OSCE

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By increasing democratic civilian control, respecting the rule of law, upholding human rights and integrating a real role for women, good security sector governance helps build the population’s trust and provides stability by significantly contributing to conflict prevention.

An updated second edition of the Guidelines on Security Sector Governance and Reform for OSCE staff was unveiled on 3 December 2021, at a side event held at the 28th OSCE Ministerial Council in Stockholm, Sweden.

“This new edition of the Guidelines will ensure that OSCE assistance to participating States is comprehensive, cross-dimensional, gender-sensitive and impact-oriented in support of the security needs of the whole population,” said Tuula Yrjölä, Director of the OSCE’s Conflict Prevention Centre.

Kathleen Kavalec, Head of the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina and Pierre Von Arx, Head of the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan provided practical examples of the OSCE’s assistance. Von Arx highlighted the Project Co-ordinator’s work on strengthening parliamentary financial oversight and underlined that all support is implemented with full respect for national ownership.

Ambassador Radomir Boháč, Permanent Representative of Slovakia and Chair of the Group of Friends of Security Sector Governance and Reform (SSG/R) in the OSCE added that: “Discussions on SSG/R clearly demonstrates how much the agenda has been evolving within the OSCE in these past years. 46 participating States signing up to this year’s Group of Friends Statement is a clear sign of support and an important acknowledgement of the relevance that SSG/R has in the OSCE context.”

The Guidelines were first developed in 2016 and have been revised in the course of 2021 by the Conflict Prevention Centre, with input from SSG/R focal points across OSCE executive structures and with the support of the Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance (DCAF) and the Swedish Agency for Peace Security and Development – Folke Bernadotte Academy (FBA).

An updated training programme for OSCE staff will be introduced in 2022.

506669 Presentation by Bondo Bolkvadze, an expert from Georgia, during an OSCE-organized seminar on best practices in elaborating WTO-compliant national legislation, December 2, 2021. (OSCE) OSCE Centre in Ashgabat

OSCE best practices in improving national legislation to meet the World Trade Organizations’ (WTO) requirements were discussed during an online seminar organized by the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat on 2 and 3 December 2021.

The two-day event brought representatives from the Mejlis (lower chamber) of the Milli Gengesh (Parliament) of Turkmenistan, the country’s Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Justice, Trade and Foreign Economic Relations, Finance and Economy, Agriculture and Environmental Protection as well as the State Customs Service, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and other ministries and relevant bodies.

Two international experts from Georgia presented priorities for promoting international trade and reviewed WTO requirements. They discussed the removal of technical barriers to trade, tariff policy in agriculture and food, the determination of the customs value of goods, cotton trade and domestic support issues, border measures on intellectual property rights, and relevant WTO agreements, including on trade facilitation and on sanitary and phytosanitary measures.

Referring to the OSCE Ministerial Council decision on "Strengthening Good Governance and Promoting Connectivity”, John MacGregor, Head of the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat said: “This OSCE commitment gave a new impetus to the Organization's work on promoting economic co-operation, including through providing support in the integration of economies into the international economic and financial system, above all through accession to the World Trade Organization”.

He added that, over the past five years, the OSCE has significantly intensified its activities in the area of trade facilitation and promotion of the principles of uninterrupted and secure transport and transit.

This event marks the continuation of the OSCE Centre's co-operation with the government of Turkmenistan in the area of trade and transport sector development.

The OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan organized an in-person training-of-trainers, from 28 November to 2 December 2021 in Tashkent, on international standards of human rights and freedoms for defense lawyers from all regions of Uzbekistan. The training course is part of the longstanding efforts of PCUz to reach out to legal professionals and to support the creation of a community of legal experts in Uzbekistan, with knowledge of the most recent developments among international legal experts.

The course taught a group of defense lawyers, including 16 men and 14 women, on the international standards of human rights and modern techniques to other lawyers. Participants will form a team of core national trainers, who will further train their peers in the regions of the country using the knowledge and skills acquired during the course, in accordance with the Agreement between PCUz and the Chamber of Advocates of Uzbekistan. The workshop was conducted by trainers from the Polish Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights.

Ildar Fayzullin, National Project Officer with the PCUz, underlined that the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan stands ready to continue providing its support to the judicial and legal reforms ongoing in the country and to institutional and professional development of the Chamber of Advocates of the Republic of Uzbekistan and its members.

This training course was organized within the project "Enhancing the Capacities of the Chamber of Advocates of the Republic of Uzbekistan".

SDGs SDGs:  16 - Peace, justice and strong institutions

Summary

• In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded 159 ceasefire violations, including 33 explosions. In the previous reporting period, it recorded 265 ceasefire violations in the region.
• In Luhansk region, the Mission recorded 22 ceasefire violations, including 19 explosions, the majority of which were assessed as a live-fire training exercise outside the security zone. In the previous reporting period, it recorded six ceasefire violations in the region.
• The SMM followed up on reports of damage to civilian infrastructure in government-controlled Stanytsia Luhanska and in non-government-controlled Mykolaivka, Luhansk region.
• Small-arms fire was assessed as directed at an SMM mini-unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) near non-government-controlled Sadovyi, Luhansk region.
• Members of the armed formations denied the SMM passage towards non-government-controlled areas near Zolote and Molodizhne, and at a checkpoint south of the disengagement area near Zolote, Luhansk region.*
• The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske.
• The SMM facilitated the operation of critical civilian infrastructure.
• The Mission continued following up on the situation of civilians, including at three entry-exit checkpoints and four corresponding checkpoints of the armed formations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
• The SMM visited two border crossing points and monitored border areas outside government control in Donetsk region.
• The Mission’s freedom of movement continued to be restricted. Its UAVs encountered instances of GPS signal interference, assessed as caused by probable jamming and jamming.*

VIENNA / LONDON / NEW YORK, 2 December 2021 – Valiant Richey, OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, Dame Sara Thornton, United Kingdom Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner (IASC) and Daniel Thelesklaf, Project Director of Finance Against Slavery and Trafficking (FAST) Initiative at United Nations University Centre for Policy Research, issued the following statement after the conclusion of a roundtable on the critical role of the financial sector in combating trafficking in human beings and modern-day slavery:

This week’s Roundtable on Trafficking in Human Beings and the Financial Sector, jointly organized by the OSCE, IASC and the FAST, brought together financial institutions, financial intelligence units, and anti-trafficking coordinators from twelve countries to discuss the importance of detecting and disrupting illicit financial flows generated from trafficking in human beings within legitimate financial networks.

The financial sector is connected to trafficking and slavery in three ways: proceeds of these crimes will often end up being handled by it; it invests in and lends to businesses that may knowingly or unknowingly be benefitting from trafficking and the exploitation of labour; and, by providing financial services to those that are currently excluded, the financial sector can significantly reduce vulnerabilities. This week, the focus was on detecting and preventing trafficking and slavery through handling the proceeds of these crimes.

Collectively noting that, “trafficking in human beings and modern-day slavery are, at their core, financially motivated crimes and that financial services have a critical role to play in tackling these crimes”, the organizers of the roundtable resolved to:

• jointly advocate for buy-in of senior executives in financial institutions, regulators/supervisors (national and supranational) and Financial Intelligence Units (FIUs) to raise awareness, as well as invest resources and effort, in addressing the issue.
• continue to support financial service providers in taking a proactive approach toward preventing, identifying and eliminating financial flows generated from trafficking in human beings and modern-day slavery, while being careful about the impacts of de-risking, which can unintentionally increase slavery and trafficking risks.
• assist countries to better include trafficking and modern slavery risks in their National Risk Assessments and, to the degree possible, conduct research on prevalence and inform assessments bodies on these findings.
• encourage financial institutions and FIUs to learn from the unique experience of survivors in all aspects of work, from program design to implementation, in particular to raise awareness and train staff;
• assist financial institutions, financial intelligence units and relevant law enforcement authorities in undertaking capacity building, in particular on the use of financial indicators, scenarios and red flags pertinent to trafficking in human beings and slavery;
• support the establishment of public and private partnerships between financial institutions, FIUs and law enforcement to promote the timely and accurate sharing of strategic and tactical data amongst public agencies and financial services industry within and across borders on financial flows potentially resulting from trafficking in human beings and modern-day slavery, and learning from others how to resolve privacy issues;
• continue to engage in an open dialogue on how to best combat the flow of proceeds from trafficking in human beings and modern-day slavery, and to share emerging best practices in this field.

The organizers of the roundtable are confident that by agreeing to these steps and promoting efforts with financial service providers to “follow the money”, significant progress can be made to end trafficking in human beings and modern-day slavery, in line with international commitments, including target 8.7 of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

The following participants of the roundtable join this statement:

Anti-Financial Crime Alliance (AFCA)

Derek Maguire Human Trafficking Investigation and Coordination unit (HTICU), Garda National Protective Services Bureau

Dickon Johnstone, CEO, Themis

LGT Group Holding

Matt Friedman, Chief Executive Officer, The Mekong Club

Patrick Eltridge, Chief Operating Officer, Nationwide Building Society

Scotiabank

The Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC)

Tom Keatinge, Director, RUSI Centre for Financial Crime & Security Studies

United Kingdom’s Financial Intelligence Unit (UKFIU)

506473 John MacGregor, Head of the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat, speaking during the OSCE-organized online seminar on enhancing capacity-building of the Ombudsperson’s office, Ashgabat 2 December 2021. OSCE Centre in Ashgabat

An OSCE-organized online seminar on mainstreaming the work of the national human rights institutions and the role of an Advisory Council in Turkmenistan took place on 2 December 2021.

The event was organized jointly by the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat and the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR) in Warsaw and facilitated by international experts from Croatia and Ireland. Participants from the Ombudsperson's Office and the Institute of State, Law and Democracy of Turkmenistan attended the event.

The event was designed to enhance the role of the Office of the Ombudsperson of Turkmenistan and its functions in addressing human rights issues. Particular attention was drawn to establishing an Expert Council under the Ombudsperson in accordance with the law “on Ombudsperson” of Turkmenistan. Discussions were also aimed at strengthening the office of the Ombudsperson in its engagement with government bodies, judiciary, civil society organizations, police, ministries, and other stakeholders.

“All 57 participating States, including Turkmenistan, recognize human rights as the birth right of all human beings, inalienable and guaranteed by law; strengthening their protection across the whole OSCE region is therefore at the heart of the Organization’s work,” said John MacGregor, Head of the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat.

He also added that from an OSCE perspective, human rights institutions such as ombudsperson institutions, along with our participating governments, are our key partners and allies as we all jointly strive to uphold international human rights standards at the national level throughout the OSCE region.

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OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities Kairat Abdrakhmanov welcomed Montenegro’s approach to national minorities and inter-ethnic relations and discussed the authorities’ plans to manage diversity in society, during his visit to the country from 24 to 26 November 2021.

The High Commissioner discussed best practices in diversity governance and stressed the importance of responding to the needs of all communities in his meetings with Government interlocutors. He met with Prime Minister Zdravko Krivokapić, Deputy Prime Minister Dritan Abazović, Speaker of the National Assembly Aleksa Bečić, Foreign Minister Djordje Radulović, Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports Vesna Bratić and Ministry of Justice and Human and Minority Rights State Secretary Bojan Božović.

He also highlighted the importance of policies and institutions that deal with matters related to national minorities in his meetings and discussed the participation of national minorities in public, political and socio-economic life and opportunities for inclusive education.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to strengthen our dialogue and I look forward to future exchanges with the authorities on ways to enhance social cohesion and the integration of Montenegro’s diverse society,” Abdrakhmanov said.

The High Commissioner took the opportunity to congratulate the authorities on Montenegro’s election to the Human Rights Council for 2022 to 2024, commending its clear signal on equality, good governance and human rights. “A foreign policy that emphasizes the importance of equal opportunities in diverse societies bodes well for social cohesion,” he said.

The High Commissioner also met with the presidents of several National Minority Councils to hear their views and concerns.

STOCKHOLM, 2 December 2021 – To respond to a time of turbulence and multiple crises across our region, we need common solutions, Chairperson-in-Office Linde, Sweden´s Minister for Foreign Affairs said when opening the 28th Ministerial Council in Stockholm.

Addressing foreign ministers, state secretaries and high-level officials from the OSCE’s 57 participating States, 11 Partners for Co-operation, and several senior officials from other international organizations, Chairperson-in-Office Linde described the meeting in Stockholm as an opportunity to rebuild trust and common ground among the OSCE participating States.

The over 20 official visits she has made during the year as Chairperson, visiting or meeting with all the OSCE field presences, demonstrate the importance that the Chairpersonship has placed on the organization’s work in the field.

“The success of our common efforts is measured by how we improve the lives and well-being of people in the most vulnerable situations,” she reminded the delegates of the Ministerial Council.

Her speech focused on Sweden’s 2021 OSCE Chairpersonship’s promise to “go back to basics” and let the spirit and ideas that laid the ground for the OSCE guide the Chairpersonship’s work in 2021. The work within the OSCE’s human dimension has been especially high on the Swedish agenda and steps have been taken to implement and strengthen commitments concerning women, peace and security, as well as women’s economic empowerment.  

Linde urged States to manage differences without resorting to confrontation. As Chair, Sweden has engaged in active and intense diplomacy on crises and conflicts in the OSCE region, including Georgia, Moldova, the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict context, and the conflict in and around Ukraine.

“I hope that during our two days together here in Stockholm we will have the courage to engage in real dialogue and seek common ground. And, wherever possible, to find common ways forward”, she said.

Following the Chairperson-in-Office, the President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Margareta Cederfelt said: “Throughout the OSCE, there is an urgent need to de-escalate and promote greater solidarity and unity. Clearly, we cannot agree on everything. But there is a lot to gain by finally meeting in person after two years, by considering each other’s point of view, and by inching closer to each other.”

“With the support of all participating States, the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly will continue building partnerships to improve the way the OSCE operates and responds to our common challenges,” she added.

In her report to the Ministerial Council, OSCE Secretary General Helga Maria Schmid said: “This Ministerial Council is also an opportunity to highlight the remarkable human impact this organization is having across the region through its activities. From facilitating localized ceasefires in Ukraine that enable the repair of essential infrastructure, to removing harmful rocket fuel in Kyrgyzstan. Our comprehensive approach to security makes a real difference to the lives of millions of people.”

SDGs SDGs:  16 - Peace, justice and strong institutions

Summary

• In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded 265 ceasefire violations, including 22 explosions, 146 of which were assessed as live-fire training exercises in the security zone. In the previous reporting period, it recorded 139 ceasefire violations in the region.
• In Luhansk region, the Mission recorded six ceasefire violations. In the previous reporting period, it recorded 163 ceasefire violations in the region.
• The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske.
• The SMM facilitated the operation of critical civilian infrastructure.
• The Mission continued following up on the situation of civilians, including at three entry-exit checkpoints and four corresponding checkpoints of the armed formations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
• The SMM visited two border crossing points outside government control in Donetsk region.
• The Mission monitored the security situation in east and south-east Kherson region.
• The SMM monitored a gathering in Kyiv.
• The Mission’s freedom of movement continued to be restricted, including at a checkpoint of the armed formations near Zaichenko, Donetsk region.*

STOCKHOLM, 1 December 2021 – Today, civil society representatives from across the OSCE area presented their recommendations to strengthen the OSCE’s approach to conflict prevention at the annual OSCE Parallel Civil Society Conference held in Stockholm and online.

The Stockholm Declaration, adopted during the Civil Society Conference which brought together more than 90 human rights and peacebuilding NGOs from across the OSCE region, was submitted to the OSCE’s political structures and institutions, as well as to the organization’s 57 participating States on the eve of the 28th OSCE Ministerial Council.

OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and Sweden’s Foreign Minister Ann Linde emphasised that: “A vibrant civil society is key for democracy as the beating heart of all societies, including in our organization. They help us keep our eyes on crucial issues and worrying trends and help participating States hold one another to account.” She expressed gratitude for the contribution of civil society in relation to all aspects of the OSCE´s work.”

OSCE Secretary General Helga Maria Schmid emphasised that: “Civil society organizations play a core role in everything the OSCE does – from conflict prevention, to combatting organized crime, to promoting economic empowerment and beyond. The Stockholm Dialogue, which echoes many of my own priorities for the organization, is a timely reminder of this contribution.”

The event was also attended by Matteo Mecacci, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), Kairat Abdrakhmanov, OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities (HCNM) and Teresa Ribeiro, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media (RFoM).

The Parallel Civil Society Conference, organised by Civic Solidarity Platform, is held annually on the margins of the OSCE Ministerial Council meetings since 2010, with the support of the respective OSCE Chairpersonship.

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

Election experts from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) presented their final report on Italy’s 2018 parliamentary elections during a visit to Rome that took place from 29 November to 1 December 2021.

The experts discussed the report’s key findings and recommendations with representatives of Italy’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Interior, both houses of the Italian Parliament, the media regulator and civil society organizations.

Discussions focused on the report’s priority recommendations such as revising the legal framework, including the codification of electoral legislation, ensuring equality of the vote, guaranteeing the voting rights of people with disabilities, establishing an effective oversight body for campaign finance and ensuring the right to a timely legal remedy.

ODIHR experts emphasized the importance of addressing recommendations made in its reports in an inclusive and consultative process well ahead of the next elections. They also discussed potential areas for further co-operation with national institutions and offered various forms of assistance to further improve the electoral process, including technical discussions, legal reviews and thematic workshops.

All OSCE participating States have committed themselves to promptly follow up on ODIHR election assessments and recommendations.

SDGs SDGs:  16 - Peace, justice and strong institutions

On the morning of 1 December, the armed formations in Luhansk region denied two SMM patrols passage to non-government-controlled areas. Both patrols were travelling from government-controlled areas.

The first denial occurred at 09:25, at about 350m north of the southern edge of the disengagement area near Zolote (government-controlled, 60km west of Luhansk). The second occurred at 11:13, at a checkpoint of the armed formations on road T-0504 about 1.5km south-west of Molodizhne (non-government-controlled, 63km north-west of Luhansk). On the first occasion, members of the armed formations cited a “lack of security guarantees” and on the second “orders from their superiors”.

Additionally, earlier in the morning, at 09:10, at a checkpoint south of the disengagement area near Zolote, a member of the armed formations denied another SMM patrol passage inside the disengagement area, citing a “lack of security guarantees”. The patrol was to assist the SMM patrol crossing to non-government-controlled areas mentioned above.

For recent restrictions faced by the SMM when crossing the contact line, see SMM Spot Reports 27/2021, 28/2021, 29/2021, 30/2021, 31/2021 and 32/2021.

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

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

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The OSCE Transnational Threats Department and the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat jointly organized the online training course “Intelligence-Led Policing: from Theory to Strategic and Operational Practice” from 22 to 25 November.

Thirteen law enforcement and criminal justice officials from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Ministry of National Security, Ministry of Justice, the General Prosecutor’s Office and the Supreme Court explored the theory of intelligence-led policing (ILP), crime analysis, assessments and decision-making procedures. They also discussed its strategic and operational components, and reviewed possible implementation of ILP in Turkmenistan. 

“For many years, the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat has been actively co-operating with law enforcement agencies in Turkmenistan and their educational institutions in the framework of capacity-building projects aimed at in-service training of personnel and basic police training, and familiarizing with best national practices in OSCE participating States and guidelines developed by the Organization,” said William Leaf, Political Officer at the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat.

He added that this training course builds on the OSCE Guidebook on Intelligence-led Policing and provides trainees with an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of ILP principles, as well as evaluate practical steps for its implementation.

Eduard Lokotunin, Police Affairs Officer on Combating Illicit Drugs and ILP Project Manager, emphasized ILP’s ability to address the complexities and transnational nature of crime as well as the greater demand for financial efficiency of law enforcement. He also emphasized that the model improves day-to-day proactive planning and police management.

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

506074 Željka Šulc

The OSCE Mobile Training Team and the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina, jointly organized an interactive training course on the identification of foreign terrorist fighters at the borders for 22 first and second line border officers and the Service for Foreigners’ Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina from 29 November to 1 December 2021 in Jahorina, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

During the three-day training course, participants learned about international and regional legal frameworks, the effective use of Interpol databases, Advance Passenger Information and Passenger Name Record Systems, travel document security as well as risk analysis and management in the identification of potential foreign terrorist fighters at borders. Participants were also taught how to detect behavioral indicators of FTFs and interviewing techniques.

“For several years now, Bosnia and Herzegovina is facing increased mixed migration flows. It is imperative that our border officers and inspectors for foreigners get more training to identify foreign terrorist fighters in these flows,” said Rade Kovač, Head of Sector for Operational Support of the BiH Service for Foreigners’ Affairs. Slobodan Krstić, Adviser to the Director of Border Police added that the course helped the trainees learn techniques that will enable them to quickly identify suspects in their daily duties in border security and immigration in a human rights and rule of law-compliant manner.

“It has been two years since we had the last in-person training on the phenomenon of returning FTFs at borders. A lot has changed in these two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but what has not changed is the threat that FTFs still pose on our society, especially in the OSCE region. Maybe the threat today is even bigger than in 2016, when the project was established”, said Florian Krejsa, Border Security and Management Unit of the OSCE Transnational Threats Department.

The Mobile Training Team was represented by national border officers from North Macedonia and Greece, as well as national and international experts from Bosnia and Herzegovina, INTERPOL, FRONTEX, the OSCE and the United States of America. Experts shared their knowledge and expertise on the identification of Foreign Terrorist Fighters at the borders.

The OSCE Mobile Training Team was established by the Border Security and Management Unit of the OSCE Transnational Threats Department in 2016. It is composed of 17 selected border and counter-terrorism experts from OSCE participating States and Partners for Co-operation.  This is the twelfth deployment of the Mobile Training Team, organized by the Border Security and Management Unit of the OSCE Transnational Threats Department and the  OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina.

506041 Marina Živaljević

The OSCE Mission to Montenegro joins the global “16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence” with a public campaign calling for an end to gender-based violence that includes a TV spot and social media campaign. The 16 days of Activism campaign started on 25 November, on the International Day against Violence against Women, and runs through to International Human Rights Day on 10 December.

The video is produced in partnership with the Ministry of Justice, Human and Minority Rights to raise public awareness on the prevalence of domestic violence and violence against women and girls. It encourages everyone to take action to prevent and combat gender based violence.

According to the 2019 OSCE-led Survey on Violence against Women, nearly one in five women say they have experienced physical and/or sexual violence, since the age of 15, at the hands of a partner or non-partner. More than three in ten have experienced sexual harassment. The Survey also showed that a quarter agree that violence against women is often provoked by the victim, but such attitudes are slowly changing.

Gender-based violence is a violation of human rights that threatens the security and safety of women and girls around the world. It has long-term consequences for the individuals in their life and for the wider society in which they live. Gender-based violence can take various forms, ranging from psychological, sexual, and economic to physical, and it cuts through all cultural and social barriers.

The Mission and the Ministry of Justice, Human and Minority Rights will continue to promote gender equality and advocate unequivocally for a zero-tolerance policy for domestic violence.

Violence can be stopped. Let’s stop it. LET’S REACT!

STOCKHOLM/VIENNA, 30 November 2021 – The 28th Ministerial Council of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) will take place on 2 and 3 December 2021 in Stockholm, Sweden.

The annual meeting of Foreign Ministers from the 57 OSCE participating States is held at the invitation of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Sweden’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Ann Linde.

“The OSCE is of crucial importance to respond to the multiple challenges, crises and conflicts in our region, and to prevent new crises and conflicts from arising. During two days of meetings, we will have the opportunity to come together to find sustainable solutions to our common challenges, in line with our OSCE principles and commitments. It is an opportunity to rebuild trust and find common ground,” Linde said.

Foreign ministers and high-level government officials from the participating States, OSCE Partners for Co-operation and multilateral organizations will address the major security challenges across the OSCE region and beyond.

The Ministerial Council is the central decision-making and governing body of the OSCE. The annual meeting is an opportunity for the Foreign Ministers to review and assess the security situation in the Euro-Atlantic and Eurasian areas and the course for the organization's work in all its fields of activity.

Follow the Ministerial Council online

Open plenary sessions at the Ministerial Council as well as the closing press conference will be available via livestream on the OSCE website at: www.osce.org/live

Interview requests

Interview requests throughout the Ministerial Council should be sent to comms@osce.org.

Media opportunities

The following media opportunities will be open for journalists accredited to the Ministerial Council.

Journalists participating in pools are requested to gather at the media information desk no later than 20 minutes before the pool starts. Late arrival could result in exclusion from the pool.

For pool requests please contact boel.lindbergh@gov.se

2 December 2021

• 08.20–09.30: Media Pool – Arrival of Heads of Delegation at Scandinavian XPO and welcome by Chairperson-in-Office Ann Linde
• 10.00–10.45: Media Pool – Opening session, before the first plenary session
• 13.15–13.30: Media Pool – Group photo

3 December 2021

The exact time of the Closing Plenary Session and Press Conference will be announced in the Media Centre a few hours before they take place.

• 13.45–14.00 (tentative): Media Pool - Closing Plenary Session.

• 14:00 (tentative): Final press conference with Chairperson-in-Office, Swedish Foreign Minister, Ann Linde, the incoming Chairman-in-Office, Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau and OSCE Secretary, General Helga Maria Schmid. 

Additional logistical details can be found here.

SDGs SDGs:  16 - Peace, justice and strong institutions

Summary

• In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded 139 ceasefire violations, including 90 explosions. In the previous 24 hours, it recorded 159 ceasefire violations in the region.
• In Luhansk region, the Mission recorded 163 ceasefire violations and 109 explosions. In the previous 24 hours, it recorded no ceasefire violations in the region.
• Small-arms fire was assessed as directed at two SMM mini-unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) near government-controlled Verkhnotoretske, Donetsk region, and non-government-controlled Zhovte, Luhansk region.
• Members of the armed formations denied the Mission passage towards government-controlled areas near Zolote, Stanytsia Luhanska, and Molodizhne, Luhansk region.*
• The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske.
• The SMM facilitated the operation and repair of critical civilian infrastructure.
• The Mission continued following up on the situation of civilians, including at five entry-exit checkpoints and five corresponding checkpoints of the armed formations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
• The SMM saw a convoy of an international organization in a non-government-controlled area near Rozdolne, Donetsk region.
• The Mission’s freedom of movement continued to be restricted, including at checkpoints of the armed formations near Staromykhailivka and Khreshchatytske (formerly Krasnoarmiiske), Donetsk region, at a border crossing point outside government-control in Voznesenivka (formerly Chervonopartyzansk), and at the Chervona Mohyla railway station in Voznesenivka, Luhansk region. Its UAVs again experienced instances of probable jamming.*

The OSCE Presence in Albania started a special training seminar for Albania’s prison personnel, which aimed to train fifty staff members on how to manage detainees held under the special prison regime in compliance with human rights and freedoms. The seminar is taking place from 30 November to 3 December in Tirana.

The Presence is organizing the event jointly with the Ministry of Justice, the General Directorate of Prisons, and the Office of the People’s Advocate (Ombudsperson). Two groups of prison personnel, lasting two days for each group, will participate in the seminar. The seminar builds upon an Assessment Report of the Special Regime for High-Security Prisoners in Albania, which the Presence developed last year. The training is conducted by Brig. Gen. Mauro D’Amico, the Director of Mobile Operative Group (Gruppo Operativo Mobile) of the Penitentiary Police in the Italian Ministry of Justice, and who has a wide experience in the enforcement of the Italian special regime model.

“I commend how practical this workshop is because it avoids focusing purely on theory. This approach reflects our mandate, which provides support to the host country’s clearly identified needs,” said Vincenzo Del Monaco, Head of the OSCE Presence in Albania, opening the workshop. “The legality, necessity and proportionality principles have to be factored in when finding concrete solutions that ensure prison security while respecting the human rights of inmates. Prison work is tough and I take this opportunity to praise the great work that prison staff and police are doing every single day.”

The Minister of Justice, Ulsi Manja, and the People’s Advocate (Ombudsperson), Erinda Ballanca, attended the event’s opening. In their opening remarks, they highlighted the seminar’s importance and the need to balance security in prisons with human rights and freedoms of inmates.

The special prison regime was introduced in Albania recently and is based on the relevant Italian model. The special prison regime puts several restrictions on offenders, which might, if improperly or carelessly done, lead to violations of human rights. The OSCE Presence in Albania has already supported the Albanian General Directorate of Prisons in implementing such a regime. The Presence has been actively involved in promoting the rights of people in detention and has contributed to the progressive improvement of conditions in prisons in Albania. The Presence has also played a significant role in the establishment of the Probation Service as an alternative to imprisonment to alleviate overcrowding. The Presence has supported the Probation Service since its inception.

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The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) is proud to support the exhibition on “Missing Works of Art” together with partners, the International Republican Institute, the Group of Friends of Members of Parliament on European Integration and Security and the Centre against Trafficking in Works of Art that opened at the BiH Parliamentary Assembly on 30 November 2021. The exhibition focuses attention on the importance of protecting cultural property and works of art in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the steps needed to ensure such protection.  

In opening the exhibit, Kathleen Kavalec, Head of the OSCE Mission to BiH said, “It is important that BiH implement international and European standards for protection of cultural property and works of art. Needed steps include the development and harmonization of appropriate legislation, the creation of relevant records and databases, and building capacity and empowering law enforcement bodies to undertake protective measures, including through cooperation with INTERPOL.”

Currently, Bosnia and Herzegovina lacks a state-level National Database on Missing Works of Art. According to the data of the Centre against Trafficking in Works of Art, and based on claims submitted to relevant authorities, 179 art works are known to be missing from several institutions, including the Art Gallery of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the International Portrait Gallery, Tuzla Centre for Culture, the Museum of Eastern Bosnia and the Museum of Literature and Performing Arts.  

Earlier this year the Mission carried out a public awareness campaign on the need to address illicit trafficking of cultural property, focusing on the nature and consequences of this criminal activity, the roles and responsibilities of different actors; including that of the public, and the significance of protecting cultural heritage. The campaign also provided guidance on reporting suspected cases of trafficking, through the State Investigation and Protection Agency’s Krimolovci hotline — and in doing so helped advance security provision prospects and improve security sector governance.

The OSCE Mission to BiH remains committed in raising awareness of decision-making authorities in BiH on ways to contribute to preventing and countering art smuggling in BiH.

SDGs SDGs:  16 - Peace, justice and strong institutions

Summary

• In Donetsk region, between the evenings of 26 to 28 November, the SMM recorded 495 ceasefire violations, including 49 explosions. In the previous reporting period, it recorded 612 ceasefire violations in the region.
• In Luhansk region, between the evenings of 26 to 28 November, the Mission recorded 164 ceasefire violations and no explosions. In the previous reporting period, it recorded 193 ceasefire violations in the region.
• Ceasefire violations occurred close to an SMM patrol in non-government-controlled Raivka, Luhansk region.
• Members of the armed formations denied the Mission passage towards non-government-controlled areas near Zolote and Molodizhne, Luhansk region.
• The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske. It recorded ceasefire violations inside the area near Petrivske.
• The SMM facilitated the operation of critical civilian infrastructure.
• The Mission continued following up on the situation of civilians, including at five entry-exit checkpoints and five checkpoints of the armed formations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
• The SMM observed a gathering in Lviv.
• The Mission’s freedom of movement continued to be restricted, including at checkpoints of the armed formations near Horlivka and Khreshchatytske (formerly Krasnoarmiiske), Donetsk region and near a border crossing point outside government control near Leonove (formerly Chervonyi Zhovten), Luhansk region. Its unmanned aerial vehicles again experienced instances of probable jamming.*