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. 

Related Stories

• OSCE/ODIHR final report on early parliamentary elections in Serbia recommends comprehensive review of legislation and ensuring the level playing field for contestants
• OSCE workshop in Kosovo focuses on improving the recording of hate crimes
• OSCE/ODIHR Director Link welcomes Kyrgyzstan’s review of Askarov’s case, calls on Kyrgyz authorities to implement UN Human Rights Committee decision

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.

Related Stories

• After violent attempted coup, Turkish authorities must strengthen, not weaken, rule of law and independence of judiciary, says ODIHR Director Link
• OSCE workshop in Kosovo focuses on improving the recording of hate crimes
• OSCE/ODIHR Director Link welcomes Kyrgyzstan’s review of Askarov’s case, calls on Kyrgyz authorities to implement UN Human Rights Committee decision

WARSAW, 6 August 2016 – Michael Georg Link, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), today criticized the call by the Prosecutor General of Tajikistan for the reintroduction of the death penalty, and expressed concern over recent discussions related to removing the bans on capital punishment in some other OSCE participating States.

“Countries in the OSCE have committed themselves to consider the complete abolition of capital punishment, not to reconsider that abolition,” the ODIHR Director said. “Yesterday’s call by the Prosecutor General in Tajikistan for the reintroduction of capital punishment in that country is completely out of place in a region where most of the countries recognize the inherently cruel, inhuman and degrading nature of a punishment that fails to act as a deterrent and makes any miscarriage of justice irreversible.”

Tajikistan’s Prosecutor-General, Yusuf Rahmon, told a press conference yesterday that perpetrators of premeditated murder, terrorists and traitors must be punished by death. His words followed similar statements by other leaders, among them President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey and President Viktor Orban of Hungary, suggesting that the reinstitution of the death penalty should be opened for discussion.

Tajikistan suspended the application of the death penalty in 2004, while Turkey and Hungary completely abolished capital punishment, in 2004 and 1990, respectively.

“Rather than reversing its course, it is my hope that Tajikistan will take further steps toward the complete abolition of the death penalty,” he said. “It is also my hope that Turkey, remains with the vast majority of the OSCE participating States and will continue to  act as a strong advocate for the global abolition, as it has in recent years.”

Related Stories

• OSCE/ODIHR opens observation mission for parliamentary elections in Belarus
• 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
• ODIHR trains prosecutors and lawyers in Kyrgyzstan on international standards regarding freedom of religion or belief

The OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine and the International Renaissance Foundation supported a training session for eight board members of the Association of Legal Clinics in Ukraine on strategic planning, which was held in Bucha, Ukraine, on 30-31 May 2016.

The participants conducted brainstorming sessions on formulating the mission statement, main areas of practice, institutional development of the organization as well as an strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) analysis of organizational capacity, and prepared a strategic plan for 2016-2018. They also learned about the best practices of organizational and institutional development from national and international experts.

Katarzyna Furman, board member of the European Network for Clinical Legal Education, and Filip Czernicki, board member of the Polish Legal Clinics Foundation, shared their experience of management standards and methods of improving efficiency.

The event was organized as part of the OSCE project aimed at supporting reform and development of legal education in Ukraine. The Project Co-ordinator also developed the first manual clinical legal education in Ukraine, which was an important component of quality and practice-oriented legal education.

Related Stories

• OSCE launches first distance human rights course in Ukraine for judges
• OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine trains social entrepreneurs on social media marketing
• OSCE supports Ukrainian legal education practitioners in developing human rights-oriented approaches to their work

SARAJEVO, 9 June 2016 – The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), in co-operation with the Fojnicani-Maglaj Association, facilitated today a visit to the National Museum of BiH in Sarajevo for 50 students and teachers of Zepce’s Fra Grga Martic and Maglaj primary schools and their branch schools in Bradici and Tujnica.

The aim of the excursion, a rare opportunity for the children to visit the capital, was to promote cultural values and help build a more tolerant and cohesive society in the Maglaj and Zepce municipalities.

During their visit, the students and school principals had the opportunity to meet with Jonathan Moore, Head of the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina. “We should invest more effort in creating opportunities for children to spend time with each other and learn from each other,” said Moore.

“The children visited the Museum, which is always very inspirational for our pupils. They get creative and express their impressions in the classroom through essays and art projects,” said Ivo Bilonic, Principal of Fra Grga Martic primary school from Zepce.

Osman Mujdza, Principal of Maglaj primary school, said: “Our school has had a very successful co-operation with the OSCE Mission to BiH so far. This activity enables the children not only to familiarize themselves with the cultural and historic heritage of BiH but also to forge closer ties among each other.”  

Strengthening multi-ethnic co-operation and tolerance in local communities is an important part of this visit. “We want to contribute to developing a culture of peace and creating better conditions for those living in rural areas,” said Davor Supukovic, member of the Steering Board of the Fojnicani-Maglaj Association.

The visit was organized as part of the OSCE Mission’s efforts to create closer links between schools and local communities through education about the diversity of the peoples, religions and traditions of BiH as a source of respect and pride.

Related Stories

• Visit to Jajce of international community representatives led by OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Political science students discuss youth participation in security policy development at OSCE-supported meeting in Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Special Representative of OSCE Chairmanship-in-Office on Gender Issues Verveer to visit Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1 to 4 July

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. 

Related Stories

• Visit to Jajce of international community representatives led by OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina
• OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina facilitates visit to National Museum for children from Zepce and Maglaj
• Special Representative of OSCE Chairmanship-in-Office on Gender Issues Verveer to visit Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1 to 4 July

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.

Related Stories

• OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities supports conference on education in multilingual and multicultural contexts in Central Asia
• High Commissioner on National Minorities visits Bosnia and Herzegovina and calls for quality inclusive education for all
• Language rights, participation, security and access to justice fundamental to welfare of communities in Kosovo, says High Commissioner Thors

TBILISI, 2 July 2016 – Nearly 300 parliamentarians from 54 OSCE countries have begun debates on political and security affairs, economic and environmental issues and human rights and humanitarian concerns at the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s 25th Annual Session in Tbilisi.

The OSCE PA’s three general committees began working on resolutions Saturday dealing with topics including transnational terrorism, the crisis in and around Ukraine, protracted conflicts in Georgia, corruption, energy, climate change, migration and the rights of refugees.

Introducing the resolution to the Committee on Political Affairs and Security, Rapporteur Margareta Cederfelt (MP, Sweden) noted the importance of rebuilding trust and promoting stability in the OSCE region. “Since so many of our common challenges require real multilateral engagement, we as parliamentarians should work together in overcoming these challenges and work towards our mutual security,” she said.

Chaired by U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, the committee debated a number of issues related to the security situation in the OSCE area, with a particular focus on the threat of terrorism and resolving the Ukraine conflict through full implementation of the Minsk Agreements.

In the OSCE PA’s Committee on Economic Affairs, Science, Technology and Environment, chaired by Nilza Sena (MP, Portugal), Rapporteur Marietta Tidei (MP, Italy) highlighted the necessity of addressing climate change and other challenges in the economic and environmental dimension. She noted that 2016 marks not only the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s 25th anniversary, but also 25 years since the international community began addressing one of the most challenging environmental concerns of our time.

“In 1991, the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee held its first meeting to tackle what was already seen at that time as a serious challenge to humanity, the threat of climate change,” Tidei noted. She welcomed the adoption last year of the Paris Climate Agreement and urged its swift implementation by OSCE countries. Other issues touched on by the rapporteur and in the debate included food security, economic inequality and corruption.

The OSCE PA’s Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions opened debate on Rapporteur Gordana Comic (MP, Portugal)’s report and draft resolution, introduced by Committee Chair Isabel Santos (MP, Portugal). The resolution urges a revitalization of the OSCE’s commitment to the human dimension of security at a time when a “crisis of leadership and ideas” is coinciding with a humanitarian emergency related to Europe’s refugee and migrant crisis.

Chaired by Ivana Dobesova (MP, Czech Republic), the committee debated issues including fundamental freedoms in Crimea and humanitarian concerns related to the migration crisis, including the special vulnerabilities of women and girls.

Santos noted that the report and draft resolution do not present a “magic solution” to the challenges of human rights in the OSCE area, but provides a basis for further co-operation. ‘“Together, we can achieve more, and one day we will achieve the solutions,” she said.

Committee meetings continue on 3 July with a number of amendments to consider. After the amendment process and their adoption by the committees, resolutions will be voted on by the full Assembly during the final day of the Annual Session on 5 July, for inclusion in the OSCE PA’s Tbilisi Declaration.

The committee meetings today follow a number of opening speeches Friday, including by Georgian Speaker of Parliament David Usupashvili, President Giorgi Margvelashvili, and Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili, as well as OSCE PA President Ilkka Kanerva (MP, Finland) and the OSCE’s Chairperson-in-Office, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

Also on Friday, President Kanerva and Foreign Minister Steinmeier met for a bilateral meeting that focused on conflict resolution efforts in Ukraine. They discussed the crisis in and around Ukraine in detail, including the current Russian position on its level of engagement and prospects for implementing the Minsk Agreements.

For schedules, resolutions, live streaming during the event, daily news updates, press releases and other information, please visit www.oscepa.org. Selected photos are being posted on the PA’s Flickr page atwww.flickr.com/oscepa and on the Georgian Parliament’s Flickr page athttps://www.flickr.com/photos/geoparliament. Both the PA and the Georgian Parliament are tweeting using the hashtag #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.

Related Stories

• Christine Muttonen of Austria elected OSCE PA President, Vice-Presidents and Committee Officers also elected
• OSCE parliamentarians in Tbilisi adopt wide-ranging Declaration on human rights, security and the environment
• Assembly’s work on migration presented to OSCE ambassadors by Ad Hoc Committee Chair Lombardi at special Permanent Council

TBILISI, 5 July 2016 – The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly adopted the 2016 Tbilisi Declaration today, addressing key issues in the fields of political affairs and security, economics, the environment, human rights, and humanitarian concerns. (Full text available here in English, French and Russian.)

The Declaration, resulting from months of work by committee rapporteurs and several days of debates at the Assembly’s Annual Session in Tbilisi, contains wide-ranging policy recommendations and pronouncements, serving as policy guidance to OSCE governments and the international community. Some 300 parliamentarians from 54 countries spanning North America, Europe and Central Asia contributed to the Session’s work. The Declaration and resolutions will now be sent to parliaments and to the foreign ministers of OSCE countries as policy input ahead of the OSCE’s 2016 Ministerial Council meeting this year in Hamburg.

Among the issues covered in the recommendations adopted by the parliamentarians are transnational terrorism, the crisis in and around Ukraine, protracted conflicts in Georgia, countering corruption, energy, climate change, migration, and the rights of refugees. The Declaration is the final product of the Assembly’s 2016 Annual Session, which was held in the Georgian capital from 1 to 5 July under the theme “25 Years of Parliamentary Co-operation: Building Trust Through Dialogue.”

Stressing the theme of trust-building, the Declaration “reaffirm[s] the undiminished validity and historic role of the guiding principles and common values of the Helsinki Final Act signed in 1975, including the commitments on politico-military, economic, environmental, human rights, and humanitarian issues.” It regrets however the trend of gridlock in the OSCE and urges OSCE countries to enhance the level of co-operation in addressing common challenges.

On terrorism, the Declaration calls upon governments to strengthen co-operation and develop measures aimed at blocking the funding of terrorist organizations. It further urges the OSCE to help governments counter terrorism through pragmatic assistance and promotion of best practices.

On the crisis in and around Ukraine, the Declaration urges all parties to fully implement the Package of Measures for the Implementation of the Minsk Agreements, and “underlines respect for the principles of the inviolability of frontiers and territorial integrity, peaceful settlement of disputes, equal rights, and self-determination of peoples as stated in the Helsinki Final Act.”

Regarding climate change, the Declaration calls upon parliamentarians to promote political dialogue in order to achieve the goals set by the Paris Climate Agreement adopted last year, and to ensure that the Agreement’s targets are met “with the greatest sense of urgency by implementing robust policies and regulations on greenhouse gas emissions and facilitating the transition to a low-carbon economy.”

On migration, the Declaration stresses the importance of prioritizing the rights of those fleeing violence, and urges governments to stop imposing legal and physical barriers to the movement of people fleeing violence and to actively work toward an inclusive approach to migrants and refugees.

The Assembly also approved 15 resolutions to supplement the Declaration, addressing issues such as fundamental freedoms in the Crimean peninsula, prevention of child sexual exploitation, confidence-building measures in the Baltic Sea region, and ensuring that members of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly affected by international travel bans are able to attend OSCE events.

For the full text of the Declaration and resolutions, as well as speeches, photos, videos and more, please visithttp://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.

Related Stories

• Christine Muttonen of Austria elected OSCE PA President, Vice-Presidents and Committee Officers also elected
• OSCE parliamentarians consider resolutions on security, economic and environmental concerns and human rights
• Assembly’s work on migration presented to OSCE ambassadors by Ad Hoc Committee Chair Lombardi at special Permanent Council

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.

Related Stories

• OSCE Mission to Moldova trains lawyers from both banks of the Dniester/Nistru River on addressing discrimination
• OSCE Mission to Moldova strengthens professional skills and civic engagement among young people from both banks
• Psychologists and professionals working with domestic violence victims trained at OSCE-supported events in Moldova on both banks

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. 

Related Stories

• To mark World Day against Trafficking in Persons OSCE Centre in Bishkek supports public awareness raising campaign
• OSCE Centre in Bishkek supports summer school on topical issues of police reform
• OSCE Centre in Bishkek trains defence lawyers and prosecutors on right to liberty and freedom from arbitrary arrest or detention

BISHKEK, 31 March 2016 – A series of two consecutive one-week training courses co-organized by the OSCE Centre in Bishkek on the security and management of small arms and light weapons and stockpiles of conventional ammunition concluded in Bishkek today.

The courses aimed at building awareness among armed forces personnel on new regulations and instructions approved by the Chief of the Kyrgyz General Staff on 12 February 2016 regarding the physical security, management, record-keeping, maintenance and disposal of small arms and light weapons and stockpiles of conventional ammunition. These documents were developed with the support of the OSCE Centre in Bishkek in 2014-2015.

Some 48 military personnel from the Northern and Southern Regional Commands directly dealing with such weapons and stockpiles of conventional ammunition took part in the courses, which along with the OSCE Centre, were also co-organized with the General Staff of the Armed Forces and the Kyrgyz State Committee on Defence Affairs.

Yury Padun, Senior Politico-military Officer at the OSCE Centre, said: “The training course provided officers of the Kyrgyz Armed Forces with the knowledge and practical skills required to meet international standards and OSCE recommendations in this area. The course will contribute to the safe and secure stockpiling of weapons and ammunition in Central Asia.”

Colonel Medetbek Sultanbekov, Head of the Rocket-Artillery Armament Division of the Kyrgyz State Committee on Defence Affairs, said: “Co-operation with the OSCE Centre in Bishkek has facilitated significant improvement to the legal framework in relation to small arms and light weapons and conventional ammunition. It has also raised the professional level of Kyrgyz officers dealing with the stockpiling of weapons and ammunition.”

The event is part of the OSCE Centre in Bishkek’s Politico-Military Programme on strengthening the capacity of the Kyrgyz Armed Forces and is being implemented since February 2012. 

Related Stories

• To mark World Day against Trafficking in Persons OSCE Centre in Bishkek supports public awareness raising campaign
• OSCE Centre in Bishkek supports summer school on topical issues of police reform
• OSCE Centre in Bishkek trains defence lawyers and prosecutors on right to liberty and freedom from arbitrary arrest or detention

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.

Related Stories

• Spot Report by OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM):“DPR” members threaten SMM at gunpoint near Lukove
• OSCE-trained Ukrainian cyber-police officers begin fulfilling their mission
• OSCE Project Co-ordinator to assist Ukraine in strengthening democratic control of defence and security sectors

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.

Related Stories

• To mark World Day against Trafficking in Persons OSCE Centre in Bishkek supports public awareness raising campaign
• OSCE Centre in Bishkek supports summer school on topical issues of police reform
• OSCE Centre in Bishkek trains defence lawyers and prosecutors on right to liberty and freedom from arbitrary arrest or detention

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.

Related Stories

• OSCE confidence- and security-building measures must be adapted to current security challenges, says Polish Foreign Ministry Under-Secretary of State
• Dialogue for enhanced European security in focus at joint session of OSCE Forum for Security Co-operation and Permanent Council
• Greater international efforts needed to address challenges to stable security in Georgia, say participants of OSCE Forum for Security Co-operation

More than 40 specialists from Afghanistan, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan completed a training seminar on advanced explosive ordnance disposal on April 20, 2016 in Dushanbe, organized by the OSCE Office in Tajikistan as a part of a multi-year project.

The course, which covered levels one and two of the explosive ordnance disposal curriculum outlined in International Mine Action Standards, was held at the Lyaur Field Training Centre of Tajikistan’s Ministry of Defence. The participants came from national armed forces, national mine action co-ordination authorities and civilian agencies which are directly engaged in addressing explosive hazards threats.

“The second explosive ordnance disposal training cycle is particularly significant as it introduces the mentorship approach to training whereby junior instructors – graduates of the first training cycle implemented in years 2014 and 2015 - are providing training shoulder-to-shoulder with their United States Army Central colleagues to the students from Central Asian and Afghanistan,” said Scott Kearin, Acting Head of the OSCE Office in Tajikistan.

U.S. Ambassador to Tajikistan Elisabeth Millard highlighted the leadership that the Ministry of Defense of Tajikistan has shown in hosting this series of training events. She said: “The need for competent explosive ordnance disposal specialists and trainers is critical for removing landmines and explosive remnants of war that threaten safety and stability in Tajikistan and surrounding countries.” She praised the Tajik Ministry of Defence for hosting a train-the-trainer program that allows them to lead humanitarian mine action programmes in the wider region.

Muhabbat Ibrohimzoda, Director of the Tajikistan National Mine Action Centre, said: “Tajikistan recognizes the present-day threats of explosive hazards and the need to address these challenges throughout the region and on a global level.”

Two separate courses – for Russian speaking and Tajik-Dari speaking groups of students - were facilitated by the OSCE Office in partnership with the United States Army Central and supported by the U.S. Embassy’s Office for Military Co-operation in Dushanbe. They were financed by the U.S. State Department’s Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement.

Since 2009, the OSCE has been supporting the development of co-operative mechanisms on a technical level among states in Central Asia and Afghanistan to address concerns and challenges stemming from explosive hazards.

Related Stories

• OSCE Office in Tajikistan organizes first regional forum for promoting women’s political participation in Khujand
• OSCE Office in Tajikistan presents recommendations from the Customs Code Integrity Assessment
• OSCE Office in Tajikistan donates audio-visual material to enhance interactive teaching at Police Academy

Montenegro’s Demilitarization Programme (MONDEM) has had a positive impact on promoting the OSCE’s comprehensive approach to security, said the country’s Defence Minister Milica Pejanovic-Djurisic as she addressed the OSCE Forum for Security Co-operation in Vienna on 20 April 2016, under the Chairmanship of Poland.

Run by Montenegro’s Government, OSCE and UNDP, the Programme has since 2007 contributed to the reduction of the country’s surplus ordnances by 85 per cent, decrease in the number of munitions sites and closure of open-space storage facilities. There are still about 1,900 tonnes of ammunition and some 14,000 pieces of armaments pending destruction.

“The Programme has had a positive impact on human security, counter-proliferation policy, sub-regional confidence- and security-building measures, the national small arms and light weapons control strategy, public administration reform, reducing of environmental pollution and sustainable development,” said Pejanovic-Djurisic.

MONDEM is based on five components aimed at demilitarizing chemicals, ammunition and heavy weapons, developing safe storage infrastructure and enhancing the knowledge and abilities of personnel working in this area.

Pejanovic-Djurisic said that the expert support and assistance provided by the OSCE Mission to Montenegro has contributed not only to the implementation of MONDEM but also to strengthening of democratic institutions and overall reforms in the country.

Related Stories

• OSCE confidence- and security-building measures must be adapted to current security challenges, says Polish Foreign Ministry Under-Secretary of State
• Dialogue for enhanced European security in focus at joint session of OSCE Forum for Security Co-operation and Permanent Council
• OSCE High-Level Military Doctrine Seminar: Transparency and co-operation needed to build trust in the face of challenges eroding European security

VIENNA, 15 June 2016 – The twentieth anniversary of the Agreement on Sub-Regional Arms Control Agreement, which served as a framework for Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro and Serbia to engage with each other in order to promote peace and stability in the region, was marked today in Vienna.

Almir Sahovic, Assistant Minister for Multilateral Relations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, stressed that today was a good opportunity to reflect on the path the region went through in the last 20 years. “Our region was a synonym for problems and a source of instability. Our friends from the OSCE family and international community used to send military and police forces to help us sustain peace and stability. Today, we are the ones contributing with military and diplomatic missions to peace and stability around the world.”

The Agreement remains highly relevant for stability in the region as well as for the entire OSCE area and serves as a model for other OSCE regions.

“We see that the four State parties show mutual understanding, professionalism and confidence in their joint treaty activities,” said Chairperson of the OSCE Permanent Council and Permanent Representative of Germany to the OSCE Eberhard Pohl. “The Agreement continues to play a useful role in maintaining military stability in South Eastern Europe by promoting co-operation, transparency and predictability. Key to this is upholding the common political will for good development in the future. The members of the contact group stand ready to further support these activities.”

The Director of the OSCE Conflict Prevention Centre Marcel Pesko highlighted how the commitments from the Article IV of Dayton Peace Agreement became actions. “The four countries of the region proved they can establish a stable military balance, reducing the risk of a new escalation of the conflict. This would not be possible without courage and political will to move the process forward.”

The ceremony included a photo-exhibition dedicated to the process of implementation of the Agreement. Distinguished individuals and organizations from the region received special recognition for their contribution to the process.

Bosnia and Hercegovina is currently a Chair of Sub-Regional Consultative Commission in accordance with Article IV, Annex 1-B to the Dayton Agreement.

Learn more about the transfer of ownership of regional stability and how targets of arms control were achieved even beyond the set limits.

Related Stories

• Urgent steps needed towards full respect for ceasefire in eastern Ukraine, says OSCE Chairmanship Special Representative and Chief Monitor
• OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Steinmeier, in Moldova, calls for swift and full implementation of confidence-building measures
• OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Frank-Walter Steinmeier to visit Moldova on Tuesday

SOFIA, 30 JUNE 2016 – OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, Madina Jarbussynova, concluded a three-day trip to Bulgaria on Wednesday with a visit to the Busmantzi Centre for irregular migrants, and commended the country’s ongoing action to fulfil the Organization’s anti-trafficking commitments.

The government-run camp serves as a detention centre for people on the move who are being returned to their home countries.

“We appreciate the support of Bulgaria to the work of the OSCE in addressing trafficking in human beings as a serious transnational threat, as an integral part of organized crime and a gross violation of human rights,” Jarbussynova said.

During the visit, the Special Representative also met with a number of key officials and spoke at a Discussion Forum on migration and human trafficking.

Bulgaria is a source, transit and destination country for human trafficking. It is also affected by the ongoing migration crisis, with large numbers of refugees from Syria and elsewhere currently in the country.

“I know Bulgaria is under particular strain due to the influx of migrants and refugees through its border with Turkey, and recently Serbia, and I am glad to support the authorities in building their capacities to identify potential and actual victims of trafficking among migrants and asylum seekers, and provide adequate protection, in particular to children on the move, including unaccompanied minors,” the Special Representative said.

She discussed these issues with the Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the National Commission to Combat Trafficking in Human Beings, Meglena Kuneva, Deputy Interior Minister Tsviatko Georgiev, Deputy Chief Prosecutor Maria Shishkova, Chair of the State Agency for Child Protection, Ofelia Kaneva, General Secretary of the General Labour Inspectorate Executive Agency Georgi Milchin, and several others, including representatives from international organizations and NGOs. Further co-operation with the Office of the Special Representative, including in training initiatives, was welcomed by the Bulgarian authorities. 

Related Stories

• Migration and human trafficking in focus of joint visit of OSCE Special Representative, Parliamentary Assembly humanitarian Chair, to Italy’s Lampedusa
• Winners of OSCE design contest challenge violent extremism with creative cartoons
• OSCE organizes field study in sustainable energy for the OSCE Mediterranean Partner Countries.

TASHKENT, 12 July 2016 – A three-day seminar for journalists to improve their skills in reporting on human trafficking, organized by the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan and the Office of the Prosecutor General, began yesterday.

The seminar brings together 26 journalists from all the regions of Uzbekistan to discuss the challenges of reporting on human trafficking and effective ways to overcome them by drawing on international and national good practices. “For better coverage of human trafficking, it is important to both see it as a global phenomenon and understand its specifics in your own country,” said Anatoly Verbin, an international media expert, addressing the media specialists.  

Ambassador John MacGregor, the Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan, said that OSCE anti-trafficking commitments include the cultivation of partnership with journalists to enhance their knowledge and understanding of the complexity of the phenomenon, which is a composite of many serious crimes as well as denials of rights. “Prevention of human trafficking cannot be effective if the media do not join us in raising awareness of this crime. The trafficked persons need understanding and assistance in restoring their rights, not moral accusations, judgment or pity,’’ he noted.

Gyulnoza Rakhimova, the head of the press service of the Office of the Prosecutor General, stressed that the training will cover current legislative and law enforcement practices, how to make the information more interesting for readers and not to violate the rights of victims of trafficking.”

The training is part of the OSCE Project Co-ordinator’s project to assist Uzbekistan in combating trafficking in human beings and to develop a comprehensive victim-support system through expert advice and information.

Related Stories

• OSCE-supported training course in Uzbekistan focuses on addressing and preventing human trafficking in the tourism sector
• OSCE Project Co-ordinator lights up central Tashkent with 20 solar-powered street lamps
• OSCE promotes implementation of effective traffic safety measures in Uzbekistan

DUSHANBE, 29 July 2016 – The OSCE Office in Tajikistan today donated audio-visual equipment to the Police Academy of Tajikistan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs with the aim of supporting the Academy’s lecturers to use interactive teaching techniques on the investigation of crimes related to the trafficking of human beings.

The equipment includes a computer, a projector, a screen, speakers, a printer, and an Uninterruptible Power Supply device (UPS). An external hard disk drive was also donated to allow for the storing of an electronic library of thematic video films and other informational resources in this field.

“This equipment will improve the teaching of the Course on Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, and will therefore enable the police to more effectively address this serious social problem,” said Fabio Piana, Deputy Head of the OSCE Office in Tajikistan.

Karim Soliev, the first Deputy Director of the Police Academy, thanked the OSCE for its continued support in building the capacity of future law enforcement staff and Police Academy cadets in combating human trafficking and domestic violence in Tajikistan. “This equipment is of great help to lecturers who will now be able to apply more interactive teaching techniques,” he said.

In previous years, the OSCE has provided expert support to the Police Academy, including the development of the Lecturer’s Guidelines on teaching this specialized and compulsory 20-hour course. The OSCE has also trained the team of lecturers on modern interactive teaching techniques and has recently updated the Course on Combating Trafficking in Human Beings with regard to new legislation in this field.

Related Stories

• Tajik Border Troops Officers complete OSCE patrol leadership course
• OSCE Office in Tajikistan support Garm’s local authorities in strengthening referral mechanisms for protecting domestic violence victims
• OSCE Office in Tajikistan’s training series highlights role of parents in the fight against terrorism

BISHKEK, 30 July 2016 – To mark today’s World Day against Trafficking in Persons, the OSCE Centre in Bishkek supported a public awareness-raising campaign and held a public discussion with academic representatives in Bishkek and Osh.

On 29 July, in co-operation with the State Service on Migration, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and local partners, the OSCE Centre raised public awareness about the risks of human trafficking in Bishkek and Osh.

Information material such as pocket calendars with the hotline number and contact information of the Kyrgyz Embassies in the five top migrant destination countries were distributed among the public. Illustrated silhouettes of people, symbolizing victims of trafficking, were displayed on posters in public places with stories in the Russian and Kyrgyz languages narrating their experience of human trafficking.

“Public awareness campaigns play an important role in the prevention of trafficking in human beings,” said William Leaf, OSCE Senior Field Representative in Osh. “The OSCE works to assist the government in improving its education and outreach efforts at the local and central levels in line with its commitments to prevent and combat all forms of human trafficking.”

In addition to the awareness-rising campaign, today the representatives of five local universities in Osh participated in a roundtable discussion organized by the OSCE Centre in co-operation with the Centre for Support of International Protection. The discussion focused on the ways of promoting inter-disciplinary research efforts among students and professors on the scope, tendencies and root causes of human trafficking in southern Kyrgyzstan.  

“As trafficking in human beings is a complex phenomenon, it requires a multi-disciplinary approach, covering, among others, socio-economic, legal, migration, human rights, gender and law enforcement aspects,” said Akylbek Tashbulatov, Director of the Centre for the Support of International Protection. “The academic community have the necessary research potential and tools to positively contribute to the development of such an assessment.”

The events were organized as part of the OSCE Centre’s project on addressing human trafficking in Kyrgyzstan through grassroots initiatives and multi-agency cooperation.

Related Stories

• OSCE Centre in Bishkek supports summer school on topical issues of police reform
• OSCE Centre in Bishkek trains defence lawyers and prosecutors on right to liberty and freedom from arbitrary arrest or detention
• Athletes discuss gender-based violence at OSCE-supported event in southern Kyrgyzstan

Related Stories

• OSCE/ODIHR opens observation mission for parliamentary elections in Belarus
• While noting welcoming attitude by the authorities, OSCE/ODIHR final report on Presidential election in Belarus recommends comprehensive and inclusive review of national legislation
• Reforms needed to address substantial shortcomings in Belarus election, international observers say, after peaceful presidential campaign

Related Stories

• OSCE/ODIHR final report on Croatia’s parliamentary elections recommends measures to bring legislation and practice closer in line with OSCE commitments
• Parliamentary Elections
• Presidential Elections

Youth Forum on “Role of youth in peace-building and ensuring stability in Kyrgyzstan: means of collaboration and cooperation in combating violent extremism and radicalism among youth” will gather some 50 youth and public officials from Tokmok and Osh cities as well as from Batken, Chuy, Osh, and Jalal-Abad provinces in Jalal-Abad city.

Participants will discuss problems in their local communities and country-wide and ways to co-operate closer on security matters in the future. The event focuses on discussion of measures on preventing and combating violent extremism and radicalization among youth in Kyrgyzstan. 

Representatives of the youth and public officials are expected to lay foundation for further co-operation between the authorities and youth as pertains to youth and security policies in the respective provinces/cities and country-wide.

Related Stories

• OSCE Centre in Bishkek supports Women Leadership School
• Closing ceremony of the Community Security Initiative (CSI) project
• OSCE supports workshop on communications and information cooperation for the press officers of the armed forces of the Kyrgyz Republic

Staff of the National Centre of the Kyrgyz Republic for the Prevention of Torture, with support of the OSCE Centre in Bishkek will conduct monitoring visits to the detention facilities in Isyk-Kul, Naryn and Talas provinces between 10 and 17 August. These visits aim at monitoring detention conditions and human rights situation in the closed facilities.

The monitoring findings will be included in the 2016 Annual Report of the National Centre for the Prevention of Torture.

Related Stories

• OSCE Centre supports the 3rd training for prosecutors on effective investigation of cases of torture in Kyrgyzstan
• To mark World Day against Trafficking in Persons OSCE Centre in Bishkek supports public awareness raising campaign
• OSCE Centre in Bishkek supports summer school on topical issues of police reform

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.

Related Stories

• Study tour of the specialists of the Kyrgyz Ministry of Emergency Situations to Slovenia
• OSCE supports preventive visits of the staff of the National Centre for the Prevention of Torture to the detention facilities in Isykkul, Naryn and Talas provinces
• OSCE Centre supports the 3rd training for prosecutors on effective investigation of cases of torture in Kyrgyzstan

The OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine (OSCE PCU) is pleased to announce an open call for applications of the young activists from Donetsk and Luhansk regions to join the Youth Contact Group initiative, aimed at promoting inter-regional dialogue and bridge-building between youth. This dialogue initiative was launched by the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine to 2015. Its main task is to equip the youth representatives from different regions of Ukraine with the necessary tools and skills as well as to support implementation of their ideas regarding promotion of dialogue on the today’s issues of concern among Ukrainian youth. The new groups will join efforts with the already selected similar teams in Kyiv, Kharkiv and Lviv.

Profile of a successful applicant

At this opportunity the call targets representatives from young people in Donetsk and Luhansk regions who can demonstrate that they are strongly committed to building sustainable dialogue between youth of their regions and other parts of Ukraine.

Besides that, successful applicants must:

• Be between the ages of 18 and 28 at the time of implementation of the activities;
• Demonstrate frequent use of social media;
• Have a strong interest in the fields of inter-culturalism, peace building, and regional co-operation;
• Be able to commit to participating in all activities of the initiative

In addition, it is not obligatory but preferable that candidates can:

• Be familiar with national and international youth policy;
• Demonstrate previous experience in project implementation;
• Demonstrate good English language skills.

An equal number of participants will be selected from each of the considered regions. All successful applicants will be notified of the results of the selection process. The OSCE is committed to diversity and inclusion, and encourages qualified female and male candidates from all national, religious, ethnic and social backgrounds to apply.

Costs

No fees apply to any phase of the initiative implementation. All costs related to logistics (boarding, lodging, transport, etc.) will be covered by the OSCE PCU.  

Participants are expected to use their own laptops and smart phones.

How to apply

If you are interested, we strongly encourage you to apply using the links below.

Applications for Donetsk region are now open and you can apply here.

Applications for Luhansk region are now open and you can apply here.

Deadline for applications is 29 July 2016

Related Stories

• Latest from OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine, based on information received as of 19:30, 4 August 2016
• Latest from OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine, based on information received as of 19:30, 3 August 2016
• OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine to hold news briefing in Kyiv tomorrow

The OSCE Mission to Skopje in close cooperation with the French Embassy is organizing on-site training courses on face recognition for border police officers countrywide. These half-day trainings, to be conducted by a French trainer, will help the border police officers detect impostors and prevent illegal use of documents in order to detect returning freedom-fighters and tackle the phenomenon of cross-border criminality more effectively, especially trans-national organized crime activity, human trafficking and human smuggling.
The first training will be conducted at Deve Bair crossing point, and will also take place at Kjafasan, St. Naum, Medzhitlija, Bogorodica, Dojran, Delchevo and other border crossing points.

Related Stories

• OSCE Mission to Skopje organizes a workshop for border Common Contact Centers
• OSCE Mission to Skopje organizes two-day workshop on multi-ethnic policing
• OSCE Mission to Skopje organizes a roundtable on the role of women in community safety

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

Related Stories

• EU Delegation, OSCE Mission, closely following situation in Serbia’s public service broadcasters
• We Are Here Together - European Support to Roma Inclusion
• OSCE Mission to Serbia, ODIHR and civil society partners to follow election of judges to High Judicial Council

BERLIN/WARSAW, 8 April 2016 – Political leaders must play a primary role in in countering discrimination and prejudice against Roma and Sinti and improving their situation, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and Germany’s Federal Foreign Minister, and Michael Georg Link, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), said today, on the occasion of International Roma Day.

“Political leaders at all levels must be at the forefront of efforts to end the systematic discrimination and racism that have long afflicted Roma and Sinti communities and individuals in many countries in the OSCE region,” OSCE  Chairperson-in-Office Steinmeier said. “They have to lead both by word, in delivering positive messages and not resorting to negative stereotypes and scapegoating, and by example, in ensuring the implementation of policies at all levels of government to promote the integration and full political, economic and social participation of Roma and Sinti in their societies.”

In particular, they condemned the use by some politicians of racist language and messages aimed either at promoting hatred towards Roma and Sinti or reinforcing negative stereotypes.

“Alarmingly, we still see instances where politicians resort to the politics of fear and hatred for their own perceived gain, thus stoking unfair and dangerous prejudice against Roma and Sinti. This contributes to an atmosphere in which members of Europe’s largest minority are in danger of being targeted with hate crimes, including violent assaults, and even murder,” Director Link said. “Leaders must not only refrain from such statements, but take a step further – they must publicly condemn racist speech and acts against Roma and Sinti, and counter racism and discrimination in a systematic way.”

The subject of racist, anti-Roma rhetoric used by politicians was addressed at a side event organized by ODIHR and the Central Council for German Sinti and Roma, during the Human Dimension Implementation Meeting in Warsaw, on 30 September 2015, at which participants highlighted the important role of state institutions in overcoming racism.

The Organization’s work in this area is guided by the Action Plan on Improving the Situation of Roma and Sinti in the OSCE Area, adopted in 2003, which includes measures to combat racism and discrimination, to promote greater public and economic participation, and to ensure equal access and opportunities in the areas of education, employment, housing and health services.

“The blueprint for addressing racism and discrimination against Roma and Sinti and for improving their situation already exists, in the form of the Action Plan,” said Mirjam Karoly, Chief of ODIHR’s Contact Point for Roma and Sinti Issues. “Greater political will and leadership are vital to making this a reality.”

Related Stories

• OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Steinmeier stresses importance of ODIHR’s work during visit to headquarters in Warsaw
• OSCE States explore role for the Organization regarding migration and refugee flows
• 2016 OSCE Annual Security Review Conference focuses on reviving co-operative security in a challenging environment

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.

Related Stories

• OSCE/ODIHR Director concerned about reported rise of hate incidents in the United Kingdom, supports calls for tolerance in a challenging time
• OSCE/ODIHR Director Michael Link expresses shock over Orlando shootings, commends calls for unity in face of hatred and terror
• OSCE workshop in Kosovo focuses on improving the recording of hate crimes

A memorandum of understanding signed on 19 May 2016 by the OSCE Office in Yerevan, the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Development, and the Union of Government Employees NGO aims to enhance the transparency and accountability of the community civil service of Armenia’s municipalities, local self-government bodies, and to improve relevant legislation, bringing it in line with international standards to reduce corruption in public administration.

Initiatives will include professional and regular training on principles and international standards of integrity in civil service, corruption risks, detection and prevention of corruption, reforms to training and recruitment of community servants in the regions, identifying legislation containing corruption risks, and recommendations for systemic reform.

“We hope this joint endeavour will contribute to the government’s efforts in implementing the anti-corruption strategy and in promoting efficient and accountable governance in Armenia,” said the Head of the OSCE Office in Yerevan Ambassador Argo Avakov.

David Lokyan, Armenia’s Minister of Territorial Administration and Development underlined the importance of co-operation in promoting better civil and community service, integrity and accountability among the local authorities, legislation reform in ensuring high-quality public administration in line with international standards throughout the regions in Armenia.

The initiative builds on Office-supported activities to train civil servants; improve the civil and community service system, including recruitment, monitoring and attestation; and to mainstream integrity in the public administration. A series of training courses for civil servants were held by the Union of Armenia's Government Employees NGO with the support of the OSCE Office and in partnership with the Civil Service Council of Armenia.

Vache Kalashyan, Chairperson of the Union of Government Employees, said: "We enjoy continuous co-operation with the civil and community services sector and are happy to enhance knowledge of corruption risks, conflict of interest, integrity and strengthen civil servants’ impact in delivering accountable and high-quality services on behalf of the State.”

Between 2009 and 2015 more than 300 civil servants representing 35 different state services were trained with the OSCE Office’s support on integrity, anti-corruption and ethics. 

Related Stories

• Corruption issues in private sector discussed with support of the OSCE Office in Yerevan
• OSCE enhances legal and human rights education in Armenia
• OSCE Office in Yerevan presents awards to best women entrepreneurs in Armenia

Some 70 representatives of akimats (municipalities) in villages of Kazakhstan’s Tselinograd District’s met on 27 May 2016 in Akmol, Akmola region, to discuss the ongoing local self-governance reform and brainstormed on how to further develop the legal and institutional framework.

The event participants reviewed economic and financial aspects of local self-governance, administrative offences proceedings, public procurement, state property management as well as community involvement in the decision-making process at the local level.

The training seminar was supported by the OSCE Programme Office in Astana in co-operation with the National Economy Ministry. The event is part of the Programme Office’s long-standing efforts to promote good governance and democratization in Kazakhstan. 

Related Stories

• OSCE promotes ‘green’ women’s entrepreneurship in rural areas of Kazakhstan
• OSCE supports water co-operation in southern Kazakhstan
• OSCE launches series of anti-trafficking seminars for law-enforcement officers and social workers across Kazakhstan

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. 

Related Stories

• OSCE-supported Awards recognize best practices in local governance in Montenegrin municipalities
• OSCE-supported conference on accessibility of public buildings for persons with disabilities organized in Budva
• OSCE Mission to Montenegro-supported campaign on benefits of composting kicks-off in Pljevlja

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

Related Stories

• EU Delegation, OSCE Mission, closely following situation in Serbia’s public service broadcasters
• We Are Here Together - European Support to Roma Inclusion
• More than 1,000 local inspectors in Serbia successfully complete OSCE-supported online training course

BELGRADE, 22 May 2016 – The European Union Delegation to Serbia and The OSCE Mission to Serbia have taken note of the wide-ranging personnel changes at Radio Television Vojvodina (RTV) undertaken by the newly appointed managing board.

We should like to take this opportunity to recall the weighty responsibility of RTV as a public broadcaster to ensure that it meets the highest standards in safeguarding the public interest, guaranteeing the quality and diversity of its programme content and ensuring the impartiality of its editorial policy, following the principle of independence enshrined in the 2014 Law on the Public Media Services.

RTV has an additional, important responsibility to discharge in meeting the legitimate expectations of national minorities with regard to access to broadcasting in minority languages.

Moreover, we recall the importance of creating an enabling environment in Serbia in which freedom of expression can be exercised without hindrance, strengthening the independence of the Regulatory Body for the Electronic Media in order better to support editorial independence, and ensuring adequate funding to public broadcasting as well as its editorial independence.

For more information & media inquiries please contact:

Aleksandar Djordjević , EU Delegation to Serbia, Media and Information Officer,

e-mail: aleksandar.djordjevic@eeas.europa.eu, Phone: +381 11 30 83 200.

Ivana Milatović, OSCE National Political and Press Affairs Officer,

e-mail: ppiu-serbia@osce.org, Phone +381 11 3606 151

Related Stories

• Discussion on efficient regulation of reality TV shows
• 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
• More than 1,000 local inspectors in Serbia successfully complete OSCE-supported online training course

The final public consultations on the content of the new National Action Plan (NAP) for the implementation of the UN SCR 1325 – Women, Peace and Security (2016-2020) was held on 10 June 2016 in Belgrade at the premises of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia.

The OSCE Mission to Serbia, jointly with the Serbian Government's Office for Co-operation with Civil Society, and the Standing Conference of Towns and Municipalities, supported the Working Group in the drafting process of the NAP by organizing public consultations across Serbia.

The consultations were held in the towns of Nis, Vranje, Novi Pazar, Krusevac, Novi Sad and Belgrade. During the meetings, participants welcomed that the new NAP raises the profile of local activities and that it places an emphasis on improved co-ordinated action, both at the local and national levels.

The main objective of the new NAP is to improve the safety and security of women through the implementation of UN SCR 1325 in the areas of prevention, participation, relief and recovery, and to increase involvement of women at the local level.

Participants included some 250 high-ranking officials of the Serbian Government and representatives of civil society organizations, and the media.

Related Stories

• More than 1,000 local inspectors in Serbia successfully complete OSCE-supported online training course
• OSCE Mission to Serbia and ODIHR launch joint Report on peer elections for High Judicial Council and State Prosecutors’ Council
• Regional Conference on Legal Remedies in Criminal Proceedings: Laws in the Region and Their Application

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.

Related Stories

• OSCE Mission to Serbia supports public consultations on implementation of UN SCR 1325 – Women, Peace and Security (2016-2020) National Action Plan
• OSCE Mission to Serbia and ODIHR launch joint Report on peer elections for High Judicial Council and State Prosecutors’ Council
• Regional Conference on Legal Remedies in Criminal Proceedings: Laws in the Region and Their Application

CHISINAU, 24 June 2016 – The Special Representative of the German OSCE Chairperson-in-Office for the Transdniestrian Settlement Process, Cord Meier-Klodt, concluded today his fourth visit to the region in 2016 to meet with political representatives in Chisinau and Tiraspol.

During the visit, Ambassador Meier-Klodt followed up on progress by the sides in implementing the protocol signed as a result of talks in the 5+2 format in Berlin on 2 and 3 June 2016.

“During the 5+2 talks in Berlin, the sides committed to achieve specific outcomes on key issues before the Bavaria conference in July,” said Ambassador Meier-Klodt. “Since then, the sides have finalized agreements in the field of ecology, an achievement that demonstrates their ability to follow through on commitments reached at the negotiating table.”

The Special Representative highlighted the spirit of co-operation that characterized the recent 5+2 talks, as reflected in the unanimous support for the Berlin protocol expressed by the international partners.  

“In my meetings in Chisinau and Tiraspol, I underscored the need for fresh vision and thinking on these issues that focuses on the gains for both sides,” the Special Representative said. “In that context, I urge the sides to redouble their efforts to implement the remaining issues contained in the Berlin 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.

Related Stories

• OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Steinmeier, in Moldova, calls for swift and full implementation of confidence-building measures
• OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Frank-Walter Steinmeier to visit Moldova on Tuesday
• Urgent steps needed towards full respect for ceasefire in eastern Ukraine, says OSCE Chairmanship Special Representative and Chief Monitor

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.

Related Stories

• Hand in Hand with Montenegro – Stability and Co-operation for Success
• Strong multilateral institutions, confidence-building instruments key in addressing divisions, say participants of OSCE Security Days in Berlin
• No Security without human rights, say panellists at Security Days Night-Owl session in Berlin

The OSCE Mission to Skopje organized a workshop on 23 June 2016 for 35 police managers from the Sector of Internal Affairs on identification, prevention and investigation of hate crimes.

The aim of the workshop was to strengthen the capacity of police officers to identify hate crimes and provide responses in line with democratic policing principles and international human rights standards. 

This workshop complemented other previous and ongoing activities of the Mission in this area which are implemented in co-operation with national authorities.

The event was the first in a series of eight workshops which will be held in each sector for internal affairs in the country.

Related Stories

• OSCE Mission to Skopje organizes two-day workshop on multi-ethnic policing
• OSCE Mission to Skopje organizes workshop for national Police Union on countering gender-based discrimination
• OSCE Mission to Skopje supports face recognition on-site training for border police officers

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.

Related Stories

• OSCE Mission to Skopje organizes two-day workshop on multi-ethnic policing
• OSCE Mission to Skopje organises workshop on hate crime for police managers
• OSCE Mission to Skopje supports roundtable discussion on the role of women in creating safer communities

The OSCE Mission to Skopje, in co-operation with the Ministry of Internal Affairs, organized a two-day workshop in Ohrid on policing in a multi-ethnic society on 11 and 12 July 2016. Some forty police officers of different ethnicities working in Ohrid and Bitola police stations attended the event and exchanged information and experiences related to multi-ethnic policing.

The workshop also served as a platform for generating ideas on future measures to foster effective functioning of ethnically mixed police units and ensure the acceptance and equal treatment of police officers coming from smaller communities.

The workshop is one of the ways the Mission is supporting efforts to strengthen police capacities and build trust across multi-ethnic communities. 

Related Stories

• OSCE Mission to Skopje organizes workshop for national Police Union on countering gender-based discrimination
• OSCE Mission to Skopje organises workshop on hate crime for police managers
• OSCE Mission to Skopje supports face recognition on-site training for border police officers