- OSCE Annual Police Experts Meeting discusses enhancing policing activities, calls for better co-ordination

VIENNA, 21 May 2010 - Policing experts from the OSCE region discussed further enhancing police-related activities and co-operating with international and regional organizations to address transnational threats at the two-day Annual Police Experts Meeting which ends in Vienna today. 

The meeting organized by the OSCE Strategic Police Matters Unit (SPMU) focused on an OSCE Secretary General report on police-related activities undertaken from 1998 to 2009. Participants discussed the OSCE’s further contribution to international efforts to respond to transnational threats, including terrorism financing, illicit drug trafficking and trafficking in human beings, as well as the importance of close consultation and co-ordination among international, regional organizations and other actors providing international policing assistance.

"In view of scarce financial and personnel resources, co-operation between international players is crucial, as it helps build synergies, delegate and divide tasks, avoid duplications and incompatible equipment donations, and as a result can prevent confusion and frustration among beneficiaries, including state agencies and civil society," said Kevin Carty, the Senior Police Adviser to the OSCE Secretary General.

An OSCE guide on building trust and understanding between police and Roma and Sinti was launched at a press conference on the margins of the Annual Police Experts Meeting. The book was presented with the participation of Andrzej Mirga, ODIHR’s Senior Advisor for Roma and Sinti Issues, and Roma police officers from the UK and Hungary who shared their professional and personal experiences with media. 

The comprehensive publication created by the SPMU in co-operation with ODIHR provides background information, assesses policing mechanisms and practice in relation to Roma and Sinti, relevant legislation, human resources and training matters, and describes good practices on improving the policing of Roma and Sinti communities. The book, which is expected to be used for developing curricula for police academies, is the ninth volume in the SPMU publication series on policing good practices.

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- OSCE Centre in Bishkek starts training seminars for election commission members

BISHKEK, 21 May 2010 - The OSCE Centre in Bishkek and the country’s Central Election Commission (CEC) announced today the launch of a series of 20 planned training seminars for territorial election commission members ahead of Kyrgyzstan’s 27 June constitutional referendum.

The training seminars are taking place as part of co-operation between the OSCE Centre in Bishkek, the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) and the CEC. Some 550 territorial election commission members will be trained by the end of May.

"The forthcoming referendum is regarded as crucial for Kyrgyzstan. The OSCE Centre seeks to improve the professionalism and responsibility of election administration staff. This should contribute to conducting transparent voting that will help to ensure public confidence in the constitutional reform process," said Lilian Darii, the Deputy Head of the OSCE Centre in Bishkek.

The seminars will focus on the organization of preparatory work for the referendum and voting procedures on referendum day. The Centre in Bishkek, the IFES and the CEC have developed a special guide for the territorial election commission to be distributed among trainees.

"The schedule of preparatory activities for the referendum, which has been approved by the CEC, stipulates the training of members of election commissions. These training courses, which are conducted by highly-qualified trainers from the IFES jointly with the CEC and with OSCE support, will build the capacity of the election commissions to hold the referendum in line with national and international norms," said Gallia Alymbekova, a member of the Kyrgyz Central Election Commission.

The event was supported by the United States Agency for International Development.

The training seminars are part of OSCE assistance for the constitutional reform process and are organized by the Centre in Bishkek within the framework of the OSCE contingency funds package allocated on 29 April by the OSCE Permanent Council to support peace and stability in Kyrgyzstan.

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- OSCE assists in strengthening role of Azerbaijan’s Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsman) to prevent torture

BAKU, 24 May 2010 - A series of events to strengthen the role of Azerbaijan’s Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsman) in the prevention of torture and ill treatment began today with a conference organized by the OSCE Office in Baku and the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), the Commissioner’s Office and the Parliament of Azerbaijan.

According to the Optional Protocol to the UN Convention against Torture, and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, each State Party is responsible for developing a National Preventive Mechanism (NPM) to regularly monitor places where people are deprived of liberty, such as prisons, detention centres and psychiatric facilities, to ensure reasonable conditions and treatment. Following the ratification of the Optional Protocol by Azerbaijan in January 2009, President Ilham Aliyev signed a decree assigning the responsibility for Azerbaijan’s NPM to the Commissioner for Human Rights.

"We believe that an independent and strong National Preventive Mechanism can serve as an effective domestic tool to ensure the prevention of torture and ill-treatment in places of detention. Azerbaijan is to be applauded for ratifying the Optional Protocol and designating the Commissioner for Human Rights as the National Preventive Mechanism," said Ambassador Bilge Cankorel, the Head of the OSCE Office in Baku.

Liane Adler, ODIHR’s representative at the conference, stressed the importance of strengthening the legislative framework for the National Preventive Mechanism and securing sufficient financial and human resources for its activities.

The conference brings together representatives of the Commissioner’s Office, state justice and law enforcement authorities, international organizations and civil society to discuss ways to strengthen the Commissioner’s capacity to assume its NPM role. Representatives of the UN Sub-Committee for the Prevention of Torture, the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture, the Association for the Prevention of Torture, as well as an expert from the Human Rights Implementation Centre at Bristol University are also taking part.

Following the conference, the OSCE Office in Baku and ODIHR will hold two additional events -

the launch of the new Azerbaijani translation of the Guide on Monitoring Places of Detention prepared by the Geneva-based Association for the Prevention of Torture, and a workshop to strengthen the operational capacity of the Commissioner’s staff and other stakeholders to perform their respective functions as part of the National Preventive Mechanism.

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- Witnesses in war crimes trials in Bosnia and Herzegovina still facing threats and intimidation, finds OSCE report

SARAJEVO, 24 May 2010 - Urgent steps need to be taken to protect witnesses in war crimes trials from harassment and violence, found a report by the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) released in Sarajevo today.

The report, entitled Witness Protection and Support in BiH Domestic War Crimes Trials: Obstacles and recommendations a year after adoption of the National Strategy for War Crimes Processing, documents how witnesses continue to face threats, intimidation and possible re-traumatization when testifying in war crimes trials before both the Courts of BiH.

"BiH is not yet taking sufficient steps to protect witnesses from harassment and violence and to ensure their participation in war crimes trials with dignity, and has yet to meet its own targets under the National Strategy for War Crimes Processing to improve this situation," said Valery Perry, the acting OSCE Mission to BiH Programme Director.

"Witness testimony is the linchpin of successful prosecutions in war crimes cases, but not enough is being done to ensure that trials take place without violating the rights of victims. These failures are jeopardizing the right to life, security and privacy of witnesses, and can have particularly devastating effects on those who are also the victims in these cases," added Perry.

The reports recounts instances where the names of protected witnesses were knowingly released to the public; where witnesses informed the court they had been the target of threats, intimidation or bribes in relation to their testimony and the judiciary failed to respond; and where victim-witnesses testifying at the cantonal and district level received no psycho-social support in relation to their testimony.

The National Strategy for War Crimes Processing from 2008 contains a roadmap for dramatically improving the availability of witness protection and support services. To date, little progress is evident.

"The failure to improve protection and support services for witnesses and victims is the most worrying aspect of the overall slow rate of implementation of the National Strategy for War Crimes Processing," said Perry. "A society in which citizens do not have faith in the justice system is a society in which the rule of law cannot be consolidated."

At the report launch, the OSCE Mission also presented its recommendations for immediate steps that could be taken to improve the legal and systemic response to risks to the rights to life, security and privacy of witnesses in war crimes trials.

The project was supported by governments of France, Greece, Norway, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. The full report and executive summary can be downloaded at:

http://www.oscebih.org/documents/16563-eng.pdf

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- OSCE Centre in Bishkek holds workshop on policing in multi-ethnic communities

BISHKEK, 24 May 2010 - Policing in multi-ethnic societies is the focus of an OSCE-supported train-the-trainers workshop for Kyrgyzstan police officers which started in Bishkek today.

During the four-day workshop, experts of the local non-governmental organization Social Technologies Agency will equip 15 police officers with the knowledge and tools needed to operate in a multi-ethnic society, to increase their sensitivity to minority concerns and, ultimately, to improve their operational effectiveness. The trainees will subsequently deliver training sessions to police officers from Kyrgyzstan’s Chui and Talas provinces.

"Kyrgyzstan has a large number of multi-ethnic communities. It is important to integrate multi-ethnic policing principles in the daily work of local community police officers as a mechanism to help prevent conflict," said Lilian Dari, the Deputy Head of the OSCE centre in Bishkek.

The OSCE Centre in Bishkek, Social Technologies Agency and Kyrgyzstan’s Ministry of Interior also developed a manual, Addressing interethnic relations by police officers, which includes references to the OSCE High Commissioner for National Minorities recommendations on policing in multi-ethnic societies. The manual will be used by trainers to teach community police officers in the two target provinces.

"I am pleased that the community policing initiatives developed with the support of the OSCE pay due attention to inter-ethnic relations. The Ministry of Interior is focusing on building confidence in multi-ethnic communities and such training programmes should ensure that the principles of multi-ethnicity are better addressed in community policing practices," said Kashkar Jushunaliev, Kyrgyzstan’s Deputy Minster of Interior.

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- OSCE supports dialogue on transport-related challenges at concluding session of 18th OSCE Economic and Environmental Forum

PRAGUE, 24 May 2010 - Promoting good governance at border crossings, improving the security of land transportation and facilitating international transport by road and rail in the OSCE region is the focus of the second and concluding part of the 18th OSCE Economic and Environmental Forum, which opened today in Prague.

The three-day meeting brings together high-level representatives from the governments of OSCE participating States, international organizations, civil society, academia and the private sector.

"We need transport in order to transfer goods and people, and to organize trade. Enhancing the efficiency and security of transport is thus of paramount importance for the development of the economy," said Ambassador Kairat Abdrakhmanov, Permanent Representative of Kazakhstan to the OSCE and Chairperson of the OSCE Permanent Council, in the opening address.

Forum participants will discuss topics including international legal instruments and new technologies for efficient border crossing and customs procedures, good governance and anti corruption, the transit needs of landlocked developing countries, public-private partnerships in road transport and best practices in combating illegal trafficking. A free exchange of opinions on these questions aims to enhance cross-border partnership and facilitate economic development and security in the OSCE region.

"All these challenges need to be tackled from a holistic point of view, understanding that an efficient, secure, and environmentally friendly transport system is essential to strengthening regional co-operation, fostering economic development and safeguarding regional stability," said OSCE Secretary General Marc Perrin de Brichambaut.

"The global financial and economic crisis has struck many of our countries. The crisis has also had a major negative impact on the transport sector which provides oxygen to trade and thus stimulates economic recovery," said Goran Svilanovic, the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities.

"That is why the choice of the theme for this year’s Economic and Environmental Forum has been timely.

Maximizing our region’s potential and creating more efficient and secure border crossings along Euro-Asian transport routes mostly depend on the countries’ capacity and willingness to become effective parts of the integrated supply chain.

It is here that the OSCE is well placed to contribute, by raising awareness and providing capacity-building."

The Prague meeting follows the first part of the Forum, which took place on 1 and 2 February in Vienna. Preparatory conferences were held in Astana in October 2009 and in Minsk in March 2010.

Security and the environmental and economic aspects of transport facilitation is a priority of Kazakhstan’s 2010 Chairmanship.

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- OSCE Chairperson calls for restart of official 5+2 talks on Transdniestrian conflict

ASTANA, 24 May 2010 - A "5 + 2" meeting on the Transdniestrian settlement process was held in Astana today at the invitation of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Kazakhstan’s Secretary of State and Foreign Minister Kanat Saudabayev.

The meeting brought together the 5+2, which includes the sides, the Republic of Moldova and Transdniestria, the mediators - Russian Federation, Ukraine and the OSCE - and the United States and the European Union as observers. The meeting was agreed in April during Saudabayev’s visit to Chisinau and Tiraspol.

"The settlement of protracted conflicts, including the conflict in Transdniestria, is an important priority of the Kazakh OSCE Chairmanship. We believe that a real settlement of the conflict in Transdniestria can only be reached through peaceful and political means, taking into consideration the interests of all parties," said Saudabayev at the start of the talks.

"For Kazakhstan, a settlement formula relies on the principle of respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Moldova, while granting Transdniestria a proper status, as well as respect for the political, economic and humanitarian rights of the region’s residents."

The meeting participants noted that there had been elements of progress in solving practical matters between Chisinau and Tiraspol. Meetings between political representatives of the parties are now conducted on a regular basis. Joint Expert Groups on Confidence Building Measures are working and there are already concrete results, in particular in the field of public health.

Among the topics discussed in Astana were proposals made by the two parties to establish guarantees in the conflict settlement process, as well as freedom of movement. The 5+2 agreed to meet informally in Vienna in July.

Since 2006, the conflict settlement process has been taking place in an informal format, and Saudabayev emphasized that it was critical to restart formal 5+2 talks and address the political aspects of the settlement process.

"We believe it is important that informal meetings become formal talks," he said.

Saudabayev said that the Kazakh Chairmanship welcomed the recent joint declaration issued by the Presidents of the Russian Federation and Ukraine on the Transdniestria settlement process. He also noted the key importance of the co-operation with observers, the United States and the European Union, in the settlement process.

"We are in full agreement with calls to Moldova and Transdniestria to refrain from unilateral actions which could complicate the situation in the region and the prospects for a settlement," said Saudabayev. "The settlement process is a key factor for the development of democracy and prosperity in the region."

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- OSCE Chairperson-in-Office comment on the ’parliamentary election’ in Nagorno-Karabakh

ASTANA, May 24, 2010 - The OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Secretary of State and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Kanat Saudabayev, in response to a question from a news agency, stated the following today on the ’parliamentary election’ in Nagorno-Karabakh:

"The ’parliamentary election’ in Nagorno-Karabakh should in no way influence the outcome of the process of the conflict resolution.

Since the OSCE supports the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and does not recognize the independence of Nagorno-Karabakh, the holding of a ’parliamentary election’ has no bearing or influence on the process of the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement.

I reiterate support for the efforts of the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group on the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and will continue to assist in every way possible the political talks between all the parties within the Minsk process."

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