the Presidential Administration of Kyrgyzstan, concluded that multilingual and multicultural education is an important factor for forming a civic identity.

Since 2012, the High Commissioner has been implementing the Central Asia Education Programme, aimed at promoting multilingual and multicultural education and developing bilateral and multilateral co‑operation in the region to improve the education of national minorities and promote the integration of society.

Visit to Jajce of international community representatives led by OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina

By feeds.osce.org
Published On :: Tue, 19 Jul 2016 16:00:16 +0000

JAJCE, 19 July 2016 – The recent decision of the Central Bosnian Canton Assembly to divide the secondary school in Jajce, despite court decisions and students’ protests, was the main focus of discussions held today by representatives of the international community in BiH, including the Office of the High Representative, the French Embassy and the USAID Mission Director, who joined the Head of the OSCE Mission to BiH, Ambassador Jonathan Moore, in meetings with Jajce municipal authorities and civil society.

Ambassador Moore condemned the decision by the Cantonal Assembly to divide the students against their will. “The children of Bosnia and Herzegovina deserve the best conditions for inclusive, quality education. The creation of yet another case of ‘two schools under one roof’ is a move in exactly the wrong direction, and is not the way to solve other questions such as questions of curriculum or educational certificates. Practice has shown that administrative unification of divided schools improves conditions for learning and saves scarce resources. The Canton cannot afford the schools it has now. We should respect both principles of inclusion and the will of the students. Local authorities in Jajce should withdraw their request, and cantonal authorities should not implement this mistaken decision,” said Ambassador Moore.

“The recent demonstrations we have seen show that children in Jajce do not want to be divided. In this, they have our admiration and support. OHR joins the call for authorities of the Central Bosnia Canton to rethink the decision to form a new school in Jajce, and instead refocus their efforts to find solutions to problems in the education sector without endangering the multi-ethnic character of Jajce and the Central Bosnia Canton, “ said Michael Doyle, attending the visit on behalf of the High Representative Valentin Inzko.

“The unity and strength of France are mirrored in the existence of unified schools for all children. As friends of this country, we the French people want to see the same values and principles to be implemented in BiH. I would like to congratulate the Jajce students for their fight and collective spirit”, said Donato Guiliani, cultural counsellor of the French Embassy and director of the French Institute in BiH.

This is the third OSCE-organized visit of international community members to schools and communities in BiH.

Christine Muttonen of Austria elected OSCE PA President, Vice-Presidents and Committee Officers also elected

By feeds.osce.org
Published On :: Tue, 05 Jul 2016 09:40:15 +0000

TBILISI, 5 July 2016 – At the close of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s 25th Annual Session in Tbilisi today, members of the Assembly elected Austrian parliamentarian Christine Muttonen as President. Muttonen has previously served as OSCE PA Vice-President and Special Representative for Central and Eastern Asia, and is Deputy Head of the Austrian Delegation to the PA.

Upon being elected, Muttonen said that she would pursue direct talks with governments and other OSCE institutions on advancing avenues for closer co-operation.

“Parliamentarians can play a very important role in securing peace and stability,” she said. “It will be my duty to make sure they have the possibility to do so.”

OSCE PA Vice-Presidents were also elected today: Vilija Aleknaite Abramikiene (Lithuania), Azay Guliyev (Azerbaijan), and Isabel Santos (Portugal) were elected to three-year terms, and Victor Dobre (Romania) was elected to a one-year term.

On Monday, the OSCE PA’s General Committee on Political Affairs and Security elected its leadership. Members of the committee re-elected Roger Wicker (United States) and Margareta Cederfelt (Sweden) Chair and Rapporteur, respectively, and Guglielmo Picchi (Italy) was elected Vice-Chair.

In the General Committee on Economic Affairs, Science, Technology and Environment on Sunday, members elected Nilza Sena (Portugal) Chair and Artur Gerasymov (Ukraine) Vice-Chair. Italian parliamentarian Marietta Tidei was re-elected Rapporteur.

Members of the General Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions on Monday elected Ignacio Sanchez Amor (Spain) Chair and Kyriakos Kyriakou-Hadjiyanni (Cyprus) Rapporteur. Vice-Chair Ivana Dobesova (Czech Republic) was re-elected by acclamation.

In his final address as Assembly President, Finnish parliamentarian and former Chairperson-in-Office of the OSCE Ilkka Kanerva noted that he has led the PA during challenging times.

“In these times, it is important to recall the validity of all ten Helsinki Final Act principles. As President, I have worked to reaffirm these principles, even as they have been put to the test lately. I believe that reviving the spirit of Helsinki requires ensuring that the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly remains an Assembly that is inclusive, open and transparent,” he said.

He also highlighted his special paper distributed at the Tbilisi Annual Session entitled “Our common vision for the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly.”

Kanerva was elected President of the Assembly at the Baku Annual Session in July 2014, and will now serve as President Emeritus of the Assembly.

For the full text of the OSCE PA’s Declaration and resolutions adopted today in Tbilisi, as well as speeches, photos, videos and more, please visit http://www.oscepa.org/meetings/annual-sessions/2016-tbilisi-annual-session. Additional photos are available on the Georgian Parliament’s Flickr pages at https://www.flickr.com/photos/geoparliament and https://www.flickr.com/photos/oscepatbilisi/.

The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly is comprised of 323 parliamentarians from 57 countries spanning Europe, Central Asia and North America. The Assembly provides a forum for parliamentary diplomacy, monitors elections, and strengthens international co-operation to uphold commitments on political, security, economic, environmental and human rights issues.

OSCE supports workshop on risks-oriented approach in combating money laundering and financing of terrorism in Kyrgyzstan

By feeds.osce.org
Published On :: Fri, 08 Jul 2016 14:55:30 +0000

ISSYK-KUL, Kyrgyzstan, 8 July 2016 – A five-day training course supported by the OSCE Centre in Bishkek on a risk-oriented approach in supervising activities related to anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism concluded today in Bosteri village, in the Issyk-Kul region.

The aim of the workshop, which was organized by the State Financial Intelligence Service under the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic (SFIS) in partnership with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), was to update the relevant State agencies and financial institutions on the practical aspects of a risks-oriented approach in their work. Some 46 officials from law enforcement agencies, supervisory agencies and financial institutions took part.

“A risks-oriented approach is the process which allows the countries to identify, assess and understand risks to effectively combat money laundering and financing of terrorism,” said Nana Baramidze, Senior Economic and Environmental Officer at the OSCE Centre. “The OSCE Centre in Bishkek fully supports the efforts of the Kyrgyz Government in its attempt to establish effective systems to counter money laundering and the financing of terrorism.”

Chyngyz Kenenbayev, Head of the Organizational and Legal department of the SFIS, said: “We are holding this educational seminar to train representatives of national authorities and the private sector so that we can successfully pass the second round of the evaluation by the Eurasian Group on Combating Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism (EAG). In order to fulfil international obligations under the EAG, the Kyrgyz Republic is to conduct a mutual assessment of its anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism system. From 28 November to 9 December 2016, a visiting mission of EAG evaluators will conduct this assessment within the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) initiative."

The training course, which was conducted by two IMF experts and three SFIS officials, was part of the OSCE assistance to the Kyrgyz Government in preparing for the second round of the FATF evaluation.

Assembly’s work on migration presented to OSCE ambassadors by Ad Hoc Committee Chair Lombardi at special Permanent Council

By feeds.osce.org
Published On :: Wed, 20 Jul 2016 17:01:42 +0000

OSCE-supported training for Moldovan armed forces on the safe handling of ammunition

By feeds.osce.org
Published On :: Fri, 11 Mar 2016 09:58:36 +0000

Some 18 officers of the Moldovan armed forces, as well as representatives of the Interior and Justice Ministries successfully completed a training course on the safe handling of ammunition stockpiles held at the Military Academy in Chisinau from 23 February to 11 March 2016.

The participants were familiarized with different types of ammunition, including small arms and light weapons and conventional ammunition, and were instructed on how to handle, pack and store ammunition.

“Knowing how to handle ammunition in a manner that does not pose a risk to yourself and to those around you is an essential skill for any member of the armed forces, regardless of their rank,” said Per Normark, Programme Manager of the Conflict Prevent and Resolution programme at the OSCE Mission to Moldova. “This training course has equipped participants with practical knowledge on how to handle a range of types of ammunition, thereby building the capacity of the Moldovan armed forces to ensure a secure and safe environment.”

The course, which was supported by the OSCE Mission to Moldova, was conducted by specialized trainers in the National Army with the guidance of a group of experts from Austria and Sweden.

The training course is part of a multi-year project to train Moldovan ammunition specialists. The aim of the project is to provide the specialists with the necessary skills for the safe and secure storage of small arms and light weapons in accordance with OSCE and international best practices.

OSCE Centre in Bishkek supports armed forces to maintain security of small arms and light weapons in Kyrgyzstan

By feeds.osce.org
Published On :: Fri, 18 Mar 2016 08:16:58 +0000

BISHKEK, 18 March 2016 – Some 20 military personnel from the Northern Regional Command and the Southern Regional Command of the Kyrgyz Armed Forces completed an OSCE-supported one-week training-course on maintaining an electronic database system for the management, record-keeping and tracing of small arms and light weapons and stockpiles of conventional ammunition.

Organized by the OSCE Centre in Bishkek, the General Staff of Armed Forces and Kyrgyz State Committee on Defence Affairs, the course was held in a specialized computer classroom within the premises of the Military Institute of the Kyrgyz Armed Forces for which the OSCE Centre and the British Embassy provided equipment last year.

In 2014 the OSCE Centre in Bishkek signed five agreements with the Kyrgyz Defence Ministry as a part of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic and the OSCE on Small Arms and Light Weapons and a Stockpile of Conventional Ammunition Programme.

The event is part of the OSCE Centre in Bishkek’s Politico-Military Programme on strengthening the capacity of the Kyrgyz Republic toward the physical security and stockpile management of small arms and light weapons and conventional ammunition. This project is being implemented by the OSCE Centre since February 2012.

OSCE helps improve safety of movement for people and goods in conflict-affected areas of eastern Ukraine

By feeds.osce.org
Published On :: Thu, 07 Apr 2016 14:47:01 +0000

SLOVIANSK, Ukraine, 7 April 2016 – The OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine, at a ceremony in Sloviansk, Donetsk region today, presented representatives of the Infrastructure Ministry’s State Special Transport Service with 15 sets of protective equipment, including vests and helmets, which are to be delivered to local deminers working along transport routes in the east of the country.

The State Special Transport Service is responsible for ensuring the safety of the transport network and for restoring railways and bridges destroyed by hostilities. This often involves clearing mines and unexploded ordnance that threaten civilian transportation routes.

“Safety of communications is extremely important in the context of sustainable post-conflict recovery, future peace and security in the region,” said Vaidotas Verba, the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine. “I hope that with our help the Service will be in better position to swiftly and efficiently ensure safer conditions for the movement of people and goods in the conflict-affected areas.”

Since July 2014 the Service has cleared over 300 kilometres of railways in government-controlled areas of Donbas and disposed of more than 4,500 unexploded ordnance, mines and booby traps. This is among the more than 100,000 such dangerous items discovered and destroyed by all organizations working in the region, which are involved in dealing with these remnants of conflict.

To help Ukraine address this new challenge, the OSCE Project Co-ordinator is also training the country's humanitarian deminers on international mine action standards, helping to introduce a modern information management system to improve operations and the inter-agency co-ordination of efforts, and assisting in developing relevant legislation and standards.

OSCE-implemented project on small arms and light weapons and conventional ammunition in Kyrgyzstan positively assessed

By feeds.osce.org
Published On :: Wed, 13 Apr 2016 13:55:34 +0000

KOY-TASH, Kyrgyzstan, 13 April 2016 – A two-day donor assessment of the OSCE Centre in Bishkek’s ongoing programme on small arms and light weapons (SALW) and conventional ammunition (CA) concluded today in Koy-Tash village of Kyrgyzstan.

The assessment coincided with the launch of disposal facility for SALW, jointly organized by the Kyrgyz Armed Forces and the OSCE Centre.

A delegation comprised of representatives of the embassies of the United States, United Kingdom, Germany and Finland, as well as members of the EU Delegation to Kyrgyzstan, OSCE Secretariat, OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina and the International Trust Fund. Representatives of Kyrgyzstan’s government administration, the General Staff of the Armed Forces and the State Defence Committee also joined the visit.

The main goal of the programme is to increase the capacities of the Kyrgyz Armed Forces, focusing on effective management and disposal of SALW and CA, improving the relevant normative framework, enhancing the security of the storage warehouses for weapons and ammunition and capacity building among military staff.

According to Colonel Adyl Kurbanov, Deputy Chair of the State Defence Committee, the Kyrgyz Armed Forces and the OSCE Centre in Bishkek successfully implemented the measures stipulated in the memorandum signed in 2013. He stated that, in the long-term, the contribution of the OSCE Centre will enhance the potential of the Armed Forces and ensure physical security of military depots. “Within the OSCE-implemented programme, Kyrgyzstan will receive modern warehouses that meet all security requirements and safety standards.”

“Some of the major achievements of the programme include the establishment of an electronic record-storing and tracing database, which will significantly help to manage the stockpiles of SALW and ammunition available in the Kyrgyz Republic,” said Sergey Kapinos, the Head of the OSCE Centre in Bishkek. “The database will be the only one operating in Central Asia and it will reflect best practices of the SALW and ammunition management adopted in the OSCE area.”

Rodney Robideau, Grants Officer at the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, reassured the Kyrgyz Armed Forces and the OSCE Centre in Bishkek that additional funds in the amount of USD 100,000 will be allocated in 2016 for the construction of a new warehouse for rockets and artillery in the Buzhum village of Batken oblast.

The donors familiarized with programme activities, and visited warehouses where construction and refurbishment works are ongoing, and where the SALW disposal facility is established and equipped. The representatives of the Kyrgyz Armed Forces organized a demonstration of the destruction of unserviceable weapons through the use of a special hydraulic shear that is considered to be one of the most efficient tools in this field. Donors also visited the training centre for electronic database for SALW and CA record-storing and tracing.

The OSCE Centre in Bishkek has been implementing this programme since February 2012 with the financial contributions of the USA, United Kingdom, European Union, Germany, Finland and Kazakhstan.

OSCE confidence- and security-building measures must be adapted to current security challenges, says Polish Foreign Ministry Under-Secretary of State

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Published On :: Wed, 13 Apr 2016 16:38:23 +0000

VIENNA, 13 April 2016 – As Poland takes over the rotating Chairmanship of the OSCE Forum for Security Co-operation (FSC), Under-Secretary of State with the Foreign Ministry Marek Ziółkowski said that one of the main tasks of his country will be to strengthen confidence- and security-building measures by revitalizing the Vienna Document 2011. Moving this process forward and including regional perspectives into the security dialogue with the focus on some areas including the Baltic Sea region, Central and Eastern Europe are the priorities of Poland’s Chairmanship of the FSC.

Opening the 815th meeting of the Forum for Security Co-operation Ziółkowski said: “Poland believes that risk reduction is one of the pillars of the Vienna Document-based co-operation. And nowadays the relevance and usefulness of risk reduction mechanisms are growing.”

He noted in particular the proposal made jointly by Poland and other OSCE participating States to improve co-operation regarding hazardous incidents of a military nature.

Poland’s Chairmanship will put an emphasis on regional perspectives in the security dialogue in the OSCE area. Political-military aspects of security in Georgia and Tajikistan as well as Montenegro’s Demilitarization Programme (MONDEM) will also be topics of discussion.

Regarding the crisis in and around Ukraine, the Under-Secretary of State drew attention to the lack of progress in the implementation of the Minsk agreements and further deterioration of the security situation in Donbas. “The OSCE must retain its focus and resolve to facilitate a peaceful and lasting resolution of the conflict in eastern Ukraine. We see room for the FSC to play a more prominent role here. For example, the applicability of the existing set of confidence- and security-building measures could be re-examined and further explored,” Ziółkowski said.

Poland is taking over the Chairmanship of the Forum for Security Co-operation from the Netherlands and preceding Portugal. Ambassador Adam Bugajski of Poland will chair the FSC till the end of the summer recess.

Tajikistan’s National Action Plan on enhancing chemical, biological, radiation and nuclear security presented to international community at OSCE roundtable meeting

By feeds.osce.org
Published On :: Fri, 29 Apr 2016 12:07:39 +0000

Tajikistan’s National Action Plan on implementing UN Security Council Resolution 1540, which was supported by the OSCE Office in Tajikistan as a way of enhancing the country’s chemical, biological, radiation and nuclear security, was presented to representatives of the international community in Dushanbe on 28 April 2016.

As well as bringing together representatives of international organizations dealing with non-proliferation issues, and embassies and diplomatic missions of the OSCE participating States and the UN members in Tajikistan, some 30 professionals in the area of chemical, biological, radiation and nuclear security in Tajikistan also attended the meeting. The discussion was held to mark the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 1540 on 28 April 2004.

“As we have now already moved to the implementation phase of the Plan, I have no doubt that we all understand the importance of the need to provide resources that are indispensable for strengthening co-operation and collaboration in implementing the approved 1540 measures,” said Fabio Piana, Acting Head of the OSCE Office in Tajikistan. “Diplomatic missions of the OSCE participating States or UN Member States in Tajikistan are encouraged to take part in implementing Tajikistan’s National Action Plan, with the aim of ensuring the overall sustainability of our joint efforts.”

Ilkhom Mirsaidov, National co-ordinator on implementing the National Action Plan, thanked the OSCE for the assistance provided in developing the Plan – a process that took two years to accomplish. He also stressed the importance of multilateral co-operation and co-ordination of efforts during its implementation.

The National Action Plan, encompassing various implementation measures on nuclear, chemical, and biological security for 2016-2021, was adopted by Tajikistan’s Government on 9 February 2016.

The Office, in close co-operation with the OSCE Conflict Prevention Centre, United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs, and the 1540 Committee Group of Experts, will continue to assist the Government in the Plan’s practical implementation.

Assembly’s work on migration presented to OSCE ambassadors by Ad Hoc Committee Chair Lombardi at special Permanent Council

By feeds.osce.org
Published On :: Wed, 20 Jul 2016 17:01:42 +0000

OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine trains social entrepreneurs on social media marketing

By feeds.osce.org
Published On :: Wed, 27 Jul 2016 08:12:25 +0000

Ways to increase the sustainability of social businesses by using social media marketing tools were discussed at a training session organized in Kyiv on 26 July 2016 by the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine.

The event gathered representatives of three social businesses that were established with the support of the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine so that they can provide job skills for people vulnerable to human trafficking. The social businesses also simultaneously serve as revenue sources for local NGOs working on anti-trafficking.

The training course focused on widespread social networks and ways of using them for increasing social enterprises’ profit, including the best use of social media to attract customers and gain their positive feedback. The participants had a chance to practice their digital skills and communication abilities during the hands-on exercises aimed at producing high-quality content for social networks.

Natalia Myakushko, Head of the Rukomysli Social Enterprise in Lviv, thanked the OSCE Project Co-ordinator for its continuous support. “The innovative idea of social business requires innovative tools for its development and this training helps us to use modern communication channels in an efficient way for the benefit of people vulnerable to human trafficking,” she said.

This is the first of three training sessions which will help social entrepreneurs develop a strategy for interacting with new media.

The training sessions are part of a project on preventing human trafficking in Ukraine through the economic empowerment of vulnerable persons, which is being implemented by the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in co-operation with the Ukrainian Ministry of Social Policy, and with the support from the Canadian Government and Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The project aims at the establishment of and support to social businesses that work to prevent human trafficking by providing beneficiaries with sufficient and sustainable income at home, giving them genuine and viable livelihood options, and therefore decreasing the likelihood of persons taking up deceptive job offers where they may be exploited.

So far, 52 people at risk of human trafficking, including 14 internally displaced people, two victims of domestic violence and one ex-combatant, as well as six people who were formerly subjected to human trafficking have already benefited from the job skills’ courses within these social businesses.

On World Anti-Trafficking Day, OSCE calls for comprehensive, co-ordinated and victim-centred approach to combatting modern-day slavery

By feeds.osce.org
Published On :: Sat, 30 Jul 2016 06:36:19 +0000

VIENNA / WARSAW, 29 July2016 – To combat human trafficking, a comprehensive, co-ordinated and victim-centred approach that includes creating opportunities for regular and safe migration, as well as protecting the human rights of migrants, is urgently needed by all state actors, civil society and multilateral organizations, said senior OSCE officials today ahead of World Anti-Trafficking Day on 30 July.

Multiple and complex security challenges such as armed conflict, the spread of violent extremism and radicalization leading to terrorism and climate change, have recently pushed millions of people into mass, mixed migration flows throughout the OSCE region, putting an increasing number of them at risk of being trafficked.

OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier emphasized that “effective and early identification of potential victims and the fight against the impunity of perpetrators need to be at the core of any resilient security governance strategy. This is particularly important within the context of mixed migration flows, which expose already vulnerable individuals to trafficking syndicates.”

“Human trafficking is a grave violation of the human rights of its victims – human beings who are exploited, most often for profit,” said Michael Georg Link, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR). “A victim-centred approach, placing the protection of all human rights at the heart of efforts to prevent and end trafficking, is essential if we are to ensure that anti-trafficking measures do not further threaten the safety, dignity and rights of those we are responsible to help and protect.”

OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings Madina Jarbussynova stressed that crisis situations are placing strenuous challenges on already vulnerable groups within and around the OSCE region. “As we join the efforts of the United Nations on this World Day against Trafficking in Persons to raise awareness and promote the protection of rights and dignity of all, any protective measures should first and foremost be conducted in the best interest of potential victims, especially amongst irregular migrants, asylum seekers, internally displaced persons and unaccompanied minors.” Focusing on the complex nexus between trafficking and conflict situations, Ambassador Jarbussynova will on Monday start a week-long official visit to Ukraine to raise awareness of human trafficking threats.

OSCE supports workshop on communications and information cooperation for the press officers of the armed forces of the Kyrgyz Republic

By feeds.osce.org
Published On :: Mon, 01 Aug 2016 03:42:38 +0000

Workshop

Mon, 2016-08-08 (All day) - Wed, 2016-08-10 (All day)

Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan

OSCE Center in Bishkek, General Staff of the Kyrgyz Republic,

OSCE Centre in Bishkek, the Kyrgyz General Staff, Kyrgyz Border Service, Kyrgyz National Guard and State Committee for Defence,

OSCE Centre in Bishkek

Central Asia

Media freedom and development

Politico-military dimension

OSCE supports workshop on communications and information cooperation for the press officers of the armed forces of the Kyrgyz Republic. The workshop will be conducted by an international media trainer and attended by 15 press officers of the General Staff, Border Service, National Guard and State Committee for Defence. It is expected that within the framework of the workshop, participants will practice skills of effective communications with the media and practice a mechanism of information coordination during emergencies.

The workshop is the last part of a professional development programme developed and conducted for 45 commanders of the General Staff. The first two trainings were delivered in Bishkek in Osh in June and July 2016. During the workshops, the commanders improved their skills of communication with mass media and practiced public speaking skills, such as interview skills and participation in talk show. The commanders also participated in a discussion led by an international trainer on the importance of maintaining unified information policy and cooperation with the press service.

Holocaust remembrance reminds us of the need to work for tolerance and non-discrimination in our societies, say keynote speakers at OSCE Permanent Council

By feeds.osce.org
Published On :: Thu, 21 Jan 2016 12:20:38 +0000

VIENNA, 21 January 2016 – Remembering the Holocaust reminds us of our duty to speak out against the denial of these grave crimes and to work for tolerance and non-discrimination in our societies, said keynote speakers addressing the meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council today, which was dedicated to commemorating the International Holocaust Remembrance Day on 27 January.

State Secretary Szabolcs Takács from Hungary, in his capacity as this year’s chair of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA), and Ambassador Felix Klein, Special Representative of the German Federal Foreign Office for issues relating to Anti-Semitism and Holocaust Remembrance, addressed representatives of the OSCE’s 57 participating States and 11 Partners for Co-operation, at the invitation of Germany’s 2016 OSCE Chairmanship.

Both speakers emphasized that the past will not be forgotten and may not be forgotten. “We remember not only to honour the victims of a tragedy which challenged the foundations of civilization,” Takács said. “We do it with a determination so that events like the Holocaust never happen again and in the hope that the lessons of the past may positively influence the world we live in today and the generations to come.” Takács also pointed out to the “task of governments … to strengthen the security of our populations, without giving way to xenophobia or compromising on the core values of European civilization.”

Ambassador Klein said in his address that “the sufferings of the Holocaust put an obligation on us for a more peaceful and humane future in Europe.” Klein stressed that it remained an important task for Germany “to foster an open atmosphere for a transparent and critical discussion in society about the darkest chapters of our history. This is particularly important today in Europe since we need to come to a new understanding with many people migrating to our continent from different cultures and religions.”

The German Chairmanship reappointed Rabbi Andrew Baker as Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office on Combating Anti-Semitism. There will also be two new Representatives appointed on Combating Intolerance and Discrimination against Muslims and on Combating Racism, Xenophobia and Discrimination, also focusing on intolerance and discrimination against Christians and members of other religions.

In its programme for 2016, Germany has declared the promotion of tolerance and non-discrimination a priority of its activities related to the OSCE’s human dimension. It will organize, among other things, a meeting with Special Envoys on Combating Anti-Semitism from OSCE participating States to share best practices and hold a Chairmanship Conference on the issue of tolerance and discrimination in Berlin on 20–21 October, at which civil society will be actively involved. Germany has also pledged a substantial amount to support an ODIHR project on combating Anti-Semitism called “Turning words into action”.

The advancement of the human rights of Roma and Sinti in the OSCE area will, not least against the background of German history, play an important role in the German Chairmanship’s endeavours.

Roma remain one of most vulnerable groups, continue to face difficult living conditions and discrimination in access to social protection, health, employment and adequate housing, as stated in reports by independent bodies

By feeds.osce.org
Published On :: Fri, 08 Apr 2016 10:23:07 +0000

BELGRADE, 8 April 2016 - On the occasion of International Roma Day, the Delegation of the European Union to Serbia, the United Nations Country Team in Serbia, the OSCE Mission to Serbia and the Council of Europe Office in Belgrade reaffirm our strong commitment to equality and non-discrimination.

Today, the Romani community, Europe's largest ethnic minority, still experiences multiple discrimination and marginalisation in countries throughout Europe, including Serbia. Roma remain one of the most vulnerable groups; they continue to face difficult living conditions and discrimination in access to social protection, health, employment and adequate housing, as stated in reports by both relevant international mechanisms and independent bodies of the Republic of Serbia.

Thousands of Roma represent the most vulnerable and marginalised among the population of internally displaced, still facing obstacles in accessing rights and durable solutions.

International and European human rights standards clearly provide for equality before the law and prohibit discrimination on all grounds, including ethnicity. The realisation of Roma inclusion will reinforce everyday democracy and the rule of law. It is the only way to reach a society based on the principle of equality of opportunity where everyone has the right to participate and to be heard.

On this day, we therefore call on all relevant stakeholders to pursue with determination
Roma inclusion policies in Serbia, pursuant to the recent adoption of a new Strategy of Social Inclusion of Roma for the Period from 2015-2025 and the Action Plan for Realization of Rights of National Minorities by the Government of Serbia.

The Delegation of the European Union, the Council of Europe Office in Belgrade, the OSCE Mission to Serbia and the United Nations Country Team in Serbia remain committed to improving the lives of Roma in Serbia and ensuring that their fundamental rights are respected, and to supporting our Serbian partners in this endeavour.

International Roma Day is celebrated annually on April 8, in commemoration of the 1971 founding of the International Romani Union, the first major international Romani civic initiative.

Statistical information on Roma in Serbia

90% of children in Roma settlements are growing up in poverty. The infant and under-5 mortality rate is two times higher than that of the general population, 15% of Roma children are born with low birth weights, one fifth is malnourished and only 13% are fully immunized.
Romani children continue to face discrimination in the education system. Only 6% of children from Roma settlements attend early learning programs, only 64% finish primary school on time, and only 22% attend secondary school (of whom only 15% are girls).
Romani women and girls face multi-sectoral discrimination, as well as heightened barriers of access to services, including services for victims of violence. Early, arranged marriage remains an issue in some segments of Serbia’s Romani communities, with very destructive consequences for – in particular – the child bride.

For more information & media inquiries please contact:

Aleksandra Stamenkovic, United Nations Country Team Communications Expert, email: aleksandra.stamenkovic@one.un.org, Phone +381 11 415 5314

Nadezda Dramicanin, Delegation of the EU to Serbia Communications Officer, e-mail: Nadezda.DRAMICANIN@eeas.europa.eu, Phone: +381 11 3083 200

Ivana Milatovic, OSCE National Political and Press Affairs Officer, e-mail: ppiu-serbia@osce.org, Phone +381 11 3606 151

Mona Alghaith, Council of Europe Office, Assistant to the Head of Office, e-mail: mona.alghaith@coe.int, Phone. +381 11 71 555 00

ODIHR Director Link and IHRA Chair Constantinescu, on day to commemorate genocide against Roma and Sinti, say greater efforts needed to protect endangered memorial sites and ensure dignity of victims

By feeds.osce.org
Published On :: Tue, 02 Aug 2016 08:28:11 +0000

Impact of corruption prevention measures at national and sectoral levels in focus at OSCE-supported expert meeting in Kyrgyzstan

By feeds.osce.org
Published On :: Thu, 26 May 2016 14:41:16 +0000

ISSYK-KUL, Kyrgyzstan, 26 May 2016 – A two-day regional expert seminar which started today gathers some 60 anti-corruption practitioners, experts and policy-makers from 12 countries in Eastern Europe, the South Caucasus and Central Asia to discuss effective preventive measures to combat corruption in the extractive industries and education sectors and to exchange best practices.

Participants discussed how to improve government accountability and transparency in managing natural resources and assessed how to mitigate negative effects of the so-called “resource curse”. They also focused on corruption in the education sector, and how to enhance the quantity, quality, efficiency of, and access to education systems.

“The OSCE Centre in Bishkek is strongly committed to supporting the Kyrgyz Government in countering corruption and developing projects and initiatives aimed at strengthening good governance, economic growth and public integrity for the benefit of the Kyrgyz people,” said Yulia Minaeva, Senior Economic and Environmental Officer at the OSCE Centre in Bishkek.

Ermelinda Meksi, Deputy Head of the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities, said: “Corruption, weak governance, and lack of transparency and rule of law undermine economic growth and impede trust in public persons and government institutions. Bribery and embezzlement of state resources deter domestic and foreign investments and deprive citizens of important public services. If unchecked, corruption can provoke social strife, fuel insecurity and even lead to conflicts.”

The practice-oriented and interactive seminar combined expert presentations, roundtable discussions and group work. It benefited from the participation of representatives of the UN Development Programme, the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, and the Open Society Initiative.

Olga Savran, manager of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Anti-Corruption Network for Eastern Europe and Central Asia (ACN), said: “This seminar helps public officials responsible for preventing corruption at national and sectoral levels learn about effective practical measures that do work, that improve the lives of citizens, and prevent the waste of public money.”

The seminar is co-organized by the OSCE Centre in Bishkek, the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities (OCEEA) and the OECD ACN. It is hosted by the Kyrgyz Government and held as part of the OSCE Centre in Bishkek’s Economic and Environmental Dimension activities.

Corruption issues in private sector discussed with support of the OSCE Office in Yerevan

By feeds.osce.org
Published On :: Tue, 31 May 2016 13:58:54 +0000

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Corruption risks, challenges in accountability and transparency as well as the legislative and regulatory frameworks in public procurement, customs and taxation, free competition and monopolies, were the focus of a workshop supported by the OSCE Office in Yerevan held on 28 and 29 May 2016 in Aghveran, in Armenia’s Kotayk region.

The event was attended by more than 60 people including officials from the Government Anti-corruption Programmes Monitoring Unit, the Ministry of Justice, the State Revenue Committee, the State Commission for the Protection of Economic Competition, and the Internal Public Financial Oversight and Public Procurement Methodology at the Ministry of Finance. Representatives from business unions and associations, other non-governmental organizations, economists and journalists also participated.

“The Government of Armenia has underlined the importance of addressing corruption risks,” said Suren Krmoyan, Armenian Deputy Minister of Justice. “The private sector can play a crucial role in that and we are eager to make changes and take the initiative to address concrete issues.”

Naira Gyulnazaryan of the OSCE Office, said: “We hope that this event will promote close co-operation between the Government, business organizations and civil society towards fighting corruption in the business sector.”

The event was organized in partnership with the Armenia's Ministry of Justice, the European Union, the Armenian Lawyers' Association, the Anti-Corruption Coalition of Civil Society Organizations of Armenia and Freedom of Information Centre. It is part of the OSCE Office’s efforts to strengthen the engagement of civil society, business companies and associations in addressing corruption risks and to establish a solid platform among the government, civil society and private sector to contribute to state reform.

Challenges in customs regulatory frameworks were discussed at an event on May 25 in Gyumri and another discussion on state revenue issues in the regions will be held in Vanadzor.

OSCE Mission to Montenegro and Montenegrin parliament hosted meeting of Secretaries General of Western Balkans parliaments

By feeds.osce.org
Published On :: Fri, 03 Jun 2016 14:07:00 +0000

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Secretaries General and Deputy Secretaries General of Western Balkans parliaments, heads of human resources and information and communications technology departments, legal advisors and representatives of OSCE Missions in the region took part in a meeting on strategic and annual planning in parliaments in Podgorica, Montenegro on 1 and 2 June 2016.

The aim of the event, hosted by the OSCE Mission to Montenegro and the Montenegrin Parliament, was to discuss current developments and exchange best practices and lessons learned in regard to planning in parliaments.

Dan Redford, Deputy Head of the OSCE Mission to Montenegro, stressed the importance of developing the institutional capacity of parliaments to make them strong and self-reliant.

Suljo Mustafic, Secretary General of the Parliament of Montenegro, thanked the OSCE Mission to Montenegro for its support and co-operation in publishing the Parliamentary Lexicon - a collection of terms used in parliamentary life - which was presented at the meeting. Mustafic underlined the importance of transparency in the decision-making process and the benefits of planned development of parliamentary institutions regardless of the constant changes that parliaments underlie.

Institutional dialogue between central and Gagauz authorities in focus of OSCE Mission to Moldova-supported roundtable discussion

By feeds.osce.org
Published On :: Mon, 27 Jun 2016 08:06:23 +0000

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As part of a one-year project to support the engagement of national minority youth and civil society in public discussions and public service, a roundtable discussion was held at the OSCE Mission to Moldova on 24 June 2016.

The event brought together 23 representatives of the Moldovan Parliament, the authorities of Gagauz-Yeri, civil society and the international community to discuss institutional dialogue between central and Gagauz authorities.

Independent researchers from the Comrat-based NGO Piligrim-Demo presented a recent report detailing the joint commissions formed over the years to initiate dialogue on the implementation of Gagauzia’s status as an Autonomous Territorial Unit. They outlined their recommendations for improving the functioning of the current working group established between the Parliament of Moldova and the People’s Assembly of Gagauzia.

“Such discussions on the process of dialogue between civil society, the expert community and members of the Parliament and People's Assembly are important as they provide critical input to the process and build common understanding of issues,” said Jale Sultanli, Country Manager Moldova of the Crisis Management Initiative (CMI). Participants from Comrat and Chisinau welcomed the opportunity to study past and present practices to strengthen co-operation between the central and regional authorities in Moldova.

Assembly’s work on migration presented to OSCE ambassadors by Ad Hoc Committee Chair Lombardi at special Permanent Council

By feeds.osce.org
Published On :: Wed, 20 Jul 2016 17:01:42 +0000

Participants of OSCE-supported ‘Follow Us’ Initiative agree on 2016 action plan

By feeds.osce.org
Published On :: Mon, 15 Feb 2016 12:03:17 +0000

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The first meeting of the ‘Follow Us’ Initiative for 2016, facilitated by the OSCE Mission in Kosovo and the OSCE Mission to Serbia, took place in Skopje from 12 to 14 February 2016. The meeting brought together 18 prominent women working in politics, media, academia and civil society from Prishtinë/Priština and Belgrade, to take stock of achievements and plan future activities.

The participants reviewed the initiative’s successes such as the Dialogue Academy for young women from Belgrade and Prishtinë/Priština, and the promotion of the dialogue through the ‘Follow Us’ documentary. They recognized the importance of furthering the inclusion of more women in this process in order to expand the dialogue across different sectors and agreed on an action plan of concrete activities for 2016. Additionally they developed longer-term frameworks for action in key areas affecting women’s lives and equality.

In a joint statement, the members of ‘Follow Us’ Initiative said: “We agreed to implement joint activities in the following areas: economic empowerment of women, gender in education, prevention of gender-based violence, political participation and representation of women at all levels, engendering media and the portrayal of women in media and public life, and promotion of dialogue among youth.

We also reconfirm the importance of dialogue and co-operation and highlight the contribution of women to it by taking concrete steps to bring the two societies closer together.”

Roma remain one of most vulnerable groups, continue to face difficult living conditions and discrimination in access to social protection, health, employment and adequate housing, as stated in reports by independent bodies

By feeds.osce.org
Published On :: Fri, 08 Apr 2016 10:23:07 +0000

Thousands of Roma represent the most vulnerable and marginalised among the population of internally displaced, still facing obstacles in accessing rights and durable solutions.

International Roma Day is celebrated annually on April 8, in commemoration of the 1971 founding of the International Romani Union, the first major international Romani civic initiative.

Statistical information on Roma in Serbia

90% of children in Roma settlements are growing up in poverty. The infant and under-5 mortality rate is two times higher than that of the general population, 15% of Roma children are born with low birth weights, one fifth is malnourished and only 13% are fully immunized.
Romani children continue to face discrimination in the education system. Only 6% of children from Roma settlements attend early learning programs, only 64% finish primary school on time, and only 22% attend secondary school (of whom only 15% are girls).
Romani women and girls face multi-sectoral discrimination, as well as heightened barriers of access to services, including services for victims of violence. Early, arranged marriage remains an issue in some segments of Serbia’s Romani communities, with very destructive consequences for – in particular – the child bride.

For more information & media inquiries please contact:

Aleksandra Stamenkovic, United Nations Country Team Communications Expert, email: aleksandra.stamenkovic@one.un.org, Phone +381 11 415 5314

Nadezda Dramicanin, Delegation of the EU to Serbia Communications Officer, e-mail: Nadezda.DRAMICANIN@eeas.europa.eu, Phone: +381 11 3083 200

Ivana Milatovic, OSCE National Political and Press Affairs Officer, e-mail: ppiu-serbia@osce.org, Phone +381 11 3606 151

Mona Alghaith, Council of Europe Office, Assistant to the Head of Office, e-mail: mona.alghaith@coe.int, Phone. +381 11 71 555 00

More than 1,000 local inspectors in Serbia successfully complete OSCE-supported online training course

By feeds.osce.org
Published On :: Thu, 07 Jul 2016 10:55:58 +0000

A record number of 1,150 local inspectors in Serbia have successfully completed a three-month OSCE-supported online course on implementing the new Law on Inspection Surveillance. Of this number, 280 inspectors from the capital and its municipalities were publically recognized on 7 July 2016 at the premises of the Assembly of the City of Belgrade.

Local-level inspectors work in the areas of construction, environment, traffic, communal issues. This course, supported by the OSCE Mission to Serbia, was developed at the request of the Standing Conference of Towns and Municipalities (SCTM) and the Ministry of Public Administration and Local Self-Government.

“The capacity building of staff working in local self-governments is particularly important as they are the closest to the citizens.” said Acting Head of the Democratization Department at the OSCE Mission, Olivera Zurovac-Kuzman. “The strong interest in the training course speaks about the relevance of the inspectorate and their roles in local communities. Proper surveillance is key in responding to the need for better governance at all levels of government,” she added.

The online course on the Law on Inspection Surveillance was developed after the successful implementation of online training courses for local self-government employees and councillors in 2014 and 2015, which proved to be an effective new approach for the professional development of local self-governments.

The OSCE Mission to Serbia will remain committed to supporting local self-governments across Serbia in the process of public administration reform.

Renewed Transdniestrian settlement talks provide impetus for real progress in the coming weeks, says OSCE Special Representative

By feeds.osce.org
Published On :: Fri, 03 Jun 2016 13:18:06 +0000

BERLIN, 3 June 2016 – The resumption of talks in the 5+2 format signals a fresh impetus in the settlement process and provides new momentum to achieve real progress, said Ambassador Cord Meier-Klodt, Special Representative of the German OSCE Chairperson-in-Office for the Transdniestrian Settlement Process.

As a result of the talks, the sides signed a protocol that details steps to be taken towards resolving a number of concrete issues prior to the informal Conference on Confidence-Building Measures in Bavaria in July.

“Following two days of focused discussions, I am happy to say that we moved forward on a number of substantive issues to the benefit of both sides, including in the areas of telecommunication, transportation and education,” said Meier-Klodt. “With the collective effort of the sides and the international partners, we stand a real chance of resolving these key issues next month.”

The Special Representative welcomed the ongoing efforts of the sides and the international partners over recent months, including intensified dialogue between the chief negotiators and in the working group format, and a visit of the Mediators and Observers to Chisinau and Tiraspol in April 2016.

“This 5+2 is testament to the fact that constructive and frequent dialogue at all levels is essential for realizing substantive talks in the 5+2,” said Ambassador Michael Scanlan, Head of the OSCE Mission to Moldova. “I urge the sides to continue in this spirit over the coming weeks and to fully utilize the valuable input of our international partners in order to achieve the objectives outlined in the protocol”.

Talks in the 5+2 format include the participation of representatives of the sides, Mediators and Observers – Moldova, Transdniestria, the OSCE, the Russian Federation, Ukraine, the United States and the European Union.

Institutional dialogue between central and Gagauz authorities in focus of OSCE Mission to Moldova-supported roundtable discussion

By feeds.osce.org
Published On :: Mon, 27 Jun 2016 08:06:23 +0000

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Psychologists and professionals working with domestic violence victims trained at OSCE-supported events in Moldova on both banks

By feeds.osce.org
Published On :: Thu, 30 Jun 2016 11:42:38 +0000

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The OSCE Mission to Moldova held the final in a series of three training sessions for 12 psychologists and professionals working with domestic violence victims. The session took place on 27 June 2016 in Rybnitsa, a town on the left bank of the Dniester/Nistru River.

The event aimed to equip participants with essential skills in family counselling and post-traumatic stress rehabilitation. Participants studied means to identify family violence, various coaching techniques to use when working with families, as well as methods for handling trauma and post-traumatic stress among domestic violence victims.

In the past week, similar training events have been held in Chisinau and Tiraspol with the total participation of 50 professionals from Bender, Causeni, Chisinau, Comrat, Drochia, Rybnitsa and Tiraspol.

Participants in the training sessions included psychologists, teachers, medical professionals, lawyers and social workers, all of whom encounter cases of domestic violence in their work through Moldova’s referral system.

The training events were held as part of the Mission’s project to strengthen the capacity of those who provide crisis services to women and families on both banks of the Dniester/Nistru River. The project was developed following a country-wide assessment conducted in 2014 and 2015. The assessment identified a number of challenges in this field in Moldova, most notably the difficulties in accessing domestic violence services – including shelters and crisis centres – for those living in rural areas, and a lack of state resources.

Restrictions on foreign broadcasters in Moldova breach international standards on media freedom, OSCE Representative says

By feeds.osce.org
Published On :: Wed, 13 Jul 2016 10:02:04 +0000

VIENNA, 13 July 2016 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović today said that media laws under consideration by the Parliament in Moldova run counter to international standards on media freedom.

On 7 July the Parliament adopted, in the first reading, three amendments to the Audio-visual Code of the Republic of Moldova. All three amendments aim to limit broadcasts in foreign languages or those originating from abroad.

“It is counterproductive to try to limit speech through excessively restrictive legislation,” Mijatović wrote in a letter yesterday to the Chairperson of the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova, Andrian Candu. “In my view it seems excessive and may be ineffective.”

The reasoning given for introducing the restrictive provisions banning broadcasts or rebroadcasts of certain content is that it originates from states that are neither members of the European Union, nor are parties to the European Convention on Transfrontier Television.

“I trust that the draft laws will be carefully reviewed by the members of Parliament before being adopted in the second reading, ensuring that the regulation does not pose undue limits on free expression and free flow of information,” Mijatović said.

The Representative also pointed to the recommendations of her Office’s non-paper “Propaganda and Freedom of the Media” published in 2015 (available at www.osce.org/fom/203926).

The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media observes media developments in all 57 OSCE participating States. She provides early warning on violations of freedom of expression and media freedom and promotes full compliance with OSCE media freedom commitments. Learn more at www.osce.org/fom, Twitter: @OSCE_RFoM and on www.facebook.com/osce.rfom.

Bavaria conference reinforces German OSCE Chairmanship’s emphasis on an outcomes-based Transdniestrian settlement process

By feeds.osce.org
Published On :: Thu, 14 Jul 2016 14:10:34 +0000

BAD REICHENHALL, Germany, 14 July 2016 – A two-day conference on confidence-building measures in the Transdniestrian settlement process was held in the town of Bad Reichenhall in Germany on 12 and 13 July 2016. As in past years, the conference, which traditionally takes place in the German state of Bavaria, brought together political representatives of the sides and international 5+2 partners in an informal setting to address the challenges at hand and advance confidence-building measures that would strengthen the process.

“The past few months have witnessed intensified dialogue between the sides, thanks in no small part to the unparalleled efforts and consensus among the mediators and observers,” noted Ambassador Cord Meier-Klodt, Special Representative of the German OSCE Chairperson-in-Office for the Transdniestrian Settlement Process.

During 5+2 talks on 2 and 3 June in Berlin, the sides committed to undertake concrete steps within a set timeframe, including in the fields of ecology, education, transportation and telecommunications.

“Of the commitments included in the Berlin protocol, the sides have completed an agreement on ecology and exchanged lists on the issue of criminal cases,” said Ambassador Michael Scanlan, Head of the OSCE Mission to Moldova. “The Bavaria conference’s informal setting provided a unique opportunity for the sides to continue working towards the remaining agreements in order to deliver important benefits for people on both banks and to strengthen the settlement process.”

“As a confidence-building measure in support of the formal process, I’m happy to say that the conference succeeded in promoting the emphasis on an outcomes-based process that the German Chairperson-in-Office and our international partners believe is a precondition for progress,” concluded Ambassador Meier-Klodt.

The conference is a multiyear initiative funded by the German government and was organized by the OSCE Mission to Moldova.

OSCE Mission to Skopje-supported fund continues building bridges between communities

By feeds.osce.org
Published On :: Thu, 18 Feb 2016 14:53:40 +0000

SKOPJE, 18 February 2016 – The OSCE-supported Building Bridges Fund, launched in 2014, will continue for a third year, the Head of the OSCE Mission to Skopje Nina Suomalainen announced today.

The Fund offers grants to municipalities, students, teachers, parents and schools to organize activities that bring together members of different communities.

"Some 75 schools and more than 2,000 children were involved since 2014 in various activities aimed at bringing together students from different ethnic communities," said Suomalainen. "These activities are an excellent tool for young people to better understand the importance and the benefits of diversity in a multicultural society."

The Building Bridges Fund is a joint effort by the Education and Science Ministry, the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the governments of Ireland and Switzerland and the OSCE Mission to Skopje.

“The Building Bridges project aims to make connections between children of different ethnic and religious backgrounds so that they can understand each other and learn from each other,” said Ambassador Wouter Plomp of the Netherlands. “This is in line with the ‘Making Connections’ motto of the European Union presidency, held by the Netherlands for the first six months of this year.”

Education and Science Minister Abdilaqim Ademi said: “Multiculturalism is one of the main pillars of our society. To live in a country where many communities function, work and create together is an individual success for us all and the country as a whole.”

Well-known music artists Toni Zen, Venera Lumani and Rebeka are among the Fund’s Advisory Board Members.

More information on the “Building Bridges Fund” and on how to apply for grants is available at Building Bridges.

OSCE Mission to Skopje co-organizes training course on how to spot falsified documents

By feeds.osce.org
Published On :: Mon, 14 Mar 2016 10:27:41 +0000

A one-week advanced training course, organised by the OSCE Mission to Skopje in co-operation with the German Federal Police and the Police Training Centre in Idrizovo, has started today for ten Border police officers on how to detect forged travel documents and certificates.

The training course aims to increase the participants’ operational awareness on security features of regional passports and Schengen visas as well as to enhance their skills regarding the use of modern forensic equipment.

Upon completion of this training course, participants will be ready to deliver the training modules to their colleagues working in the field of documents security.

The training course is part of the Mission’s support to national institutions in the fight against trans-national threats and organized crime with a special focus on irregular migration and human trafficking.

Implications of migration and refugee crisis for the European security discussed at OSCE-ELIAMEP event in Athens

By feeds.osce.org
Published On :: Fri, 13 May 2016 08:09:25 +0000

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Challenges posed by the migration and refugee flows and their impact on European security was the focus of an event jointly organized by the OSCE and the Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy (ELIAMEP) in Athens on 10 May 2016. The security implications of mass movements of people for regional and sub-regional stability, the role of international organizations, and co-operation and co-ordination among relevant actors, were among the issues highlighted.

Alternate Foreign Minister of Greece Nikos Xydakis opened the event, which brought together over 90 participants from the Greek Foreign Ministry and Athens’s diplomatic, academic and media communities.

In his keynote address, OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier warned that migration had emerged as a new fault line cutting across Europe. “As the representative of an Organization that traces its roots to the successful attempt of over forty years ago to overcome the divides of the Cold War, I cannot but underline the need to build bridges – not walls – to protect our common prosperity and security,” he said. He underlined that beyond the humanitarian emergency and short-term responses, we needed also long-term approaches to address the root causes of migration. “On the strength of its comprehensive approach to security, the OSCE intends to play its part in avoiding the emergence of new dividing lines in Europe and in working towards effective solutions to migration-related challenges,” Zannier stressed.

Zannier’s remarks were followed by a panel discussion among Claude Wild, Permanent Representative of Switzerland to the OSCE and Chair of newly-created Informal Working Group on Migration and Refugee Flows; Nina Suomalainen, Head of the OSCE Mission to Skopje; Saban Kardas, Director of Center for Middle Eastern Strategic Studies in Ankara; and Monika Ekstrom, Head of Political Reporting and Policy Analysis of the Representation of the European Commission in Greece.

Panelists agreed that the phenomenon of migration will most likely be an issue for decades and emphasized a need for long-term solutions and enhanced co-operation among relevant national and international actors. “Today we are experiencing a migration governance crisis as we were not prepared for this challenge. What we need is a comprehensive ‘smart’ response that reconciles both human and state security,” Wild said.

Suomalainen added that the OSCE was already doing a lot in the field of migration but what was needed in many areas was refocusing or updating of available mechanisms and tools.

Turning to larger geopolitical implications of the current crisis, Kardas noted that the reactive manner in which the EU had handled the instability in the Middle East and the resulting refugee crisis had weakened not only the internal solidarity within the EU but also its external credibility. “As a result, the erosion of trust between the EU and Turkey hindered a more effective and constructive partnership between the two actors in addressing the refugee challenge,” Kardas said. He stressed the importance of strengthening the resilience of local communities and infrastructure which are struggling to manage such a large influx of people.

This event in Athens was organized on the initiative of H.E. Dora Bakoyannis, former OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and currently member of the Greek Parliament and of the Panel of Eminent Persons on European Security. The event contributed to an evolving dialogue on migration trends in and around the OSCE area launched at the OSCE Security Days in Rome on 4 March 2016.

Head of OSCE Mission to Skopje Suomalainen attends Iftar (fast-breaking) dinner organized by women’s association

By feeds.osce.org
Published On :: Tue, 21 Jun 2016 08:22:15 +0000

The Head of the OSCE Mission to Skopje Nina Suomalainen attended an Iftar (fast-breaking) dinner on 20 June 2016 in Skopje, organized by the local NGO Woman Affirmation Association with the support of the Mission.

The event brought together women from different ethnic and religious backgrounds who sent a message of mutual respect, harmony, and understanding.

“Empowering women, providing equal opportunities for both women and men and integrating gender equality into policies and practices is one of our Mission’s main goals. By organizing this Iftar, you foster dialogue and respect among the different religious and ethnic communities and learn more about each other’s cultures and beliefs,” said Suomalainen in her address, wishing the Muslim community a blessed and joyful Ramadan.

The Woman Affirmation Association works on the affirmation, protection and development of the rights and position of women in society.

OSCE Mission to Skopje organizes workshop for national Police Union on countering gender-based discrimination

By feeds.osce.org
Published On :: Wed, 29 Jun 2016 09:58:08 +0000

The OSCE Mission to Skopje on 28 June 2016 launched a two-day workshop for 22 members of the Police Union on countering gender-based discrimination with the aim of advancing the position of women in police services and increasing gender sensitivity among police officers.

The workshop focused on areas of gender-based discrimination in employment, education, health and family, explaining what gender inequality is and how it is addressed in international and domestic legislation and in practice.

Participants will learn how to identify harassment and sexual harassment as forms of discrimination, as well as workplace bullying. The legal protection, prevention and measures against such bullying will be illustrated through real cases.

This workshop is part of the Mission’s programme to support the democratization of the Police and is in line with the Mission’s efforts to encourage gender equality in all segments of society.

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