OSCE Annual Report

The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe works for stability, prosperity and democracy in 56 States Annual through political dialogue about shared values and through practical work that makes a lasting difference.

Annual Report 2008 Report Annual Report 2008

Press and Public Information Section OSCE Secretariat Wallnerstrasse 6 1010 Vienna, Austria Tel: +43 1 514 36 6000 Fax: +43 1 514 36 6996 E-mail: [email protected] www.osce.org

Organization for Security and Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Co-operation in Europe Published by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Press and Public Information Section Office of the Secretary General OSCE Secretariat Wallnerstrasse 6 A-1010 Vienna, Austria www.osce.org

All rights reserved. The contents of this publication may be freely used and copied for educational and other non-commercial purposes, provided that any such reproduction is accompanied by an acknowledgement of the OSCE as the source.

ISBN 978-92-9235-000-0

Edited by Sharman Esarey, Ursula Froese Designed by Nona Reuter Maps by Nona Reuter

Printed in Sweden by Elanders Sverige AB Contents

Message from the Secretary General 4 Institutions 71 Executive Summary 6 Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights 72 High Commissioner on National Minorities 75 Representative on Freedom of the Media 78 Report of the Chairmanship-in-Office 8 Conflict prevention, crisis management and Secretariat 80 post-conflict rehabilitation 10 Chairmanship work throughout the year 13 Office of the Secretary General 82 Shaping the future of the OSCE 20 Executive Management 82 Press and Public Informaton Section 82 Permanent Council 21 Section for External Co-operation 83 Legal Services 83 Gender Section 84 Forum for Security Co-operation 23 Security Management 84 Strategic Police Matters Unit 85 OSCE Parliamentary Assembly 25 Office of the Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings 86 Field Operations 29 Action against Terrorism Unit 86 Office of Internal Oversight 87 South-eastern Europe Conflict Prevention Centre 88 Presence in Albania 30 Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina 32 Mission in Kosovo 35 and Environmental Activities 91 Mission to Montenegro 38 Department of Management and Finance 93 Mission to Serbia 40 Department of Human Resources 94 Spillover Monitor Mission to Skopje 42 Office in Zagreb 44 Partnerships for Security Eastern Europe and Co-operation 95 Office in Minsk 46 Interaction with organizations and Mission to Moldova 48 institutions in the OSCE area 96 Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine 50 Interaction with the Asian and South Caucasus Mediterranean Partners for Co-operation Office in Baku 52 and with organizations and institutions Mission to Georgia 54 outside the OSCE area 102 Office in Yerevan 57 Central Asia Centre in Ashgabad 59 Annexes 107 Centre in Astana 61 The OSCE at a glance 108 Centre in Bishkek 63 OSCE organigram 109 Office in Tajikistan 65 OSCE budget 2008 by fund 110 Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan 67 Staff statistics 111 Assistance with Bilateral Agreements Contact information 112 Representative to the Latvian-Russian Joint Commission on Military Pensioners 69 Message from the Secretary General OSCE/MIKHAIL EVSTAFIEV Secretary General Marc Perrin de Brichambaut

A shared vision binds together the multi-faceted Georgia performed essential monitoring activities in diversity of the OSCE and its activities. the zone of conflict and promoted confidence-building This vision is of a territory, stretching across 56 through economic rehabilitation. Indications of rising countries, that is united and at peace. It is a vision that tensions were ample and regular. is founded on a Decalogue of principles and shared Once hostilities erupted, the OSCE reacted very values starting, as the Helsinki Final Act declared, quickly, led by the personal shuttle diplomacy of the with the need to promote the “inherent dignity of the Chairman-in-Office and his Special Envoy. Within human being”. This singular vision, born in Helsinki, days, an additional twenty Military Monitoring still inspires the work of the OSCE in all its aspects. Officers were dispatched to help restore confidence The Finnish Chairmanship paid fitting tribute and stability. In early October, the OSCE Co-ordinator to this vision. The determination of the Chairman- of Economic and Environmental Activities undertook in-Office and his team throughout this particularly with the United Nations Environment Programme a challenging year was remarkable. The crisis in Georgia joint mission to assess the environmental impact of in August was shocking. The war was also a reminder the conflict. A joint report was prepared to serve as of our core mandate: to build a space of co-operative the basis for future action. security and to work toward overcoming our — often At the request of the Chairman-in-Office, the Office serious — differences by peaceful means. for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights and The OSCE’s efforts in Georgia throughout the year the High Commissioner on National Minorities embodied this complex effort. In the spring, OSCE sent an expert team to assess the human rights and crisis management mechanisms and procedures were minority situation in the areas affected by the armed invoked, allowing for in-depth debate among the conflict. The joint Assessment Report was circulated participating States. In early July, a group of OSCE to the participating States. Ambassadors travelled to the conflict zone to make a At the political level, the OSCE worked as a co-chair first-hand assessment of the situation. The Mission to of the Geneva discussions, together with the European

A refugee describes her ordeal during the Georgian crisis to the Secretary General (right). REUTERS/VASILY FEDOSENKO REUTERS/VASILY

4 OSCE Annual Report Secretary General Marc Perrin de Brichambaut (left) talks with French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner (centre) and GENERAL SECRETARY FROM THE MESSAGE OSCE Chairman-in- Ofﬁce Finnish Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb at the 16th Ministerial Council in Helsinki, 4 December. PETRI KROOK

Union and the United Nations. The discussions, which replacing the former Centre in Dushanbe. opened on October 15th, focused on issues of security The Organization stepped up its efforts to engage and stability as well as those related to refugees and with Afghanistan, an Asian Partner for Co-operation internally displaced persons. since 2003, whose security is seen as vital to that of The Representative on Freedom of the Media ob- the OSCE participating States. At the end of the year, served the unfolding events with unceasing vigilance. the Organization launched the establishment of a new In November, his office organized its fifth OSCE Border Management Staff College in Dushanbe and a Media Conference in Tbilisi, attended by journalists Customs Training Facility in Bishkek, and a number from across the South Caucasus. of other proposals are under consideration. And throughout all of this, the OSCE Mission to 2008 also confirmed the OSCE’s unique role as a Georgia worked ceaselessly to implement its multi- network for innovative co-operation, whether in the dimensional mandate with the Georgian government field of public-private partnership in anti-terrorism and society. or in the fight against trafficking in human beings. All of this highlights the rich role of the OSCE — its The OSCE also looked to the future this year in a new institutions, field operations and the Secretariat — in way. In early July, for some 48 hours, 140 students carrying out concrete practical work as a complement from 30 OSCE countries filled the corridors and to the OSCE’s political dialogue. At the same time, it meeting rooms of the OSCE in the Vienna Hofburg. raises the obvious question of how we might make our TheModel OSCE Conference was a new way to share conflict prevention mechanisms even stronger, in the the Organization’s values and vision with a younger hope of avoiding such conflicts entirely. generation. Throughout the year, the OSCE continued with its The event was a great success, because the students deep engagement on the ground, including in South- grasped something of the spirit that lies at the heart of eastern Europe, where the OSCE has retained a unique this Organization — the same spirit that guided the role in international efforts to promote stability and participating States when they first met in Helsinki reconciliation in Kosovo. and that still guides co-operation today, despite all of 2008 saw both continuity and change in the the challenges we face. Organization. We celebrated the 10th anniversary of the Representative on Freedom of the Media, a unique Secretary General institution for promoting media freedom throughout Marc Perrin de Brichambaut the OSCE area. Strong new leadership arrived at the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights in the person of Janez Lenarčič. Goran Svilanovic was appointed Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities on 1 December. The OSCE also witnessed the opening of a new Office in Zagreb, replacing the Mission to Croatia. The Organization’s role in Tajikistan was strengthened and its budget increased, with the Office in Tajikistan

OSCE Annual Report 5 Executive Summary

The OSCE in 2008 took concrete steps Vienna in February to celebrate its first Alliance Against Trafficking in Persons, to enhance the security of its participat- decade of existence. Over 80 participants the first on child trafficking 26on and 27 ing States and Partners for Co-operation, looked at present and future challenges to May in Vienna, and the second on suc- while also providing an important forum media freedom and free expression in the cessful prosecution of trafficking on 10 for dialogue. The following summary OSCE region. and 11 September in Helsinki, as well as a offers brief highlights of some of its suc- technical seminar. cesses, in chronological order: Oil spills remediation. The Caspian Sea littoral countries expressed their concerns Human dimension events. The OSCE’s Maritime and inland waterways co- on the pollution of the land and seas by Office rfo Democratic Institutions operation. The 16th Economic and oil spills during a Technical Workshop in and Human Rights organized three Environmental Forum focused on mari- Turkmenistan on 10 and 11 March. The Supplementary Human Dimension time and inland waterways co-operation. workshop aimed at identifying the best oil Meetings: on combating racism and xeno- TheForum , which was held in two parts spills remediation technologies and setting phobia in Vienna on 29 and 30 May; on — in Vienna in January and in Prague in up a framework for co-operation between sustainable policies for Roma and Sinti in- May — looked specifically at increasing the OSCE and other international organi- tegration in Vienna on 10 and 11 July; and security and safeguarding the environ- zations in oil spills-related activities. The on democratic lawmaking in Vienna on 6 ment. The Forum’s recommendations led OSCE prepared a project aimed at develop- and 7 November. It also held a seminar on to the adoption of a follow-up Helsinki ing, updating and implementing national constitutional justice in Warsaw from 14 Ministerial Council Decision and a number oil spill response capacity in Azerbaijan, through 16 May. The Chairmanship orga- of activities, including a Conference on the Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan. nized a Seminar on Election-related Issues Safety of Navigation and Environmental in Vienna on 21 and 22 July. The signature Security in a Transboundary Context in Activation of OSCE risk reduction and crisis event of the year in the human dimension, the Black Sea Basin in Odessa, Ukraine, management mechanisms. After the 20 the Human Dimension Implementation in June. April incident involving an unarmed Meeting, took place in Warsaw from 29 aerial vehicle over Abkhaz-controlled September to 10 October. Long-range planning. OSCE Chairmanships territory, the Chairmanship, acting were set for three years in advance upon a request from Georgia, requested Performance-Based Programme Budgeting. for the first time at the 2007 Madrid expert advice from the Forum for 2008 was the first year in which the Ministerial Council, allowing the Finnish Security Co-operation as per Bucharest Organization applied Performance-Based Chairmanship to initiate in January a Ministerial Council Decision No. 3 on Programme Budgeting, a results-based new format for informal consultations to fostering the role of the OSCE as a forum management methodology, to all its execu- improve longer-term planning and con- for political dialogue. The Decision al- tive structures. The methodology is still tinuity. A quintet of participating States lows for the Permanent Council to seek under development and will be further holding Chairmanships between 2007 and politico-military advice from the Forum. elaborated by participating States. The 2011 supplemented the existing Troika for- Additionally, Georgia and the Russian 2009 Programme Outline, the main docu- mat for co-ordination and consultation on Federation activated Chapter III of the ment for strategic planning submitted by current OSCE business. Apart from peri- Vienna Document 1999, which provides the Secretary General to the participating odic informal consultations in Vienna, the a mechanism for consultation and co- States each year in May, for the first time five — Spain, Finland, Greece, Kazakhstan operation on unusual military activities. featured a message outlining the quintet of and Lithuania — held three meetings at In response, the Chairmanship provided Chairmanships’ views on strategic priori- the ministerial level: on 1 and 2 June in the necessary framework for consultations ties for the coming years. Helsinki, where they discussed long-term to take place between the parties involved. priorities to foster long-range planning, The Permanent Council and the Forum for Border management. Following a 2007 as well as meetings on the margins of the Security Co-operation also served as po- Ministerial Council Decision on OSCE United Nations (UN) General Assembly litical forums allowing participating States Engagement with Afghanistan, the session in New York on 23 September and to make relevant recommendations. Secretary General presented a programme the OSCE Ministerial Council Meeting in of activities on 6 June to foster, among Helsinki on 3 December. Anti-trafﬁcking. The Secretariat’s Office other matters, cross-border co-operation of the Special Representative and Co- on border security and management OSCE Representative on Freedom of the ordinator for Combating Trafficking between the Central Asian participating Media celebrates 10th anniversary. The in Human Beings held two high-level States and Afghanistan. Discussions on Representative held an experts meeting in conferences within the framework of the the programme continued at year-end. In

6 OSCE Annual Report addition, Afghan officials will be invited to water management in Central Asia; and on the ground. Further talks to resolve participate in the activities of an OSCE- trafficking of Roma children. Three docu- remaining differences were scheduled for wide Border Management Staff College in ments were adopted by consensus. February 2009. Dushanbe and a national level Customs SUMMARY EXECUTIVE Training Facility in Bishkek as well as in Election observation. Discussions contin- OSCE Mediterranean Conference. On 27 and the training activities co-organized with ued in 2008 on refining and deepening 28 October, the annual meeting with the the Customs Service of Turkmenistan. OSCE election-related commitments. The Mediterranean Partners for Co-operation OSCE exchanged views and experience was held in Amman. To mark the OSCE mandate in Tajikistan. The OSCE throughout the year. A particular high- Mediterranean Partners’ deeper and more bolstered the mandate of its Tajikistan field light was an election seminar in Vienna systematic engagement in the OSCE’s operation on 19 June in recognition of the on 21 and 22 July. The seminar focused work, and to align practices with the Asian country’s transition from a post-conflict on the Organization’s role in assisting Partners’ traditional yearly conference, country to one on the path of economic the development of electoral processes, this annual event was held in the format of and political development. Strengthened including through election observation. a conference, rather than a seminar. co-operation agreed by Tajik authorities The dialogue triggered by this event was and the Organization meant the Centre in conducive to increasing the confidence of OSCE-Afghanistan Conference. On 9 and Dushanbe was re-inaugurated as the Office the participating States in OSCE election- 10 November, the OSCE’s annual confer- in Tajikistan, with new tasks specified in related activities. ence with its Asian Partners was hosted each of the OSCE’s three security dimen- for the first time by Afghanistan. The sions. The budget and staff were increased Military Monitoring Ofﬁcers in Georgia. On venue helped symbolize both the OSCE’s and the Office moved into more spacious 19 August, the Permanent Council decid- willingness to engage with Afghanistan and central premises. ed to immediately deploy, to areas adjacent and Afghanistan’s own commitment to to South Ossetia, twenty additional un- co-operating with the OSCE in promoting 17th Annual Session of the Parliamentary armed OSCE Military Monitoring Officers security and stability. Assembly. The OSCE Parliamentary in the OSCE Mission to Georgia. Together Assembly held its 17th Annual Session in with eight initial Military Monitoring High Commissioner on National Minorities Astana, Kazakhstan, from 29 June to 3 Officers, they observed and reported on celebrates 15th anniversary. The Office of July under the main theme of OSCE trans- the implementation of the 12 August six- the High Commissioner celebrated its 15th parency, adopting a number of resolutions point agreement. anniversary in November, paying tribute in the form of the Astana Declaration and to a legacy of quiet diplomacy that time also a resolution on the events in Georgia, Online policing seminar. The OSCE’s first and time again has helped reduce tensions and electing Joao Soares from Portugal as exclusively online conference focused related to minority issues in the region. its new President. on how to protect children from sexual exploitation on the Internet and how to Combating money laundering. In December, Annual Security Review Conference (ASRC). better apprehend criminals. From 13 to the OSCE became an observer to the TheASRC on 1 and 2 July focused on 24 October, some 80 participants listened Council of Europe’s Committee of trans-national challenges to security; the to six presentations and through regular Experts on the Evaluation of Anti-Money present state of arms control arrange- chats and correspondence moderated by Laundering Measures (MONEYVAL). The ments, confidence- and security-building the OSCE considered issues such as the OSCE strongly reinforced its involvement measures; the Security Dialogue; as well need for a legal framework, international in combating money laundering, terrorist as issues related to early warning, conflict co-operation on analysis and investiga- financing and corruption, co-operating prevention/resolution and crisis man- tions as well as enhanced co-operation more closely with MONEYVAL and other agement. Six keynote speakers provided between civil society and criminal inves- organizations, hosting events and provid- thought-provoking presentations that tigators. They also discussed the role of ing technical assistance to participating formed the basis for a lively debate in the education and technology to combat the States. working sessions that assisted participat- crime. ing States in taking stock of the security situation in the OSCE area. In his address Geneva discussions. The first round of the to the Conference, North Atlantic Treaty Geneva discussions, foreseen in the 12 Organisation Supreme Allied Commander August six-point agreement, began on 15 Europe General John Craddock stressed October. The OSCE, together with the among other security issues that the OSCE United Nations and the European Union, could play an important role in efforts to co-facilitated the talks, which involved secure and stabilize Afghanistan. Georgia, Russia and the United States as Partnership Fund well as South Ossetian and Abkhaz repre- To strengthen work with the Model OSCE. More than 140 young people sentatives. Special Envoy Heikki Talvitie Partners for Co-operation, a from 30 OSCE participating States took represented the OSCE and Secretary Partnership fund was launched in part in the first-ever Model OSCE from 5 General Marc Perrin de Brichambaut also 2008. It received contributions of to 7 July. High school and university stu- attended. At the second and third rounds more than €500,000. Five projects dents, who played the roles of national del- of talks, held on 18 and 19 November and were introduced and implemented egations other than their own, discussed 17 and 18 December, participants agreed under its umbrella, in areas including and debated three security challenges: on most of the elements proposed for es- multilateral diplomacy, elections and terrorism and the use of the Internet; tablishing mechanisms to handle incidents civil society participation.

OSCE Annual Report 7 Report of the Chairmanship-in-Ofﬁce ER KROOK PETRI Chairman-in-Ofﬁce Alexander Stubb EOTO H CHAIRMANSHIP-IN-OFFICE OF THE REPORT NATO

hen I assumed my responsibilities as Chairman-in-Office on 4 April, WI found a solid foundation upon which to build. My predecessor, Minister Ilkka Kanerva, had steered the Organization with commitment and engagement during the first three months of the year, as had the previous year’s Spanish Chairmanship. Together with the Secretariat, institutions and field operations, I worked to enhance the OSCE’s strengths as a forum for dialogue and a platform for action across Europe. I set out to prove that the OSCE can bring concrete results that make a difference.

I would like to highlight three areas in which I think the OSCE performed especially well in the course of 2008: t To manage crises and prevent conflict, the OSCE acted rapidly before and during the crisis in Georgia. It contributed to the ceasefire agreement and international monitoring efforts. t To consolidate democracies, the OSCE fostered increased interest in electoral reforms and the development of democratic institutions and observed 12 elections in its area. t To strengthen co-operative security, the OSCE served as a venue for real political dialogue and a frank exchange of views on controversial issues such as the proclamation of independence by the Assembly of Kosovo and the crisis in Georgia.

Throughout the year, we worked to enhance the effectiveness of the Organization, particularly by paying attention to continuity and long-term planning. I am confident that the strengthened co-operation we enjoyed among the five successive Chairmanships — Spain, Finland, Greece, Kazakhstan and Lithuania — will prove its merits in the long run by ensuring the sustainability of OSCE activities. The year was full of challenges and hard work for the Chairmanship and the Organization. But it was also a successful year. The record attendance of nearly 50 foreign ministers at the Helsinki Ministerial Council Meeting in December illustrated the OSCE’s increased standing in international relations. 2008 Chairman-in-Office Alexander Stubb

OSCE Annual Report 9 which deals with the Nagorno-Karabakh Report of the conflict. Fresh initiatives were taken regarding the Transnistrian settlement process in Chairmanship-in-Office Moldova and the conflict dealt with by the OSCE Minsk Conference, or the Nagorno- The Spirit of Helsinki security, no matter how stubborn or contro- Karabakh conflict. In Georgia, despite versial. It meant advancing existing com- considerable work to prevent conflict in the Finland assumed the Chairmanship of mitments and work already undertaken. It first half of the year, hostilities broke out in the OSCE aiming to revive the spirit of also meant re-imagining the Organization, August. Helsinki, where, more than 30 years ago, its long-term role and status, and stream- a durable consensus on European security lining its efforts to best meet these threats Georgia. Despite intense diplomatic efforts, was forged and the groundwork was laid to to security. open conflict erupted in early August in establish the OSCE. the zone of the Georgian-Ossetian conflict. As 2008 began, the OSCE faced fresh Conflict prevention, crisis management The implications have been profound — not challenges to the shared commitments and and post-conflict rehabilitation only for the parties immediately involved values that sprang from that work. Finland but for the very concept of common and knew its Chairmanship could be dominated Finland determined to refocus attention on co-operative security. by a number of security issues, both old and protracted conflicts. At the start of the year, The crisis swiftly became the prime new, the question of OSCE work in Kosovo the Chairman-in-Office embarked on a focus of the Finnish Chairmanship. The and protracted conflicts among them. series of visits to key capitals. He also issued summary below is far from comprehen- Drawing inspiration from Helsinki, the a strong signal in appointing as his Special sive, but it reflects the highlights of the Chairmanship chose as its watchwords Envoy the experienced diplomat Heikki Chairmanship’s diplomatic and political “continuity”, “coherence” and “co- Talvitie, who once served as the EU Special activity in the months before and after operation”. Representative for the South Caucasus the August events, much of it conducted This meant squarely tackling threats to and as Co-Chairman of the Minsk Group, behind the scenes.

Special Envoy of the Chairman-in-Ofﬁce Chairman-in-Ofﬁce Alexander Heikki Talvitie at a news conference Stubb during an interview in in Vienna, 14 August Georgia, 21 August OSCE/MIKHAIL EVSTAFIEV KHIZANISHVILI OSCE/DAVID

Diplomatic journal 30 April, Helsinki 2 May, Vienna Georgian crisis dominates agenda of Finnish Chairmanship The Chairman-in-Office, Finnish Foreign The Chairmanship asks for expert advice from Minister Alexander Stubb, states that recent the Forum for Security Co-operation as per The following diplomatic journal summarizes developments in the zones of conflict, including Bucharest Ministerial Council Decision No. 3 the Chairmanship’s intense diplomatic a military build-up, have considerably increased following the 20 April incident involving an activity in the months before and after the tension in the region. He speaks on the phone unarmed aerial vehicle over Abkhazia. conflict erupted in Georgia in August. It tells with Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili and a story of repeated early warning action and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, urging attempts to de-escalate tensions, followed them to defuse tensions through dialogue and by intensive work to halt the war, resolve the confidence-building measures. “All parties conflict and alleviate its human and economic should refrain from unilateral measures and consequences. We join the story in late April: threats to use military force,” he says.

Diplomatic journal Georgian crisis

10 OSCE Annual Report Former OSCE envoy, Finn Martti Ahtisaari, wins Nobel Peace Prize Finland played a formative role in shaping the OSCE’s comprehensive approach to security and has led diplomatic efforts in the region, and around the world, to bring conﬂict to an end. EOTO H CHAIRMANSHIP-IN-OFFICE OF THE REPORT In 2008, Martti Ahtisaari, a Finn and former OSCE envoy, won the Nobel Peace Prize for his success in bringing peace to troubled areas globally, including Central Asia, Northern Ireland and South-eastern Europe. The former Finnish President was particularly instrumental to peace- making work in Namibia and Indonesia and he led the United Nations’ negotiations in Kosovo. In March 2003, Ahtisaari was appointed the OSCE Chairman-in-Ofﬁce’s personal envoy for Central Asia by Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, then the OSCE Chairman. He remained personal envoy for Central Asia the following year. OSCE/HASAN SOPA Former OSCE envoy Martti Ahtisaari

Moldova. The Chairman-in-Office visited building measures in Odessa, arranged by Council, efforts to move the process Moldova and held talks with the leader- the OSCE Mission to Moldova. In July, the forward continued with another round ships in both Chisinau and Tiraspol in mediators and observers travelled jointly of informal consultations in the “5+2” January, determined to use the start of the to Chisinau and Tiraspol to meet with the format. These consultations, which took Finnish Chairmanship to reinvigorate the leaderships and to hold another round of place in Vienna and were attended by the Transnistrian settlement process. informal consultations with participants incoming Greek Chairmanship, provided Special Envoy Talvitie made several in the “5+2” format. Two further rounds of an opportunity to exchange views on the follow-up visits to Moldova in the course informal consultations in the “5+2” format possibilities for expanding the scope of the of the year. Under his leadership, the me- were held in autumn: the first on the joint Moldovan and Transnistrian expert diators — the Russian Federation, Ukraine margins of the Wilton Park Conference working groups on confidence-building and the OSCE — and the observers — the on Moldova in October and the second on measures and to discuss issues related to EU and the U.S. — held several rounds the margins of a seminar organized by the the free movement of people and goods of consultations in the “3+2” format OSCE High Commissioner on National between the banks of the Nistru/Dniestr. in Vienna, Helsinki and in the region. Minorities in Odessa in November. Both issues were also discussed during Throughout the year, Special Envoy At the Helsinki Ministerial Council, a meeting between Moldovan President Talvitie maintained close contact with all Special Envoy Talvitie engaged in discus- Vladimir Voronin and Transnistrian stakeholders in Moscow, Kyiv, Brussels sions on the drafting of a regional state- leader Igor Smirnov on 24 December, the and Washington. ment on Moldova. Although the attempt second meeting between the two leaders In April, the mediators and observ- to reach consensus on a statement did in 2008. ers held consultations with the parties to not bear fruit, the exchanges among all the conflict – in the “5+2” format. These stakeholders proved useful and common The conﬂict dealt with by the OSCE Minsk consultations took place on the margins ground was reached in many areas. Conference or the Nagorno-Karabakh of a productive seminar on confidence- Following the Helsinki Ministerial conﬂict. The Presidents of Azerbaijan

28-30 May, Vienna 30 May, Helsinki 2 July, Astana

Georgia and the Russian Federation activate The Chairman-in-Office meets Georgian Foreign The Chairman-in-Office draws attention to the Chapter III of the Vienna Document 1999, Minister Ekaterine Tkeshelashvili regarding the worrying situation in the South Caucasus in which provides a mechanism for consultation situation in Georgia’s breakaway regions. “It is an address to the Annual Session of the OSCE and co-operation on unusual military activities. time to explore new negotiating formats accept- Parliamentary Assembly. The Chairmanship provides the necessary able to the parties to the conflict,” he says. framework for consultations between the parties.

Roki tunnel connecting South Ossetia and North

Ossetia OSCE Diplomatic journal Georgian crisis

OSCE Annual Report 11 and Armenia met twice during the year. High-Level Planning Group (HLPG) Their respective Foreign Ministers also continued their meetings and negotiations The HLPG advised the Chairman-in-Ofﬁce throughout the year on the military aspects of planning a possible peacekeeping operation in relation to the con- towards reaching an agreement on the ﬂict dealt with by the OSCE Minsk Conference. Over the years, the Group has basic principles for a peaceful settlement to produced four options for the possible deployment of a peacekeeping force the conflict proposed by the Co-chairs of and repeatedly revised them. the Minsk Group in Madrid in November 2007. The Personal Representative of This year the Group reviewed the concept of operations for the heaviest mili- the Chairman-in-Office Ambassador tary option, in line with developments in military planning techniques and termi- nology, although the essential elements of the option plans, based on guidance Andrzej Kasprzyk assisted the Co-chairs from the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs in 1996, remained the same. in the negotiations and kept them and the Chairmanship informed of developments The Group also prepared an estimate of the costs involved in the establishment on the ground. and conduct of two selected option plans — the heaviest military peacekeep- In March, the most serious clash in ing option and the lightest unarmed observer option — on the basis of the UN system of reimbursement. many years occurred on the line of contact and threatened to escalate. The Personal During the year, the HLPG briefed 35 delegations on its premises. Representative directly intervened at the highest military and political levels, as on in Madrid on 29 November, 2007, and the fulfilling the terms of the Agreement, such other occasions, to facilitate the handover subsequent talks to further develop the as mutual inspections of military assets. of bodies and foster a return to calm. basic principles of the political settlement. In 2008, the Parties conducted 19 sched- The Personal Representative worked At the Helsinki Ministerial Council, the uled inspections and one export observa- alongside the International Committee of Chairman-in-Office drew the Council’s tion on a voluntary basis, each supported the Red Cross to facilitate the handover of attention to the Declaration signed in by OSCE assistants. As in past years, prisoners of war and people detained, and Moscow. inspections were conducted in an environ- with other organizations on problems of The Helsinki Ministerial Council ment of trust and transparency, without internally displaced persons and refugees, also adopted a Statement, in which the any problems. missing persons and mine clearance. Ministers welcomed the constructive and Another achievement was that the On 2 November, the Presidents of positive momentum in the peace process Parties continued to significantly down- Armenia, Azerbaijan and the Russian for the political settlement of the Nagorno- size their military manpower. In addition, Federation signed in Moscow a Karabakh conflict established after the two with notification of reductions of heavy Declaration, committing themselves to meetings of the Presidents of Armenia and weapons, the Parties provided opportuni- facilitating improvement of the situation Azerbaijan in 2008, in St. Petersburg on 6 ties to observe and verify the disposal even in the South Caucasus and establish- June and in Moscow on 2 November. when not required after the official end of ing stability and security in the region the reduction period. through political settlement of the After the conflict: fulfilling This year, the 6th Review Conference Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, based on the agreements, building confidence on the Agreement’s implementation took principles of international law and the place in Vienna in July and the Parties decisions and documents approved within The Personal Representative of the confirmed their readiness: this framework, thus creating favour- Chairman-in-Office forArticle IV, Annex t to continue the implementation of the able conditions for economic growth and 1B of the Dayton Peace Accords, under Agreement with the assistance of the all-round co-operation in the region. The which the Sub-Regional Arms Control Personal Representative; Presidents also reiterated the importance Agreement was elaborated, is mandated t to explore, with the assistance of the of continuing the mediation efforts by the to assist the four Parties, Bosnia and Personal Representative, how to move OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs, taking Herzegovina, Montenegro, the Republic gradually toward full autonomy in the into account their meeting with the sides of Croatia and the Republic of Serbia, in Agreement;

7-9 July, Tbilisi and Tskhinvali 7 July, Moscow 10-11 July, Tbilisi and Tskhinvali

Led by Finnish Ambassador Antti Turunen, Special Envoy Heikki Talvitie meets Russian Special Envoy Talvitie holds talks with the Chairman of the OSCE Permanent Council, Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko to parties and the Commander of the Joint ambassadors and representatives of 21 OSCE discuss the situation in Georgia’s breakaway Peacekeeping Forces. On 14 July, Special Envoy participating States travel to Georgia, including regions. Talvitie reports to the Permanent Council on his in the zone of the Georgian-Ossetian conflict consultations. where they meet Georgian authorities, de facto leaders from the South Ossetian side, the Commander of the Joint Peacekeeping Forces, and the Military Monitoring Officers in the Mission’s Tskhinvali field office. They also visit projects of the OSCE-led Economic Rehabilita- tion Programme, which was designed to build 7 July, Tbilisi. Representatives of OSCE participating States confidence among communities in the zone of exchange views with Prime

conﬂict. KHIZANISHVILI OSCE/DAVID Minister Lado Gurgenidze

Diplomatic journal Georgian crisis

12 OSCE Annual Report t to initiate an exchange of opinions on The 16th OSCE Economic and considering the Adapted Conventional Environmental Forum in Vienna, Armed Forces in Europe Treaty as a pos- 28 January sible long-term alternative for the future.

In the course of the 41st meeting of the Sub-Regional Consultative Commission EOTO H CHAIRMANSHIP-IN-OFFICE OF THE REPORT which took place in Przno, Montenegro from 14 to 16 October, the Parties signed legally binding amendments to the Agreement confirming the participation of Montenegro as a full-fledged Party. Montenegro had already taken part in the inspection regime as an independent State since May 2007, but the signatures of all State Parties and for the OSCE by the Personal Representative of the Chairman- OSCE/MIKHAIL EVSTAFIEV in-Office, Brigadier General Costanzo Periotto, marked its formal accession to One of a photo series the Agreement. about birds and wildlife The inspections conducted by the in Georgia, a winner in Parties’ military representatives over the the 2008 OSCE photo years have not only fulfilled the Agreement contest “Waterways of Life” held to mark the but also helped build confidence and de- 16th OSCE Economic and velop transparency among the Parties and Environmental Forum their military representatives. Similarly, meetings at the political level have provided the Parties with opportunities to strengthen their mutual relations.

Chairmanship work throughout the year

The following report highlights, in GIORGI DARCHIASHVILI chronological order, important work ac- the theme of the 16th OSCE Economic and February. The proclamation of indepen- complished by the Chairmanship through- Environmental Forum, which was held dence by the Assembly of Kosovo on 17 out the year on its main priorities, whether in two parts — in Vienna in January and February exacerbated the political fault galvanizing political will or getting things in Prague in May. Increasing traffic on lines already besetting the participat- done in the field. Much of the work under- all waterways is leading to cross-border ing States’ views of OSCE operations in taken involved two or even all three of the and cross-regional economic growth Kosovo. OSCE’s traditional dimensions of security: that contributes to regional stability and Participating States agreed late last year the politico-military, the economic and security, but also to other less desirable to put the Mission in Kosovo, the OSCE’s environmental and the human. consequences. In addition to discussing is- biggest field operation and the largest sues of waterways security, the Forum also civilian field presence in Kosovo, on a January. The Chairmanship made mari- paid special attention to the challenges of one-month renewal basis, a compromise time and inland waterways co-operation landlocked countries. designed to prevent it from being shut

17 July, Washington, D.C. 2 August, Helsinki 7 August, Helsinki 7-8 August, zone of conﬂict, Georgia

The Chairman-in-Office meets The Chairman-in-Office deplores The Chairman-in-Office deplores Hostilities break out. United States (U.S.) Secretary of and condemns the escalation the failure of a planned meeting of State Condoleezza Rice. Georgia’s of violence in the zone of the Georgian and South Ossetian rep- protracted conflicts are at the top Georgian-Ossetian conflict includ- resentatives to take place. Once of their discussion agenda. ing a fatal night-time shooting. again, he extends an invitation to the parties to meet in Helsinki as soon as possible. “The situation in the conflict zone is extremely tense and requires immediate de-escalation,” he says, urging them to stop all military action and re-establish direct contacts.

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OSCE Annual Report 13 A Tajik border guard keeps watch on a bridge as well as projects to train tactical border over the river Piandj on the Tajik-Afghan border, patrol and surveillance groups and ways to 29 February. assist customs services in combating the illegal trade in arms, drugs and precursors. As a follow-up, three Finnish experts travelled to Tajikistan the following month to work on some €2.8 million of border security projects, sponsored principally by Finland and Norway. There was much discussion during the year on the implementation of the Madrid Ministerial Council Decision on OSCE Engagement with Afghanistan. The Secretary General prepared a package of proposals, including on border-related assistance, the implementation of some of which began in several Central Asian countries.

March. The Chairman-in-Office made a serious effort to pave the way for the OSCE/MIKHAIL EVSTAFIEV observation of the Russian presiden- down. Other field operations are reap- February. The Chairmanship put particular tial election by the OSCE’s Office for proved annually. emphasis on border management and se- Democratic Institutions and Human The Chairmanship worked through- curity activities, envisaging an enhanced Rights (ODIHR). Despite intensive out the year to keep the OSCE active role for the OSCE in this area in future, negotiations between Russian Federation in Kosovo. With the downsizing of the particularly in Central Asia. authorities and ODIHR, no agreement was UN’s Interim Administration Mission By early February, the Finnish govern- reached. in Kosovo (UNMIK), the OSCE, which ment had already contributed more than fields 800 staff, had a crucial role to play €500,000 to enhance border management March. TheSecond Preparatory Conference in promoting stability and democratic between Tajikistan and Afghanistan. for the 16th Economic and Environmental development. Later that month, in the margins of a joint Forum, which took place in Ashgabad, “The OSCE is uniquely placed to work OSCE-Tajikistan Taskforce Meeting in Turkmenistan, on 6 and 7 March, focused with all communities in promoting stabil- Dushanbe, the OSCE and Tajik authorities on maritime co-operation in the Caspian ity and democratic development and its convened to begin the development of a and Mediterranean seas, environmental contribution is very much needed also national border strategy and related proj- governance and co-operation on water- now. I call on the participating States ects, having worked together on border ways and other means of transport in and the international community to help assistance activities since 2006. the context of landlocked countries. A ensure that the Organization will continue At the meeting, the Chairmanship’s technical workshop on Oil Spills Response its valuable work in Kosovo for the benefit vision of an expanded OSCE role in border and Remediation followed immediately of all its inhabitants,” the Chairman-in- management began to take shape. The afterwards in Turkmenbashy. Office said in February. OSCE and Tajikistan discussed establishing a Border Management Staff College in May. A number of recommendations for the country, an OSCE centre that would future OSCE involvement in maritime focus on regional border management, and inland waterways co-operation

8 August, Helsinki 8 August, Vienna 9 August, Tbilisi

The Chairman-in-Office remains in contact with The OSCE Permanent Council convenes a Special Envoy Talvitie holds a series of Tbilisi, Moscow, and all international actors special meeting on the situation in Georgia. consultations with key actors. involved in resolving the conflict. He announces that Special Envoy Talvitie will travel to Georgia immediately. Condemning the shelling of the OSCE Mission premises in Tskhinvali, he “urges the Georgians, South Ossetians and Russians to cease fire, end military action and stop further escalation.”

An OSCE plough bought for the Economic Rehabilitation Programme survives an airstrike in August in

Khvemo Khviti village in October. KHIZANISHVILI OSCE/DAVID

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14 OSCE Annual Report were made at the second part of the NATO Supreme 16th Economic and Environmental Forum Allied Commander in in Prague. Participants stressed the impor- Europe General John Craddock speaks to tance of regional co-operation, integrated journalists before coastal zone or water management and the Annual Security the effective implementation of relevant Review Conference in international conventions. Vienna, 2 July. EOTO H CHAIRMANSHIP-IN-OFFICE OF THE REPORT

May. The Chairmanship brought fresh impetus to the OSCE’s work to address the proliferation and illicit trade and use of small arms and light weapons (SALW). The conference on SALW held in Brussels for regional organizations, the first-ever such gathering, helped participants to more effectively co-ordinate responses to the trans-national threat. Co-organized with the Euro-Atlantic

Partnership Council countries and OSCE/MIKHAIL EVSTAFIEV supported by the UN, the conference discussed such topics as regional instru- Personal Representative on Combating Chairmanship, and served to discuss ments to combat and root out illicit trade Racism, Xenophobia and Discrimination, good practices in data collection and hate in SALW, physical security and stockpile also focuses on intolerance against crime legislation, as well as the OSCE management and weapons collection and Christians and members of other reli- educational, police training and legislative destruction programmes. gions. Gert Weisskirchen is the Personal support programmes that are available to A Ministerial Council Decision on the Representative on Combating Anti- assist participating States in their efforts to matter followed up five Permanent Council Semitism. Ambassador Omur Orhun is combat hate crimes. Decisions. the Personal Representative on Combating Intolerance and Discrimination against June. One of the Chairmanship’s major May. The Chairmanship, concerned by the Muslims. successes was an agreement reached with rise in intolerant and discriminatory acts Participants encouraged governments Tajikistan to strengthen the work of the in the region in recent years, promoted a to establish such bodies if they have not OSCE in the country. As a result, the tolerance-related meeting organized to- already done so, and to ensure that they Permanent Council bolstered the mandate gether with the OSCE’s ODIHR in Vienna are fully independent of government and of the OSCE’s Tajikistan field operation on in May. The meeting focused on the role adequately resourced. 19 June. The Centre in Dushanbe was re- of national institutions in fighting dis- inaugurated as the Office in Tajikistan. crimination against migrants and persons June. The Chairmanship hosted a gather- The robust new mandate spells out belonging to national minorities. ing of national hate crime focal points in expanded tasks in all three OSCE security The Chairman-in-Office said he Helsinki in June. The focal points were dimensions. To fulfil the new tasks, the valued the work the Institutions, the set up by participating States to provide Permanent Council raised the budget to Parliamentary Assembly and the three ODIHR with national data and information €4,724,900 for 2008, up from €3,937,600 Personal Representatives do in sup- on efforts of governmental authorities to the previous year. port of the OSCE participating States in strengthen their response to hate-motivated An important result of the Chairman- combating all forms of intolerance and incidents. The meeting was attended by in-Office’s ongoing talks with the discrimination. Anastasia Crickley, the the three Personal Representatives of the Tajikistani authorities was the agreement

10-11 August, Tbilisi and Gori 12 August, Moscow 13 August, Brussels 13 August, Helsinki

The Chairman-in-Office travels with French The Chairman-in-Office presents the proposed The Chairman-in- The Chairman-in- Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, whose agreement to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Office takes part in Office expresses country holds the European Union (EU) presi- Lavrov. He welcomes the decision by Russian an emergency meet- “grave concern” dency, and says, “The overriding priority of the President Dmitri Medvedev to halt the military ing of EU foreign about the continu- OSCE and the EU is to broker a ceasefire as operation in Georgia, saying that the OSCE ministers focusing ing violence and the soon as possible. After that, we need to launch stands ready to help monitor a ceasefire and on the agreed plan. safety of civilians a humanitarian effort, given the number of civil- assist in humanitarian relief efforts. Russia in and around the ians who have suffered in this needless fight- endorses the 12 August six-point agreement. conflict area. ing.” He says that additional Military Monitoring Georgia also later accepts. Officers are needed to supplement the eight already on the ground. The two Ministers meet Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili with an OSCE/EU-drafted ceasefire plan.

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OSCE Annual Report 15 ODIHR Director Janez Lenaric (right) launches a report on the situation of Roma and Sinti during the OSCE’s human rights and democracy conference in Warsaw, 2October.

to establish a border management staff college in Dushanbe for the training of border staff from all countries, which will benefit the entire OSCE region. Other initiatives may also be in the offing, such as a training centre for the preparation and professional development of law enforcement officers of Tajikistan and Afghanistan in Dushanbe. OSCE/JENS ESCHENBAECHER during the sixth Annual Security Review meaningful progress with regard to the June. To follow up on its maritime and in- Conference, jointly held by the Forum for protracted conflicts in the OSCE area and land waterways work, the Chairmanship Security Co-operation and the Permanent agreed that the OSCE should continue its and the Government of Ukraine organized Council on 1 and 2 July in Vienna. The efforts to promote their peaceful resolu- an expert conference on navigation safety Conference focused in particular on tion. Among others, proposals were made and environmental security in the Black trans-national challenges to security; the to establish new negotiation formats Sea basin. The 150 attendees looked at the present state of arms control arrange- related to the Georgian-Abkhaz and the implementation of legal instruments to ments, confidence- and security-building Georgian-Ossetian conflicts. improve navigation safety and environ- measures (CSBMs) and Security Dialogue; Many delegations expressed concern mental protection as well as to ways to as well as on issues related to early warn- about the Treaty on Conventional Armed strengthen regional co-operation in the ing, conflict prevention/resolution and Forces in Europe (CFE Treaty). The Russian Black Sea in areas such as shipping surveil- crisis management. Federation, a treaty signatory, suspended lance and monitoring, control of ships’ Six keynote speakers provided thought- its participation in the CFE Treaty in 2007 ballast water and sediments, pollution pre- provoking presentations that formed the after an extraordinary meeting it called vention and preparedness and response. basis for debates in the working sessions. failed to resolve differences among the Together with the Office of the In particular, General John Craddock, Parties. Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic the NATO Supreme Allied Commander and Environmental Activities, the Europe, stressed that the OSCE could July. The OSCE stepped up efforts to tackle Chairmanship came up with other poten- play an important role in efforts aimed the problems faced by Roma and Sinti tial follow-up activities, such as building at securing and stabilizing Afghanistan. minorities five years ago with theOSCE up national oil spills response capacities in Delegations strongly supported further Action Plan on Improving the Situation of the countries of the Caspian Sea region. OSCE engagement with Afghanistan. Roma and Sinti Within the OSCE Region, a Many felt the OSCE could particularly milestone that contributed to far-reaching July. Participating States showed strong assist by investing in border security and change in institutional and legal frame- engagement on the topic of regional management. works necessary for the integration of security, with lively and frank exchanges Participating States noted the lack of minorities. But the Action Plan’s overall

18-19 August, Brussels 19 August, Vienna

The Chairman-in-Office has talks After intense negotiations at a with Belgian Foreign Minister special meeting of the Permanent Karel de Gucht, whose country Council, the 56 OSCE participat- holds the presidency of the UN ing States agree to increase the Security Council, and meets U.S. number of OSCE monitors in the Secretary of State Condoleezza Mission to Georgia by up to 100. Rice. He takes part in a meeting of The Decision calls for 20 unarmed FREDDY MORIS/U.S. MISSION TO NATO North Atlantic Treaty Organisation 19 August. U.S. Secretary of State Military Monitoring Officers to be (NATO) foreign ministers with the Condoleezza Rice (left), French Foreign deployed immediately to “areas OSCE Ministerial Troika (Spain, Minister Bernard Kouchner (centre) and adjacent to South Ossetia”, Finland and Greece). He also OSCE Chairman-in-Office Alexander with the specific details for the Stubb in Brussels meets EU officials to co-ordinate additional monitors still to be KHIZANISHVILI OSCE/DAVID efforts in Georgia. discussed further. 19 August. The OSCE rapidly responded to the August events by deploying 20 additional military monitors.

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16 OSCE Annual Report Head of the OSCE/ ODIHR Limited Election Observation Mission to the U.S. presidential election speaks to journalists in Washington, D.C., 5 November. EOTO H CHAIRMANSHIP-IN-OFFICE OF THE REPORT PHOTO COURTESY YURI GRIPAS goal — to eradicate discrimination against saying that there is bias in this signature July. The Chairman-in-Office spoke at the the groups and ensure that they can play a OSCE activity: that observation takes Annual Session of the OSCE Parliamen- full and equal part in their societies — has place predominantly in one particular tary Assembly, hosted by Kazakhstan in remained elusive. sub-region of the OSCE, or that missions its capital, Astana. He emphasized the The Finnish Chairmanship determined are dominated by observers from another need to continue strengthening stability, to turn rhetoric into action. Together with area. security and democracy in the region. He ODIHR, it organized a meeting to review ODIHR, the OSCE Institution man- also looked forward to a dialogue on co- existing initiatives and recommend mea- dated to monitor elections, noted that it operative security. sures to ensure the Action Plan’s imple- had observed elections across the entire mentation. A meeting, held in Vienna on OSCE area, and that on average, citizens September. The Chairman-in-Office ad- 10 and 11 July, put the spotlight on what of 43 participating States took part in each dressed the UN Security Council, describ- could be done at the local level, with a spe- observation mission in 2007. ing the revitalization of the Organization’s cial focus on ways to ensure equal access of To emphasize its commitment to elec- work on conflict resolution and crisis Roma to education and social services. tion-related work, the Chairmanship ap- management. “It is time to banish it (the The work culminated in a Ministerial pointed a Special Envoy, Kimmo Kiljunen, term ‘frozen conflict’) from the political Council Decision laying out a series of steps a Finnish member of parliament who has lexicon and act quickly to settle outstand- and recommendations to enhance OSCE led several OSCE election observation mis- ing conflicts in our region,” he said. efforts to implement the Action Plan. sions, in March to tackle the topic. The Finnish Chairmanship sponsored September. The Chairmanship, together July. Some participating States have ex- a seminar in Vienna in July to open a with the Special Representative and Co- pressed concerns on election observation, dialogue on this issue. ordinator for Combating Trafficking in

19 August, Brussels 21-22 August, Tbilisi and Gori 26 August, Helsinki 28 August, Helsinki

“I hope that today’s decision by the OSCE will The Chairman-in-Office assesses the security The Chairman-in- The Chairman-in- contribute to the full implementation of the and humanitarian situation in Tbilisi and Gori Office condemns Office sends a letter six-point agreement and facilitate the prompt where he talks with displaced persons. Russia’s decision to all OSCE foreign opening of humanitarian corridors to assist the to recognize the ministers proposing civilian population and prepare for a return of independence of a new international refugees and internally displaced persons,” the the breakaway platform to deal Chairman-in-Office says. “I also hope that the Georgian regions of with the conflicts in OSCE Military Monitoring Officers will very soon South Ossetia and Georgia. be ensured safe and free movement throughout Abkhazia as violating Georgia.” fundamental OSCE principles. Chairman-in-Office Alexander Stubb (right) talks to families displaced from

Gori and other villages. OSCE/GERMAN AVAGYAN

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OSCE Annual Report 17 Human Beings, Eva Biaudet, rolled up Tajik President Emomali Rakhmon (centre) their sleeves to move the agenda forward and Foreign Minister on combating trafficking in human Khamrokhon Zariﬁ (right) beings. listen to EU Special Many participating States, alarmed by Representative for Central Asia Pierre Morel address the spread of trafficking in human beings a conference on border in the OSCE region and its links to trans- management and drug national organized crime, have taken the control in Dushanbe, steps at the national level recommended 22 October. in the 2003 OSCE Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking. Despite considerable efforts to combat this crime, few victims have been identified and even fewer traf-

fickers brought to justice. OSCE/FIRUZA GULOMASEINOVA At the Conference on Successful Prosecution of Human Trafficking – the importance of strengthening cross- programmes, projects and activities: both Challenges and Good Practices held in border co-operation and developing and across the three dimensions and within Helsinki on 10 and 11 September, par- implementing national border manage- the Organization itself. ticipants highlighted the importance of ment and national drug control strategies. To promote gender equality, the providing victims with adequate protec- The event was hosted by the Government Chairman-in-Office provided political tion and assistance and improving victim of Tajikistan and co-organized by the and financial support to the organization identification as prerequisites to an effec- EU/European Commission, Finland, the of an OSCE expert seminar on combating tive criminal justice response. Taking into French Presidency of the EU, Germany, the violence against women held in Dushanbe consideration the work of this conference, OSCE, the UN Development Programme from 20 to 22 October, jointly organized Ministers at the Ministerial Council in and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime. by the Gender Section, the OSCE Office in Helsinki in December agreed a Decision to Tajikistan and the Tajik Government. bolster the response of the criminal justice October. The OSCE 2008Medite rranean The Chairmanship also supported an system to these crimes. Conference on The OSCE approach OSCE project raising awareness of the to regional security − a model for the need for gender-sensitive labour migration October. Building on its border manage- Mediterranean analysed Mediterranean policies and organized a border security ment work, the Chairmanship, together security issues through the prism of and management seminar that highlighted with the OSCE Secretariat and the Central the OSCE’s comprehensive approach to the role, importance and feasibility of Asian field operations, ran a five-day train- security, focusing on politico-military integrating gender concerns in border ing course to promote constructive inter- aspects of security, linkages between the management programmes and activities. agency co-operation. The course, delivered environment and security in the region in Helsinki by experts of the Finnish and the OSCE’s human rights and toler- November. Participants in a meeting on Border Guards, Customs and Ministry of ance commitments and their relevance to democratic lawmaking organized with Interior, brought together senior officials the region. ODIHR in Vienna in early November from the five countries’ border and law examined the lawmaking process as an enforcement agencies. October. The Chairmanship put the spot- essential element of democratic gover- A Central Asian border management light on gender mainstreaming as fore- nance. They called on participating States and drug control ministerial confer- seen in the 2004 OSCE Action Plan for the to ensure greater public participation and ence held in Dushanbe on 21 and 22 Promotion of Gender Equality. It empha- transparency in the lawmaking process. October resulted in a practical Partnership sized that gender mainstreaming should The Chairmanship representative at Declaration. In it, participants agreed on be an integral part of all OSCE policies, the meeting said that while the aim of

1 September, Brussels 17 September, Vienna 14 October, Geneva

The Chairman-in-Office attends a Further negotiations led by the The Chairman-in-Office, United special EU summit to discuss the Chairmanship on modalities for Nations Secretary-General Ban Georgian crisis. the deployment of the additional Ki-Moon and EU representa- Military Monitoring Officers in the tives Foreign Minister Bernard OSCE Mission to Georgia fail. Kouchner, High Representative Javier Solana and Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner meet on the eve of the launch of Geneva discussions designed to advance 26 September, New York. Chairman-in-Office regional peace and stability and Alexander Stubb takes questions from jour- the return of internally displaced nalists after his address to the UN Security persons and refugees. Council. He said the OSCE was re-energizing its work on conflict resolution and crisis

management. GENERALCONSULATE OF FINLAND (NEW YORK)/ MAGDALENA HERRGARD

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18 OSCE Annual Report Helsinki Decision No. 1: on the Appoint- Decision No. 7: Further Strengthen- Decision No. 13: Issues relevant Ministerial ment of the Director of the Ofﬁce ing the Rule of Law in the OSCE to the Forum for Security Co- for Democratic Institutions and Area operation Council Human Rights Decision No. 8: OSCE contribu- Meeting Ministerial Statement on the Decision No. 2: on the Reappoint- tion to the Implementation Phase Nagorno-Karabakh conﬂict Documents ment of the OSCE Secretary of the Alliance of Civilizations Ministerial Declaration on the Oc-

General Initiative CHAIRMANSHIP-IN-OFFICE OF THE REPORT casion of the 60th Anniversary Decision No. 3: Periods of Service Decision No. 9: Follow-up to the of the Universal Declaration of of the OSCE Secretary General 16th Economic and Environmen- Human Rights Decision No.4: Strengthening the tal Forum on Maritime and Inland Legal Framework of the OSCE Waterways Co-operation Ministerial Declaration on the 60th Anniversary of the Convention on Decision No. 5: Enhancing Criminal Decision No. 10: Further promoting the Prevention and Punishment of Justice Responses to Trafﬁck- the OSCE’s Action in countering the Crime of Genocide ing in Human Beings through a Terrorism comprehensive approach Decision No. 11: Small Arms and Decision No. 6: Enhancing OSCE Light Weapons and Stockpiles of Efforts to Implement the Action Conventional Ammunition plan on improving the Situation of Decision No. 12: Time and place Roma and Sinti within the OSCE of the next meeting of the OSCE area Ministerial Council democratic lawmaking was to achieve December. At the Helsinki Ministerial agreement on an overarching politi- justice, the quality of laws depended on the Council Meeting, the debate on security cal declaration, which would have been process through which they were prepared in Europe, based on the initiatives of the the first since 2002. The Chairmanship and developed. Russian Federation and France’s Nicolas employed a fresh approach: the Chairman- Sarkozy, in his capacity as rotating presi- in-Office led the ministerial-level debate, November. The OSCE-Afghanistan dent of the EU, proved to be one of the a higher-level debate than in recent years, Conference on Strengthening Co-operation high points of the discussions. Russian and conferred with a number of capitals. between the OSCE and its Asian Partners Federation Minister for Foreign Affairs, Unfortunately, although the debate was for Co-operation to Address Challenges to Sergey Lavrov, addressed the meeting. vibrant, the differences of view on funda- Security marked the first time the annual The Chairman-in-Office said, “It was mental issues proved too wide to bridge. conference with the Asian Partners was refreshing, it was frank, it was open, and A report on the human rights situation held in Afghanistan. Support for an OSCE it was analytical. For me, those qualities in the war-affected areas following the engagement with Afghanistan and for harked back to the spirit of Helsinki.” conflict in Georgia, prepared by ODIHR at OSCE assistance to the country’s efforts The Chairman-in-Office summed up the the request of the Chairmanship, served as towards normalization and stability was discussion at the working lunch, conclud- background for discussions on the after- reiterated. Possible OSCE assistance in ing, among other things, that the concept math of the August war. the 2009 presidential election was also of security covered both ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ Ministers took thirteen Decisions, mentioned. security, with all three OSCE dimensions including agreement on a Ministerial still relevant. The Ministers broadly agreed Statement on the Nagorno-Karabakh December. U.S. Secretary of State that there was a need to develop broader conflict. They agreed to enhance OSCE ef- Condoleezza Rice met with the Chairman- security concepts, but that the frozen con- forts to improve the situation of Roma and in-Office in Brussels on 2 December to flicts must be addressed as well. Sinti and to combat trafficking in human discuss priority OSCE issues. The Chairmanship worked hard to gain beings.

15 October, Geneva 18 and 19 November, Geneva

The ﬁrst round of the Geneva discussions, The second round of talks represents a step foreseen in the 12 August six-point agree- forward. There is general agreement at the two ment, begins. The OSCE, together with the parallel working groups to focus on practical UN and the EU co-facilitate the talks, which matters that help people on the ground, such as involve Georgia, Russia and the U.S. as well as ﬁnding concrete ways to handle disputes, and to South Ossetian and Abkhaz representatives. steer clear of contentious political matters. Special Envoy Talvitie represents the OSCE and Secretary General Marc Perrin de Brichambaut also attends. OSCE/MARTIN NESIRKY 19 November. Special Envoy of the Chairman-in-Office Ambassador Heikki Talvitie (right) with Ambassador Johan Verbeke of the UN (left) and Ambassador Pierre Morel of the EU after talks on the crisis in Georgia in Geneva.

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OSCE Annual Report 19 “In 1975 in Helsinki we were able to The OSCE’s legal status agree on a document that still serves as the foundation of our work. We achieved a The Finnish Chairmanship spearheaded efforts to find agreement on the draft Convention on legal personality and uniform privileges and immunities. document in Helsinki in 1992 and I think Significant work was carried out by interested participating States on this issue we made some progress in 2008 as well,” in 2007, but agreement on signature of the draft Convention did not find con- the Chairman-in-Office said. sensus among the participating States.

December. The Chairmanship celebrated In June, the quintet agreed that such a change was a long-term priority. In October, the Finnish Chairmanship organized an informal meeting of partici- the 60th anniversary of the Universal pating States on the outstanding issues related to the draft Convention. At the Declaration of Human Rights, the corner- Ministerial Council, Ministers adopted a Decision on Strengthening the Legal stone of all international human rights Framework of the OSCE and tasked the Chairman-in-Ofﬁce to pursue dialogue agreements, including commitments on the issue and report to next year’s Ministerial Council. undertaken at the OSCE, at an event organized together with the EU Presidency in Vienna on 15 December. Participants discussed the role of the OSCE in ensur- activities. With OSCE Chairmanships set intensify efforts to settle the protracted ing the realization of human rights in three years in advance for the first time, conflicts in the OSCE area. conflict situations, supporting the promo- the Chairmanship expanded the Troika The quintet Ministers also met in New tion of human rights in its region by civil that had long managed the OSCE’s work York in September to discuss prepara- society and human rights defenders. The into a quintet. tions for the Helsinki Ministerial Council event gave participants an opportunity to It enlisted the aid of five coun- meeting, and a third time in Helsinki just reaffirm their commitment to the values tries, the 2008 Troika and the future before the Ministerial Council. enshrined in the Declaration as an integral Chairmanships, namely Spain, Finland, part of the OSCE’s comprehensive ap- Greece, Kazakhstan and Lithuania, to Future of the economic and environmental proach to security. ODIHR’s annual report develop priorities, inviting the group to a dimension. The innishF Chairmanship’s on the situation of human rights defenders debut meeting in June in Helsinki. programme encouraged a strategic debate in the OSCE region was launched on the Quintet Ministers agreed on a number about the OSCE’s second dimension of se- margins of the event. of priorities for their multi-year work: curity, economic and environmental, with OSCE engagement with Afghanistan; bor- several delegations picking up the call for a Shaping the future of the OSCE der security and management; combating more structured approach to activities. terrorism; efforts to cope with small arms, To ensure continuity, the Chairmanship The Chairmanship addressed a number of light weapons and conventional ammu- sought the views of the quintet to set long- concrete issues pertinent to the OSCE’s fu- nition stockpiles; tolerance and non- term priorities in this dimension. They felt ture. How should it plan for the long term? discrimination; gender mainstreaming; migration, transport, the security aspects What will its legal status be? What is the economic and environmental challenges; of the environment and co-operation on future of the economic and environmental combating trafficking in human beings maritime and inland waterways, good dimension? The Chairmanship’s efforts to and strengthening dialogue with the governance and environment and security build consensus on this shared future were Organization’s Partners for Co-operation. should top the list. a key thread of its work in 2008. They also agreed on the importance of The Chairmanship suggested abandon- Long-range planning. The granting the OSCE legal personality. ing the current practice of rotating annual Chairmanship seized an opportunity They reaffirmed the OSCE’s comprehen- themes at the two-part Economic and opened by a 2007 Madrid Ministerial sive approach to security, agreed on the Environmental Forum in favour of using Council Decision to foster long-term importance of the OSCE role in conflict the quintet’s newly distilled set of priori- priority setting and planning at the OSCE, prevention, crisis management and post- ties and recommended combining the cur- enhancing the continuity and coherence of conflict rehabilitation and pledged to rent dual format into one.

17 and 18 December, Geneva 22 December, Vienna and Helsinki

The Chairman-in-Office expresses satisfaction Intensive negotiations led by the Chairmanship with the December discussions on Georgia. on the future of the OSCE Mission to Georgia “Practical and concrete matters were tackled do not achieve the expected results. The with the aim of helping the people in the Chairman-in-Office deeply regrets that the region. All invited parties participated in the 56 OSCE participating States failed to reach discussions and were also able to address consensus on the issue. difficult issues,” he says. Participants agree on most of the elements proposed for establishing mechanisms to handle incidents on the ground. The co-facilitators plan to work with the other participants to tackle the few remaining differ- The OSCE Mission to ences with the aim of reaching an agreement Georgia is one of the at the next meeting, set for February 2009. Organization’s oldest field

operations. KHIZANISHVILI OSCE/DAVID

Diplomatic journal Georgian crisis

20 OSCE Annual Report Permanent Council OSCE/MIKHAIL EVSTAFIEV

The Permanent Council is the OSCE’s initiatives and drafted texts which were re- was led by Ambassador Eoin O’Leary, the principle body for political consultation flected in a number of Permanent Council Permanent Representative of Ireland. It and decision-making. It meets weekly in and Ministerial Council Decisions. contributed to OSCE efforts to combat the Hofburg and in 2008 was presided over The Security Committee, led by trafficking in human beings, focusing on by Finnish Ambassador Antti Turunen. Ambassador György Molnár, the enhancing the criminal justice response, During the year, many senior officials Permanent Representative of Hungary, as well as on work to implement the from the participating States addressed worked on issues including policing, Action Plan on improving the situation of the Permanent Council and contributed counter-terrorism and border manage- Roma and Sinti within the OSCE area to their views on the contentious topics ment and on the implementation of the integrate Roma and Sinti minorities into of the day. For the first time, then Irish Madrid Ministerial Council Decision on the European mainstream. It looked at Prime Minister Bertie Ahern addressed OSCE Engagement with Afghanistan. strengthening the rule of law in the OSCE the OSCE, at a joint Permanent Council The Economic and Environmental area and at how to contribute to the imple- -Forum for Security Co-operation Committee, led by Ambassador Kairat mentation phase of the United Nation’s meeting. Abdrakhmanov, the Permanent Alliance of Civilizations programme. The three committees, reflecting the Representative of Kazakhstan, followed up OSCE’s three security dimensions, carried on the 16th Economic and Environmental on their work. Created in 2007, the com- Forum on Inland Waterways Co-operation. mittees discussed a number of political The Human Dimension Committee

OSCE Annual Report 21 Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern speaking at a joint session of the OSCE Permanent Council and the Forum for Security Co-operation in Vienna, 27 February OSCE/HERWIG PRAMMER OSCE/HERWIG

European Union External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner speaks at a news conference after delivering a speech to the OSCE Permanent Council, 31 January OSCE/SUSANNA LÖÖF

Guest speakers at the Permanent Council in 2008 10 January: Minister for Foreign Affairs of 4 June (Joint Meeting with the Forum for 4 September: Special Representative of the Finland Ilkka Kanerva Security Co-operation): Minister of United Nations Secretary-General and Defence of Estonia Jaak Aaviksoo Head of the United Nations Interim 24 January: Minister for Foreign Affairs of Administration Mission in Kosovo Slovenia Dimitrij Rupel 5 June: High Representative and European Lamberto Zannier Union Special Representative in 31 January (Special PC): European Bosnia and Herzegovina Miroslav 10 September (Special PC): Minister for Commissioner for External Relations Lajčák Foreign Affairs of Serbia Vuk Jeremić and European Neighbourhood Policy Benita Ferrero-Waldner 12 June: Special Representative of the 16 October: Former Special Co-ordinator European Union for the South of the Stability Pact for South Eastern 19 February (Special PC): Minister for Caucasus Peter Semneby Europe Erhard Busek Foreign Affairs of Serbia Vuk Jeremić Head of the European Union Border 29 October (Joint Meeting with the Forum Assistance Mission on the Moldovan- 27 February (Joint Meeting with the Forum for Security Co-operation): Minister Ukrainian border, Brigadier-General for Security Co-operation): Prime of Defence of the Republic of Cyprus Ferenc Banfi Minister of Ireland Bertie Ahern Costas Papacostas 3 July: Executive Secretary of the 28 February: Minister for Foreign Affairs of 6 November: Minister for Foreign Affairs Commonwealth of Independent States Slovakia Ján Kubiš of Albania Lulzim Basha Sergey Lebedev EU Special Representative for Central 13 March: Special Envoy of the Chairman- 17 July: Minister for Foreign Affairs of Asia and for the Crisis in Georgia in-OfficeHe ikki Talvitie France Bernard Kouchner Pierre Morel 10 April: Chairman-in-Office of the OSCE, 14 August: Special Envoy of the Chairman- 20 November: Special Envoy of the Minister for Foreign Affairs of in-OfficeHe ikki Talvitie Chairman-in-OfficeHeikki Talvitie Finland Alexander Stubb 28 August (Special PC): Minister for 17 April: Secretary General of the League of Foreign Affairs of Georgia Ekaterine Arab States Amre Moussa Tkeshelashvili 24 April: Secretary General of the Council of Europe Terry Davis

22 OSCE Annual Report Forum for Security Co-operation (FSC) OSCE

Training to operate a robot for improvised explosive device disposal

The Forum for Security Co-operation new areas of work for the Forum. During was the use of the risk reduction measures (FSC), chaired successively in 2008 by the year, the Forum also provided signifi- of the Vienna Document 1999 (VD99) to Spain, Estonia and Finland, continued cant contributions to such meetings as the address the incident of 20 April involving to focus on core politico-military issues, Helsinki Ministerial Council, the Annual the unmanned aerial vehicle shot down such as arms control and confidence- and Security Review Conference (ASRC) and over Abkhazia, Georgia. The Chairperson security-building measures (CSBMs), the United Nations (UN) Third Biennial of the Permanent Council also requested small arms and light weapons (SALW), Meeting of States to Consider the Imple- politico-military advice from the Forum stockpiles of conventional ammuni- mentation of the UN Programme of Action with reference to the provisions of Bucha- tion (SCA), and the Code of Conduct on on SALW. rest Ministerial Council Decision No.3 on Politico-Military Aspects of Security (CoC). Intensified dialogue on CSBMs and fostering the role of the OSCE as a forum By December of the active and chal- arms control emphasized the Forum’s for political dialogue, and a consultative lenging year, delegations had put forward importance as a platform to address Euro- and constructive dialogue ensued. initiatives that led to the adoption of 17 pean security issues. One of the most important annual new Decisions. Some of these were supple- Rising tensions and the outbreak of Forum events, the 18th Annual Implemen- mentary measures updating already exist- hostilities in Georgia triggered a number tation Assessment Meeting (AIAM), held ing commitments, while others introduced of Forum activities. Chief among them in March, provided an opportunity for

OSCE Annual Report 23 Head of the Defence Policy Department at the Finnish Defence Ministry, Pauli Järvenpää (right), addresses the Forum for Security Co-operation, Vienna, 10 September. On the left is Finnish Forum Chairman Misa Kangaste OSCE/SUSANNA LÖÖF

participating States to discuss the pres- introducing best practices to prevent de- Work also continued to support the im- ent and future implementation of agreed stabilizing transfers of SALW through air plementation of UN Security Council Reso- CSBMs, and allowed experts to exchange transport and an associated questionnaire; lution 1540 (2004) on the non-proliferation experiences, make suggestions and assess exchanging information with regard to of weapons of mass destruction. The the implementation of the OSCE commit- the sample formats of end-user certificates participating States discussed the prepara- ments in this area. Immediately prior to and relevant verification procedures; and tion of a best practices guide. this meeting, heads of verification centres the overview of disposal aspects of liquid A special Working Group A meeting met for the second time. rocket fuel in the OSCE area. The OSCE was held in January on a more active role The Forum suggested topics for the also published the Handbook of Best Prac- for the OSCE in combating anti-personnel Annual Security Review Conference that tices on Conventional Ammunition. mines. took place in Vienna in July. Discussions Practical work to help participating The three Forum Chairmanships revealed the continuing relevance of the States implement the SALW and SCA in 2008 continued to strengthen co- Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Documents remained a dynamic area of operation between the Forum and the Europe (CFE). Forum engagement. During the year, the Permanent Council in the spirit of the Discussions in Forum working groups OSCE continued the implementation of OSCE’s concept of comprehensive and and plenary meetings regarding the two joint assistance programmes in Mon- indivisible security. Three Joint and three improvement of implementation of VD99 tenegro and Belarus with the UN Develop- Special Joint Meetings were held to address provisions led to a Decision on taking ment Programme. The second phase of the multi-dimensional issues relevant to the national holidays into account when plan- comprehensive assistance programme on work of both. ning verification activities. SALW and SCA in Tajikistan is nearing In addition, the Forum adopted a completion. The Forum also launched Decision on organizing an OSCE Workshop a comprehensive SALW and SCA pro- on a Comprehensive OSCE Approach gramme. The Forum received three new to Enhancing Cyber Security, to be held requests for assistance on SALW and/or in 2009 in Vienna. The Decision was a SCA. follow-up to an initiative introduced by the In February, the Forum conducted a Estonian Forum Chairmanship. Workshop on the Implications of Technical, The OSCE Documents on Small Arms Managerial and Financial Issues of Existing and Light Weapons (SALW) and on Stock- and Planned Projects on SALW and SCA. piles of Conventional Ammunition (SCA) The Forum adopted a newDecision to raise continued to receive considerable attention awareness and outreach of the CoC, which at the Forum. The Forum adopted new aims to enhance the norms of responsible Decisions on updating OSCE principles and co-operative behaviour in the field of for export controls of man-portable air security and the responsibilities of States defence systems; updating the report- towards each other, as well as democratic ing categories of weapon and equip- control of armed forces in the OSCE re- ment systems subject to the information gion. In addition, support grew to update exchange on conventional arms transfers; the related questionnaire.

24 OSCE Annual Report OSCE Parliamentary Assembly

OSCE Annual Report 25 OSCE/MIKHAIL EVSTAFIEV OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Parliamentary Assembly President: Joao Soares from 3 July, succeeding Goran Lennmarker www.oscepa.org

The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, established by the Paris summit in 1990, includes 320 Members of Parliament and has as a primary role the promotion of dialogue among elected parliamentarians in the OSCE region on OSCE-related issues. The Parliamentary Assembly works to enhance security in all three OSCE dimensions. Through its annual Declaration adopted at its Annual Session in July, it provides recommendations to OSCE Institutions as well as to the governments and parliaments of the participating States.

2008 was a year full of activity for the conflict. Soon thereafter, President Soares highest political levels, to the full imple- Assembly and its International Secretariat visited Moscow, while President Emeritus mentation of all of their OSCE commit- in Copenhagen. The Annual Session took Lennmarker travelled to Georgia, visiting ments and to the future strengthening place in Astana, Kazakhstan in July, the Tbilisi and Gori. At the Fall Meetings, the of the Organization”. It also invited the Winter Meeting was in Vienna, Austria in Assembly held a general debate about the OSCE and its participating States to regu- February, and in September the Assembly situation in Georgia after presentations larly consider the Assembly’s proposals had its Fall Meetings in Toronto, Canada. by the Georgian Foreign Minister and and to make better use of the Assembly to In addition, the Assembly’s leaders carried the Russian Ambassador to the United promote democracy and human rights. out their political work with extremely Nations. President Emeritus Lennmarker busy schedules, and the Assembly’s elec- also delivered an initial report, calling Fall Meetings, Toronto, 18 to 20 September. tion observation programme, which this for observers and the establishment of an TheF all Meetings focused on the topic year included eight missions, continued to independent catastrophe commission to of the OSCE in an open world: trade, be an important asset within the OSCE. investigate the events. security and migration. Apart from the seminar, the meetings also included the Presidency Parliamentary Dialogue Mediterranean Forum, which this year focused on the theme integration and At the Annual Session, Goran Lennmarker 17th Annual Session, Astana, 29 June to 3 co-operation, as well as a meeting of the of Sweden stepped down as Assembly July. For the first time ever, the Assembly Standing Committee. The special debate President, having served the maximum held its Annual Session in Central Asia, on Georgia was one of the highlights two consecutive years. Joao Soares of with 227 parliamentarians represent- of the meetings and reflected various Portugal was elected to succeed him. ing 49 countries gathering for the 17th opinions on the situation. The OSCE Upon being elected, President Soares Annual Session from 29 June to 3 July in Secretary General briefed the Assembly’s expressed his intention to reinvigorate Astana, Kazakhstan. President Nursultan Standing Committee on the 2009 bud- debate on the main security issues facing Nazarbayev and the Speakers of the Senate get proposal and welcomed the interest the OSCE region. He underlined that the and House of the Kazakh Parliament ad- of Members of Parliament in the OSCE. Parliamentary Assembly’s key priority was dressed the Session. The overall theme was TheMediterranean Forum was the best to play a leading role and provide political transparency in the OSCE, and vigorous attended ever and included high-level par- judgment in OSCE election observation debates were held on the need to regulate liamentary delegations from the Partners missions. He announced his intention to private military contractors, the security for Co-operation. The Forum debated strive for greater balance and transparency situation in Georgia, Afghanistan, cyber multilateral efforts to increase stability and in the Organization’s work. security, environmental security and unity in the Mediterranean, including the climate change, trade, water manage- Union of the Mediterranean and the OSCE The Crisis in Georgia ment, migration, violence against women, Mediterranean Dimension initiatives. combating sexual exploitation of children Since August, the crisis in Georgia stood and the importance of participating States Winter Meeting, Vienna, 21 and 22 February. at the forefront of Assembly activities. granting greater access to their historical The second-largest Assembly event of the President Soares acted promptly by is- archives. year, the Winter Meeting provided a good suing a statement calling for restraint, The Assembly adopted the Astana opportunity for Members of Parliament to and he appointed President Emeritus Declaration, calling on the participating interact directly with senior OSCE officials Lennmarker as Special Envoy in the States to “fully commit themselves, at the and leaders and discuss follow-up to the

26 OSCE Annual Report Chairman-in-Ofﬁce Alexander Stubb (left) welcomes Joao Soares, President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, at the 16th Ministerial Council in Helsinki, 4 December OSCE PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY PETRI KROOK

Kimmo Kiljunen (left), the Chairman-in-Ofﬁce’s Special Envoy on election-related issues, speaks at a seminar on elections at the Hofburg in Vienna, 21 July. The OSCE’s ﬁrst Secretary General Wilhelm Höynck is on the right. OSCE/SUSANNA LÖÖF

Assembly’s 2007 Kyiv Declaration. At the t Slovenian Parliamentarian Roberto Regional Focus, Field Work Winter Meeting, the Assembly held two Battelli for the parliamentary elections special debates; one on Kosovo and an- in Serbia, 11 May; Assembly Committees and Representatives other on the Conventional Forces in Europe t Portuguese Parliamentarian Joao work in the field with field operations to (CFE) Treaty and missile defence. Soares for the parliamentary elections promote parliamentary dialogue on differ- in Georgia, 21 May and the U.S. general ent political issues. Election Observation elections, 4 November, preceded by an election seminar in Washington D.C. on The Special Representative on the Nagorno In 2008, the Assembly participated in six 22 and 23 September; Karabakh conflict, President Emeritus OSCE election observation missions along t Danish Parliamentarian Pia Christmas- Lennmarker, continued promoting with the OSCE’s Office for Democratic Moeller for the parliamentary elections parliamentary dialogue in Armenia and Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), in the former Yugoslav Republic of Azerbaijan in order to support the peace in which designated members of the Macedonia, 1 June and re-run 15 June. process of the Minsk Group. He visited Parliamentary Assembly led the short- both countries in September in order to term observers, and deployed an obser- In addition to the deployment of missions, discuss the new momentum for solving the vation mission of its own to the United the Assembly engaged in dialogue on conflict. States. In accordance with practice, the election-related and particular observation Chairman-in-Office appointed the follow- matters. After the President’s address to In February, the Assembly heard a report ing Special Co-ordinators: the Commonwealth of Independent States by the Parliamentary Team on Moldova Assembly, an informal working group on a visit to Moldova. The report encour- t U.S. Congressman Alcee Hastings for undertook dialogue on observation stan- aged resumption of negotiations on the the presidential election in Georgia, 5 dards and transparency. Secretary General status of Transdniestria. In a meeting with January; Spencer Oliver met in Copenhagen the Moldovan Delegation at the Winter t Belgian Senator Anne-Marie Lizin for with the new Director of the Office for Meeting, the Team discussed prospects for the presidential election in Armenia, 19 Democratic Institutions and Human institutionalizing parliamentary contacts February, and the parliamentary elec- Rights. The Secretary General also pre- between Chisinau and Tiraspol. tions in Belarus, 28 September; sented the Assembly’s views to a seminar on election observation in Vienna in July.

OSCE Annual Report 27 Anne-Marie Lizin (second right), OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Vice President and Special Co-ordinator of the OSCE short-term observers for the Armenian presidential election, talks to military voters at a polling station in Yerevan, 19 February. OSCE/TINA SCHON

The Ad Hoc Working Group on Belarus Partners for Co-operation. Special Rep- also represented the Assembly at meetings continued its work to promote dialogue, resentative Alcee Hastings continued his on regional initiatives, including at the democracy and free and fair election work throughout 2008 to bring awareness first meeting of the Regional Co-operation processes in Belarus. The Group had to issues pertaining to security in the Medi- Council. In October, the Assembly, in discussions with Belarusian parliamentar- terranean, visiting the area in December. co-operation with the OSCE Special ians at Assembly meetings. In addition, Representative on Trafficking, organized the Head of the Group, Uta Zapf, partici- Assembly Vice-President and Special Rep- a roundtable on trafficking in conjunction pated in meetings of the Parliamentary resentative on Guantánamo Anne-Marie with a field visit to the OSCE Mission in Troika, including representatives of the Lizin visited the US detention facility at Sarajevo. Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Guantánamo Bay for the third time on 26 Europe, the European Parliament and the March, continuing her analysis of the state The Special Representative for the Fight OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, in order to of prisoners in the detention facility. She against Transnational Organized Crime, co-ordinate policy. delivered her report to the Annual Session. Carlo Vizzini, presented a report at the Fall Meetings calling for common Euro- The Assembly’s Special Representative The Special Representative on Gender pean legislation and more co-operation for Central Asia, Vice-President Kimmo Issues, Vice-President Tone Tingsgaard, among local authorities to fight organized Kiljunen, continued to encourage active delivered her yearly report at the Annual crime. participation by Central Asian Members Session and made a resolution calling in the Assembly. He met with the Cen- for more women in leadership positions tral Asian Delegations on the margins of in the OSCE. In 2008, she particularly Assembly meetings to discuss regional co- emphasized the issue of violence against operation and other OSCE-related topics. women and attended the Experts Seminar In March, he visited Turkmenistan. on Innovative Approaches to Combating Violence against Women in Dushanbe on 20 Late in the year, President Soares ap- October. pointed Michel Voisin Special Representa- tive on Afghanistan. Throughout 2008, the The Special Representative on the OSCE Assembly encouraged Afghan Members of Budget, Petr Blondal, met with the OSCE Parliament to participate in the Assembly’s Secretary General’s Office and visited the meetings. The Assembly also participated OSCE/ODIHR as well as the OSCE Exter- in the 2008 OSCE-Afghanistan Conference, nal Auditors. highlighting the role of parliamentarians in the OSCE. Roberto Battelli, OSCE Special Represen- tative on South East Europe, visited his The Assembly continued its long- region several times in 2008, including as term efforts to enhance dialogue and Special Co-ordinator of the Chairman-in- co-operation with the Mediterranean Office at the May elections in Serbia. He

28 OSCE Annual Report Field Operations OSCE/ERIC GOURLAN

South-eastern Europe Eastern Europe Central Asia Assistance with Bilateral Presence in Albania Office in Minsk Centre in Ashgabad Agreements Mission to Bosnia and Mission to Moldova Centre in Astana Representative to the Herzegovina Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine Centre in Bishkek Latvian-Russian Joint Mission in Kosovo South Caucasus Office in Tajikistan Commission on Military Mission to Montenegro Office in Baku Project Co-ordinator in Pensioners Mission to Serbia Mission to Georgia Uzbekistan Spillover Monitor Office in Yerevan Mission to Skopje Office in Zagreb BBosniaosnia and and Presence in Albania HerzeHerzegovinagovina Serbia MonM tenegroenegegro Head of Presence: Ambassador Robert Bosch BBulgariaulgaria

Budget: €3,544,600 ADRIATIC SEA ShkodërS www.osce.org/albania KukësKukëës ffYROMYROM TiranaTirana Albania

VlorëVlorëVloVlorërë

GjirokastërGjirokastërGjirokaststërsttër

GGreecereece The names and boundaries on this map do not imply official endorsement or acceptance by the OSCE.

Presence in Albania Field Ofﬁces

The Presence in Albania supported the host country in consolidating its state institutions, focusing on judicial, legislative and electoral reform, parliamentary capacity-building, anti-trafﬁcking, police training, anti-corruption and good governance, property and regional administration activities. It also supported media independence and worked to strengthen civil society. A milestone was reached in a major technical assistance project to modernize Albania’s civil registry and address system.

Politico-military dimension activities Economic and environmental dimension Europe, the Presence supported a project activities for mayors in five municipalities, aimed Assisting the border and state police. at promoting leadership, managing public The Presence supported the Border and Supporting property reform. The Presence services and citizen participation. Migration Police in implementing the helped develop a base map — the first Integrated Border Management Strategy, layer of digitalized geographic informa- Promoting good governance. The Presence facilitating joint border co-operation tion in a Geographical Information System hosted a conference to ensure that national meetings and cross-border agreements, — with the Property Restitution and priorities in the fight against corruption through work at headquarters and in the Compensation Agency. The first property were reflected in local plans, given local field. To assist crime-fighting efforts, some registration along Albania’s southern authorities’ increased competencies. It 10 police and customs officers were trained coastline began as part of a project funded supported training of 400 officials at the to use vehicle search kits and detect forged by the European Commission. High Inspectorate for Declaration of documents. A regional workshop brought Assets and Audit on the legal framework together 30 senior police officers to learn Supporting decentralization and regional on conflicts of interest. how to operate leadership assessment reform. Twenty-seven judges were trained centres that support the implementation of on access to justice in a regional event Supporting the protection and reintegra- the new Law on Police Ranks and Law on held in co-operation with the Office of tion of victims of trafﬁcking. The Presence State Police. Fifteen senior police officers the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic supported the drafting and publication from the region and international police and Environmental Activities and the of the National Anti-trafficking Strategy experts attended a Balkan Police Training United Nations Economic Commission and Action Plan for 2008-2010 and held Leadership Conference to identify avail- for Europe. Together with the Council of a national conference to introduce it. able police training resources and create networks for police trainers. The Presence Worn-out civil registers also set up second-language courses for previously used in Civil Status Ofﬁces. 150 police officers. The Presence assisted Albania in creating a Munitions disposal. The Presence supported new electronic National the work of the Forum for Security Co- Register of Citizens. operation which offered Albania assistance in disposing of quantities of Melange rocket fuel. All such fuel has now been removed and neutralized from the original three sites in a project funded by Greece, Denmark, Finland and Sweden. OSCE/JOANA KARAPATAQI

30 OSCE Annual Report The Presence assisted the Government of Albania in eliminating approximately 34 tons of the liquid rocket fuel components Melange and Samin stored in the suburbs of Tirana. OSCE/JACK BELL

It produced two manuals for law en- Members of Parliament (MPs) and citi- Presence continued to chair donor/govern- FIELD OPERATIONS forcement and social service agencies zens. Female MPs were assisted in creating ment co-ordination meetings on issues to increase capacities for the identifica- a Women’s Caucus. Along with other relating to Roma and to prison reform. tion, referral and protection of victims OSCE Missions in the region, the Presence and those at risk of being trafficked. It held a regional conference for female MPs. Media development. The Presence as- provided training to police officers on traf- With the support of the Parliament of the sisted the National Council of Radio and ficking issues and to social workers on the Netherlands, the Presence provided train- Television in producing a draft digital South-eastern Europe prevention of trafficking and protection of ing to staff of the Parliamentary Library television strategy through a consulta- victims. and Archives. The Presence also began to tion process, with funding from Austria. assist with the creation of an information The public broadcaster was also helped in Promoting better environment management. technology network. producing policies for the implementa- In line with Aarhus Convention recom- tion of their strategy. With support of the mendations on strengthening citizen Strengthening the justice system. The Representative for Freedom of the Media, participation, the Presence facilitated the Presence provided technical assistance the Presence promoted a transparent involvement of non-governmental organi- to create a national Probation Service, process of drafting a new law on radio and zations (NGOs) on drafting a law on public whose role was discussed in a seminar for television. The Presence began a project, participation in environmental decision 40 judges and prosecutors. It conducted a funded by the European Commission, to making. Government and NGO officials training course for probation trainers. It create a ‘Media Club’ that will act as a self- participated in study visits to Finland provided support in drafting secondary regulatory media body. and Austria to examine best practices in legislation needed for the implementation environmental impact assessment and of the Law on the State Police, and the Law Promoting civil society and citizens’ rights. renewable energy systems. on the State Supreme Audit Institution. It Civil Society Development Centres, helped published a police manual on how to deal by the Presence, continued supporting Human dimension activities with minors who violate the law or fall civil society in their respective communi- victim to crime. With the Civil Service ties. The Centres conducted hearings with Furthering electoral reform. The Presence Commission, it trained 36 local govern- local NGOs on a draft law on an Albanian assisted Albania in creating a new ment officials in Shkodra and Lezha on Civil Society Development Fund. National Register of Citizens, finalized in civil service legislation and dispute resolu- December, a key step in the Government’s tion. The Presence published aJudicial Advancing gender equality and women’s project to modernize its address and Bench Book on Protection Orders and a rights. With assistance provided by the civil registration systems. The project is brochure on domestic violence. It pro- Presence, the Parliament passed a Gender funded by the European Commission. The vided funding for a study visit to Italy on Equality Law. The Presence continued to Presence supported the Parliamentary Ad witness protection for prosecutors of the advise on the drafting of the sub-legal acts Hoc Committee on Electoral Reform and Serious Crimes Court and members of the required for the implementation process. successfully lobbied for a gender quota to Albanian Witness Protection Directorate. Women victims in the Kukes region be included in the recently passed Electoral continued to receive assistance through Code. An event was facilitated with the Human rights. With the Office of the the Women’s Counselling Centre, with participation of NGOs representing people People’s Advocate, the Presence installed funding from Germany. with disabilities, the findings of which some 70 sealed mailboxes in every deten- were later made available to the Ad Hoc tion site in the country, enabling detainees Committee. to file complaints addressed to the Office about perceived violations of their rights. Strengthening the Parliamentary Assembly. It held a conference on how to combat The Presence held various regional events discrimination against Roma and to in- to increase communication between crease understanding of Roma issues. The

OSCE Annual Report 31 Hungary Slovenia Mission to Bosnia and Croatia Romania

Bihać Brčko Banja Luka Doboj Herzegovina Bosnia and Bijeljina Herzegovina Tuzla Serbia Head of Mission: Ambassador Gary Robbins from Zenica Travnik Srebrenica 30 October, succeeding Ambassador Douglas Davidson ADRI Livno Sarajevo whose mandate ended on 15 September AT Foča IC SE Mostar Bulgaria Budget: 15,254,500 € A www.oscebih.org Trebinje Montenegro

The names and boundaries on this map do not imply official endorsement or acceptance by the OSCE. Head Office Field Offices Albania fYROM

The Mission continued its work on strengthening democracy and good governance, successfully completing two local governance support projects with the participation of more than half of the country’s municipalities. As part of its efforts to advance the rule of law, the Mission continued its strong involvement in the effective processing of war Greece crimes and related legislative reforms. The Mission contributed to ongoing education reform, addressing access and discrimination issues, as well as sound management and quality community participation. Finally, the Mission supported Bosnia and Herzegovina’s fulfilment of its politico-military commitments.

Politico-military dimension activities Inter-agency co-operation was particularly evident at a regional conference for parlia- Arms control. The Mission worked with mentarians and ministry officials on co- authorities to improve the security of operative responses to natural disasters. munitions stockpiles, promoting the destruction of surplus small arms and light Increased capacity. Together with the weapons and ammunition and stricter Council of Ministers and the Ministry of state-level legislative controls of weapons Security, the Mission worked to imple- and ammunition. Although related legisla- ment the country’s Security Policy. Three tion was not adopted, the legislative effort Security Policy courses, organized with promoted awareness of all aspects of this financial assistance from Finland, brought issue. together 70 senior members of State and Representatives of civilian and military The Mission also assisted with the local governments, civil society and media security sector institu- implementation of the Sub-regional Arms professionals. tions attend a seminar Control regime within the framework of on strategic politico- Annex 1B of the Dayton Peace Accords, military decisions. providing technical, logistical and linguistic support to 17 events.

Compliance with commitments. The Ministry of Defence and the Mission conducted four seminars on the OSCE Code of Conduct on Politico-Military Aspects of Security for over 100 senior security sector officials of the State and the Entities. Inter- ministerial and inter-agency co-operation were also enhanced.

Parliamentary development. Through the organization of study visits, workshops and conferences for state parliamentary committees on defence, security, and intelligence, the Mission enhanced their understanding of parliamentary oversight. OSCE

32 OSCE Annual Report Filling out an application form at a job fair co- organized in Zvornik by the Mission

of the Annex VII of the Dayton Peace FIELD OPERATIONS Accords. Co-operating closely with OSCE Missions, the European Commission and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in Croatia, Serbia and Montenegro, the Mission helped to advance the implemen-

tation of the Sarajevo Declaration (the 3 x South-eastern Europe 4 Initiative) aiming to facilitate either the return or the local integration of refugees and displaced persons in the region. OSCE Gender equality and domestic violence. In co-operation with the Ministry Judicial reform. To enhance ongoing The Mission continued to advocate of Security and the Geneva Centre for institutional and legislative reforms, the the implementation of UN Security Security Policy, the Mission conducted a Mission regularly presented key stake- Council Resolution 1325 on Women, top-level security policy seminar to discuss holders with findings from its monitoring Peace and Security, the Convention on the the country’s contribution to improving of the justice sector’s ability to operate Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination the region’s security. effectively and efficiently. It supported against Women (CEDAW) and Bosnia and the adoption of a National Justice Sector Herzegovina’s Law on Gender Equality. Economic and environmental activities Reform Strategy, legislative reform and The Mission monitored local authorities’ improvements to the system of juvenile response to domestic violence and sup- Jobs and the economy. The Mission helped justice. ported local initiatives to improve commu- organize 12 job information fairs and 30 nication among relevant actors. entrepreneurship seminars together with National human rights institutions. The municipalities, employment bureaus, Mission continued to assist the appoint- Anti-trafﬁcking. The Mission, together businesses, development agencies and civil ment process for the newly reformed om- with the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly society groups. Over 400 young people budsperson institution. The Mission moni- and the Special Representative and Co- found jobs and 50 started businesses. tored the functional capacity of legislative ordinator for Combating Trafficking in working groups and oversight procedures Human Beings, organized a Parliamentary Human dimension activities to remedy human rights violations. Seminar, which was hosted by the Parliament of Bosnia and Herzegovina War crimes prosecution. As a top priority, Advancing the rights of Roma and national and attended by 30 parliamentarians from the Mission provided national institu- minorities. The Mission was instrumen- across the region. tions with advice and assistance on the tal in the host country’s accession to the effective processing of war crimes. It also Decade of Roma Inclusion, supporting the Democratization continued to monitor cases transferred by development of the Roma Action Plans on Transparent and accountable government. the International Criminal Tribunal for housing, health and employment. It also The Mission supported regional co-opera- the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), issuing 15 undertook capacity-building activities tion of Members of Parliament (MPs) and reports detailing problems and proposing with the councils of national minorities staff of the State Parliament on European solutions. The Mission advocated closer and Roma associations. Union integration, work with audit institu- co-operation among the ICTY, the State tions and the participation of women in and Entity jurisdictions. Through training Supporting return. The Mission supported decision-making. It continued supporting and technical assistance, it strengthened the work of the State Commission for information technology development, the judicial capacity for dealing with war Refugees and Displaced Persons, as well as introduction of a permanent parliamen- crimes. the revision of the Implementation Strategy tary calendar and electronic processing of

OSCE Annual Report 33 parliamentary materials. Efforts contin- Education ensure that all children can attend appro- ued to promote the adoption of a code of Promoting good governance and the rule of priate and welcoming schools. Financed conduct and the opening of the Parliament law. The Mission successfully completed a by the OSCE’s High Commissioner on to the public. pilot effort to romotep good governance in National Minorities, the Mission facili- The Mission concluded two multi-year schools. Nearly 50 school boards through- tated the development of a Workbook on local governance projects: the Municipal out Zenica-Doboj Canton participated in National Minorities for primary school Administration Reform Programme, which the pilot, financed in part by Germany, pupils. It also supported the introduction was successfully completed by 95 of the and plans were made to duplicate this of a Culture of Religions course, financed 102 implementing municipalities and effort in other areas in 2009. The report by Germany and Norway. The Mission UGOVOR, or Contract, completed by 70 of on school catchment areas led to two pilot continued to provide logistical support the 80 participating municipalities. Both analyses on school network optimization to training events for history textbook projects aimed to improve the transpar- options in Sanski Most and Banja Luka. authors, reviewers and teachers. ency and accountability of municipal Through a series of study visits, students, administration, especially with regard to teachers and parents from other parts Supporting participation. The Mission strategic planning, budget discipline and of the country were introduced to the organized public debates and two dozen merit-based recruitment practices. In ad- Brčko District model of integrated educa- radio shows in order to provide recom- dition, it was agreed that responsibility for tion. To strengthen regional networks, mendations for the implementation of the the Beacon Scheme, which recognizes and school directors met their colleagues Framework Law on Pre-school Education. rewards excellence in municipal service in Slovenia, while members of the host It also organized more than 40 events as delivery, will be transferred to domestic country’s Parents Association met their part of the Towards a Culture of Tolerance authorities in 2009. Montenegrin counterparts and began initiative, bringing together students, The development and implementation developing cross-border initiatives. parents and teachers from both divided of municipal communication strategies and mono-ethnic communities. It worked under the Public Outreach Initiative im- Enhancing equal access and non-discrimina- to foster mutual respect and understand- proved communication between munici- tion. Faced with a potentially destabilizing ing through workshops on themes such palities and the public. Another initiative lack of equal access to schools, the Mission as identity, prejudice and stereotypes and in 18 smaller municipalities strengthened in 2008 supported the introduction of visits to cultural heritage sites. the capacity of local media to link govern- an Index for Inclusion, a school self- ment with citizens and to address issues assessment tool containing action plans to relevant to communities. The Mission also organized the first summer school for journalists.

Legislation and regulatory frameworks. The Mission assisted over 95 per cent of the host country’s municipalities with harmonizing their statutes and rules of procedure with the new Law on Local Self- Government and helped both Entities with their continuing local self-government reform.

Citizen participation. Some 650 young people participated in the Open Parliament project, which included 10 televised debates between MPs and youth and six educational visits to Parliament.

Electoral Issues At the request of the Central Election Commission, the Mission provided expert advice on electoral legislation, including political party financing and conflict of interest laws. Support was also provided to the implementation of changes to the Election Law that allow persons who were residents of Srebrenica in 1991 to

vote in local elections in that town. This OSCE effort, resulting in higher voter turnout in Primary school children Srebrenica (63 per cent as compared to 36 participating in an OSCE event promoting per cent in 2004), was financially sup- tolerance and diversity ported by the United States, Sweden and in Ugljevik, northern the Netherlands. Bosnia and Herzegovina

34 OSCE Annual Report Mission in Kosovo SSerbiaerbia Bosnia and Head of Mission: Ambassador Werner Almhofer HerzegovinaHerzegovina from 1 October, succeeding Ambassador Tim Guldimann, whose mandate ended on 30 September BulgarB Budget: €30,010,300 Montenegroenegegro www.osce.org/kosovo Kosovo ADRIATIC SEA AAlbanialbania ffYROMYROM

The names and boundaries on this map do not imply official endorsement or acceptance by the OSCE. Mission in Kosovo Regional Centres

The Mission in Kosovo continued to carry out its mandate, despite changes in the political context connected with the proclamation of independence by the Assembly of

Kosovo on 17 February, by maintaining a status-neutral position under United Nations FIELD OPERATIONS (UN) Security Council Resolution 1244, which deﬁnes the framework of the Mission’s work. The Mission continued to fulﬁl its widely-acknowledged responsibilities in the areas of strengthening institutions1, placing special emphasis on the respect for human rights and the rights of communities. The Mission is currently the only international civilian

actor with an extensive ﬁeld presence throughout Kosovo. The reconﬁguration of the South-eastern Europe international civilian presence is making the role of the Mission even more important.

Human dimension activities

Human rights. The Mission continued to monitor the protection of human rights and the participation of communities in Kosovo, paying special attention to non-majority community protection, property-related issues, anti-trafficking, court and police monitoring and assisting the ombudsperson institution. The Mission played a crucial role in preserving municipal-level offices for communities, which are essential for promoting the rights of non-majority communities, in particular by facilitating access to key services and making outreach efforts. As a result of the support of the Mission in the last two years, human rights units OSCE/HASAN SOPA are now established in most ministries and municipalities. The units give ministries institutions, equal opportunities and OSCE municipal team member talks to a participant at a gender equality workshop organized by the and municipalities the capacity to ensure dialogue with civil society. The Mission Mission in Prishtinë/Pristina, 25 June. human rights compliance and issue their coached and advised the new Committee own human rights reports. and the other Assembly committees, focusing on legislative assistance, executive Good governance. A separate Kosovo oversight, outreach, transparency and the Assembly committee on human rights review of draft laws for compliance with was created with the Mission’s encourage- human rights, rule of law, community ment. The new Committee on Human rights and international standards. Rights, Gender Issues, Missing Persons and Petitions, which became functional in Property rights. The protection of housing an outstandingly short period of time, has and property rights and cultural heritage led the legislature to pay more attention was another Mission priority. The Mission 1 All references to Kosovo institutions/leaders refer to to the human rights compliance of public monitored spatial planning processes, the Provisional Institutions of Self Government.

OSCE Annual Report 35 OSCE on the air The Mission financed and co-produced a series of television debates reviewing the work of mayors in their first year in office that were among the most- watched programmes on Kosovo television. It also financed 10 television shows promoting the ombudsperson institutions. The shows focused on human rights issues such as the length of court procedures, property rights, the failure to investigate crimes, gender issues and domestic violence, social care and pensions and the impunity of public authorities. OSCE/HASAN SOPA advising authorities to make allowances promoted an anti-trafficking help line and (Local Public Safety Committees), mainly for informal settlements in order to nor- culminated in a public rock concert on established in areas with non-majority malize activities in this sphere. This is an International Human Rights Day on 10 communities, the Mission carried out a essential condition for the better integra- December. community safety project in eight villages. tion of inhabitants of informal settlements, The Mission improved communica- mostly members of the Roma, Ashkali, Justice system monitoring. The Mission tion between the police and the judiciary Egyptian and other vulnerable communi- continued to monitor the justice system, through a series of roundtable discussions ties, into society. The Mission monitored publishing quarterly court monitor- throughout Kosovo. Representatives from different religious and cultural heritage ing reports. It also published a series of the police and the judiciary participated in sites, informing and advising munici- more specialized reports on war crimes, the discussions. Closer co-operation con- palities of their obligations to protect this anti-trafficking, property transactions, stitutes a significant step toward achieving heritage in line with best international the privatization process and inter-ethnic human rights compliance by all judicial practices in this field. incidents, including a follow-up report on and police stakeholders. the 2004 March riots. The Mission assisted Anti-trafficking support. The Mission placed the Kosovo Chamber of Advocates and the Higher education. The Mission facilitated special emphasis on combating trafficking Kosovo Judicial Institute to adjust their the participation of Kosovo’s universi- in human beings. It trained those involved programmes for the training of attorneys, ties in key European higher education in the fight against trafficking, includ- judges and prosecutors to meet immediate events, helping the University of Prishtinë/ ing trade, labour and sanitary inspectors, training needs. Priština and the University of Mitrovicë/ victim advocates, the police and Kosovo Mitrovica to establish broad networks Force peacekeepers. A number of public Rule of law. The Mission continued with educational partners. The Mission information campaigns were organized monitoring the police, assisting in the also helped to establish an Academic to raise awareness of the issue. The larg- development of an accountable and human Development Office at the University of est of these, the campaign Rock to Break rights-compliant police service. In order to Prishtinë/Priština to evaluate curricula. the Silence: Report Human Trafficking empower grassroots-level security bodies Media development. After the termina- tion of the contract for the collection of the public broadcasting fee by the Kosovo Energy Corporation, the Mission led negotiations for its continuation. The mediation by the Mission helped the public broadcaster Radio Television of Kosovo

Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian children pose for a photo at the renovated OSCE-funded centre for co-operation and integration Fidan Lahu in Fushe Kosove/

OSCE/HASAN SOPA Kosovo Polje, 11 June.

36 OSCE Annual Report OSCE/HASAN SOPA A pupil tries on a firefighter’s helmet during a fire protection education project being implemented by the Mission in five primary schools in the Prishtine/ Pristina region. OSCE/HASAN SOPA Press conference participants watch a television spot before the launch of a Mission-supported road traffic

safety campaign, Prishtine/Pristina, 25 July. FIELD OPERATIONS

(RTK) to regain its financial and edito- stations and ambulance teams operating rial autonomy, as the service contract was in Kosovo. It is now working to help these extended for another year. This gives all services to remedy the most urgent needs stakeholders time to find a long-term and regarding equipment, staffing, training sustainable financial solution for RTK. and working standards. South-eastern Europe The Mission advised and assisted the The Mission organized a Kosovo-wide Independent Media Commission with survey of the public perception of the work drafting its re-licensing strategy for broad- of different public safety agencies, in an ef- cast media in Kosovo. It helped to improve fort to help such agencies to improve their the functioning of the Press Council of public image and their readiness to serve Kosovo, advising its secretariat, talking the public. to its donors and boosting its image by Crime prevention, for example through conducting an outreach campaign. In public information campaigns, and order to help the Kosovo Media Institute continued support to community safety improve its mechanisms for financial were priorities of the Mission. The Mission sustainability, it carried out an audience facilitated municipal meetings between survey of local Kosovo media participating village representatives and different public in the Institute’s media selling scheme to safety agencies to discuss security issues sell airtime to big advertisers. that affect the population directly, regardless of their ethnic background. Elections. The Mission has continued to provide support, advice and assistance to the Central Election Commission in its electoral planning activities. Continued field presence Politico-military dimension activities The downsizing of the UN Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) increased the signifi- cance of the OSCE field presence, especially as regards the protection of the Public safety development. The Mission rights of communities. The Mission acts as the “eyes and ears” of the inter- continued to support the local public national community in Kosovo, with personnel present in every municipality, safety sector, including the police, cus- most ministries, the Kosovo Assembly and a number of independent public toms, corrections, fire and rescue brigades institutions. The OSCE municipal teams and specialized sections dealing with and the ambulance service. The Mission property, good governance, community, judicial and police issues keep the focused on specialized training, commu- international community abreast of developments and assist in effecting posi- nity safety development and public safety tive change. awareness. It provided personnel and facilities to the Kosovo Centre for Public The Mission’s proactive monitoring of the Kosovo courts, police stations and Safety Education and Development and official municipal bodies, working groups and commissions consists not only completed the establishment of the Police of simple observation, but often leads to political interventions intended to im- Inspectorate of Kosovo, a civilian police prove the performance of the local authorities. After almost 10 years of work oversight body in line with the highest with local actors, the Mission has developed a reputation for competence and international standards. professionalism. The good working relations with all communities and local The Mission completed a comprehensive authorities remained unchanged despite the year’s political developments. assessment of the various fire and rescue

OSCE Annual Report 37 Bosnia and Croa Mission to Montenegro Herzegovina Serbia tia Head of Mission: Ambassador Paraschiva Badescu Budget: €2,309,500 www.osce.org/montenegro Montenegro Danilovgrad ADRIATIC SEA Podgorica

Albania fYROM

The names and boundaries on this map do not imply official endorsement or acceptance by the OSCE. Mission to Montenegro OSCE Police Training Centre Danilovgrad

The Mission to Montenegro continued engaging in active dialogue and partnership to assist its host country in strengthening existing and newly established institutions. Following the guiding principle of continuity and adaptability, the Mission has been responding to Montenegro’s evolving needs as it progresses in its reform agenda. The year 2008 saw a number of achievements in partnership with the host country: the Mission helped mediate an end to a four-month parliamentary impasse, facilitated the safe removal of all Melange oxidizer and Tonka fuel from the Bay of Kotor, which is protected by the UN Educational, Scientiﬁc and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and a policing project was named the best community-oriented policing project in South-eastern Europe by the Swiss Development Agency. The Mission also played a leading role in the drafting, public discussion and adoption of the new legal framework for the Montenegrin public service broadcaster RTCG.

Politico-military dimension activities missiles, from the UNESCO-protected Bay specialized training programmes on inves- of Kotor. It also facilitated the removal of tigating organized crime, corruption and Politico-military affairs programme. Under napalm thickener, a key component for the cybercrime and controlling precursors for the €4.5 million joint Government, flammable liquid used in warfare, from narcotic drug production. OSCE and United Nations Development Podgorica Airport and other storage sites. Programme (UNDP) Montenegro Everything was transferred to Sweden in Border policing. Montenegro and Albania Demilitarization Programme (MONDEM), November, and safely disposed of. signed a Bilateral Co-operation Agreement which runs from 2007 to 2009, the Mission in February, facilitated by the Mission. facilitated the removal of all Melange Police education. The Mission contin- In addition to the Agreement, the par- oxidizer and Tonka fuel (TG-02), both ued to support the Montenegrin Police ties signed protocols on joint patrols and highly polluting liquid propellants for Directorate and Academy by delivering regular exchange of information in line with the Integrated Border Management Together with the Strategy and within the context of the Pedagogical Centre Ohrid Border Process. of Montenegro and the non-governmental organization coali- Community-oriented policing. The Mission tion Roma Circle, the successfully completed a countrywide Mission implemented implementation of the project, with more a web publishing than 100 contact police officers trained project, Children’s Books, promoting and deployed in all 21 municipalities. The inter-cultural teaching Swiss Development Agency named it the in multi-ethnic schools year’s best community policing project in in ﬁve Montenegrin South-eastern Europe. municipalities.

Economic and environmental dimension activities

Anti-money laundering. The Mission organized a number of workshops and roundtables, thereby enhancing the know-how, capacity and effectiveness of all relevant OSCE/MIA LAUSEVIC

38 OSCE Annual Report Roundtable participants exchange experiences and international best practices in the broadcasting of parliamentary sessions, 7 July. OSCE/MIA LAUSEVIC FIELD OPERATIONS

“Have Attitude – Say No to Corruption”: leaﬂet published jointly by the Mission, the Directorate for Anti-Corruption Initiative, the Police

Directorate and the South-eastern Europe Civic Information and Education Centre on the occasion of Anti-Corruption Day, December 9 Monitoring Project, the Mission has been helping Montenegro to establish tools for reforming the criminal justice system.

OSCE/MIA LAUSEVIC Human rights. The Mission provided expert support to the ombudsperson institution and the Constitutional Court, as the latter Montenegrin institutions in anti-money Gender equality. The Mission assisted Local assumed its responsibilities as the highest laundering. Gender Equality Focal Points in several national human rights institution. The municipalities in accordance with the Law Mission also facilitated the adoption of the Anti-corruption. The Mission supported on Gender Equality. National Mechanism for the Prevention of Montenegro’s anti-corruption efforts Torture and the ratification of theOptional by producing an instruction document Anti-trafﬁcking. The Mission helped de- Protocol to the UN Convention against on how to handle reports of corruption, velop the 2009 Action Plan of the National Torture. for the use of public organizations and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in institutions. Human Beings, as well as public relations Media development. The Mission provided training for employees of the National Co- expert advice on the draft Law on Public Human dimension activities ordinator’s Office. Service Broadcasting and the development and promotion of a new statute, Good governance. At the national level, Reform of the judiciary. The Mission as- code of conduct and procedures for the the Mission continued to implement its sisted with the implementation of the Media Self-Regulatory Body. It delivered a four-year good governance project, funded Programme for the Reform of the Judiciary number of expert training programmes to by Austria, to increase the efficiency of the and the respective Action Plan, focusing improve professional journalistic stan- Parliament. At the local level, the Mission on international and regional judicial co- dards in Montenegro. and the Council of Europe drafted a Code operation, the development of a free legal of Ethics and Code of Conduct for local aid system, enhanced co-operation with Free access to information. The Mission civil servants to increase government the International Criminal Court and the updated and published a handbook for transparency and combat corruption. promotion of mediation as an alternative public servants on the newly adopted means to resolve conflict. Secret Information Act and its bylaws and Civil society. The Mission continued to trained lawyers from central public bodies encourage democratic principles and Reform of the criminal justice system. in its implementation. strengthen civil society by promoting the The Mission gave overall support to the implementation of the Civic Education drafting and adoption of the Criminal Strategy, with the curriculum now taught Proceeding Code and amendments to in all Montenegrin public schools. the Criminal Code. Within its Court

OSCE Annual Report 39 HunHungarygary Mission to Serbia Slovenialovenia CroaCroatia Head of Mission: Ambassador Hans Ola Urstad Romania Budget: €8,200,400 Belgrade www.osce.org/serbia Bosnia and HHerzegovinaerzegovina SerbiSerbiaa

ADRIATIC SEA Montenegroenegro BulgariaB

The names and boundaries on this map do not imply official Albania endorsement or acceptance by the OSCE. ffYROMYROM Mission to Serbia

The Mission to Serbia assisted Serbia in building independent, accountable and effective democratic institutions, particularly in the ﬁelds of rule of law, human rights, media, law enforcement, economy and the environment. It supported civil society and fostered regional co-operation and reconciliation. Key achievements included contrib- uting to a fundamental reform of basic police education and judicial reform. The Mission became more active in south-western Serbia and continued to help maintain stability in south Serbia.

Politico-military dimension activities War crimes. The Mission monitored 11 worked with non-governmental organiza- war crimes trials, including five new cases tions (NGOs) to assist local government Combating organized crime. The Mission brought in 2008. Serbia capitalized on the in running municipal anti-corruption assisted Serbian authorities in drafting and achievements of the OSCE-initiated Palic councils as well as in raising awareness of adopting new asset seizure legislation, in Process on inter-state judicial co-operation corruption among young people. drafting a National Strategy for Combating to bolster co-operation between police and Organized Crime and in developing a prosecutors. The Mission enhanced the Border management. The Mission con- special imprisonment regime. It offered capacity of the War Crimes Investigation tinued to assist the border services in training to police, prosecutors and judges Service and of the witness/victim sup- implementing the Integrated Border on special investigation and surveillance port service in the Belgrade War Crimes Management programme in support of techniques, crime forensics and financial Chamber. It supported the War Crimes cross-border co-operation. investigations and helped to equip regional Prosecutor’s Office in a public information police surveillance units. It enhanced campaign on domestic war crimes trials. Police reform. The Mission continued domestic and international co-operation, to help the Ministry of the Interior to working with the Italian Anti-Mafia Economic transparency and anti-corruption. improve strategic planning capacities and Directorate and Financial Police. The The Mission continued to help Serbia imple- set up its Strategic Planning Commission. Mission supported the upgrading of the ment its National Anti-Corruption Strategy It engaged civil society in public debates Forensic Laboratory of the National Crime and to support institutions established by on police reform and continued to help Technical Centre. It also launched a first related laws. It provided expertise for the develop community policing, police train- extracurricular course on organized crime drafting of new public procurement legisla- ing, internal oversight and complaint and at Belgrade University. tion. In south and south-western Serbia it commendation procedures. The Mission’s

Strengthening the professional capacity of the independent public service broadcaster Radio Television Vojvodina (RTV) A consultant trains a presenter in the newsroom as part of the Mission’s RTV Development Project. Co-funded by the United Kingdom, the Project focused this year on raising the professionalism of TV news programmes and improving studio design. Training topics included presenting and directing news, political reporting, use of graphics and video journalism. Novi Sad,

OSCE February

40 OSCE Annual Report Introducing alternative sentencing The opening of the Office of the Department for Treatment and Alternative Sanctions within the Ministry of Justice in Belgrade on 14 November marked an important step toward the introduction of alternative sentencing. The Mission assisted with finalizing the legal framework, training Alternative Sanctioning Commissioners and equipping their offices. It supported a public awareness campaign on the benefits of restorative justice launched in autumn. OSCE/MILAN OBRADOVIC

efforts to transform basic police training Refugee return and integration. With Human rights institutions. The Mission FIELD OPERATIONS came to fruition this year with the gradua- Serbia still hosting the largest number of raised citizens’ awareness of the new Office tion of the first class of 129 cadets from the refugees and internally displaced persons of the Protector of Citizens and strength- new Basic Police Training Centre. in Europe, the Mission advised Serbia’s ened its capacity with the help of expertise authorities on ways to close the refugee from the deputy Catalan ombudsperson. Economic and environmental dimension file within the framework of theSarajevo It also continued assisting the Vojvodina activities Ministerial Declaration on Refugee provincial Ombudsperson. South-eastern Europe Returns. Strategic environmental support. The Prison reform. The Mission helped Mission supported the authorities to create Human rights and anti-trafﬁcking. The the Ministry of Justice’s Prison the Ministry for Environmental Protection Mission supported a public awareness Administration to finalize an improved and Spatial Planning and to link it campaign and public discussions on hu- legal framework of 13 by-laws pertaining with the Environmental Fund and the man rights issues. It continued work to to labour conditions in prisons, special Environmental Agency. It also strength- improve authorities’ response to the crime imprisonment regimes and alternative ened the capacity of environmental NGOs of human trafficking and its victims. sanctions. and promoted international and municipal co-operation. Equal opportunities. The Mission helped Media legislation. The Mission helped the the authorities to implement the Roma Government to draft a Law on Prevention Economic empowerment. Over the past five Action Plan on education, health and of Media Concentration and Ownership years, more than 1,200 young people in 20 housing and encouraged dialogue between Transparency and to adopt the Law on municipalities have attended the Mission- the police and the Roma community. Private Data Protection. It trained some supported Young Entrepreneurs’ Spirit Together with the Ministry for Human 120 journalists and conducted pub- programmes. The Mission continued to and Minority Rights, the United Nations lic awareness campaigns on access to promote best practices in corporate gover- High Commissioner for Refugees and civil information. The Mission monitored the nance by assisting the Serbian Association society, the Mission sought a legislative finalization of broadcaster licensing by the of Corporate Directors and Business resolution for people without legal identity. Republic Broadcasting Council. Incubators. It assisted the Ministry in developing a legal framework for the National Councils of Enhancing media skills. The Mission Human dimension activities National Minorities. It helped the Ministry trained some 200 media professionals in of Youth and Sports to launch the National reporting on elections, diversity, econom- Democratic governance. The Mission assist- Youth Strategy and the subsequent Action ics, politics and war crimes. It strength- ed with drafting legislation to enhance the Plan. The Mission also supported an as- ened the self-sustainability of local outlets. accountability, transparency and efficiency sessment of municipal gender focal points Specialized lectures, study visits to the of local self-government. It also helped and supported several free legal clinics in Netherlands, the United Kingdom and in- to strengthen contacts between elected universities. ternships for the best journalism students representatives and citizens and assisted were offered to academic institutions. The the Serbian Parliament and Assembly Judicial reform. The Mission assisted with Mission also helped to build the capacity of Vojvodina with their public outreach drafting laws on judges and prosecu- of journalists’ associations. activities. Together with other Missions, it tors, building the capacity of judges’ and supported events for parliamentary com- prosecutors’ associations and setting up a mittees in the region, helped harmonize Judicial Training Academy. It helped judi- legislation with European standards and cial officials to improve their legal drafting held simulations of parliamentary work in skills, raised awareness of the need to anal- high schools. yse the impact of legislation and supported public consultations.

OSCE Annual Report 41 Spillover Monitor Montenegroenegro Serbiarb Mission to Skopje BBulgariaulgaria Tetovo Skopje Head of Mission: Ambassador Giorgio Radicati ADRIATIC SEA ffYROMYROM Budget: €9,078,800 www.osce.org/skopje Albania

GreeceGreece

The names and boundaries on this map do not imply official endorsement or acceptance by the OSCE.

Spillover Monitor Mission to Skopje Field Ofﬁce

The Spillover Monitor Mission to Skopje continued to work closely with its local counterparts on a variety of long-term reform processes, despite a turbulent year that included snap parliamentary elections and major international events affecting the country. In addition to undertaking substantial monitoring and conﬁdence-building activities, the Mission helped bring about signiﬁcant progress in the reform of the Electoral Code and in areas such as community policing and decentralization.

Politico-military dimension activities Monitoring the situation in the mountain village of Malino near the Monitoring. The Mission’s confidence- Kosovo border on building monitors closely followed election day, 1 June community reactions following the proclamation of independence by the Assembly of Kosovo. Monitoring focused particularly on the former crisis area and the north-western border of the country, whose demarcation was completed this year. Regular visits to the field helped the Mission to design projects to improve inter- and intra-ethnic relations. Monitors intervened in several instances to defuse ethnic tensions that surfaced in schools and track progress on the implementa- OSCE/BERNARD SEGARRA tion of the recommendations of the High Commissioner on National Minorities. the resources to meet new decentralized All 23 municipalities with a significantly The monitors also followed the pre- responsibilities, the Mission this year de- multi-ethnic population now have such election campaign, helping to ease tensions cided to directly support inter-municipal Committees as well as seven others whose among activists of rival political parties. co-operation with a small grants competi- minority populations are below the legally When pre-election violence erupted, the tion. Thirty-six municipalities competed obligatory threshold. Mission acted quickly to assess the impact and four grants were awarded to joint on the communities involved and mitigate municipal projects in the areas of urban Police reform. The Mission focused on its escalation. Following the elections, planning and local economic development. assisting with the establishment of a Mission members in the field closely The decentralization process also meant sustainable police in-service training tracked the political fallout from the elec- an increased role for municipalities in system and modern regional and local tions as the new government coalition was education. The Mission trained more than training facilities. Some 600 police trainers built and political parties reshaped. 70 municipal education officers on their received training in combating organized legal role, education strategies, the role of crime, domestic violence, border man- Decentralization. The Mission worked hard inspectors, multiculturalism and other agement, the Code of Ethics and general to assist with the final phases of govern- educational challenges. The provision of management. They started training their ment decentralization. Fiscal decentral- education often causes ethnic tension at colleagues across the country. ization, including new requirements for the local level. To help municipalities deal Furthering community policing re- multi-year budget planning, took centre with this and other culturally sensitive mained a Mission and country priority. stage. The Mission supported training for issues, the Mission supported the cre- The Mission assisted with two major proj- all municipalities in this area and in audit- ation of Committees for Inter-cultural ects: the establishment of Local Prevention ing budget execution. Because smaller Relations as foreseen by law and worked Councils and the provision of training for municipalities have difficulty finding to promote their role in local governance. 83 Inspectors of Prevention. The Councils,

42 OSCE Annual Report procedures to help victims. Subsequently, the Mission organized, together with its domestic partners, training on the procedures for state agencies and NGOs dealing with victims. It also continued providing support to the SOS helpline and shelter for victims.

Human rights. With the Mission’s support, national stakeholders developed a model and drafted legislative amendments aimed at creating an external oversight mechanism for law enforcement authorities.

Roma inclusion. The Mission supported the revision of the national action plans on the implementation of the Decade of Roma Inclusion 2005-2015. The Mission helped create Citizens Advisory Groups in Roma FIELD OPERATIONS communities and provided sensitivity training to non-Roma police officers to OSCE/FARUK ADEMI Mission-supported crime scene investigation training for Ministry of the Interior staff in improve co-operation between the police Ankara, Turkey, 22 January and Roma communities. The Mission began supporting this year the provision of

free legal advice to Roma, particularly on South-eastern Europe acquiring personal documents and gaining access to local institutions. of which 60 were established this year, act in 2007 for improving the law making as mechanisms for inter-institutional co- processes and regulatory management, as Media development. The Mission this operation on crime prevention. They have well as enhancing parliamentary research year focused on policy making and legal enjoyed wide success, encouraging the and analysis. changes required by the impending digi- Mission to promote a Regional Prevention talization of broadcasting and the growth Council and the Ministry of the Interior to Judicial reform. One of the Mission’s main of the information society. The Mission establish a National Prevention Council. objectives for the year continued to be the organized workshops for local, national The number of Citizens Advisory Groups proper implementation and further de- and regional broadcasters on digitaliza- countrywide also grew to 139 from 130 in velopment of the Judicial Reform Strategy. tion and new electronic communications 2007. The Mission facilitated numerous discus- platforms designed to start them think- sion forums and supported research on the ing about their sustainability in the new Human dimension activities new draft Law on Criminal Procedure. It environment. conducted an analysis on the needs of the To support domestic monitoring and Electoral reform. The Mission supported the public prosecution office, focusing on its law enforcement in the broadcasting efforts fo domestic institutions to incorpo- future investigative role. It also helped to sector, the Mission upgraded the regula- rate the recommendations of the Office for establish an appraisal system for judges. tory authorities’ programme monitoring Democratic Institutions and Human Rights The Mission continued to support topical system. It continued monitoring the situa- (ODIHR) report on the 2006 elections into training for legal professionals, working tion in the public service broadcaster and the Electoral Code. Snap July parliamen- this year with the Bar Association to estab- pluralism in the media market. tary elections caused some delay, but work lish a system of continuous learning. was resumed immediately afterwards, The Mission produced several thematic Freedom of the media. Working with drawing also on ODIHR’s report on those monitoring reports based on legal systems various domestic stakeholders, the elections. The Mission, with expertise monitoring activities. It spent nine months Mission supported the completion of draft from ODIHR and the Venice Commission, analysing the work of selected Basic amendments to the Law on Free Access worked with the Parliament, Ministry of Courts throughout the country, recom- to Information of Public Character, which Justice and non-governmental organiza- mending improvements to the judiciary. drew from the experiences of users and tions on the preparation of draft amend- In addition, monitoring began on the four implementers of the Law during its first ments to the Electoral Code. The amend- cases returned from the International two years in force. The Mission also fol- ments were adopted in the autumn, in Criminal Tribunal for the former lowed up on cases of violence against jour- time to impact the elections in 2009. Yugoslavia to domestic jurisdiction. nalists that occurred in the previous year.

Improving law making and regulation. Close Anti-trafﬁcking. Following up on its earlier co-operation with ODIHR, Parliament, work to develop the country’s National the General Secretariat of the Government Referral Mechanism for trafficking vic- and the Ministry of Justice also continued tims, the Mission supported the draft- regarding the recommendations developed ing and adoption of standard operating

OSCE Annual Report 43 Office in Zagreb Hungary Slovenia Zagreb Croatia Head of Ofﬁce: Ambassador Jorge Fuentes Osijek Karlovac Sisak Pakrak Vukovar Roman Budget: €2,748,800 www.osce.org/zagreb Gospić Bosnia and Herzegovina Zadar Serbia ADRIATIC SEA Knin

Split

Montenegro

The names and boundaries on this map do not imply official endorsement or acceptance by the OSCE. Alb i Ofﬁce in Zagreb Field Ofﬁces Field Office Detachments

The Office in Zagreb was established at the beginning of the year after the completion of the Mission to Croatia’s mandate. The Office in Zagreb, in agreement with the Government of Croatia, was tasked to cover and advance some residual issues in mandated areas, war crimes accountability and housing care, via the Platform, a special negotiating framework that has been bringing together the Office and the main Government stakeholders in regularly scheduled ministerial level plenary meetings since 2005. As a result of these discussions, the Croatian authorities acknowledged the validity of a number of the Office’s concerns related to war crimes accountability and proposed or adopted a number of reform measures. When fully implemented, these reforms will consolidate Croatia’s commitment to impartial and effective investigation and prosecution of war crimes. The Office helped to promote housing care programmes by organizing and participating in high-level field verification visits of allocated housing facilities to eligible beneficiaries. In view of the reduced mandate, staff at the Office was consolidated, falling to 34 on 1 April from 110 in 2007.

Human dimension activities counsel. In addition, discussions on the implementation of a mechanism for the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Justice, War crimes accountability. The Office review of final in absentia convictions and Development and continued comprehensive monitoring implementation of uniform standards for Construction meet of all national war crimes proceedings, prosecutors and police for pending as well international commu- with more than 100 cases involving over as unprosecuted war crimes advanced. nity representatives in a Four Ministers Plenary 200 individuals pending in 15 courts. The Office continued to highlight the chaired by the Ofﬁce on This included two proceedings initiated positive results of co-operation between 21 October. by Croatian authorities after the referral of an indictment and evidence from the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY). The Office also advocated for a systematic approach to handling suspected war crimes that are as yet unprosecuted. The Office’s monitoring observations guided its reform efforts. It intensified discussions with representatives of the judiciary, prosecution and police in the second half of the year after its regular plenary at the Ministry of Justice together with the Delegation of the European Commission and the ICTY Liaison Office. As a result, the Government proposed or adopted several reform measures, including enhancing the use of video link for inter-state witness testimony, improving the confidentiality of judicial investigations and improving the quality of court-appointed defence OSCE

44 OSCE Annual Report Construction workers in Donji Lapac tile the roof of a new housing unit for former occupancy/tenancy rights holders, built through the Croatian Government Housing Care Programme, 21 December.

A 12-apartment building being reconstructed for former occupancy/tenancy holders in Vrhovine, 21 December ´ ´ OSCE/DORIJAN KLASNIC OSCE/DORIJAN KLASNIC FIELD OPERATIONS

Croatian prosecutors and their coun- (OTR) Holders in order to help it achieve terparts in other States of the former its three annual benchmarks (2007-2009). Yugoslavia, in particular Serbia, emphasiz- The Government has verified that 2,144 ing that while prosecutors had effectively former OTR holders should receive hous- taken ownership of this process, attention ing care by the time the 2009 bench- South-eastern Europe and engagement by the OSCE remained mark is reached. In sum, the 2007-2009 important. The Office also pointed to the Programmes should provide housing care open inter-state co-operation questions, to as many as 5,000 former OTR holders. the resolution of which is essential for ad- To help monitor the Programme and dressing war crimes accountability as well verify these figures, the Office visited more as combating organized crime. than 1,000 recipients of housing care all The Office focused attention on the key over Croatia during the year. The visits role of the police in investigations of war not only verified the allocation to returnee crimes as well as on the importance of en- families, they also assessed the housing suring a climate — both legal and political conditions and whether recipients used — in which those with information about to have tenancy rights over the socially crimes can come forward without fear. owned flats. The OSCE found that the quality of housing care had risen in 2008 Training and support projects. The Office in comparison with the previous year, and continued financial assistance as well noted that the great majority of beneficia- as staff support to non-governmental ries were minority returnees to Croatia. organizations to enhance their monitor- Upon the suggestion of the Minister of ing and advocacy activities in relation to Development, the Office organized and war crimes accountability. In addition, participated in visits to housing care lo- the Office supported the upgrade of the calities in war-affected areas together with Judicial Academy’s website as well as the top Croatian authorities, their respective libraries of four regional Judicial Training operative management, local government Centres by providing computers and legal representatives and other stakeholders. literature. Legal literature was also pro- Representatives of other international vided to local courts and state attorneys. organizations in Croatia were also invited to participate in these field meetings, Access to housing. The Deputy Prime which were of great help for the timely and Minister for Regional Development, effective resolution of housing care cases, Reconstruction and Return and the especially in the most difficult and remote Minister of Development, the main municipalities. implementer of housing care in Croatia, attended plenary meetings on refugee return chaired first by the OSCE and then by the European Commission. The plenary meetings also involved other international stakeholders. The OSCE supported the Government’s Programme for Housing Care for Former Occupancy Tenancy Right

OSCE Annual Report 45 Office in Minsk Latvia

Head of Ofﬁce: Ambassador Hans-Jochen Schmidt from Lithuania Russian Federation 4 February, succeeding Ambassador Ake Peterson whose Russ. mandate ended on 21 August 2007 Fed. Minsk Budget: €962,300 www.osce.org/belarus Poland Belarus

Ukraine The names and boundaries on this map do not imply official endorsement or acceptance by the OSCE. Ofﬁce in Minsk

A regional experts’ workshop on energy efficiency, expert sessions on improving the legal framework for foreign investments and a seminar on cybercrime were highlights of the year for the Office in Minsk in the economic and environmental arena. The Office also furthered institution building and the rule of law through a roundtable on Roma rights, a public lecture on legal aid and a training course on public commissions for monitoring penitentiaries.

Economic and environmental dimension activities

Promoting renewable sources of energy and energy efﬁciency. The Office helped raise the awareness of students and teaching staff at the International Sakharov Environmental University (ISEU) based in Minsk. It organized a technical seminar on best practices for renewable energies with the participation of Austrian and German experts. In co-operation with the National Department for Energy Efficiency, the Office organized a regional experts’ workshop on best practices for energy efficiency in Central and Eastern Europe.

Promoting international standards in governance. The Office, in co-operation with the OSCE judiciary and executive, organized a seminar on legislation to combat cybercrime of the Parties to the Aarhus Convention in Students from the State based on the Council of Europe’s 2004 Riga in May. It offered hands-on training University at a legal aid lecture organized by the Convention on Cybercrime. The Office in Armenia for the Manager of the Aarhus Ofﬁce at the Palace of also organized a workshop together with Centre in Minsk. the Republic in Minsk, the International Finance Corporation on 11 May lowering barriers to foreign investment. Environment and Security Initiative (ENVSEC). The Office continued promoting Assisting Belarus in its commitment to the trans-border projects to manage the water Kyoto Protocol. The Office offered a training of the Prypiat River bordering Ukraine seminar on carbon registry for Belarusian and Drisviaty Lake bordering Lithuania experts in Minsk and in Bonn. The Office and Latvia. It promoted the regional supported the Belarusian delegation to the Student Olympiads held in Minsk at the United Nations Climate Change Conference ISEU, with teams from Russia, Ukraine, in Poznan, Poland, in December. Belarus and Armenia.

Assisting Belarus in its commitment to the Rehabilitation of Chernobyl-affected areas. Aarhus Convention. The Office assisted with As a founding member of the Co-operation the preparation for and participation of for Rehabilitation of living conditions Belarusian experts in the Third Meeting in Chernobyl-affected areas in Belarus,

46 OSCE Annual Report Students test their skills and knowledge at an OSCE-sponsored regional competition on environment and security at Sakharov University in Minsk in November. OSCE FIELD OPERATIONS

a programme involving national and interfaces between governments and citi- association, the right to peaceful assembly regional authorities, international orga- zens in a European Union study trip. The and the right to a fair trial. It also moni- nizations and non-governmental organi- Office provided police with behavioural tored public demonstrations and legal Eastern Europe zations, the Office supported projects for skills training courses. Training sessions cases involving youth activists charged the younger generation linking education, with renowned international experts, with administrative infractions. health and ecology and special training which it offered to the staff of the Minsk sessions on comprehensive agro-business Police Training Centre, led to the updat- Individual complaints. The Office received development. ing of the Centre’s curriculum. It selected numerous individual complaints, mostly a group of journalists from state-run and pertaining to the work of the judiciary and Human dimension activities independent media to participate in an to alleged violations by law enforcement on-site research project in other OSCE agencies. Every complaint was considered Anti-trafﬁcking and gender equality. The participating States. and, in cases falling under its mandate, Office ntinuedco to support the fight The Office, in close co-operation with the Office referred the complaints to the against trafficking, focusing on the the OSCE Representative on Freedom of competent Belarusian authorities. identification, protection and assistance the Media, organized public discussions of victims. It facilitated the participation on freedom of information and Internet of officials and NGOs in international regulation and provided expert advice on forums and co-sponsored a conference media legislation prior to the adoption of on child trafficking with the participation the new media law. of the OSCE Special Representative and Together with the OSCE Office for Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking Democratic Institutions and Human in Human Beings in Minsk in April. Rights, the Office organized public discus- The Office assisted the government in sions on the implementation of the OSCE assessing labour exploitation and es- Action Plan on Roma and Sinti in Belarus. tablished a working relationship with the International Training Centre on Outreach activities. To promote OSCE Migration and Combating Trafficking in values and commitments, the Office and Human Beings in Minsk. the UN jointly organized, for the second The Office supported the government year running, the week-long film festival and NGOs in addressing gender issues and Dignity, Equality, Justness to commemo- co-sponsored a public campaign against rate International Human Rights Day. domestic violence. The Office also organized a public lecture on legal aid for students. Experts from Strengthening local partners. Increasing Germany, Russia, Ukraine, and Moldova its efforts to promote the rule of law and presented different European models of le- institution building, the Office provided gal aid as well as an overview of problems members of public commissions for moni- and achievements common to countries in toring penitentiaries with training and Eastern Europe. opportunities to share international best practices. It supported the participation of Monitoring activities. The Office observed experts involved in developing electronic court hearings related to freedom of

OSCE Annual Report 47 Mission to Moldova Ukraine Head of Mission: Ambassador Philip Remler Republic of Budget: €1,956,400 Moldova www.osce.org/moldova Chisinau Romania Bender Tiraspol

BLACK SEA

The names and boundaries on this map do not imply official endorsement or acceptance by the OSCE.

Mission to Moldova Field Ofﬁce

The Mission continued to prepare the groundwork for a Transnistrian settlement by promoting confidence-building measures and contacts between the sides, monitoring the Security Zone through patrols and acting as an observer in the Joint Control Commission, which was established to oversee the 1992 ceasefire agreement. Formal negotiations remained blocked. Over 1,500 court cases involving corruption, trafficking in human beings, domestic violence or crimes against the administration of justice were screened by the Mission’s trial monitoring programme.

Politico-military dimension activities

Political settlement negotiations. Moldovan President Vladimir Voronin and Transnistrian leader Igor Smirnov met in April for the first time in seven years and followed up with another meeting on 24 December. Mediators from the OSCE, Russian Federation and Ukraine and observers from the European Union and the United States met five times. Informal meetings of the sides with mediators and observers took place five times. These and additional shuttle diplomacy efforts by the Mission notwithstanding, formal negotiations in the “5+2” format were not resumed.

Conﬁdence- and security-building measures (CSBMs). The Mission held a seminar on The Mission patrols regularly in the security zone the economic and environmental aspects and the Transnistrian region. 9 July of CSBMs attended by international ex- JELLE MARSEILLE perts and representatives of the Moldovan attended by representatives of both sides in the Security Zone and throughout and Transnistrian sides in Odessa in April. in Odessa in November and arranged an Transnistria. The Mission is working with the Office English-language course for officials from of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic Transnistrian structures and non-govern- Joint Control Commission (JCC). The JCC and Environmental Activities to develop mental organizations (NGOs). met regularly throughout the year and a project for the disposal of dangerous Along with the OSCE’s Conflict Mission members attended all sessions. pesticides from the Transnistria region. Prevention Centre, the Mission col- The JCC continued to monitor the situa- The Mission facilitated joint Moldovan laborated with the Moldovan Ministry of tion in the Security Zone and to provide and Transnistrian working groups that Defence to develop projects to improve guidance to the Joint Military Command discussed co-operation in the fields of ammunition stockpile management in line of the Joint Peacekeeping Force (JPF). health, infrastructure development and with OSCE best practices. The Mission Agreement was reached within the JCC the environment. completed a Finnish-funded project for the on the resumption of joint activities and To facilitate Transnistrian engage- destruction of outdated ammunition held training by all three contingents of the JPF. ment, the Mission helped the High by the Moldovan National Army. The JCC continued discussions on Commissioner for National Minorities In accordance with its mandate, the issues such as freedom of movement of to organize a seminar on autonomy Mission maintained frequent patrols people, goods and services, the removal of

48 OSCE Annual Report non-peacekeeping posts from the Security An OSCE observer of Zone, improving co-operation between the the Gagauzian local law enforcement structures of the Republic elections in March of Moldova and the Transnistrian region and increasing the effectiveness of the Military Observers. Progress in these areas was limited, but the Mission continued its efforts to promote constructive dialogue.

Withdrawal of Russian ammunition and equipment. There were no withdrawals of Russian ammunition or equipment from the Transnistrian region during 2008. The Voluntary Fund retains sufficient resources to complete withdrawal tasks.

Human dimension activities FIELD OPERATIONS

Election and electoral reforms. The Mission,

in the run-up to the April 2009 parlia- SIDOROFF OSCE/MATTI mentary elections, closely followed the At the presentation of a adoption of amendments to the Electoral report on the OSCE Trial Code and continued, with the Office for Monitoring Programme Democratic Institutions and Human for the Republic of Eastern Europe Rights, to provide advice on further im- Moldova in Chisinau, 19 June provements to electoral legislation.

Protecting language rights. The Mission continued to work with Moldovan and Transnistrian authorities to ensure the functioning of Moldovan Latin-script schools in the Transnistrian region. The issues of the school building in Ribnita, confiscated by the local authorities in 2004, and of the return of the exiled OSCE/IULIA KIRNITKI Theoretical Lyceum “Stefan cel Mare” to its native town of Grigoriopol, remained unresolved. Promoting freedom of the media. The global campaign 16 Days of Activism to Monitoring human rights. The Mission Mission closely followed developments in End Violence Against Women through- responded to human rights complaints the field of electronic media. A roundtable out the country. The Mission continued and monitored several high-profile court on legal issues connected with the digitali- to support the development of a law cases, including cases involving torture, zation of audiovisual media was organized against discrimination and helped the the right to a fair trial, religious freedom in co-operation with the Audiovisual Government to implement the newly and minority rights. Co-ordination Council. In co-operation passed law on family violence. with the OSCE Representative on Freedom Humanitarian assistance. The Mission of the Media, it organized training for the TheTrial Monitoring Programme ob- provided medical assistance to schools spokespersons of government institutions served approximately 7,000 court hear- for the hearing-impaired in Transnistria and provided expertise to Parliament for ings in more than 1,500 trials. The cases and vocational assistance to prisons in the drafting of a law on state secrets. The involved corruption, trafficking in human Moldova. Mission continued to raise media freedom beings, domestic violence and crimes issues at the highest government levels. against the administration of justice. In Promoting human rights. The Mission June, the Programme released its Second continued to support small-scale projects Preventing human trafﬁcking and promoting Analytic Report on the observance of fair to promote human rights and tolerance gender equality. The Mission continued trial standards in the Moldovan judicial across the Dniester/Nistru River and to host regular technical co-ordination system. The Supreme Judicial Council strengthen NGOs. meetings in the anti-trafficking and gender immediately began using the report to fields and supported gender and anti- develop reforms to redress shortfalls in the Providing legal expertise. The Mission con- trafficking projects. It worked with the system. tinued to work closely with Parliament on NGO La Strada on new techniques to aid legal reforms and provided comments and and protect victims seeking assistance expertise on draft legislation. from the legal system. It supported the

OSCE Annual Report 49 Belarus Project Co-ordinator Russian Federation Kyiv in Ukraine Poland Project Co-ordinator: Ambassador Lubomir Kopaj from Ukraine 21 April, succeeding Ambassador James Schumaker, Slovakia whose mandate ended on 26 March Hungary Republic of Moldova Budget: €2,607,900 Romania Sea of Azov www.osce.org/ukraine

BLACK SEA The names and boundaries on this map do not imply official endorsement or acceptance by the OSCE.

Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine

The Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine worked closely with Ukrainian authorities to assist domestic efforts aimed at institution building, strengthening human rights, combating human trafﬁcking, promoting economic development and tackling serious environmental threats, including unexploded ordnances from past wars.

Politico-military dimension activities could reduce community budgets by up to and enforcement procedures regard- 30 per cent. As a result of these energy- ing the detection and prevention of Aiding social adaptation of discharged mili- saving measures, some extra financial re- trans-boundary transport of hazardous tary personnel. The Project Co-ordinator, sources could be channeled into such areas waste, and provided regional training for in co-operation with the Ministry of as public infrastructure development and relevant authorities. These projects were Defence, organized retraining and em- local economic development initiatives. implemented within the framework of ployment assistance for 1,027 discharged the Environmental and Security Initiative military officers, 84 per cent of whom sub- Promoting environmental protection. The (ENVSEC). sequently found employment. More than Project Co-ordinator supported the The Project Co-ordinator helped orga- 1,420 active senior military officials were activities of the Office of the Co-ordinator nize a joint Ukrainian-OSCE conference trained in social rights and guarantees of OSCE Economic and Environmental for all Black Sea States and international for personnel discharged due to military Activities in the Moldovan-Ukrainian experts to explore improved environmen- restructuring. joint management of the Nistru/Dniester tal practices and safe navigation in the Fifty-five work places were equipped at River Basin. It also supported the national Black Sea basin. the State Border Guard Service’s newly policy dialogue on climate change and created criminal and risk analysis unit. its impact on human activities in the The Project Co-ordinator supported water and health sectors. It conducted OSCE efforts to assist Ukraine in the a workshop on assessing legislation preparation of a project concerning the disposal of its stockpiles of the toxic rocket fuel Melange. Field trip within the project on trans-boundary co-operation and sustainable management in the Dniester River basin. Economic and environmental dimension activities

Supporting local economic development. The Project Co-ordinator helped local government officials to develop service- oriented attitudes that encourage vital economic development, accountability and transparent decision-making at all levels. It co-operated with regional authorities to promote the introduction of E-Governance practices that give citizens electronic access to government services. It helped the government to simplify its system of issuing permits for entrepreneurs. To support government efforts to save resources and energy, the Project Co- ordinator promoted the use of renewable and alternative energy sources, which OSCE/TAMARA KUTONOVA

50 OSCE Annual Report A team-building exercise and research on media activities during for participants in a summer camp for elections. children at risk of being The Project Co-ordinator continued trafﬁcked, in Kherson, preparations to acquire information 29 June technology hardware required to establish a voter registry and maintained close contact with the Central Electoral Commission, which is responsible for developing the registry software. In co-operation with the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, the Project Co-ordinator supported pilot training to strengthen the role of women in local government and raise the level of gender awareness nationally. OSCE

Media. The Project Co-ordinator in co- operation with the OSCE Representative Human dimension activities and endorsed by the National Commission on Freedom of the Media continued pro- FIELD OPERATIONS for Strengthening Democracy and the Rule moting the independence and strength of Anti-trafﬁcking support. The Project Co- of Law. Ukraine’s media community by support- ordinator continued to assist in drafting ing media legislation reform. a comprehensive anti-trafficking law Rule of law. The Project Co-ordinator according to international human rights raised awareness and improved under- Strengthening civil society. The Project Co- standards. To raise awareness and elimi- standing for rule of law principles in ordinator supported over 80 civil society Eastern Europe nate stigmatization of trafficked persons, the Ukrainian academic community, in advocacy initiatives, which focus on law over 2,200 governmental representatives conjunction with its support of the de- enforcement agency violations of the rights were trained. Through non-governmental velopment of a rule of law curriculum for of vulnerable groups and public participa- organization (NGO) partners, assistance universities. tion in decision-making processes. To help was provided to about 400 victims and promote the sustainability and efficiency persons at risk of trafficking. Strengthening of democratic practices. In of NGOs, the Project Co-ordinator con- support of electoral reform, the Project ducted training sessions for more than Administrative law. The Project Co- Co-ordinator assisted efforts to develop 200 NGO representatives. The Project ordinator helped to develop a legislative a unified election code and establish a Co-ordinator also supported initiatives and academic framework for Ukraine’s centralized voter registration system. to revise and improve existing legislation administrative law reform and provide This included commissioning gender dealing with civil society. training to administrative court judges. analyses of seven Ukrainian election laws Working groups convened by the Project Co-ordinator developed numerous draft сodes, laws and amendments to exist- The research director of ing legislation regulating state-citizen the Ukrainian Academy of Agricultural Science relations. inspects strawberries grown by beneﬁciaries Legislative support. In close co-operation of the Local Economic with Ukraine’s Parliament, the Project Co- Development Project supported by the Project ordinator reviewed 71 legislative acts and Co-ordinator, in Sumy submitted recommendations to bring the in May legislation more into line with international standards.

Detention monitoring. The Project Co- ordinator continued to support the development of national monitoring mechanisms against torture and ill-treatment of prisoners. Monitoring groups comprising civil society representatives and police officers conducted 103 visits to territorial police custody detention centres in 14 regions of Ukraine. With the Project Co- ordinator’s assistance, a comprehensive Concept of the State Policy on Preventing Torture and Inhuman and Degrading Treatment or Punishment was developed OSCE

OSCE Annual Report 51 Office in Baku Russian Federation CASPIAN SEA Head of Ofﬁce: Ambassador Jose Luis Herrero Georgia Budget: €2,498,800 Baku www.osce.org/baku Azerbaijan

Armenia

Turkey Iran The names and boundaries on this map do not imply official endorsement or acceptance by the OSCE.

Ofﬁce in Baku

The Ofﬁce in Baku supported Azerbaijan with its election-related commitments with respect to the October presidential election. It assisted with the implementation of the newly amended Electoral Code and Law on Freedom of Assembly, reform of the police and the judiciary and promoted freedom of the media, good governance, environmental awareness and regional economic development.

Politico-military dimension activities

Public assembly management. The Office co-ordinated and sponsored a large-scale public assembly management training plan. Over 1,000 police personnel and internal troops were trained in techniques to effectively manage public events while respecting individual rights, including the right to assemble freely.

Basic police training. The Office followed up on the introduction of a new curriculum for basic police training by sponsoring a series of exchanges under the twinning Children take part in Police partnership between the host government Open Day in Shirvan, part of a and the Czech Ministry of the Interior. The community policing project in new curriculum, which came into effect Azerbaijan run by the Ofﬁce, 30 June in January, increased the length of basic OSCE/ELGUN TAGHIYEV police training to six months from three. Economic and environmental dimension with regional marketing centres to assist Community policing. A team of OSCE po- activities farmers and agribusinesses to improve ag- lice experts launched a series of consulta- ricultural production and marketing skills. tive visits to eight additional locations Good governance and anti-corruption. The throughout Azerbaijan to support the host Office continued to support two advo- Environmental awareness. The Office government’s expansion of community cacy and legal advice centres operated by worked closely with the Ministry of policing. The Office promoted gender Transparency Azerbaijan, which provide Ecology and Natural Resources to improve mainstreaming and police-media relations citizens with free legal assistance on cor- public awareness of environmental is- through a series of events that involved ruption complaints, enhance awareness of sues through the support of the Aarhus civil society and community groups. The individual rights and support government Convention and Aarhus Centres in Baku, Office helped enhance skills in the security efforts to combat corruption. Ganja and Gazakh. To raise youth aware- sector by sponsoring various members of ness, it expanded the Green Pack train- civil society and governmental agencies Regional economic development. The Office ing initiative to 50 teaching assistants to attend training events in Europe and promoted regional economic development assigned to rural schools and introduced Central Asia. by providing small-scale entrepreneurs the same tool-kit to professors and staff outside Baku with training sessions in of the Natural Sciences and Pedagogical the International Labour Organization’s Departments of Nakhchivan State (ILO) Start and Improve your Business University. methodologies and international accounting principles. The Office also worked

52 OSCE Annual Report A British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) trainer works with music staff of the public service broadcaster ITV at an OSCE-supported management training workshop in Baku, 2July OSCE/JOHN MACGREGOR Ofﬁce experts train Internal Troops of Azerbaijan on public assembly management. OSCE/VUSAL BEHBUDOV

Human dimension activities of selected jurisprudence from the Democratic governance. Working closely European Court of Human Rights. The with the Parliament’s Commission on FIELD OPERATIONS Rule of law Office further translated and published the Social Policy, The Office supported a proj- Legislative assistance. The Office followed Council of Europe’s Guidelines to the im- ect to improve communication and mutual the legislative process for the adoption of plementation of Article 10 of the European understanding between parliamentarians the amendments to the Law on Freedom of Convention on Human Rights (on freedom and their constituencies. It commissioned Assembly. Upon their adoption, the Office, of expression). a survey to identify possible areas for in co-operation with the OSCE Office future co-operation with Parliament. South Caucasus for Democratic Institutions and Human Democratization Rights (ODIHR), prepared guidelines for Electoral assistance. In close co-operation Civil society development. The Office Azerbaijan to facilitate the Law’s effective with the Central Election Commission and supported efforts by the Democracy and implementation in line with European the Presidential Administration, the Office Gender Centre in Shamakhy to increase its standards. held a series of information sessions on activities and attract more participants to the implementation of the newly amended its training courses, which prepare women Trial monitoring. The Office presented the Election Code and the Law on Freedom of leaders, public defenders and female can- 2006-2007 Trial Monitoring Report to the Assembly. It continued to train domestic didates for the 2009 municipal elections. Ministry of Justice, members of the judi- election observer groups and engaged ciary and the Azerbaijani Bar Association. in voter education and information Anti-trafﬁcking. The Office continued to dissemination. co-operate with the ILO on the South Free regional legal advice. To address the Caucasus project to fight trafficking in lack of sufficient and free legal resources Freedom of the media. The Office continued human beings. This included providing a in the regions, the Office opened an ad- its extensive training programme for the training course for the judiciary from the ditional legal resource centre in Masally public broadcaster ITV aimed at enhanc- Grave Crimes Court and ongoing develop- to support training and capacity-building ing its professionalism. Through high-level ment of the National Referral Mechanism. activities for judges and other legal public discussions, the Office particularly professionals. encouraged a responsible role for the media in democratic elections. Training activities. The Office supported training on the application of European standards in domestic court proceedings, human trafficking, money laundering and Teachers familiarize the prevention of torture to judges, practis- themselves with the ing lawyers, prosecutors and court staff in OSCE-supported Green Baku and Nakhchivan. Pack environmental toolkit, School No.2, Sharur, Nakhchevan Juvenile justice. To foster the effective Autonomous Republic, implementation of the Convention on the Azerbaijan Rights of the Child, the Office supported the establishment in Baku of a Juvenile Legal Clinic and a pilot Diversion Centre, which provides an alternative to custodial sentences.

Publications in the Azerbaijani language. The Office supported the publication in Azerbaijani of a three-volume compilation OSCE

OSCE Annual Report 53 Mission to Georgia Russian Federation Head of Mission: Ambassador Terhi Hakala Budget: €9,750,700 Sukhumi Tskhinvali www.osce/org/georgia Karaleti Georgia Tbilisi

BLACK SEA Azerbaijan

Armenia Turkey

The names and boundaries on this map do not imply official endorsement or acceptance by the OSCE. Azerbaijan Mission to Georgia Tskhinvali: Field office Office for the Economic Rehabilitation Programme Karaleti Forward Monitoring Base Sukhumi: Seconded staff to the UN Human Rights Office

The OSCE demonstrated its unique value and operational strengths in 2008 when it assisted in the country’s snap presidential and parliamentary elections and met serious and high-profile challenges to security in Georgia, especially the outbreak of hostilities in August. When the war began, the Mission rapidly refocused its work toward urgent stabilization and monitoring efforts. Within days, the Mission smoothly assimilated 20 new officers to boost monitoring capability and help ease the security and humanitarian crisis. The Mission’s election-related activities underscored the key role it plays in offering technical assistance and advice and co-ordinating international assistance. Elsewhere, the Mission registered successes in all three OSCE dimensions of security. Highlights included work in interagency cross-border security, police and penitentiary system reform, the integration of national minorities, protection of trafficking victims, promotion of small businesses and good governance and environmental security initiatives.

Conflict resolution and crisis response New OSCE military monitoring ofﬁcers The Mission continued to assist the sides briefed at the Mission to Georgia, 3 September to the Georgian-Ossetian conflict in the renewal of the settlement process. This included the promotion of dialogue, as well as confidence building with a focus on economic and social rehabilitation for the communities involved. In the context of the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict, the Mission continued to support the United Nation’s (UN) conflict resolution efforts. With increasing tension in the zones of conflict, the Mission contributed to early warning and conflict prevention by inten- sifying its military monitoring and report- KHIZANISHVILI OSCE/DAVID ing, as well as diplomatic interventions. In spite of all efforts, full-fledged hostilities broke out in August. This radically altered plan, the Permanent Council agreed on The Mission rapidly and effectively re- the situation for many, including the 19 August to increase the number of OSCE sponded to the new challenges, including Mission. Monitoring Officers in the Mission up to by establishing a forward monitoring base Following the August war, the Mission 100, 20 of which were deployed immedi- near the Karaleti/Gori area. The Economic worked intensively to help reduce tension ately to areas adjacent to South Ossetia. Rehabilitation Programme re-directed its between the parties, ease the humanitar- The rapid deployment of additional activities to accessible areas affected by the ian crisis and establish conditions on the monitors was a significant element of the August events. The Mission also contrib- ground conducive to further political Organization’s response to the hos- uted to the Geneva discussions co-chaired dialogue aimed at achieving a longer-term tilities and their aftermath. However, the by the European Union (EU), the UN and solution to the conflict. Mission was refused access to the former the OSCE to increase stability and security In order to contribute to the full Autonomous district of South Ossetia to and to address the issue of internally dis- implementation of the 12 August six-point resume its activities there. placed persons and refugees.

54 OSCE Annual Report A police ofﬁcer from the Strengthening border management capaci- Armenian-populated ties. The Mission continued its support of Samtskhe-Javakheti region takes part in an the Georgian border security and manage- OSCE-organized training ment agencies through the May launch course on community of the Transitional Institutional Support policing in May. Programme. This included law enforcement training for the Georgian Border Police, on some occasions jointly with the Revenue Service of the Georgian Ministry of Finance. Additionally, the Mission facilitated a series of cross-border workshops at the major land border ports of entry together with neighbouring border security

OSCE/DAVID KHIZANISHVILI OSCE/DAVID and management agencies.

A practical anti-terror- Economic and environmental dimension ism exercise on dealing activities with the aftermath of a bomb blast, 27 March Economic issues FIELD OPERATIONS The Mission funded Business Support Centres in Abkhazia and Javakheti, which support the development of small- and medium-sized businesses in these regions by training entrepreneurs.

It continued to support non-govern- South Caucasus mental organizations (NGOs) monitoring the Government’s compliance with its obligations to implement the recommen-

OSCE/DAVID KHIZANISHVILI OSCE/DAVID dations of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s Anti- A cross-border work- Corruption Network. shop of the Transitional The Mission also supported the moni- Institutional Support Programme for Georgian toring of aid flows in Georgia to provide Border Police and the general public with transparent, acces- Revenue Services, in sible and comprehensible information on , Armenia, on Dzoraget aid allocation and implementation. 10 October Funding business training continued to increase employment opportunities for internally displaced persons located in collective centres in Tbilisi, Kvemo Kartli, Samegrelo and Adjara. The Mission also continued to support good governance resource centres in Gardabani and Marneuli, areas with OSCE/DAVID KHIZANISHVILI OSCE/DAVID large ethnic minorities. These centres help local governments to develop and imple- Other politico-military dimension year on community policing and crime ment their budgets and manage public activities prevention, support to the Georgian Police resources. Academy and human resources manage- Decontamination of former Soviet military ment. It also facilitated the establishment Environmental issues installations. The Mission supported the of international police co-operation on The Mission and the Ministry of the removal of radioactive residues as well as various levels. Environment continued to support the the removal and ecological reprocessing of Aarhus Centre, which aims to promote dangerous chemicals left by Soviet troops Anti-terrorism assistance. The Mission con- environmental awareness throughout in former military installations. Also, the tinued to assist the Georgian authorities Georgia. The Mission also supported two Mission continued a survey to assess the in strengthening institutional capacities regional environmental centres in Kvemo level and nature of pollution of former and in complying with its international Kartli. military airfields in Georgia in order to commitments in combating terrorism. It supported the OSCE-UN Environment identify options for further action. This included training programmes aimed and Security Initiative (ENVSEC) in at enabling counter-terrorist units to cope developing projects that tackle environ- Police reform. The Mission supported the with ongoing threats involving chemical, mental security concerns and further sup- Ministry of Internal Affairs in implement- biological, radiological, nuclear and high- ported the NATO-OSCE River Monitoring ing police reform. Assistance focused this yield explosive devices and firearms. project.

OSCE Annual Report 55 Reform that provides expert and technical assistance to the Speaker of Parliament and parliamentary leaders in the field of parliamentary work and reform.

Civil society development in the zone of the Georgian-Ossetian conﬂict. The Mission supported a series of training courses in which over 30 non-governmental organization (NGOs) leaders improved their skills and knowledge related to community development and mobilization. A small grants programme had to be stopped due to the outbreak of hostilities.

Freedom of the media. The Mission continued to strengthen the professional skills of journalists. In a series of workshops OSCE/CLAUS BEKKER REINHOLDT Young members of the ECO Club in Chokhatauri, Georgia, at one of their regular meetings to plan on media-related legislation, journalists cleanup and awareness-raising activities, 28 May. The Mission has supported the work of ECO learned procedures to access public infor- Clubs in the country since 2006. mation. The Mission funded an on-line publication, www.media.ge, which delivers news and analysis about media outlets and the status of freedom of expression. Twenty decision-makers attended a Rule of law. The Mission continued assist- The Mission supported the participation Mission-organized workshop on marine ing with the reform of the penitentiary of reporters of the web-based magazines oil spill risk minimization and response system by offering practical recommenda- www.civil.ge and www.media.ge in and the national oil spill contingency plan- tions and providing specialized train- Internet publishing workshops offered by ning process. ing for prison staff. To support judiciary Transitions Online, Radio Liberty and the The Mission contributed to the promo- reform, it offered training for defence Media Development Loan Fund in Prague. tion of the principles and practices of lawyers on the new Criminal Procedural The Mission co-funded the first-ever sustainable waste management throughout Code and jury trials. To increase the gathering of South Caucasus civic journal- Georgia by funding an environmental transparency of the lawmaking process, ism activists and new media technology awareness-raising and education cam- it promoted open discussions of new law experts held in Tbilisi in summer. paign. It organized environmental youth initiatives and access to draft legal acts clubs to provide environmental education prepared by the executive authorities. The Integrating national minorities. The Mission for more than 300 Georgian students. Mission also facilitated implementation of continued to work with national mi- the administrative and legal reform of the norities in Kvemo Kartli and Samtskhe- Human dimension activities Government of the Autonomous Republic Javakheti, two regions mostly populated of Adjara. by ethnic Azerbaijanis and Armenians. It Human rights. The Mission works to initiated a Student Exchange Programme, promote and protect human rights while Democratization and elections. 2008 saw in which 16 ethnic-Armenian students dealing with cases of human rights viola- three elections: extraordinary presiden- were sent for three months to study in tions by monitoring trials, conditions in tial, parliamentary and Adjara Supreme Georgian schools and live with Georgian prisons, providing legal advice and raising Council elections. To further free and families. It also continued supporting two concerns with relevant authorities. fair elections, the Mission co-ordinated Youth Centres in minority areas, where The Mission supported projects includ- the international community’s involve- more than 200 youth studied Georgian, ing: free legal aid for vulnerable prisoners ment in election issues at a technical and English, information technology and civic and awareness-raising on the rights of ambassadorial level, organized roundtable education; and awarded small grants to prisoners; a regional conference that ad- discussions on lessons learned and issued develop the capacity of seven rural NGOs. dressed life-long imprisonment; promo- a brochure on election assistance rendered tion of the OSCE Office for Democratic during the presidential and parliamentary Anti-trafﬁcking. The Mission worked Institutions and Human Rights’ elections. with the Government and civil society (ODIHR) Handbook on Human Rights With Mission funding, a domestic to further develop the system of victim and Fundamental Freedoms of Armed election watchdog audited the voters list identification and assistance, particu- Forces Personnel and its translation into and monitored the Adjara elections. The larly as regards trafficking in children. It Georgian; and a human rights seminar Mission provided expert advice on appeals conducted a training programme and a for professionals dealing with children at and complaints procedures and facili- study visit to Skopje for anti-trafficking risk. The Mission provided training on tated dialogue between the ODIHR, the practitioners and also took part in drafting European human rights standards to 44 Venice Commission and Georgian election the new National Action Plan of Georgia legal professionals and recently graduated stakeholders on Election Code reform. to Combat Trafficking in Human Beings for lawyers, delivered by a Georgian expert. The Mission administered the ODIHR- 2009-2010. financed Centre for Parliamentary

56 OSCE Annual Report Office in Yerevan Georgia Head of Ofﬁce: Ambassador Sergey Kapinos Budget: €2,523,200 Azerbaijan www.osce.org/yerevan Armenia

Yerevan

Kapan Turkey Azerbaijan

The names and boundaries on this map do not imply official Iran endorsement or acceptance by the OSCE. Ofﬁce in Yerevan Programme Implementation Presence

The implementation of Ofﬁce in Yerevan activities was affected by political tensions following the February presidential election. The Ofﬁce fostered democratic reforms in the

ﬁelds of elections, freedom of assembly, police, justice and the media. FIELD OPERATIONS

Electoral reform. In the run-up to the Police Open Day in February presidential election, the Office Yerevan, part of a project to enhance police South Caucasus supported the training of election of- communication with the ficials and raised public awareness about public, 16 August electoral rights and procedures, including democratic election standards. After the election, the Office helped the authorities to implement the recommendations made by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights.

Freedom of assembly. The Office trained political parties, administrative court judges, local governments and civil society on the amended laws, international stan-

dards and case law concerning the right to OSCE/GAYANE TER-STEPANYAN free assembly. Democratic control of the armed forces. Economic and environmental dimension Fighting corruption. The Office co-ordinated The Office commissioned studies for activities international anti-corruption initiatives. Parliament on draft evasion, the legal It assisted the authorities in elaborating framework for security sector gover- Reducing administrative barriers for small- the 2008-2012 National Anti-Corruption nance and civilianization. It also assisted and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Strategy. Armenia’s Human Rights Defender in The Office worked to strengthen the monitoring disciplinary sanctions in the institutional framework and professional Model OSCE. The Office publicized the armed forces. capacity of state agencies responsible for Model OSCE initiative among Armenian Armenia’s business environment. It also youth and organized the firstModel OSCE Border management. Border guards and facilitated Armenia’s integration into Armenia conference. customs officials attended an integrated international and pan-European SME border management workshop, part of networks and provided professional exper- Politico-military dimension activities a series of events the Office organized tise for the development, publication and together with the Mission in Georgia. The dissemination of reference materials for Police assistance programme. In April, an two-day practical workshop addressed policy makers and entrepreneurs. OSCE-guided pilot community polic- smuggling threats in the Caucasus, traf- ing unit was launched, which was later ficking in human beings and narcotics Promoting regional socio-economic develop- expanded with the building of two out- detection. ment. The Office’s Presence in Syunik reach stations. The Office and the Police supported the efforts of SMEs to attract signed a memorandum of understanding Civil defence. The Office supported the start-up financing. It encouraged the local to improve educational standards and Ministry of Emergency Situations with business community to assume corpo- public order management in the Armenian developing public information material for rate social responsibility for its activi- police-public partnership. print and broadcast and media training of ties. It promoted the Clean Development its staff. Mechanism, a Kyoto Protocol arrangement

OSCE Annual Report 57 Tackling Corruption Media freedom. The Office concluded a Calls and visits in 2008 to the Yerevan Anti-Corruption Reception Centre project to institutionalize freedom of information training for government public 1% information officers. It conducted an as- Civil, administrative, labour and sessment of Armenia’s public broadcaster 36% social security law 33% with a view to strengthening its public 33% SMEs, taxation issues 1% service ethos. It facilitated legal advice on Trafﬁc police, drivers’ rights 36% broadcasting legislation and supported the Public healthcare services 7% creation of a media self-regulation mecha- Army and conscription 10% nism in Armenia. 7% Public services, consumers’ rights 13% COMPILED BY THE BRITISH COUNCIL Anti-trafﬁcking and migration. The Office 13% 10% helped establish the Anti-Trafficking Support and Resource Unit in the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs. Together with the International Labour to stimulate sustainable development and schools on interactive methodologies in Organization and the International Centre the use of renewable energy sources. human rights education. for Migration Policy Development, it supported the elaboration of a national The Aarhus Convention. Thirteen Public Supporting the ombudsperson institution. referral mechanism and a training manual Environmental Information Centres run The Office supported the publication and for law enforcement agencies. The Office by the Office hosted discussions with the translation into English of the ombud- commissioned a report on return migra- public, government and the business com- sperson institution’s annual report for tion to Armenia. munity to promote the Aarhus Convention. 2007 and chaired an international working The Office organized a workshop and a group co-ordinating activities in this field. Gender issues. The Office supported the study tour on local environmental self- A visit to the Polish ombudsperson was or- establishment of the first women’s resource governance. A new centre for environmen- ganized to reinforce co-operation between centre aimed at promoting women’s tal rights focusing on environmental legis- the two institutions. entrepreneurship and employment in lation opened at Yerevan State University the Syunik province. It commissioned a with the Office’s support. Supporting criminal justice and judicial monthly insert on women’s rights in major reforms. The Office organized training for Armenian newspapers. Human dimension activities the prosecutor’s office on legal assistance in criminal matters. It supported the Youth. The Office signed a memorandum of Tolerance and minority rights. The Office or- elaboration of amendments to the law on understanding with the Ministry of Youth ganized roundtables and television debates advocacy and helped to organize the 51st and Sports to support regional youth cen- on freedom of conscience and religion. It meeting of the International Association of tres across Armenia. The Office also com- supported conferences, youth training ses- Judges. It initiated discussions on judicial missioned the European Students’ Union sions and cultural events on the preserva- reforms among various stakeholders. The to conduct a study on the state of student tion of national minorities’ culture and Office supported the group monitoring democracy at universities in Armenia. identity. penitentiary institutions and trained police officers and members of the monitor- Promoting public awareness of human ing group. It organized a conference on the rights. The Office produced, distributed implementation of the Optional Protocol and broadcast public service announce- to the United Nations Convention against A British Broadcasting ments on human rights. It supported Torture. Corporation (BBC) extra-curricular training courses in consultant talks with the staff of Armenian Public TV as part of an OSCE-supported needs assessment mission, from 14 to 18 July.

The OSCE and the British Council organized a course for female candidates on election campaign management in Syunik province, 19 September. OSCE/GAYANE TER-STEPANYAN THE BRITISH COUNCIL

58 OSCE Annual Report Aral Sea Centre in Ashgabad Kazakhstan Head of Centre: Ambassador Ibrahim Djikic Caspian Sea Budget: €1,338,100 Uzbekistan www.osce.org/ashgabad Turkmenistan Tajikist Ashgabad

Iran Afghanistan

The names and boundaries on this map do not imply official endorsement or acceptance by the OSCE.

Centre in Ashgabad

The Centre continued its support for strengthening border security and management and expanded its activities in the economic and environmental dimension to include

the agricultural, rail transport and water resources sectors. The Centre facilitated the FIELD OPERATIONS organization of a high-level OSCE event in Ashgabad — the Second Preparatory Conference for the 16th OSCE Economic and Environmental Forum. It continued to support legal and electoral reform. The Centre supported an OSCE Ofﬁce for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) election support team during the December

parliamentary elections. Central Asia

Politico-military dimension activities Participants at a two- week training course on strengthening travel Strengthening border security and manage- document security ment. The Centre organized a two-week organized by the Centre training course on strengthening travel in September document security, in which border officials discussed how to detect forged documents and updated their knowledge on worldwide travel documentation. Six Turkmenistan officials participated in a training course on border security and management organized jointly by the Finnish Chairmanship, the Secretariat and the Central Asian field operations.

Combating organized crime and trafficking in drugs. The Centre organized an instructor course for border security OSCE/ANNE SUOTULA officials on checkpoints and x-ray image for law enforcement officials on drug for limiting environmental damages from interpretation to detect firearms, drugs search, detection and identification, held oil spills. Experts and policymakers from and other contraband. A course par- in Ashgabad, Serhetabat on the Afghan Caspian littoral States and international ticipant subsequently delivered two x-ray border and Artyk on the Iranian border. organizations attended. courses for airport officials. The Centre also supported a series of training courses Small arms and light weapons and conven- Supporting the transition to a market tional ammunition. The Centre organized a economy. The Centre supported two work- Building Skills workshop on managing surplus arms and shops on marketing and market research Some 200 customs officers from ammunition in Ashgabad in November. in agribusiness and safety in food supply across the country attended English- chains. language and computer classes sup- Economic and environmental dimension The Centre provided support to ported by the Centre in co-operation activities Turkmenistan’s efforts to integrate with with the European Union’s Technical key international economic and trade Assistance to the Commonwealth Workshop on oil spills response and institutions through training courses in of Independent States Programme clean-up. The Centre and the Office of commercial diplomacy, trade policy, mar- and Turkmenistan’s State Customs the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and ket competition and consumer protection. Service. The project aims to Environmental Activities, with financial Activities aimed at sharing best prac- strengthen the professional skills of support from Spain, organized a workshop tices in the area of equity markets develop- customs officers. on best practices and latest technologies ment included the invitation of experts

OSCE Annual Report 59 Drug search training course “The exchange of information and experience between trainers and participants was a significant step forward in our co-operation to fight drug trafficking. Such training events, conducted on a regular basis, greatly contribute towards stopping illegal drugs at the borders.” — Mikhail Ucak, Chief Inspector from the Turkish International Academy against Drugs and Organized Crime and one of the experts at a training course on drug searches (centre) OSCE/ANNE SUOTULA from Kazakhstan’s stock exchange to a three-day study tour to the Swedish published five thematic legal papers on discuss their experience in the sector. Parliament for five Turkmenistan issues such as rights of the accused and lawmakers. imprisoned persons, freedom of movement Water resources management. The Centre and housing rights and disseminated them organized three workshops on efficient Parliamentary elections. The Centre sup- among legal practitioners and citizens. irrigation and the use of Geographic ported a nine-member Election Support Information Systems-based technology for Team deployed by ODIHR to follow the effective water distribution. December parliamentary elections and assess the impact of recent amendments to Raising environmental awareness. The Turkmenistan’s election legislation. Centre continued to promote environmental awareness among youth through a Support to civil society. The Centre en- series of ecology camps. hanced its support to four local resource centres offering youth computer and Promoting the development of small- and English classes and education on life skills medium-sized enterprises. The Centre and preventive healthcare. With the sup- supported the development of profitable port of the Centre, a greater number of pilot solid waste management schemes and civil society representatives participated rural community-based tourism. in OSCE human dimension events than in previous years. Transport/infrastructure development. The Centre organized two workshops on Promoting human rights recourse mecha- infrastructure planning and railway safety nisms. The Centre provided legal consul- and operations. The activities aimed to tations to more than 200 individuals. It improve the safety of Turkmenistan’s railway network within the framework of the Young participants at an new north-south transport corridor from environment camp visit Russia to the Persian Gulf. a horse farm

Human dimension activities

Promoting adherence to international human rights. The Centre organized several training courses on the administration of justice for senior officials from across the country and organized a five-day course on international public law for Turkmen State University students.

Supporting legislative reform. The Centre, in co-operation with ODIHR and the National Institute for Democracy and Human Rights, organized seminars on lawmaking skills to further strengthen the capacity of Turkmenistan’s legislators in this field. The Centre also organized OSCE

60 OSCE Annual Report Centre in Astana Russian Federation Russian Federation

Head of Centre: Ambassador Alexandre Keltchewsky Astana from 11 June, succeeding Ambassador Ivar Vikki, whose mandate ended on 28 March Kazakhstan Budget: €2,067,600 www.osce.org/astana China Aral Sea Almaty

Caspian Sea Uzbekistan Kyrgyzstan Turkmenistan

The names and boundaries on this map do not imply official endorsement or acceptance by the OSCE. Tajikistan Centre in Astana Liaison Ofﬁce

The Centre continued its activities focused on projects supporting ongoing political reform. It paid special attention to raising awareness of OSCE activities as it continued

to implement its mandate and assist the host country in support of the November 2007 FIELD OPERATIONS Ministerial Council Decision on Kazakhstan’s 2010 Chairmanship. Promoting conﬁdence building, a transparent economic environment and judicial reform also remained priorities.

Politico-military dimension activities Political reforms. The Centre actively sup-

ported political reform to meet interna- Central Asia Confidence building and civilian oversight tional standards and principles, focusing of armed forces. The Centre continued particularly on legislation pertaining to to promote confidence- and security- elections, political parties, media and local building measures in line with the Vienna self government. Document 1999. In co-operation with the Ministry of Defence, it conducted arms Economic and environmental dimension activities control training courses for military offi- Government and Centre cers from Central Asian countries. Jointly representatives discuss with the Ministry of Defence and the Promoting a transparent and efficient eco- the promotion of con- OSCE Forum for Security Co-operation, nomic environment. The Centre prioritized fidence- and security- building measures at a the Centre organized a regional seminar the fight against corruption, money laun- training course on the on the implementation of the OSCE’s Code dering and the financing of terrorism. It Vienna Document 1999, of Conduct on Politico-military Aspects of facilitated training for the Financial Police 28 October. Security.

Development of a modern police force. Jointly with the Ministry of the Interior and the OSCE Secretariat’s Strategic Police Matters Unit, the Centre promoted democratic principles in police activity, including through regional events on the practical implementation of the Guidebook on Democratic Policing. The Centre supported a long-term pilot project on international standards in police stations and pre-trial detention centres in Almaty.

Border management. The Centre continued co-operating with other stakeholders in order to assist the host country in improving border security and management. Joint training courses together with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) on modern border inspection techniques, detecting illegal border crossings and smugglers and fighting corruption were conducted for border guards. OSCE/DINA IGLIKOVA

OSCE Annual Report 61 Participants discuss a strategy to monitor women’s rights at a workshop organized by the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights and the Centre in Astana in Almaty from 4 to 8 February. OSCE/EUGENIA BENIGNI in investigating corruption cases and a their ability to respond effectively to oil officials and religious leaders, organized legal review of the fight against corruption spills. debates on new draft legislation on reli- in shadow economies. It promoted the gious freedom. It assisted the OSCE Office establishment of a Financial Intelligence Climate change. The Centre, together for Democratic Institutions and Human Unit by supporting renewed consultations with the United Nations Development Rights (ODIHR) in arranging consulta- on a proposed draft law and the creation of Programme and the Ministry of the tions between national authorities and an inter-agency working group. Environment, initiated a policy dia- international experts to ensure that the logue on climate change mitigation. rights of majority and minority religions Education for sustainable development. The Recommendations were elaborated for are heeded in the draft law in line with Centre finalized its project on sustain- how to carry out voluntary projects to international commitments. able development education. As a result, reduce greenhouse gas emissions in a course module on ecology and sustain- Kazakhstan. Gender issues. The Centre involved par- able development will be included in liamentarians, state officials, national and the national standard higher education Human dimension activities international experts and NGOs in work- curriculum. Also, it helped to develop and shops and roundtables on how legislation launch a new training course on sustain- Judicial and legal reforms. In co-operation and monitoring bodies can effectively enable development for business managers. with national and international experts, sure gender equality and women’s rights, the Centre analysed the status of judi- including in co-operation with ODIHR. Implementing international environmental cial reforms, the penitentiary system, It also assisted ODIHR in preparing legal treaties. The Centre supported the imple- the humanization of criminal justice reviews of draft laws on gender equality mentation of the Aarhus Convention by policies, investigative procedures, legal and domestic violence. training judges on access to justice and aid and the draft administrative code. strengthening the network of regional en- Recommendations were discussed at Anti-trafficking support. The Centre sup- vironmental groups. A national workshop expert meetings and presented at a press ported an initiative of the Ministry of was conducted on environmental impact conference. Justice to co-organize an enlarged ses- assessments in a trans-boundary context. sion of the Interagency Commission on As a follow-up to the 16th Economic and Human rights and democratization. The Fighting Trafficking in Persons with the Environmental Forum, the Centre raised Centre, in co-operation with non-govern- participation of NGOs from Kazakhstan’s stakeholders’ awareness on international mental organizations (NGOs) and with regions. maritime conventions in order to improve the involvement of parliamentarians, state Media developments. The Centre supported Kazakh police women join the development of a free media and an ex- government officials and change of views on media-related legisla- civil society representatives tion. It also worked to improve journalistic to discuss co-operation in education and skills through a wide range promoting and monitoring women’s rights at a of training seminars. roundtable in Kazakhstan, 11 December. OSCE/EUGENIA BENIGNI

62 OSCE Annual Report Centre in Bishkek Kazakhstan Head of Centre: Ambassador Andrew Tesoriere from 25 May, succeeding Ambassador Markus Müller, Bishkek whose mandate ended on 14 February Kyrgyzstan Budget: €5,051,900 www.osce.org/bishkek Osh Uzbekistan China Tajikistan

The names and boundaries on this map do not imply official endorsement or acceptance by the OSCE. Centre in Bishkek Field Ofﬁce

During its 10th anniversary year, the Centre in Bishkek focused on activities in the areas of border management, security and the rule of law. The Centre continued to fulﬁl its

long-term commitments to police reform, the OSCE Academy and media development FIELD OPERATIONS in the regions. It supported the host country in the areas of governance, legislation, ecological security and economic development.

Politico-military activities Conﬂict prevention. In the interest of pro- Batken. It closely monitored the media

moting inter-ethnic tolerance, the Centre situation, including violations of journal- Central Asia Development of political institutions. The supported initiatives involving govern- ists’ rights. Centre trained political party representa- ment officials, the Parliament, youth and tives on politico-military issues affecting journalists in several of Kyrgyzstan’s Economic and environmental activities Kyrgyzstan’s regions and on public com- regions. It supported local mediators in munication. As a follow-up, participants monitoring and responding to potential Economic issues. The Centre supported established pilot constituent service offices conflict situations. On issues concern- government efforts to improve the invest- in one of the provinces and offered similar ing religious freedom, it promoted legal ment and business climate and fight training for regional staff. The Centre also awareness among government officials and poverty. It helped develop legislation, offered training on communication to dialogue between concerned parties. build efficient investment policies, increase members of the new Parliament and on the capacity of women and youth to run self-governance and oversight techniques Media development. The Centre continued small businesses, create opportunities to newly elected local legislatures. to support the provincial media resource for generating income in economically centres in Talas, Karakol, Naryn and depressed areas, provide safe employment Border management. The Centre worked with communities, local authorities and the border guard service on issues includ- Police cadets march at oath- ing tensions at or near the border and man- taking ceremony at the Police agement of natural resources. It created Academy of Kyrgyzstan, a key partner of the OSCE police local negotiation and conflict prevention project in Kyrgyzstan. mechanisms and organized training for local citizens on cross-border procedures and legal rights and obligations, with the active involvement of border guards.

Police reform. Through training sessions and seminars on combating domestic violence, and on traditions and laws, the Centre supported the development of community-based policing in remote areas. To enhance criminal investigations, it helped to improve the operational skills of local investigators and search officers and provided assistance with the elaboration and revision of legislation. It assisted the Police Academy and the Secondary Special Police School in raising the level of police training to approach international standards. OSCE/ BURUL USMANALIEVA

OSCE Annual Report 63 Roundtable discussion of proposed amendments to the law on freedom of religion, organized by the State Agency of Religious Affairs and supported by the Centre in Bishkek in November OSCE/BURUL USMANALIEVA opportunities for labour migrants and Human dimension activities the public prosecutor’s office. It worked to promote corporate responsibility among make free legal aid more accessible to so- established businesses. The Centre is Institutional and legal reform. The Centre cially vulnerable groups, including victims supporting activities of the Network of supported efforts to bring national legisla- of torture, particularly in rural areas. It Labour Migrants Assistance Centres in tion into conformity with the Constitution piloted a project on preventing torture and four locations. of 23 October 2007. It assisted the OSCE respecting human rights in police activi- Office of Democratic Institutions and ties. The Centre supported its partners in Environmental issues. The Centre concen- Human Rights and the Council of Europe’s monitoring trials in the Osh, Jalal-Abad trated on establishing national and local Venice Commission in preparing com- and Batken provinces. regulatory frameworks for and raising ments on the draft amendments to the public awareness of environmental issues, Law on Freedom of Assembly. The Centre Promoting gender equality and ﬁghting particularly the legacy of uranium tailings. further facilitated the implementation of trafﬁcking in human beings. The Office Current projects are tackling radioactive the Law on the Humanization of Criminal provided training in gender analysis waste management, improving municipal Legislation. In preparation for the local and budgeting to new members of Osh services, preventing conflicts over water, elections on 5 October, it supported infor- City Council and in methods of teach- providing access to environmental information campaigns, voter education, training gender theory to Academy of Public mation and improving preparedness for ing of electoral officials and independent Management lecturers. In the provinces natural disasters. domestic election observers. Issyk-Kul and Naryn, it provided project management training to gender-focused Good governance. The Centre continued Promoting adherence to international human non-governmental organizations, sup- supporting the government’s fight against rights standards. Penitentiary system reported gender-related radio programmes corruption, raising awareness and assisting form remained a priority for the Centre. It and helped to prevent domestic violence the new National Agency on Corruption supported the establishment of a probation and bride kidnapping. It assisted crisis Prevention with staff training and work- service. It trained personnel, increased centres for victims of domestic violence in shops. The Centre supported activities to safety and enhanced the respect for human the cities of Talas and Naryn. It also sup- strengthen transparency and fight money rights in penitentiary institutions and ported campaigns to raise awareness of the laundering and terrorist financing. detention centres throughout the country, fight against trafficking in human beings and supported public monitoring of the and provided expertise to the new State OSCE Academy same. The Centre continued to assist with Anti-trafficking Programme. training on media legislation for officials of Now in its sixth year, the OSCE Academy graduated 23 students with a Master of Arts in Political An OSCE-organized youth conference Science and enrolled 25 students in Kant City near from Central Asian countries and Bishkek, part of a Afghanistan. It enlarged its training larger programme to programme and initiated a new fo- increase opportunities rum for security policy experts from for rural young people, 21 November. Central Asia, East and South-East Asia, Europe and the United States to analyse and discuss key regional security dynamics and functional issues. The OSCE Academy also provided training for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan in its preparations for the OSCE Chairmanship. OSCE/ANDREY BUTSMAN

64 OSCE Annual Report Office in Tajikistan Kazakhstan Kyrgyzstan Head of Ofﬁce: Ambassador Vladimir Pryakhin Budget: €4,724,900 Khujand www.osce.org/tajikistan Uzbekistan Garm China Dushanbe Tajikistan Kulyab urkmenistan Kurgan-Teppa Shartuz Afghanistan Pakistan

The names and boundaries on this map do not imply official endorsement or acceptance by the OSCE. Ofﬁce in Tajikistan Field Ofﬁce

With the adoption of a new, more robust mandate on 19 June, co-operation with the Government was strengthened. The OSCE ﬁeld operation in Tajikistan, formerly the

Centre in Dushanbe, was renamed the Office in Tajikistan, with additional staff recruited, FIELD OPERATIONS the budget increased and the Office moved to new and more spacious premises. The new Office in Tajikistan is better attuned to assist Tajikistan in addressing the challenges it faces at this stage of its development, including those arising in connection with the long border it shares with Afghanistan. Central Asia Politico-military dimension activities Political dialogue. In co-operation with the Economic and environmental dimension Public Council of Tajikistan, the Office or- activities Border security. The Office significantly ganized meetings for government officials, increased its practical involvement in political parties and civil society to discuss Supporting business and trade. The Office border management. It provided support current affairs. Seminars onLaw and continued supporting local authorities and advice to the Government in drafting Religion reduced tensions between secular and entrepreneurs in developing business a comprehensive national border strategy. authorities and mainstream Islamic via its network of resource and training It launched preparations to establish an communities. centres for small businesses and entrepre- OSCE Border Management Staff College neurs engaged in cross-border trade. This and began work on two other border Police assistance. A Counter Terrorism year the centres provided advice to 6,500 projects that will provide training to Tajik and Police Adviser was recruited to fol- people, including 2,000 entrepreneurs en- border troops and customs officials. low up on a February needs assessment gaged in cross-border trade, and delivered and develop project activities. Together training courses to 1,600 entrepreneurs Small arms and light weapons and conven- with the Drug Control Agency, the Office and officials. The Office also initiated a tional ammunition. The Office enhanced the conducted an information campaign on process to achieve sustainability of the capacity of the country’s law enforcement drug prevention along the border with resource centres. institutions to store small arms and light Afghanistan. weapons and conventional ammunition securely, successfully concluding the second phase of the programme. It provided training and improvised explosive device disposal capacities.

Mine clearance. This year, 22,074,105 square metres of previously suspected mined land were reclassified and handed back to local communities. A further 833,818 square metres of mined land were cleared by a mine detector dog and manual teams, which located and destroyed 5,569 mines, 1,900 cluster munitions and unexploded ordnances.

Conﬁdence- and security-building measures The new premises of the (CSBMs). The Office supported and co- OSCE Ofﬁce in Tajikistan ordinated activities with the Government were opened at a ceremony to help it fulfill its CSBM commitments with OSCE and Government representatives on 20 October. under the Vienna Document 1999. OSCE/FIRUZA GULOMASEINOVA

OSCE Annual Report 65 Newspaper sale impro- Fostering the democratization of the media. vised on the ledge of The Office rendered tailored support to the Central Department Store in Dushanbe. 21 newspapers with paper grants and a series of in-house training courses on management and layout. The newspapers developed business plans and were enabled to increase their circulation and profit- ability. Two OSCE-supported international conferences resulted in appeals to the President and Parliament to act for more transparent electronic media licensing procedures and remove defamation laws from the penal code. A seminar on media

OSCE/MIKHAIL EVSTAFIEV self-regulation in Berlin promoted the discussion of journalistic ethics among A workshop in September on creating an Human dimension activities top decision makers in media businesses, attractive business and investment climate, media associations, the Government and organized in co-operation with the OSCE Human rights, democratization and elec- Parliament. The Office also offered a multi- Office of the Co-ordinator of Economic tions. The Office organized several tude of training opportunities to journal- and Environmental Activities, marked the roundtables and events to engage civil ists within and outside of Tajikistan to expansion of the scope of the Office’s work society and government representatives improve technical knowledge, research to cover policy issues such as the creation in discussions on the new Human Rights techniques and language skills. of free economic zones and the develop- Ombudsman Law, property rights, com- ment of incentives to investment. bating torture, access to prisons, free and Gender. The Office strengthened national fair elections. An important innovation on agencies dealing with gender equality Improving environmental policy. The Office the part of the Office was the organization through educational and training pro- continued to support the implementa- of discussions on issues of the Preparatory grammes and mass-media campaigns. It tion of the Aarhus Convention and the Human Dimension Implementation supported 12 Women’s Resource Centres development of environmental legislation Meeting. From January, the Office became in the provision of free psychological and and strategies. It provided Parliament with the co-ordinating agency hosting the legal support to empower women and suggested updates to the Nature Protection monthly Human Rights Sector Meeting in raise the literacy level of girls. It trained Law. Tajikistan. the staff of the Women’s Resource Centres The Office also implemented projects in networking among themselves and Water management. At an OSCE confer- on property rights, provided intensive co-operating with the Government. The ence, experts from Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, training in human rights and international Office helped to raise youth awareness of Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan dis- public law to university students, sup- human trafficking risks, consequences cussed a policy paper developed by the ported the study Judicial Reform Index for and recruitment methods. It fostered International Fund for Saving the Aral Tajikistan and worked to raise awareness inter-regional co-operation and capacity Sea, designed to spur the development of of human rights and democratization building of law enforcement bodies. appropriate water management tools in issues. Furthermore, in co-operation Central Asia. with the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, the Office Awareness-raising. Fifteen environmental was able to facilitate the sending of several documentaries were broadcast on national governmental and civil society representa- Tajik television upon the initiative of the tives on short-term parliamentary election Office. observation missions abroad.

A clean-up conducted by the Green Patrols, a youth environmental movement supported by the OSCE, in Garm in October. In 2008, 14,000 youths participated in the activities of this group. OSCE/MARIELLE LESEUR

66 OSCE Annual Report Project Co-ordinator Aral Sea Kazakhstan in Uzbekistan Kyrgyzstan Project Co-ordinator: Ambassador Istvan Venczel Uzbekistan Tashkent Budget: €1,641,300 Turkmenistan www.osce.org/tashkent China Tajikistan

Iran The names and boundaries on this map do not imply official Pakistan endorsement or acceptance by the OSCE. Afghanistan

Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan

The Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan placed special emphasis on co-operation in the politico-military field, focusing on the fight against terrorism, drug trafficking and orga-

nized crime, and on economic and environmental activities, where the ofﬁce has imple- FIELD OPERATIONS mented most of its projects. The Project Co-ordinator also carried out a number of projects in the area of human rights and democratization with the active support of the Uzbek authorities.

Politico-military dimension activities Economic and environmental dimension facilitate national, regional and interna- Central Asia activities tional trade. Organizing workshops on security threats. The office of the Project Co-ordinator Supporting small- and medium-sized enter- Fostering rural development. In co-opera- organized international expert workshops prises (SMEs). A joint project of the Project tion with the Farmers’ Association, on current threats to security and stability, Co-ordinator and the Uzbek Association the Project Co-ordinator continued to including terrorism, religious extremism, of Businesswomen provided support to promote socio-economic development and international organized crime and drug women and youth in opening their own help create employment in rural areas, trafficking. The office organized a confer- SMEs. providing information on newly available ence in April to discuss regional security financing and credit schemes, taxation and and engagement with Afghanistan. Fostering the development of economic ties ecological security. in Central Asia. The office of the Project Police training. Within the framework Co-ordinator helped to create a team of Good governance. In co-operation with the of its long-term assistance to the Police governmental and non-governmental United Nations Development Programme Academy of Uzbekistan, the office of stakeholders from the transport sector to (UNDP), the Project Co-ordinator assisted the Project Co-ordinator continued to analyse existing legislation and guidelines the Government with implementing good familiarize police with international best and to prepare the first steps toward the governance practices in response to the practices in order to strengthen the system creation of a Dispatching Co-ordination problem of tax evasion. of police training. Centre in Uzbekistan, which would

Building democratic institutions. The office of the Project Co-ordinator organized discussions on the development of political parties, improvement of the election system and increasing voter education. The office worked to promote increased access to information on the role of socio- political organizations and the benefits of participatory democracy. In order to improve the public’s access to information about the structure of the Senate, it supported the publication of 2,500 copies of a Handbook on the Senate of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

Workshop on promoting law enforcement and judicial co-operation among source, transit and destination countries to combat human trafﬁcking and migrant smuggling to and from Central Asia, Tashkent, on 14 and 15 May OSCE/OLEG ZAICHENKO

OSCE Annual Report 67 A mountain stream in Chatkal National Park in August OSCE/MUROD KHUSANOV

Environmental issues. The office of the ombudsperson and judicial and law en- Project Co-ordinator organized a confer- forcement bodies. ence on the protection of the environment together with the State Nature Protection Human rights. The office of the Project Co- Committee in November. The office of ordinator helped teachers and students of the Project Co-ordinator, the Office of law faculties with the printing of materials. the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic Together with the UNDP, his office held a and Environmental Activities and their conference on democratizing society and implementing partner, the Interstate ensuring human rights on the occasion Commission for Water Coordination of the 60th anniversary of the Universal Scientific Information Centre, organized Declaration of Human Rights. In order to the conference Environmental Security strengthen the Human Rights Protection and Safety - a Major Factor of Water Department of the Ministry of the Management in October. Interior, the office organized roundtables on co-operation between internal affairs Human dimension activities bodies with other law enforcement bodies and state structures, national human Supporting non-governmental organizations rights institutions and non-governmental (NGOs). Providing continued assistance organizations. to the National Association of NGOs of Uzbekistan, the office of the Project Co- ordinator promoted an effective social partnership between state institutions and NGOs, particularly regarding the social protection of vulnerable groups. He supported the publication of a number of handbooks.

Combating trafﬁcking in human beings. The office of the Project Co-ordinator assisted the Government and public organizations with the development of a manual on identifying forms of human trafficking, a compilation of regulatory documents and an analysis comparing the existing regulatory framework in Uzbekistan with international standards.

Ombudsperson institution. The office of the Project Co-ordinator helped to strengthen co-operation between the national

68 OSCE Annual Report Assistance with Bilateral Agreements Representative to the Latvian-Russian Joint Commission on Military Pensioners

OSCE Representative: Lt. Col. Helmut Napiontek FIELD OPERATIONS Approved budget: €9,600

The Representative continued to assist in the implementation of the 1994 bilateral agreement between the Latvian and Russian Governments on social guarantees for military Assistance with bilateral agreements pensioners of the Russian Federation and their families residing in Latvia. On 1 July 2008, a total of 15,603 people were eligible under the Agreement, comprising 8,669 former military personnel from the Ministries of Defence and of the Interior plus 6,934 family members.

Activities and developments

Housing problems successfully tackled. Resettlement programme continues. The discussions of the Joint Commission Approximately 200 military pension- continued to deal with issues linked to the ers and their family members have made potential eviction of military pensioners use of a Latvian-financed resettlement and their families from so-called dena- programme launched in 2006 for military tionalized accommodation, in which prop- pensioners wishing to leave Latvia and erty expropriated by Soviet nationalization take up permanent residence outside the and given to Soviet Army servicemen is country. returned. However these talks no longer dominated the Commission’s agenda as in years past. Following the adoption of a law regulating the return of national- ized property to the legitimate owners or descendants, Latvia stipulated a seven-year grace period for tenants in these properties and, when this period ended, followed up with additional special conditions for military pensioners and their families as well as others affected. These included financial support and priority access to social accommodation. These efforts to soften potential hardship situations have been a success. It has been clear for more than a year that imminent eviction from dena- tionalized houses no longer constitutes a major problem for military pensioners.

OSCE Annual Report 69

Institutions OSCE/HASAN SOPA Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) Head of Ofﬁce: Ambassador Janez Lenarcˇicˇ from 1 July, succeeding Ambassador Christian Strohal, whose mandate ended on 30 June Budget: €14,405,100 www.osce.org/odihr

The ODIHR is the principal OSCE institution responsible for assisting participating States with implementing their human rights and democracy commitments, which comprise the human dimension, one of the OSCE’s three dimensions of security.

Monitoring commitments on such topics as improving electoral legis- Providing training and expertise lation and the conduct of elections. ODIHR monitors the compliance of par- ODIHR deployed experts to gather ODIHR offered a broad range of train- ticipating States with their human dimen- information on human rights matters in ing and expertise to individuals working sion commitments. Armenia following violent post-election within governments and civil society The Office’s most high-profile monitor- clashes between police and protest- organizations. ing work is in the field of election ob- ers in Yerevan in March, and passed its Providing law enforcement and judicial servation. In 2008, ODIHR deployed 12 concerns and recommendations on to officials with the information and training electoral missions throughout the OSCE the Government. The Office — together they need to adequately recognize and region, involving 2,850 observers from 49 with the offices of the OSCE High combat hate crime remained a priority for participating States. A significant num- Commissioner on National Minorities and the Office. In 2008, it signed an agreement ber of observers were financed through the Council of Europe’s Commissioner for with the Ministry of Security of Bosnia ODIHR’s voluntary fund for enhancing Human Rights — undertook a field visit and Herzegovina on the implementa- the geographical diversification of obser- to Italy in July to assess the human rights tion of its training programme for police, vation missions. ODIHR observed several situation of the Roma and Sinti population the Law Enforcement Officer Programme elections in partnership with the OSCE following a series of violent incidents tar- on Combating Hate Crime (LEOP). Parliamentary Assembly, on the basis of geting this community. At the request of Implementation of LEOP is also under- the 1997 co-operation agreement. the Chairman-in-Office, ODIHR and the way in Poland, and a roundtable meeting ODIHR’s monitoring work continues High Commissioner sent teams to Georgia was held to discuss implementation in after elections are over. In 2008, the Office in October and November to assess the hu- Ukraine. published eight legal reviews of national man rights and minority situation in the More than 30 non-governmental election systems and took part in numer- areas affected by the August conflict and organizations from 18 different participat- ous meetings, roundtables and seminars report back on their findings. ing States attended an ODIHR training

Election observation and assessment missions Country Type of Election Date Type of mission Georgia presidential 5 January observation Serbia presidential 20 January & 3 February limited observation Armenia presidential 19 February observation Spain parliamentary 9 March assessment Montenegro presidential 6 April observation Italy parliamentary 13-14 April assessment Serbia parliamentary 11 May limited observation Georgia parliamentary 21 May observation fYROM parliamentary 1 June & 15 June observation Belarus parliamentary 28 September observation Azerbaijan presidential 15 October observation USA general 4 November limited observation (Note: All observations and assessments were preceded by a needs assessment mission that recommended the format of the respective observation mission. A needs assessment mission was also sent to Liechtenstein in December 2008; it recommended that no observation activity be undertaken.)

72 OSCE Annual Report An OSCE election observer speaks to polling station ofﬁcials during the Georgian parliamentary elections on 21 May. INSTITUTIONS OSCE/AGNIESZKA REMBOWSKA seminar on monitoring and reporting hate ODIHR commented on draft laws con- to make lawmaking more transparent,

crime. The Office helped 10 participating cerning freedom of assembly, freedom of inclusive and efficient. Ofﬁce for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights States to develop country-specific teaching association, freedom of information, free- materials and teacher training seminars dom of religion, elections, gender issues, Publications aimed at combating anti-Semitism. It initi- domestic violence, trafficking in human ated new projects to develop educational beings, anti-discrimination policies and Key publications in 2008 included: Hate tools with which to address intolerance constitutional amendments. Crime in the OSCE Region – Incidences against Muslims. ODIHR’s Expert Panel on Freedom of and Responses, the second such annual ODIHR trained human rights defenders Assembly provided legal advice on amend- report identifying patterns characterizing in Moldova and Armenia in monitoring ments to the Armenian Law on Assemblies hate-motivated incidents and effective and reporting on freedom of assembly introduced during the state of emergency state responses; Human Rights Defenders issues. in March. Consultations held in Yerevan in the OSCE Region – Challenges and Good The Office held its yearly training course jointly with the Council of Europe’s Venice Practices, also the second annual report for short-term election observers at the Commission resulted in the passage of of its kind; a status report on participat- OSCE Academy in Bishkek and in Tirana. further amendments that addressed the ing States’ implementation of the 2003 In addition, ODIHR met requests from experts’ concerns. Action Plan on improving the situation some participating States to train their ODIHR’s legislative support activi- of Roma and Sinti within the OSCE area; election observers (for instance, the Office ties have expanded over time to include and the Handbook on Human Rights and ran a training course for Russian observers a focus on legislative systems, looking at Fundamental Freedoms of Armed Forces at the Russian Diplomatic Academy). how laws are prepared, discussed, adopted Personnel, launched in conjunction with and monitored. It released two reports the Geneva Centre for the Democratic Legislative support during the year, assessing the lawmak- Control of Armed Forces in May. ing processes in Moldova and the former A highlight of the year’s publications To assist States in adopting legislation Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. The was Trial-Monitoring: A Reference Manual that complies with OSCE commitments, reports contain recommendations on ways for Practitioners, designed for those

OSCE Annual Report 73 The Human Dimension Implementation Meeting, Europe’s largest annual human rights and democracy conference, opened on 29 September. OSCE/AGNIESZKA REMBOWSKA interested in setting up and running a October. Some 1,000 participants at the trial-monitoring programme, an area of two-week gathering reviewed the progress considerable OSCE expertise. ODIHR, made by OSCE participating States in ful- together with the Spillover Monitoring filling their human rights and democracy Mission to Skopje, held a workshop with commitments. 12 OSCE field operations and conducted ODIHR also organized a Human trial monitoring programmes to promote Dimension Seminar on constitutional the use of the manual. justice in Warsaw in May, as well as three The Office published a report on com- Supplementary Human Dimension Meetings pensation for trafficking victims, which in May, July and November in Vienna. At was based on a review of the law and com- the first, participants discussed the role of mon practice in eight OSCE participating national institutions in fighting discrimina- States. tion against migrants and persons belong- It also published a manual which out- ing to national minorities. The second lines the fundamental human rights prin- focused on the role of local authorities in ciples that are most commonly engaged integrating Roma, with a special focus on in the fight against terrorism and explains Roma access to education and social servic- States’ obligations in respect of those es. Attendees of the third meeting identified rights when dealing with terrorism. ways to encourage and support initiatives to strengthen the transparency and inclusive- Conferences and meetings ness of lawmaking processes. ODIHR contributed to the preparation ODIHR organized a broad range of of a seminar on election issues organized meetings varying in format and degree of by the Chairmanship in Vienna in July, and formality to provide governments, civil participated in the discussions. ODIHR society representatives and experts with an representatives also had an opportunity opportunity to review practices and share to discuss challenges related to new vot- experiences on human dimension issues. ing technologies during meetings orga- It held Europe’s largest annual hu- nized by the Council of Europe and the man rights and democracy conference, Chairmanship, and distributed a discussion the Human Dimension Implementation paper on observing electronic voting. Meeting, in Warsaw in September and

74 OSCE Annual Report High Commissioner on National Minorities (HCNM) High Commissioner: Knut Vollebaek Budget: €3,017,100 www.osce.org/hcnm

The High Commissioner on National Minorities was created in 1992 to identify and seek early resolution of ethnic tensions that might endanger peace, stability or friendly relations between or within OSCE participating States.

The High Commissioner’s work on nation- High Commissioner al minority issues in international affairs Knut Vollebaek (left) at a reception in The Hague culminated in the launch of the Bolzano/ to mark the HCNM’s 15th Bozen Recommendations on National anniversary, 11 November Minorities in Inter-State Relations. The rec- INSTITUTIONS ommendations provide advice on protecting and promoting the rights of persons belonging to national minorities while maintaining inter-ethnic harmony and

strengthening relations between states. High Commissioner on National Minorities The High Commissioner also paid particular attention to the situation of Roma and Sinti, arguing that the hurdles they face to social inclusion and new migration trends following EU enlargement may threaten their relations with other ethnic groups and their security. OSCE/ERIC GOURLAN The High Commissioner continued to support the Inter-State Dialogue on Social Georgia. The High Commissioner visited assistance to Georgia in elaborating a Integration and National Minority Educa- Tbilisi and Sukhumi twice in 2008, but he policy and an action plan for introducing tion in Central Asia. Experts discussed was unfortunately prevented from enter- wider-scale bilingual education. Other issues of multilingual and inter-cultural ing South Ossetia. These travel restrictions project activities aiming at the integra- education at one meeting and informa- violated his mandate according to which he tion of Armenians and Azerbaijanis into tion technology and distance learning at may travel and communicate freely. mainstream Georgian society included another. In Tbilisi, he discussed his conflict supporting minority media outlets and prevention and civil integration activities providing free legal aid to citizens living in Country Reports in the regions of Samtskhe-Javakheti and these regions. Kvemo-Kartli, as well as the Meskhetian The High Commissioner published Croatia. The High Commissioner visited Repatriation Process. He also looked at a booklet that explains in accessible Croatia in November, where he discussed ways to provide assistance to the Govern- language the procedures set out in the the implementation of the Constitutional ment in order to make repatriation possible. Law on Meskhetian Repatriation, thereby Law on the Rights of National Minori- In Sukhumi, he urged the de facto Abkhaz assisting the Georgian Government in its ties. He raised several key issues, includ- authorities to allow Georgian students implementation. The booklet is intended ing equitable representation of national in Gali district to study in Georgian, and to help potential repatriates learn about minorities in the public sector, procedures asked the de facto authorities not to impose the repatriation process, familiarize them to promote minority representation in the Abkhazian citizenship on Georgians. The with the situation in present-day Georgia Croatian Parliament and the need to use High Commissioner is concerned that, if and facilitate the integration of those who education as a tool to promote improved unchecked, such coercive practices may eventually decide to repatriate into Geor- inter-ethnic relations, tolerance and further increase tensions in the region and gia’s mainstream society. ultimately reconciliation between groups. force many Georgians to leave. The HCNM participated in an OSCE Integrated education is particularly impor- Promoting bilingualism as an effec- Human Rights Assessment Mission in tant in this regard and, during his visit to tive tool of minority integration, the High Georgia in October and November. The Vukovar, the High Commissioner assessed Commissioner continued to support a HCNM findings were incorporated in the progress in the re-integration of students number of pilot bilingual schools in the OSCE Human Rights Assessment Mission from different ethnic backgrounds in minority-populated regions of Kvemo Kar- report issued in November. schools in the region. tli and Samtskhe-Javakheti and provided

OSCE Annual Report 75 Meshketians at their home in the village of Abastumani, Samtskhe- Javakheti region, Georgia, 9 July OSCE/PAVLO BYALYK

Hungary. In a February visit to Budapest, more efficient naturalization policies. school system. The High Commis- the High Commissioner raised the issue The High Commissioner also continued sioner presented a set of country-specific of its minorities abroad, particularly in to monitor the implementation of education Recommendations on Integration through Romania and Slovakia. The High Com- reform in Latvia. He recommended to the Education to assist in efforts to prevent missioner is committed to following up on Government to regularly monitor progress, further segregation and build a foundation this issue, because, in his view, the ques- particularly as to the quality of education, for inter-ethnic relations that promotes tion of national minorities in inter-State and to address all shortcomings reported by integration rather than separation. To relations in Central Europe can be dealt professionals in the field as well as by pupils help authorities carry out his Recommen- with in an effective, peaceful and friendly and parents. He also suggested strength- dations, the High Commissioner imple- manner and serve as an example for other ening the participation of parents in the mented two education-related projects OSCE regions. consultation and decision-making process in close co-operation with the Spillover The High Commissioners also raised concerning education reforms. Monitor Mission to Skopje. In the first the issue of Roma and discussed with au- project, first-year students from different thorities the ways in which they have been Kazakhstan. In a July visit, the High Com- ethnic backgrounds in the town of Kicevo dealing with the problems facing Roma missioner discussed issues pertaining to the participated in a series of student debates, minorities. representation of minorities in Parliament, study trips and other extra-curricular multilingual education and issues of minor- activities that aimed to demonstrate Latvia. The High Commissioner visited ity language broadcasting, in particular practical alternatives to segregation in Latvia in April to look into the imple- subtitling. A seminar on subtitling for secondary schools. In the second, the High mentation of education reform and the media representatives was organized in Commissioner supported the training of naturalization process. After the visit, the Almaty in May. He paid special attention education officers from 44 municipalities High Commissioner recommended the to the issue of election law and presented on the development and implementation Government speed up the naturalization specific recommendations on how Govern- of education policy at the local level to help process by automatically granting citizen- ment efforts to ensure minority participa- them fulfil their responsibilities under the ship to newly born children of the families tion in Parliament could be brought into new decentralized system. of non-citizens and, retroactively, to all line with OSCE commitments. The High children born in Latvia after 1991. He also Commissioner continued to support Moldova. In a July visit, the High Com- advised the Latvian authorities to grant teacher training in southern Kazakhstan, missioner raised in Chisinau the issue of resident non-citizens the right to vote in including a variety of projects aimed at pro- linguistic integration of national minori- local elections. moting modern methodologies of language ties through better teaching of the state In November, he supported a confer- teaching. language. The High Commissioner has ence on citizenship issues in the Baltic and raised the situation in Gagauzia in gen- Nordic States that took place in Jurmala, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. eral and relations between Chisinau and Latvia, on 20 and 21 November. The Con- The High Commissioner discussed usage of Comrat in particular at various meetings ference, organized by the Naturalization minority languages, flags and symbols dur- in Moldova. Board of Latvia, allowed the Government ing a January visit. He also paid significant The High Commissioner also went to of Latvia to learn from the experience of attention to the segregation along ethnic the Dniester region and met with de facto neighbouring states in order to implement lines observed in the country’s secondary authorities. He expressed there his concern

76 OSCE Annual Report A newly naturalized Centre on Transitional Justice. To discuss citizen receives her ways of moving a process of transitional passport in Jurmala, justice forward, local politicians, policy- Latvia. makers and opinion leaders from both the Kosovo Albanian and the Kosovo Serb communities met for a third round of confidential talks in Ohrid in December, following up on meetings held the previous year. Participants agreed that a process of reconciliation would only be effective if it were generated through adequate public discussion. In order to promote public debate, the High Commissioner commis-

LATVIAN NATURALIZATIONLATVIAN BOARD sioned a discussion paper that was drafted by a local non-governmental organiza- for the protection of human and minor- that serves the interests of the minority tion through a consultative, multi-ethnic ity rights, paying special attention to the communities, and promotes peaceful, process. right to use one’s mother-tongue particu- inter-State relations, on the other. Finally, the High Commissioner ad- larly for non-Russian communities. He He also raised the issue of Roma and dressed the situation of Roma, Ashkali and also expressed his continued support for discussed with authorities the ways in Egyptians in Kosovo, specifically the lack the Latin script schools in the region that which they have been dealing with prob- of official registration for these vulnerable have been facing pressure from the local lems facing Roma minorities. groups. The High Commissioner is study- INSTITUTIONS authorities. ing how to address the more widespread In November, the High Commissioner Russia. The High Commissioner twice problem of the lack of registration of Roma hosted a roundtable on Models for the travelled to Russia for meetings with through a regional approach. Settlement of Territorial Disputes in government officials, lawmakers and non-

Odessa, Ukraine. It aimed at bringing governmental organizations. His discus- Turkmenistan. The High Commissioner High Commissioner on National Minorities together participants in the 5+2 negotiat- sions focused on the situation of national focused his talks, during a May visit, on ing format for conflict settlement. During minorities in the OSCE region and inter- minority education and modernization of the roundtable, the High Commissioner’s ethnic relations in the Russian Federation. the legal system, in particular the Consti- team focused on mechanisms that have tution. He visited several schools in the been developed across the OSCE area for Serbia. The High Commissioner discussed northern Lebap region. As follow-up, he sharing power among groups. current legislative work pertaining to provided the Government with recom- ethnic communities in a visit to Belgrade mendations emphasizing the principle of Montenegro. The High Commissioner pro- in September. Such laws, he argued, must non-discrimination. vided assistance and expertise to the Mon- be the result of inclusive processes and tenegrin Commission tasked with drafting meet the highest international standards. Ukraine. During two visits, the High Com- a National Minorities strategy and advised In this context, he drew attention to the missioner helped facilitate the integration the Government on the implementation of need to integrate ethnic communities of Crimean Tatars into Ukrainian society the Constitution, especially with regard to more fully into the judiciary, police and and ease inter-ethnic problems on the pen- the promotion of effective participation of higher education sector in Vojvodina and insula. He focused on the need to adopt national minorities in public life. southern Serbia. The High Commissioner legislation concerning the status and rights also brought up the need to provide access of formerly deported people. Romania. In a February visit, the High to adequate state language education. The High Commissioner initiated a dia- Commissioner examined Hungarian During visits to Pristina in January, May logue on international policing standards tertiary language education. He visited the and September, the High Commissioner and best practices in Crimea through a Babes-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca raised the continued challenges posed by conference organized jointly with the to discuss ways in which the multicultural the weak implementation of Kosovo’s legal Ukrainian Ministry of the Interior in character of the University could be fur- framework in areas such as use of ethnic Simferopil. He also continued assisting ther enhanced and the needs of minority community languages, property rights and Ukraine in promoting tolerance and inter- communities better accommodated. The non-discrimination. He also pointed to cultural understanding in Crimea. High Commissioner expressed his support a lack of clarity on which institutions are The High Commissioner addressed the for, and undertook to continue his engage- held accountable for the implementation of need for a comprehensive reform of the ment with, the University, believing that Kosovo’s laws that particularly impact its legislative framework concerning minority such multicultural institutions have a role ethnic communities. rights and language regulation, specifically to play in the integration and consolida- During the three visits, the High Com- on language issues in areas such as media tion of multi-ethnic societies. missioner continued efforts to enlist sup- and education. As in his discussions with Hungarian port for building reconciliation between authorities on their national minority the two largest communities in Kosovo, Uzbekistan. The High Commissioner in Romania, in Romania he also raised both through Kosovo’s institutional struc- discussed a broad range of issues, particu- the question of its national minority in ture as well as by generating public discus- larly education, with the Government and Hungary, again discussing how the State sion. In this context, he also worked in national minority communities in a March could support minorities abroad in a way close co-operation with the International visit.

OSCE Annual Report 77 Representative on Freedom of the Media The Representative: Miklos Haraszti Budget: €1,312,000 www.osce.org/fom

The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media continued to observe media developments in the 56 participating States and promoted full compliance with the OSCE commitments on freedom of expression and free media. All geographical areas and all major issues were scrutinized, including cases where states tolerate harassment or where murders of media workers occur, where pluralism is considerably restricted by undue governmental inﬂuence over broadcasting or publishing, where investigative rights for journalism regarding governmental data are denied or where offending or critical views are often punished, almost mechanically, as “extremism” or “hate speech”. The year witnessed deterioration in two crucial dimensions of press freedom: the physical security of journalists and the legal protection of critical speech. The Representative continued to stress that violence against journalists is not “crime as usual”, because it aims at undermining a basic institution of democracy: the free press.

Regional conferences broadcasting is undergoing in the digital draft Law on State Secrets; age, and called on governments to regard t endorsed an OSCE Office for In October, the Office organized the 10th the increase in the number of broadcasting Democratic Institutions and Human Central Asia Media Conference in Almaty, channels on all new platforms as a new op- Rights (ODIHR) legal opinion on Kazakhstan, and in November, the 5th portunity to strengthen media pluralism. Armenia’s draft Law on Information, South Caucasus Media Conference in Information Technologies and Tbilisi, Georgia. The events focused on the Legal assistance Protection of Information and challenges of public-service broadcast- complemented it with additional ing (PSB), and how the upcoming digital Continuing to provide legal assistance to recommendations. switchover can support media freedom participating States throughout the year, and pluralism. By offering objective news the Office: Country visits reporting and broadcasting high-quality programming, PSB is a basic tool of de- t co-operated with the Belarusian author- As in previous years, the Representative mocracies, indispensable to ensuring the ities on the first and second drafts of the visited authorities in participating freedom and transparency of elections, Law on Information, Informatization States, travelling in 2008 to Montenegro, fighting hate speech and protecting a and the Protection of Information, and Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. country’s minority cultures. reviewed the country’s draft media law; In Montenegro, the Representative The conference in Central Asia brought t commissioned legal reviews of several met government officials, including the together media professionals and govern- legislative proposals concerning the President and the Prime Minister, media ment officials dealing with media gov- media in Kazakhstan, and presented professionals and representatives of civil ernance from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, comments and recommendations on the society and international organizations. Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Because in new draft amendments to the defama- The purpose of the trip was to collect Central Asia, Kyrgyzstan alone has a law tion provisions of the Criminal and Civil first-hand information in order to assess on PSB and that institution has yet to start Codes to the Kazakhstani authorities; the current state of media freedom in operating, discussions dealt with the broad t commissioned an analysis of the draft the youngest participating State of the benefits of PSB. The South Caucasus event Slovak Press Act containing practical OSCE, especially as his visit coincided provided a unique forum for animated recommendations on how to bring it with a heated public debate over two and friendly discussions among leading into line with the country’s international draft laws: the draft Law on Electronic media professionals, public-service direc- commitments to protect media freedom; Communications and amendments to the tors, non-governmental organizations t commissioned an independent OSCE Public-Service Broadcasting Law. Results (NGOs) and members of parliament from expert to review an amendment to of the visit are reflected in an assessment Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia. They Armenia’s Law on Television and Radio report, available on the Office’s website. shared experiences and good practices that proposes to suspend tendering In Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, the and strengthened personal professional broadcasting licenses until mid-2010; Representative met with stakeholders in contacts. t provided the Moldovan authorities with the countries’ media governance arena The conferences also tackled the changes the legal review commissioned on the to explore possibilities of reform towards

78 OSCE Annual Report Participants at a practices throughout the OSCE area, the two-day course on media self-regulation publication will be issued in 2009. in Odessa, Ukraine, on The Office also co-hosted a roundtable 29 July discussion on Internet media regulation in Minsk, Belarus, together with the Ministry of Information of Belarus. The event brought together Belarusian officials and journalists, as well as international experts in the field. At the event, the Office encouraged the Government to exercise self-restraint in regulating content on the Internet, in order to honour important OSCE commitments on pluralism and the

OSCE free flow of information. compliance with OSCE commitments in Training projects Special reports the field of media freedom. The Office supported training courses for The Office regularly prepares special Publications journalists and press secretaries through- reports on various topics related to media out the year, promoting effective interac- freedom. In 2008, as a follow-up to the The two main publications of the Office tion between state officials and journalists Office’s report Handling of the media this year dealt with media self-regulation in order to increase public access to official during political demonstrations pub- INSTITUTIONS and the current and forthcoming chal- information. The Office held training lished in June 2007, the Office prepared a lenges to media freedom. seminars in: Osh, Kyrgyzstan; Tbilisi, non-exhaustive list of incidents of clashes The Office advocates media self-regula- Georgia; Khujand, Tajikistan; Chisinau, between media professionals and police tion as a good practice to increase media Moldova; Yerevan, Armenia; and Belgrade, during political demonstrations, rallies

quality and remedy mistakes committed Serbia. or other public events. The list showed Representative on Freedom of the Media by media professionals. Efforts in this The Office also started a new set of that this type of violence against journal- field were summarized in the Media Self- training courses this year, promoting ism remains a key problem in the OSCE Regulation Guidebook, a compilation of media self-regulation as a credible mecha- area. The police should always guaran- questions and answers on the topic, with nism for upholding ethical standards and tee the right of journalists to cover any contributions from renowned interna- professionalism. Training seminars were public event, regardless of whether it was tional experts and practitioners. Although held in Odessa, Ukraine, and Bucharest, authorized. On the other hand, journal- media quality should never be a pre- Romania. ists should visibly identify themselves as requisite for media freedom, self-regula- media professionals; they should make tion is a proven method of fostering ethical Internet sure that their reporting does not inflame journalism. Quality journalism, however, the situation and they should refrain from can only develop in an atmosphere of In 2008, the Office was one of the main participating in the demonstration. guaranteed freedom. The publication is sponsors of the OpenNet Initiative’s This year the Office also sponsored the available in English, French and Russian, study on Internet Blocking and Filtering manufacturing of 200 vests for the clear and is currently being translated into ad- around the world. The OpenNet Initiative identification of Azerbaijani journalists ditional languages. is a partnership of four leading academic during public events and demonstrations. The latest publication of the Office, institutions, the Universities of Toronto, The vests were presented to Azerbaijani Ten Years for Media Freedom - An OSCE Harvard, Cambridge and Oxford. media workers by the OSCE Office in Anniversary: Current and Forthcoming Carrying analyses on Internet filtering Baku. Challenges, was published to commemo- A participant at the rate the 10 years the Office has spent Eurasia Regional Forum protecting and promoting media free- for Media Development dom OSCE-wide. Contributions include in Paris studies the cartoons by Le Monde cartoonist Plantu, Media Self-Regulation Guidebook on 17 April. presentations by Council of Europe Human Rights Commissioner Thomas Hammarberg, Gazeta Wyborcza foreign correspondent Konstanty Gebert, Writers in Prison Committee Chair Karin Clark, Senior Fellow at Privacy International Gus Hosein, BBC World Service Editor Firdevs Robinson, President of the Glasnost Defence Foundation Aleksey Simonov and Journalism in Extreme Situations Director Oleg Panfilov. OSCE/ADELINE HULIN

OSCE Annual Report 79 Secretariat OSCE/MIKHAIL EVSTAFIEV Secretariat Secretary General: Marc Perrin de Brichambaut Budget: €31,617,100

The OSCE Secretariat, led by the Secretary General, strives to ensure implementation of OSCE decisions and to support the process of political dialogue and negotiation among the participating States. It supports all OSCE structures and works hand-in-hand with the Chairmanship to fulﬁl the Organization’s goals.

Continuity, coherence and co-operation — the guiding t advancing gender equality throughout the principles of the 2008 Finnish Chairmanship — could Organization’s structure and programmes. also characterize the Secretariat’s work throughout this year, its regular support to the participating States The Secretariat also devoted significant effort to in maintaining consistency of effort from one year enhancing dialogue with OSCE Partners for Co- to the next and in co-ordinating action across the operation, developing co-operation with other Organization. international organizations and promoting the public 2008 was a particularly challenging year for the image and visibility of the OSCE. Major milestones in OSCE. Throughout the year, the Secretariat supported this regard included the first-ever OSCE-Afghanistan the Organization’s crisis management efforts in rela- Conference in Kabul and the firstModel OSCE, which

tion to Georgia, including activities of the partici- brought OSCE goals, principles and experience to a SECRETARIAT pating States, the Chairmanship and the Mission new generation across the OSCE participating States. to Georgia, focusing particularly on ensuring the The Secretariat continued to ensure effective coherence and co-ordination of overall operational and efficient management of human and financial responses. Secretariat support included: 24/7 early resources across the Organization, to promote greater warning activities, intensive reporting to the partici- strategic planning of activities on the basis of desired pating States on developments on the ground before, medium- and long-term impacts and to ensure sound during and after the August war, rapid assistance implementation of the OSCE regulatory framework. in dispatching additional monitoring officers to the In an overall context of declining resources within the region, support to the Chairmanship in representing Organization and challenging external financial and the OSCE in the Geneva discussions, as well as the economic factors, these efforts have become crucial OSCE-United Nations Environment Programme joint to the Organization’s ability to deliver the concrete assessment of the conflict’s environmental impact. results expected by its participating States. The Secretariat also stepped up its work in thematic More detailed reports on these and other activi- areas, focusing on multi-dimensional responses to ties of the Secretariat in 2008 are provided in the security threats and challenges throughout the OSCE’s relevant sections that follow, the structure of which geographic area. These included projects and other reflects the composition of the Secretariat: Office of activities to assist participating States, in co-operation the Secretary General, Office of Internal Oversight, with relevant field operations, in such areas as: Conflict Prevention Centre, Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities, t disposal of small arms and light weapons and stock- Department of Management and Finance and piles of conventional ammunition, including the Department of Human Resources. rocket fuel Melange; t strengthening border security and management, in particular in Central Asia; t promoting action against terrorism, including through private-public partnerships; t police-related activities, including efforts to fight organized crime and illicit drugs; t promoting economic and environmental co- operation, including on good governance, transport issues and migration management, through such mechanisms as the Environment and Security Initiative (ENVSEC); t fighting against trafficking in human beings, including by providing expert support to prosecution of offenders, protection of victims and prevention of this crime;

OSCE Annual Report 81 Office of the Secretary General

The Office of the Secretary General (OSG) includes Executive Management, the Press and Public Information Section, the External Co-operation Section, Legal Services, the Gender Section, Security Management, the Strategic Police Matters Unit, the Office of the Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings and the Action against Terrorism Unit, as well as the Office of Internal Oversight.

budgetary project, funded by seven par- Executive Press and Public ticipating States (Austria, Finland, France, Liechtenstein, Netherlands, Norway, and Management Information Section the United States), was under the supervi- sion of a Board that included members of Executive Management of the OSG sup- The Press and Public Information Section OSCE delegations. ports the work of the Secretary General and is responsible for the OSCE’s media com- To reach out to wider audiences and the Finnish Chairmanship, providing lead- munication, web communication and complement the Organization’s work with ership and co-ordination to ensure the co- outreach, with the overall goal of raising young people, the Section also launched herence and continuity of the multi-faceted awareness about the OSCE and generating an official OSCE channel on the popular and often long-term activities of the OSCE. support for its work. video-sharing website YouTube, at www. The work of this team, as the focal point youtube.com/osce, which formed an for internal co-ordination and day-to-day The Section launched a major new initia- integral part of the online coverage of the Chairmanship-Secretariat co-operation, is tive in 2008, the Model OSCE, to reach out Helsinki Ministerial Council and will be heavily influenced in any given year by the to and inform a new generation about the further expanded in 2009. OSCE’s current agenda, based on tasks set Organization’s values and activities. A series of improvements and enhance- by the participating States, major develop- In a first phase, the Section developed a ments to the public website, as well as ments in the OSCE area and the priorities syllabus and a quiz, which it distributed, the OSCE Magazine’s in-depth thematic of the Chairmanship. with information about the OSCE, to 70 approach to issues of topical concern, schools in the region. Students conducted brought new depth and breadth to the Among other activities in 2008, Executive an initial role-playing exercise. Next, the Section’s public information work. Management supported the Secretary best 140 high-school and first-year univer- More than 3,400 new documents, 1,760 General in implementing the 2007 sity students from 30 OSCE participating photos, 15 conference sites, 43 feature sto- Ministerial Council Decision on OSCE States were invited to Vienna to take part ries as well as hundreds of new pages were Engagement with Afghanistan. This en- in the 5 to 7 July conference where they added to the website, which was moved to deavour required considerable work and debated three security challenges: ter- a more robust hosting infrastructure to effective co-ordination among various parts rorism and the use of the Internet; water improve availability. Using a system built of the Organization to enable the Secretary management in Central Asia; and traffick- with existing resources to cover immediate General to deliver concrete, coherent pro- ing of Roma children. Three documents needs, the website team added a total of 63 posals to the participating States. were adopted by consensus. This extra- video and audio clips to its multimedia site Another major concerted effort dur- High school and ing the year was the project to dispose of university students the liquid rocket fuel Melange in Ukraine, from 30 countries which represented a technical, financial learned about the and managerial challenge of unprecedented OSCE and developed negotiating skills at the magnitude for the Organization. Model OSCE in Vienna, Strengthening the continuity and long- from 5 to 7 July. term planning of OSCE activities, while preserving the Organization’s ability to respond quickly and flexibly to unfore- seen challenges, was high on the agenda of the Chairmanship and of the Secretariat. Apart from ongoing work such as the further development of Performance- Based Programme Budgeting, Executive Management devoted special attention to supporting the Chairmanship’s efforts to promote active dialogue between the Troika and the future Chairmanships of Kazakhstan and Lithuania within the framework of the quintet initiative. OSCE/SUSANNA LÖÖF

82 OSCE Annual Report in 2008, covering topics from the Helsinki contest “Waterways of Life” for the mechanisms of high- and working-level Ministerial Council to recovery in Georgia. Chairmanship and a photo exhibition consultations with the United Nations, To make information about the OSCE to mark the 500th flight under theOpen the European Union, the North Atlantic more widely available, the Section pub- Skies Treaty; Treaty Organisation and the Council lished the presentation The OSCE at Work t presenting the OSCE to more than 60 of Europe. These consultations focused in Azerbaijani and Dutch, in addition to visitor groups – nearly 1,500 people among other topics on the international the six official languages and Kazakh in from 21 countries. presence in Kosovo and the situation in which it was issued the previous year. It Georgia following the August conflict. The also used its in-house web expertise to Section also supported the OSCE’s partici- promote innovative new events, setting pation, upon invitation, to Summits and up the technical platform for the OSCE’s Section for External Ministerial meetings of other regional or- first solely online conference and assist- ganizations, such as the Central European ing in the development of the conference’s Co-operation Initiative or the Collective Security Treaty multimedia content. Organization. To implement the Madrid The OSCE Magazine provided multi- The Section for External Co-operation Ministerial Decision on OSCE Engagement faceted, reflective reporting on the crisis acts as the first point of contact for rela- with Afghanistan, the Section supported in Georgia and other major topical issues, tions with the Asian and Mediterranean regular consultations with relevant such as important OSCE work to combat Partners for Co-operation and inter- international and regional organizations trafficking in human beings and guarantee national, regional and sub-regional exploring possible co-operation options. the freedom of the media. organizations and initiatives at the In response to requests, the Section The outbreak of hostilities in Georgia headquarters level. The Section provides hosted five visits to Vienna by the delega- and the aftermath put the OSCE at the the Secretary General, Chairmanship tions of the League of Arab States, the forefront of global media interest. The and Troika with substantive advice and African Union and the Conference on Section co-ordinated requests from organizational support, ensures co- Interaction and Confidence-Building more than 500 journalists to interview ordination on external co-operation issues Measures in Asia to learn more about the

the Chairman-in-Office, the Secretary within the Secretariat and with the OSCE OSCE’s work in the three dimensions of SECRETARIAT General and other OSCE officials. Three Institutions, and serves as a source of security, in particular on early warning hundred journalists attended the Helsinki relevant information. and conflict prevention. It also contributed Ministerial Council. The Section also to the sharing of experience between the drafted numerous articles and opinion In line with the Madrid Ministerial OSCE and the ASEAN Regional Forum. pieces on behalf of the Chairman-in-Office Declaration on the OSCE Partners for Finally, the Section served as the main and the Secretary General for newspapers Co-operation, the Section worked to focal point for interaction with the UN in the entire OSCE region, on this topic facilitate strengthening the relationship Alliance of Civilizations, including sup- and others, notably in the Caucasus and in between the Partners for Co-operation porting the Secretary General in attending Central Asia. and the participating States, including the first annual forum of the Alliance and In line with the year’s action plan, other by supporting the work of the Contact in preparing a report on its outcome and key results in outreach included: Groups with Asian and Mediterranean possible OSCE contribution to its imple- t publishing twelve issues of the OSCE Partners for Co-operation throughout the mentation phase, in line with the task set Highlights newsletter, including a year, as well as the meetings of the OSCE forth by the Madrid Ministerial Council. special Helsinki Ministerial Council edi- Ministerial Troika with the Partners on tion produced by University of Helsinki the eve of the Helsinki Ministerial Council. students, to provide journalists with The Section organized the two key annual targeted information about OSCE work events with the Partners for Co-operation: Legal Services in the field and upcoming events; the 2008 Mediterranean Conference, held t commissioning, distributing and liais- in Amman in October and the OSCE- To protect the OSCE’s legal interests, ing with all Organization structures on Afghanistan Conference, held for the first Legal Services provides legal advice to a new Visual Identity Manual to unify time in Kabul in November. the Secretary General, the Director of the and invigorate the OSCE’s printed cor- With the establishment of the Office of the Secretary General and other porate image; Partnership Fund by Permanent Council divisions of the Secretariat, Institutions t updating OSCE fact sheets for decision, the Secretary General designated and field operations, as well as to the Secretariat units and field operations to the Section to act as master project man- Chairmanship and participating States. bring them into line with a new design ager, liaising with donors regarding fund launched in 2007; raising and reporting and with individual Issues concerned public, private and com- t providing greater visibility to OSCE project managers. Five projects were im- mercial law as it affects the Organization, publications through the assigning of plemented under the Fund’s umbrella, of in particular with respect to: ISBN numbers to all departments and which the Section managed four directly t the interpretation of OSCE decisions, units of the Secretariat, as well as field including two in co-operation with the including the OSCE Rules of Procedure; operations; OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions t agreements and memoranda of under- t publishing the Strategic Police Matters and Human Rights. standing with participating States or Unit’s polis.osce.org website in French; The Section interacted regularly with other international organizations; t providing training on press release edit- partner organizations and was respon- t the Financial Regulations and related ing and writing to new staff; sible for the preparation and facilitation administrative instructions; t organizing the 2008 OSCE photo of OSCE participation in the established t the Staff Regulations and Rules and

OSCE Annual Report 83 related administrative instructions, Participants in the as well as personnel issues concerning Gender Section’s seminar in Dushanbe on diplomatic status, privileges and im- innovative approaches munities and employment contracts for to combating violence different categories of staff; against women t donor agreements and implementing partner agreements; and t procurement and purchase contracts entered into by the OSCE.

Legal Services provided legal advice to the Chairmanship and the Secretary General on questions related to Kosovo,

Afghanistan, Georgia, the Minsk Group OSCE/CEDRIC ROUSSEAUX and extra-budgetary projects such as the project to eliminate stockpiles of the developing the OSCE’s role in the politico- gender and labour migration policies and toxic rocket fuel component Melange in military dimension, and to field operations organized an expert seminar in Vienna Ukraine. on how to integrate a gender perspective to discuss it. Finland funded parts of the Following up on last year’s work on the into projects. project. The Section also collaborated with Draft Convention on the International With the support of the Chairmanship, the OCEEA to prepare a booklet on how to Legal Personality, Legal Capacity, and the Secretary General, and a group of integrate a gender perspective into OSCE Privileges and Immunities of the OSCE, heads of field operations, the Section also environmental projects. Legal Services participated in and pro- launched an initiative to advise project Furthermore, the Section delivered vided support to an informal roundtable managers in the politico-military and advice and/or training on gender is- organized by the Chairmanship in Vienna economic and environmental dimensions. sues during visits to field operations in on 22 October. It was co-chaired by Päivi For example, in close co-operation with Albania, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kaukoranta, Director of the European the Section, the Office in Baku produced Moldova, Serbia and Tajikistan, and to Union and Treaty Law Unit of the Finnish and is implementing an Action Plan for the High Commissioner on National Ministry for Foreign Affairs, and Ida van mainstreaming gender into its community Minorities in the Hague. It provided tech- Veldhuizen-Rothenbücher, Permanent policing project. nical advice and made contributions to a Representative of the Netherlands to the The Section organized the annual number of international and OSCE events, OSCE. Legal Services also organized a OSCE gender focal point meeting, which including the Heads of Mission meet- Legal Roundtable in March, at which gathered 40 staff members to support ings, the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s all OSCE executive structures were work on gender issues throughout the Annual Session, the Human Dimension represented. OSCE. It assisted the Department of Committee meetings and the Human Regarding personnel matters, Legal Human Resources in delivering a gender Dimension Implementation Meeting. Services continued to provide advice to mainstreaming module to be used in the senior management on disciplinary cases General Orientation Programmes for all www.osce.org/gender and staff appeals against administrative new staff. The Section also started the de- decisions. It prepared informative charts velopment of a new tool to promote gender on the Panel of Adjudicators and the ini- equality, the CD Gender Matters in the tiation and implementation of disciplinary OSCE, funded by Austria, Liechtenstein, Security measures. Canada and the Netherlands. To aid participating States in their re- Management cruitment, the Section prepared the establishment of a roster of female military and Security Management, the Organization’s Gender Section police professionals, funded by Norway. clearing house for all security-related is- It organized a 2-1/2 day expert seminar in sues, establishes safety and security policy The Gender Section supports the promo- Dushanbe, Tajikistan, to facilitate the ex- and standards and supports security man- tion of gender equality in OSCE executive change among policy makers of innovative agers charged with staff security. Security structures and underlines the need for approaches to combating violence against Management also maintains the compre- gender mainstreaming beyond the human women. It was attended by 89 experts hensive OSCE-wide set of guidelines, the dimension, also focusing on the politico- and funded by Austria, Finland, France, Security Management System. military and the economic and environ- Germany and Greece. mental field. The Section joined forces with the Office In 2008, Security Management assisted of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic in co-ordinating security arrangements The implementation of the OSCE 2004 and Environmental Activities (OCEEA) in pre-crisis and emergency situations, Action Plan for the Promotion of Gender and the Special Representative and Co- including in Kosovo and Georgia. Equality showed slow progress in 2008. ordinator for Combating Trafficking in It increased OSCE staff’s security and To accelerate improvements, the Section Human Beings to raise awareness among safety awareness by: continued to provide technical assistance policy makers on the need for gender t issuing security advisories, to the Conflict Prevention Centre, which sensitive labour migration policies. The t modifying security presentations for the is the focal point in the Secretariat for partners produced a draft OSCE guide on General Orientation Programme, and

84 OSCE Annual Report t continuing to provide individual Improvements suggested in the Unit’s fight against organized crime. briefings to staff with security draft police reform report were launched In co-operation with the Action against responsibilities. in December, with a week-long training Terrorism Unit and the OSCE Project course on investigating human trafficking Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan, the Unit On 20 and 21 November, OSCE Security crimes. organized a regional workshop on police Focal Points met at their annual meeting In Kazakhstan, it organized a needs and inter-agency co-operation in the fight to review managerial responsibilities in assessment mission on developing a pilot against terrorism in Central Asia aimed at relation to security and update themselves community policing programme for identifying ways to improve co-operation on recent trends and security arrange- Astana. The Unit facilitated meetings be- among the main stakeholders in the region ments in crises areas. tween Kazakh officials and experts in the in Tashkent in September. During the past year Security broader area of police reform. The Unit’s work on disseminating best Management: To step up work to combat trans- practices in baseline policing capacities t facilitated field operations’ and in- national organized crime, in particular culminated in 2008 in two key publica- stitutions’ compliance with security trafficking in drugs and human beings, tions: Good Practices in Building Police- procedures as per provisions laid down the Unit co-operated with other relevant Public Partnerships and Good Practices in in basic OSCE security and safety guid- organizations and OSCE structures to or- Basic Police Training-Curricula Aspects, ance documents by co-ordinating and ganize workshops, conferences and train- both part of a series aimed at assisting par- monitoring security policy and carrying ing courses to strengthen mutual legal ticipating States in better complying with out field inspections; co-operation among OSCE participating their international legal commitments. t continued assessing the security aspects States. Those events were: A regional roundtable in Almaty of potential premises for field opera- t a regional workshop on enhancing law in November focused on putting into tions; and enforcement and judicial co-operation practice the recommendations of another t assisted in the selection of security on the Balkan drug routes in Istanbul in publication in the series, the Guidebook personnel. January; on Democratic Policing. The roundtable t a workshop on strengthening interna- discussion centred on the use of force,

The Security Management Committee, tional legal co-operation among OSCE public order management and oversight SECRETARIAT chaired by the Head of Security participating States to combat trans- mechanisms. Management and comprised of representa- national organized crime, organized The Unit began translating into Russian tives from the Secretariat’s Office of the together with the United Nations Office the Criminal Justice Assessment Toolkit, Secretary General, Conflict Prevention on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in produced together with the UNODC in Centre, Department of Management and Vienna in April; 2006 and designed to help professionals Finance, Department of Human Resources t a regional workshop on promoting law who are assessing the quality of police and and Information Technology, served as the enforcement and judicial co-operation criminal justice structures in Russian- main security advisory body by: among source, transit and destination speaking countries. t making recommendations on all forms countries to combat human trafficking The Unit also developed aControlled of security arrangements; and migrant smuggling to and from Delivery Manual for South-Eastern t advising on emergency situations; Central Asia in Tashkent in May; Europe to facilitate anti-drug traffick- t co-ordinating other security-related t a regional workshop on seizing, ing co-operation among countries in the measures. confiscating and sharing/returning of region by providing contact details of proceeds/instrumentalities of crime relevant counterparts and legislative in- Security Management took an active transferred to foreign jurisdictions, in formation. It also translated into Russian a part in the meetings of ad hoc Task Forces Almaty in July; handy pocket book to aid police officers in on Georgia, Afghanistan and Kosovo. t an expert conference on international identifying chemical precursors. co-operation to combat trafficking in A French version of the Policing Online illicit drugs and chemical precursors in Information System (POLIS) was intro- Vienna in July; duced. In October, POLIS hosted the Strategic Police t the Annual Police Experts Meeting on OSCE’s first-ever exclusively online semi- fighting the threat of cyber crime in nar, on countering the sexual exploitation Matters Unit Vienna in October; of children on the Internet, featuring t a regional workshop on cross-border presentations by six international experts, The Strategic Police Matters Unit assists co-operation in Central Asia with with discussions moderated by the Unit. participating States in building account- Afghanistan to combat illicit drugs traf- The second cluster meeting on organized able, transparent and professional police ficking in Tashkent in November. crime was held online through POLIS. forces according to the priorities enshrined To capture the learning from the OSCE’s in OSCE decisions. The Unit facilitated a two-week counter- work in policing, the Unit developed a narcotics training course for 12 Afghan report describing and comparing the The Unit conducted a two-week needs as- police officers, conducted by personnel of challenges faced by the field operations’ sessment mission to Tajikistan, at the International Drug Fighting Training Law Enforcement Departments and the the request of the Government and in Centre of the All-Russian Advanced Police approaches they took to manage these co-operation with the OSCE field opera- Academy in Moscow/Domodedovo. challenges. tion. It focused on issues including police Drawing on OSCE expertise, the Unit structure and efficiency, community produced a report providing an overview policing and police training curricula. of the Organization’s 2008 activities in the

OSCE Annual Report 85 quintet of Chairmanships to serve as role The Office’s contributions to the prepa- Office of the Special models by establishing or strengthening ration of the main event of the United their National Rapporteurs or equivalent Nations Global Initiative to Fight Human Representative mechanisms as another crucial component Trafficking (UN.GIFT), namely the Vienna to make the fight against human traffick- Forum, were visible and had a significant and Co-ordinator ing more efficient. In November, the Office impact on the success of this initiative. published an in-depth survey of the exist- To enhance its public outreach, the for Combating ing anti-trafficking structures established Office also revamped and promoted in the participating States and Partners for the unit’s website: www.osce.org/cthb. Trafficking in Human Co-operation. Updated daily with news stories from The Office held two high-level confer- around the world, in all the OSCE’s official Beings ences and a technical seminar within languages, the website is a genuine gateway the framework of the Alliance Against to the Organization’s anti-trafficking work. The Special Representative and Co- Trafficking in Persons. In the spring, the It offers a digital library of audio-visuals ordinator for Combating Trafficking conference on Child Trafficking: Responses and other graphic material. In 2008, the in Human Beings promotes the imple- and Challenges at Local Level was the first new website showed a constant increase in mentation of OSCE anti-trafficking of its kind to address the way govern- visits reaching almost 35,000 unique hits. commitments. In particular, the Special ments combat child trafficking in their Representative is tasked to provide advice capitals and how their responses are Special Representative: Eva Biaudet and assistance to participating States in affected by national policy. Later in the www.osce.org/cthb the implementation of the OSCE Action year, the conference Successful Prosecution Plan to Combat Trafficking in Human of Human Trafficking – Challenges and Beings and subsequent Ministerial Good Practices, co-arranged with the Decisions from 2000 to 2008. Finnish OSCE Chairmanship, provided Action against the participants with excellent first-hand To elevate the priority of combating traf- information on how to enhance national Terrorism Unit ficking in umanh beings at the national capacities to prosecute cases of human level and to initiate political processes for trafficking with a victim-centred ap- In 2008, responding to requests by the the eradication of human trafficking, the proach. The Special Representative also Chairman-in-Office, participating States Special Representative decided to initi- organized a Technical Follow-up Seminar and the Secretary General, the Action ate a series of country assessments. Work to the 6th Alliance Conference on National against Terrorism Unit prepared over a started in Spain and Romania, and these Rapporteurs and Equivalent Mechanisms. dozen concept papers on cutting-edge assessments will be published in 2009. These events attracted more than 550 par- anti-terrorism strategies. Many of these To enhance dialogue with participat- ticipants from 55 participating States and ideas, related, for instance, to enhancing States, the Special Representative five Partners for Co-operation. The Special ing passport/travel document security, paid official visits to Spain, Azerbaijan Representative and her team also contrib- promoting public-private partnerships and Belarus, and visited Bosnia and uted to more than 50 national and regional or combating the use of the Internet for Herzegovina together with the OSCE conferences and expert meetings. terrorist purposes, were subsequently Parliamentary Assembly for meetings with At the European Union Anti-Trafficking developed into OSCE initiatives. parliamentarians from the region. Day 2008, Jacques Barrot, European The Unit organized, supported or other- The Office continued to lead efforts Commission Vice-President, supported wise facilitated over 20 capacity-building to promote the creation of National the OSCE Special Representative’s work activities at the OSCE-wide, regional Co-ordination Mechanisms as effective promoting better knowledge, understand- and national levels, co-operating with tools for enhancing a coherent approach ing and data on trafficking in human be- all pertinent United Nations structures, and engaging all relevant stakehold- ings through the establishment of National international, regional and sub-regional ers at the national level. The Special Rapporteurs. organizations and specialized agencies to Representative encouraged the OSCE support their counter-terrorism activities, OSCE Special share experiences and facilitate contacts Representative on among national authorities and interna- Combating Trafficking tional experts. in Human Beings Eva Funded in part by Spain, the Unit as- Biaudet (right) wearing the Légion d’honneur sisted requesting participating States in presented to her by implementing counter-terrorism instru- French Ambassador to ments, including through legislative the OSCE Eric Lebédel drafting workshops, as part of its pro- (centre) and Advisor for Security Affairs, grammes on promoting international legal Guillaume Le Blond, frameworks and enhancing international 30 October co-operation in criminal matters related to terrorism. As part of its programme on enhancing passport/travel document security and funded by Spain, the United States (U.S.), Norway and Lithuania, the Unit trained OSCE/BLANCA TAPIA

86 OSCE Annual Report State ofﬁcials and representatives from civil society and the business community gather in Vienna for a conference on public- private partnerships in combating terrorism. OSCE/MIKHAIL EVSTAFIEV experts from requesting participating visibility of OSCE counter-terrorism availability of donor funding and to ensure States in identifying forged documents, activities and better information sharing that proper technical and administrative using relevant Interpol tools, and adher- among counter-terrorism practitioners. resources and capabilities are devoted to ing to handling and issuance standards, the programme. Finally, the Office found thereby significantly improving national www.osce.org/atu that the OSCE’s relations with its imple- and regional capacities. menting partners need to be improved.

Funded by Spain, the U.S. and the Weaknesses were found in areas such as: SECRETARIAT Russian corporation Norilsk Nickel, the selection of implementing partners, the Unit organized the Follow-up OSCE Ofﬁce of Internal budget formulation, approval of financial Public-Private Partnership Conference: accounting and reporting and monitoring Partnership of State Authorities, Civil Oversight and evaluation of implementing partners’ Society and the Business Community activities. in Combating Terrorism in Vienna in The Office of Internal Oversight enhanced The Office followed up on previous September, which explored the concrete its oversight work this year through a years’ audit recommendations to ensure potential for such co-operation in many greater focus on performance audits that that management had addressed them counter-terrorism areas. Whenever ap- recommend improvements to programme effectively. More than 90 per cent of the propriate, the Unit further increased operations. Though the bulk of the Office’s recommendations of the past two years co-operation with the business sector and annual oversight concerned assessing were accepted, and more than 80 per cent civil society. controls and compliance with regulations, were implemented. The Office found that The Unit assisted requesting partici- the Office moved increasingly towards the management was making good progress pating States in expanding the OSCE’s examination of programmatic areas. towards implementation of the remain- work on combating terrorist use of the The Office carried out audits and inspec- der. The high rate of acceptance and Internet so as to promote a comprehensive tions of a number of field operations, the implementation of the recommendations approach for enhancing cyber security, Secretariat and Institutions and issued reflected the good co-operation enjoyed by resulting in a Forum for Security Co- 17 reports delivering roughly 200 recom- the Office in its relations with the audited operation commitment. mendations for improvements. In line entities. Funded by the United Kingdom, the with its professional standards, the Office OSCE management regularly consulted Unit organized a workshop on prevent- took a risk-based approach to selecting with the Office on other issues such as ing violent extremism and radicalization the subjects for its audits so that it could audits conducted by third parties, the revi- that lead to terrorism. The event identified prioritize the use of its limited resources. sion of instructions, cost saving and the a need for better understanding of these The areas audited included financial and preparation of major tenders. phenomena and for developing multi- human resources management, procure- The Office’s work continued to be closely dimensional responses to counter them. ment processes, programme management scrutinized by the Audit Committee. In In co-operation with the Office of and relations with implementing partners. its report to the Permanent Council, the the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic The Office’s programmatic audits Audit Committee underlined the relevance and Environmental Activities, the Unit revealed a number of areas requiring and the quality of the Office’s work. organized an expert meeting, funded by improvement. First, programmes must the U.S., on Protecting Critical Energy only be launched after first running a Infrastructure from Terrorist Attacks. needs assessment and setting strategic Participants discussed threats and chal- goals. Second, tools to make realistic lenges and explored possible OSCE contri- estimates of costs must be enhanced. butions in this field. Third, programme managers need to adopt The Unit further improved the Counter- detailed implementation plans to prioritize Terrorism Network, resulting in enhanced and schedule activities in line with the

OSCE Annual Report 87 Conflict Prevention Centre

The Conflict Prevention Centre (CPC) supports the Organization and its 56 participating States in the fields of early warning, conflict prevention, crisis management and post- conflict rehabilitation. It co-ordinates the activities of the OSCE’s field operations and assists them in the implementation of their mandates. It is also the focal point in the Secretariat for developing the OSCE’s role in the politico-military dimension.

Policy Support Service mediators and observers involved in the conduct and follow-up of high-level conflict settlement process. visits by the Chairmanship to the region TheSouth-eastern Europe Desk as- The Desk assisted the field operation in throughout the year. In particular, it ac- sisted the Chairmanship in guiding the Belarus in helping the host country fulfil companied and provided support to the Organization’s involvement in the region, its OSCE commitments in all mandate- Special Envoy of the Chairman-in-Office especially following the proclamation of related areas. It supported the work of during visits to Armenia, Azerbaijan and independence by the Assembly of Kosovo the Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine in Georgia in the context of the 2008 elec- and its impact on the overall situation in meeting the demand from government tions in all three countries as well as with the region. authorities for projects and in streamlin- regard to crisis situations in the region. The Desk continued to contribute to ing his office’s project portfolio. Finally, TheCentral Asia Desk, the Centre facilitating the two regional co-operation the desk prepared and participated in all in Dushanbe and the Government of processes: the Palic Process on inter-state Chairmanship visits to the region, which Tajikistan convened the second annual judicial co-operation on war crimes pro- included the first visit of a Chairman-in- OSCE-Tajikistan Task Force Meeting in ceedings and the Sarajevo Process on re- Office to Belarus since 2004. Dushanbe to discuss common goals. The gional refugee returns. It pursued dialogue TheCaucasus Desk continued to assist Desk supported the Chairmanship during at the expert level, including with partner field operations in activities related to its negotiations on a new mandate for the organizations such as the United Nations Georgian-Ossetian and the Nagorno- Office in Tajikistan. It continued to train (UN) High Commissioner for Refugees Karabakh conflict settlement processes. It Kazakh civil servants in preparation for and the European Commission, to find also assisted the Mission to Georgia and the country’s Chairmanship in 2010. solutions to impasses in the processes. the Chairmanship in conflict prevention Visits to the region and events sup- TheEastern Europe Desk supported and crisis management prior to, during ported by the Desk included those by the the Organization’s efforts to reinvigorate and after the outbreak of hostilities in Chairman-in-Office and by the Secretary the negotiation process for a peaceful and August. It was closely involved in the prep- General. It contributed to planning meet- sustainable settlement of the Transnistrian aration and conduct of the post-conflict ings of field operations in Central Asia issue. It continued to support the work Geneva discussions. and provided input to a Task Force dealing and participate in the meetings of the The Desk contributed to the preparation, with the 2007 Ministerial Council Decision

Transfer of Melange into intermediate bulk storage containers at a military storage depot in Albania in October, part of a project to dispose of the toxic rocket fuel OSCE/JACK BELL

88 OSCE Annual Report Borders Team personnel on the Tajik/Afghan border in the Gorno Badakshan region during an assessment of the OSCE Customs Assistance Project launched in September OSCE/JON TRUMBLE on OSCE Engagement with Afghanistan. Operations Service the Chairmanship in the organization of It continued to deliver lectures on the the Annual Security Review Conference Organization to students at the OSCE Operational planning and analysis. As (ASRC). To facilitate discussions at the Academy in Bishkek. the primary point of co-ordination for ASRC, the Service prepared a sum- operational planning and analysis within mary and compendium of existing OSCE

The Programming and Evaluation the Secretariat, the Service, through its Mechanisms and Procedures for Early SECRETARIAT Support Unit Planning and Analysis Team, helped plan Warning, Conflict Prevention and Crisis the closure of the Mission to Croatia, the Management. The Service also provided OSCE field operations are implementing establishment of the Office in Zagreb, support to the Security Committee. ever larger and more complex projects the increase in the number of military with both budgetary and extra-budgetary monitoring officers in the Mission to 24 hours/7 days a week operational link. resources. In close co-operation with the Georgia and the establishment of a Border Through its Situation/Communication Policy Support Service, the Programming Management Staff College in Dushanbe, Room, the Service provided an around- and Evaluation Support Unit co-ordinates Tajikistan. the-clock operational link and point of the assessment of field operations’ extra- Concerning operational analysis, the contact among the OSCE structures, espe- budgetary projects, providing an effective Service focused on further developing a cially outside working hours. It provided channel for sharing views and technical systematic approach to lessons learning. real-time reporting on the OSCE area expertise among the field operations, In particular, the Service continued to co- with a particular focus on emerging crisis institutions and the Secretariat. In 2008, ordinate the debriefing process of outgoing situations, such as in Kosovo and Georgia. the Unit assessed 133 extra-budgetary senior officials from field operations and It disseminated accurate and timely infor- projects planned by field operations and prepared recommendations to enhance mation which enabled Senior Management the Secretariat for a total value of over OSCE effectiveness. It also assisted in to take appropriate decisions as those €23.8 million. drafting After Action Reports to identify situations unfolded. The Service contin- The Unit continued helping programme lessons learned and develop recommenda- ued to produce daily briefings, numerous and project managers in field operations regarding operational planning. special briefings, weekly regional sum- tions to plan, develop and evaluate their As part of its contribution to the en- maries and calendars of upcoming events. programmes and projects. This year, it hancement of early warning, conflict pre- It also provided operational assistance provided on-site support to the Office in vention and crisis management initiatives, for emergencies in the field, including Baku, the Centre in Bishkek, the Mission the Service provided analytical advice and security incidents and crises and medical in Kosovo, the Spillover Monitor Mission support in the context of risk reduction evacuations. to Skopje, the Office in Tajikistan and mechanisms following the unmanned aer- the Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine. To ial vehicles (UAV) incident over Abkhazia, Border security and management. In 2008, help standardize OSCE programme and Georgia, in April. Following the outbreak through its Borders Team, the Service project management and promote best of hostilities in Georgia in August, the maintained the efficient functioning of the practices, the Unit initiated the organiza- Service provided similar assistance in sup- OSCE Border Security and Management tion of two events for field operations, port of the subsequent Geneva discussions National Focal Point Network (NFP), institutions and the Secretariat: a project and consultations on the future mandate organized the NFP’s second meeting in management training programme from of the Mission to Georgia. Vienna with representatives of field opera- 10 to 15 November and a Performance The Service continued its co-operation tions and provided newsletters summariz- Based Programme Budgeting training with the UN Department of Political ing border-related activities and plans. It event from 10 to 12 December, both in Affairs in preparing for a follow-up to also organized a regional Field Operations Stadtschlaining, Austria. consultations on the operationalization Co-ordination Meeting on Border of mediation support. It again supported Management in Central Asia.

OSCE Annual Report 89 Following the adoption of the prepared and supported a Workshop on Ministerial Council Decision on the Implications of Technical, Managerial Afghanistan, the Service contributed and Financial Issues of Existing and to the development of a programme of Planned Projects on SALW and Stockpiles border-related activities, which was circu- of Conventional Ammunition (SCA), which lated to all participating States, and began resulted in a wide array of proposals for work on planning the implementation of further improving the OSCE response and the border-related initiatives. The Service work with other international organiza- also provided support to a number of field tions. The Section facilitated the first meet- operations in implementing OSCE bordering among international organizations related initiatives that targeted both policy involved in SALW and SCA programmes. makers and border practitioners. Together with the UN Development It also planned and conducted a border Programme (UNDP), the OSCE is running management training programme which two large-scale SALW and SCA projects focused on inter-agency co-operation and in Montenegro and one in Belarus. The which brought together representatives second phase of the comprehensive assis- of all the Central Asian border and law tance programme on SALW and conven- enforcement agencies. tional ammunition in Tajikistan is nearing The service provided support on completion. The Section also carried out border-related issues to events conducted assessment visits to Albania, Ukraine, by the Chairmanship, the Action against Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan to develop Terrorism Unit and the Office of the project activities there. A combined do- Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and nors/assessment visit to Belarus facilitated Environmental Activities. an update of the implementation plan for the second phase of the OSCE-UNDP Forum for Security Co-operation programme on SALW. Support Section The Section published theHandbook of Best Practices on Conventional The Section continued to support the Ammunition and prepared the FSC Forum for Security Co-operation (FSC) Chair’s progress reports to the Helsinki in monitoring the implementation of Ministerial Council on SALW, SCA and the confidence- and security-building mea- OSCE Code of Conduct on Politico-Military sures (CSBMs) and other commitments Aspects of Security. It organized an exhibit in the politico-military area stemming there on its SALW and SCA projects. from FSC documents. It produced a TheOSCE Communication Network Summary Report on Recent Trends in the facilitates the exchange of important Implementation of the Vienna Document information to further openness and 1999 and Other Measures Addressed dur- transparency in military affairs. The FSC ing the AIAM to facilitate discussion at Support Section maintains the system the Annual Implementation Assessment and the custom software used to generate Meeting (AIAM). At the AIAM, the treaty notifications, which was improved Support Section also chaired a meeting and expanded in 2008. The parties to the of the heads of verification units to share Dayton Peace Agreement now also have use practical thoughts and lessons learned of the software. The network made possible with respect to CSBM implementation. the exchange of approximately 260,000 During the year, the Section supported messages between participating States this participating States by producing CPC year, while maintaining an availability of Monthly Reports and CPC Quarterly and 99.9%. The Section also continued to chair Annual Surveys on CSBM Information the OSCE Communications Group, which Exchanged as well as a Summary Report provides valuable oversight by and for on replies provided by participating States delegations. on the one-off information exchange with regard to OSCE Principles on the Control of Brokering in Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW). Together with Switzerland and the Centre in Astana, the FSC Support Section organized a seminar on Implementation of the OSCE Code of Conduct on Politico- Military Aspects of Security in Central Asia and provided input to national Code of Conduct workshops in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Section also

90 OSCE Annual Report Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities (OCEEA)

A top priority in 2008 was to support Economic co-operation and migration Environment and security the Finnish Chairmanship in success- management fully conducting the 16th Economic and The OCEEA, in co-operation with other Environmental Forum in Vienna and The OCEEA continued to support the international partners, continued its in- Prague, on the theme Maritime and inland creation of favourable investment and volvement in the Environment and Security waterways co-operation in the OSCE area: business conditions in the OSCE area. The (ENVSEC) Initiative with a portfolio of Increasing security and protecting the Organisation for Economic Co-operation over 50 projects and an overall budget of environment. The topic offered continuity and Development (OECD)-OSCE US$11.3 million. ENVSEC promotes trans- with past meetings of the Forum, such as Investment and Competitiveness Initiative boundary co-operation on environment the 13th, which addressed issues related for countries of Central Asia, Afghanistan and security issues in Central Asia, South- to transport, or the 14th, on the links be- and Mongolia, initially discussed at an eastern Europe, the South Caucasus and

tween the environment and security. international conference in 2006, was Eastern Europe. The ENVSEC publication SECRETARIAT The Office followed up on the Forum launched at a ministerial-level conference Environment and Security, Transforming with a number of activities, includ- in Berlin in November. Delegations from Risks into Co-operation – the Case of the ing assisting the Chairmanship in the Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, East Caspian Region, was finalized and organization of the conference The Safety Mongolia and Tajikistan agreed on a con- printed. The OCEEA also helped ENVSEC of Navigation and Environmental Security cluding statement regarding the Initiative, to finalize the Dniester II project, in which in a Transboundary Context in the Black with other countries of the region express- a new bilateral agreement was drafted and Sea Basin in Odessa, Ukraine, from 24 to ing interest in the theme. discussed by Moldova and Ukraine. In 26 June, and the drafting of a handbook The OCEEA continued activities aimed parallel, the current agreement was updat- on best practices at border crossings, due at facilitating dialogue and the exchange of ed, taking into account public participa- to be finalized in mid 2009. TheForum’s good practice on labour migration. It de- tion components, sanitary-epidemiological outcome and recommendations led to the veloped a multi-dimensional project aimed control of water quality and water quality adoption of a follow-up decision by the at raising political awareness of the gender provisions. Furthermore, the OCEEA con- Helsinki Ministerial Council. dimension of labour migration. tinued to support the water management

Photo competition “Fishermen on the river Bolshaya, near the town Oktiabrsky on the Kamchatka peninsula” by Andrey Shapran, the winning entry in the 2008 OSCE photo contest, “Waterways of Life”. The photo is from the project Lands at the edge of the world, about the Far East of Russia.

OSCE Annual Report 91 Entry in a Mission to Serbia-supported anti-corruption art competition. Cartoon by Morija Bajovio

Desertiﬁcation, as seen here in a photo from Turkmenistan, can constitute a serious

OSCE/SABA NORDSTRÖM threat to security. project in the Amu Darya river basin in pointed out several achievements and Laundering for judges from Central, Central Asia. also some challenges, including the South-eastern and Eastern Europe in need for further efforts in support of the Vienna in July. Also in July, the Office as- In March, the OCEEA organized a Convention’s provisions on access to jus- sisted the Strategic Police Matters Unit, the Technical Workshop on Oil Spills Response tice, designed to ensure the public’s ability Centre in Astana and UNODC in organiz- and Remediation in Turkmenbashy, to seek legal redress when requests for ening a regional workshop on Confiscating Turkmenistan. Participants from vironmental information are denied. In re- Criminal Assets, Combating Money Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and sponse to this challenge, the OSCE joined Laundering and International Mutual Turkmenistan exchanged views with in- the UN Economic Commission for Europe Legal Assistance for officials from Central ternational experts on developing oil spills in organizing the Access to Justice Regional Asia, Russia and Ukraine in Almaty, response programmes in the Caspian Sea Workshop for High-Level Judiciary for the Kazakhstan. region. The workshop aimed at identifying South East European Region in Tirana on In September, the OCEEA, the the best oil spills remediation technologies 17 and 18 November. Office of the Special Representative on and set up a framework for co-operation In October, the Co-ordinator led a joint Combating Human Trafficking, UNODC between the OSCE and other international OSCE-UN Environment Programme mis- and the Republic of Cyprus organized organizations in oil spills-related activities. sion to assess the environmental impact of a regional meeting for officials from the The OSCE stepped up its promotion of the conflict in Georgia. Mediterranean region on Combating the Aarhus Convention principles this year. Money Laundering and Trafficking in The OSCE Side Event organized in Riga on Good governance Human Beings. The first such meeting 11 June, as part of the Third Meeting of the ever, it focused on improving prevention Parties to the Aarhus Convention, brought The Office further intensified its activities mechanisms, inter-agency co-ordination together practitioners from OSCE- to combat money laundering, the financ- and international co-operation. The event supported Aarhus Centres in Albania, ing of terrorism and corruption. In June, was held in Larnaca, Cyprus. Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, it assisted the OECD in organizing the 7th In 2008, the OSCE became an observer Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, enabling them General Meeting of the Anti-Corruption to the Council of Europe’s Committee of to share experiences and best practices in Network in Tbilisi. Participants discussed Experts on the Evaluation of Anti-Money implementing the Aarhus Convention. national anti-corruption efforts and the Laundering Measures (MONEYVAL) and An independent OCEEA-commissioned status of the implementation of the UN took part in the 28th MONEYVAL plenary evaluation of Aarhus Centres concluded Convention against Corruption. Together in Strasbourg in December. that in most of the countries concerned, with OSCE field operations and the Global the Centres play a key role in facilitating Programme against Money Laundering dialogue and co-operation among govern- of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime mental authorities, civil society organi- (UNODC), the OCEEA organized the zations and the public. The evaluation regional workshop Combating Money

92 OSCE Annual Report Department of Management and Finance

The Department of Management and Finance continued to enhance the Organization’s Common Regulatory Management System (CRMS), moving toward a more proactive, operational footing in terms of using the Integrated Resource Management System. The Department, which comprises Conference Services, Finance Services, Financial Compliance, Systems and Support, Mission Support, Information and Communications Technology and the Prague Ofﬁce, further contributed to the enhancement and insti- tutionalization of the Organization’s approach to OSCE-wide Performance-Based Programme Budgeting, and provided extensive support and functional training to Fund Administration Units in the ﬁeld, including risk assessment training.

Key 2008 achievements included: t supporting the Chairmanship, par- The Prague Office’s archives expanded ticipating States, the Joint Consultative following the rationalization of the t progressing further toward an appropri- Group and the Open Skies Consultative Mission to Croatia and after the transfer of ate internal control environment by im- Commission in their conducting of the historical documents from Conference

proving access to the Organization’s meetings and conferences, including the Services and the Conflict Prevention SECRETARIAT resource management system, training Ministerial Council in Helsinki. Centre following the Secretariat’s 2007 programmatic and administrative staff move to new premises in Vienna. The and developing and providing training Prague Office latter include records of the exchange of on a risk management tool for OSCE military information compiled since 1993 staff. Also, the Department continu- This year the Prague Office, home to the by the Forum for Security Co-operation ously reviewed procedures to ensure OSCE archive, celebrated the first decade Support Unit. compliance with the CRMS, including of its Researcher-in-Residence programme, The Office supported the organization of by managing a cross-functional working under which it hosts researchers working the second part of the 16th Economic and group on Implementing Partners; on topics pertaining to OSCE activities. Environmental Forum, which took place The Prague Office supported the in May in Prague, and the preparatory t completing the first of a two-phase Organization’s public outreach efforts by conference for the 17th Forum. Information and Communication posting 2,000 statements, journals and Together with the Information Technology (ICT) project to replace decisions issued by the Permanent Council Management Unit in Vienna, the Office is the Oracle hardware platform. The and the Forum for Security Co-operation engaged in planning practical solutions for Department initiated an internal study on the Internet, and by disseminating sup- the sustainable safekeeping of the OSCE’s to review the OSCE-wide ICT organiza- porting documentation to participants of archives. tional structure and to establish a total the first Model OSCE exercise in July. cost base for further evaluation; t co-ordinating the procurement and deployment of armoured vehicles and other assets to the Mission to Georgia within one week following the August conflict; Masters and doctoral theses resulting from Researcher in Residence t implementing an OSCE-wide global projects are available travel contract which serves 18 locations, in the researchers’ focusing on improving advance booking reference library of the Prague Ofﬁce. performance to keep costs down; t advising and supporting field operations with fleet rationalization, with significant reductions achieved; t developing a strategy for OSCE adoption of International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) by 2010; OSCE/DAVID BEDNAR OSCE/DAVID

OSCE Annual Report 93 Department of Human Resources

The Department of Human Resources continues to strengthen the OSCE’s human capital pool by providing comprehensive human resource services.

Recruitment duration Key achievements in 2008 were: 140 121.8 123.8 2007 t recruiting swiftly and immediately 120 100 95.9 97.8 2008 deploying an additional 20 military 88.2 90.1 80 68.9 68.4 VN = Vacancy Notice monitoring officers to Georgia, who 60 were operative on the ground within 10 40 number of days days; 20 0 seconded VN seconded VN contracted VN contracted VN to acceptance to employment to acceptance to employment t completing preparations to streamline practices related to hiring consultants The Department made concerted efforts this year to reduce the average recruitment time. and releasing a new user-friendly version of the OSCE’s online recruit- t conducting an annual review and t processing and paying entitlements and ment system, iRecruitment; further regular improvement of the OSCE’s benefits due to staff members quickly customizing the Integrated Resource group insurance scheme and aligning it and accurately, managing extensions of Management human resources mod- more closely with the OSCE’s regulatory contracts and the performance appraisal ule to provide improved reporting framework; system efficiently; capabilities; t implementing the streamlined Job t continuing the Junior Professional t conducting a systematic campaign to Classification System; Officer programme that provides young boost the number of qualified women professionals from under-represented applicants/nominees, particularly to t further improving the professional participating States the opportunity to higher-level posts; working environment, including by: gain an overview of the Organization; enhancing the mediation focal point t working to meet the major challenges in network; introducing a pilot project on t providing efficient and cost-effective attracting and retaining highly quali- mandatory exit interviews in the OSCE training programmes in line with the fied staff, by proposing and implement- Secretariat; reviewing awareness-raising OSCE Training Strategy for 2008-2010; ing approved amendments to the Staff activities on the Code of Conduct and Regulations and Rules; Staff Instruction 21/2006, the OSCE t providing continued support for and Policy against Harassment, Sexual encouragement of best practices in pre- t establishing a fully operational payroll Harassment and Discrimination; mission training activities of partici- unit in line with a set of recommen- pating States, including by hosting the dations from the Office of Internal t conducting a flexible working time annual OSCE Meeting on Training and Oversight; preparing and circulating trial in the Secretariat in order to create Recruitment, which in 2008 focused on Standard Payroll Operating Procedures family- and gender-friendly working the effective preparation of short-term for implementation across the arrangements in the OSCE; election observers. Organization;

Participants at the third OSCE Meeting on Training and Recruitment, held at the Vienna Hofburg in 2008 OSCE Post Table February 2500

2000 1905

1500

1000 689

500 374 290 0 International International Local Local General Contracted Seconded Professional services OSCE/MIKHAIL EVSTAFIEV

94 OSCE Annual Report Partnerships for Security and Co-operation OSCE/MIKHAIL EVSTAFIEV Interaction with organizations and institutions in the OSCE area

Under the guidance of the Finnish other relevant meetings of international to lessons learned and best practices with Chairmanship, and in accordance with rel- organizations. the UN Department for Peacekeeping evant Ministerial and Permanent Council The 2008 Annual Security Review Operations (UNDPKO) and the EU decisions, the OSCE maintained active Conference, focusing on arms control and Council Secretariat. contacts and close co-operation through- confidence- and security-building mea- The Action against Terrorism Unit out the year with other international, sures, provided an opportunity to review sought to promote a coherent international regional and subregional organizations and further enhance security dialogue approach to counter-terrorism through and initiatives concerned with the promo- with the UN, the EU, NATO, CSTO, the collaborating with more than 20 UN tion of comprehensive security within the Commonwealth of Independent States structures, international, regional and OSCE area. Developments in the region (CIS), the International Organization for sub-regional organizations and specialized significantly shaped this interaction. The Migration (IOM), the Organization for agencies. reconfiguration of the international pres- Democracy and Economic Development The Office of the Co-ordinator of the ence in Kosovo and the eruption of the and the Migration, Asylum, Refugee OSCE Economic and Environmental conflict in Georgia in August prompted Regional Initiative. Activities (OCEEA) continued to par- close consultations and co-ordination with The OSCE took part in the annual ticipate in the Environment and Security the United Nations (UN), the European high-level consultations in the ‘Tripartite- Initiative (ENVSEC). One of the highlights Union (EU) and other interested orga- Plus’ format with the UN and the Council of the year was the support ENVSEC pro- nizations. The OSCE Mission in Kosovo of Europe (CoE), hosted by the CoE in vided to the Joint OSCE-UN Environment remained a central element of a reconfig- Strasbourg in July. The three conven- Programme (UNEP) Assessment Mission ured UN Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK). ing organizations, joined by participants on the environmental impacts of the recent The OSCE was an active participant in the from the EC, NATO, CIS, CSTO and the conflict in Georgia from 29 September to framework of international efforts to settle International Committee of the Red Cross 3 October. the conflicts in Georgia. It co-chaired the (ICRC), came together to discuss different The Gender Section engaged in dialogue Geneva discussions with the EU and the aspects of their collaboration in intercul- with other international organizations, UN, which met on three occasions during tural dialogue, particularly the role of hu- non-governmental organizations (NGOs) the year: 15 and 16 October, 18 and 19 man rights, the promotion of intercultural and think tanks on gender issues in the November and 17 and 18 December. competences through education, as well politico-military dimension, as well as on The Madrid Ministerial Council Decision as the link between intercultural dialogue continuing its work in raising awareness on OSCE Engagement with Afghanistan and conflict prevention. about human trafficking and violence tasked the Secretary General to explore co- A session on co-operation with the UN- against women. It participated in a work- operation options in co-ordination with family and regional organizations present shop initiated by the ENVSEC that sought the UN and other relevant regional and in- in Central Asia held back-to-back with to mainstream a gender perspective in its ternational organizations. In order to seek the Regional Heads of Missions Meeting programmes. complementarity and avoid duplication, in Astana on 20 June provided attendees The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly the OSCE consulted closely the planning with an opportunity to exchange views fostered interaction and co-operation, of its activities with the UN, the North and information on their activities in the particularly in connection with its Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), region. Participating organizations in- election observation missions, with the EU and the Collective Security Treaty cluded the UN Development Programme inter-parliamentary bodies such as the Organization (CSTO), as well as the (UNDP), UN High Commissioner for Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of World Bank (WB) and the World Customs Refugees (UNHCR), UN Office on Drugs Europe and the European Parliament. Organization. and Crime (UNODC), EU, ICRC, CIS, Partner organizations were regularly CSTO, the Conference on Interaction and United Nations invited to OSCE events, including the Confidence-Building Measures in Asia, Helsinki Ministerial Council, Annual the Eurasian Economic Community, the As the largest and most inclusive regional Security Review Conference, Human Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control organization under Chapter VIII of the Dimension Implementation Meeting, of Armed Forces and the International UN Charter, the OSCE continued to build Economic and Environmental Forum and Fund for Saving the Aral Sea. on its close ties with the UN, both through others, while the OSCE Chairmanship, The Conflict Prevention Centre pro- political consultations at the headquarters the Secretary General and other senior of- moted further co-operation on operational level and through practical co-operation ficials represented the Organization, upon issues through the exchange of ideas on in the field. invitation, to Summits, Ministerials and the development of a structured approach The reconfiguration of the international

96 OSCE Annual Report United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon (right) with OSCE Secretary General Marc Perrin de Brichambaut, in Geneva on 14 October OSCE/MARTIN NESIRKY presence in Kosovo, the conflict in Georgia meeting was hosted by the UN in New the International Labour Organization and the OSCE’s engagement with York on 29 May. The UN Under-Secretary- (ILO), the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Afghanistan provided the main focus of General for Political Affairs stressed the the Office of the High Commissioner for OSCE – UN co-operation in 2008. The efficient and practical co-operation be- Human Rights (OHCHR), the OSCE con- year also saw the opening of new avenues tween the UN and the OSCE. Participants tributed to UN.GIFT’s main global event of co-operation in Central Asia. The discussed a number of regional issues, of the year, the Vienna Forum. The Special UN established a Regional Centre for as well as OSCE-UN co-operation on Representative and Co-ordinator for

Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia, election-related issues. Combating Trafficking in Human Beings AND CO-OPERATION FOR SECURITY PARTNERSHIPS which sought the OSCE’s regional exper- On 23 July, the OSCE Secretariat participated in the UN.GIFT Steering tise to launch its peace-making initiatives. welcomed the visit by the UN Assessment Committee, positioning the OSCE as one A number of institutional contacts Mission to Abkhazia. The Mission met of the six major organizations worldwide between the two organizations took place with the OSCE Secretary General and the fighting human trafficking. during the year. On 23 September, OSCE Director of the Conflict Prevention Centre The OCEEA worked closely with Chairman-in-Office Alexander Stubb to exchange views on the situation in the UNODC’s Global Programme against addressed the Security Council of the two zones of conflict. Money Laundering and the Global UN, highlighting the OSCE’s activities, On 10 June, the UNHCR Director of Programme against Corruption, support- particularly focusing his attention on the the Europe Bureau met with the OSCE ing regional and national events. Other Organization’s role in Georgia, Kosovo Secretary General and senior officials from joint activities included the preparation of and vis-à-vis Afghanistan. the Secretariat. During the meetings, the a technical guide for the implementation Secretary General Marc Perrin de increasingly pragmatic and project-based of the UN Convention against Corruption. Brichambaut discussed the situation in nature of the co-operation between the In July, the OCEEA, the Strategic Georgia and the respective roles of the UN two organizations was emphasized. Police Matters Unit and the OSCE Centre and the OSCE during a bilateral meeting The Liaison Officer in Brussels for in Astana, in close co-operation with with the UN Secretary-General on the the UN Office for the Coordination of UNODC, organized a regional work- margins of the Geneva discussions on 14 Humanitarian Affairs visited the OSCE shop on Confiscating Criminal Assets, October. In addition, he exchanged views Secretariat on 19 June, where she met Combating Money Laundering and on various issues of mutual interest during with senior representatives of various International Mutual Legal Assistance for his consultations with senior UN officials departments in order to establish contacts officials from Central Asia, Russia and at UN headquarters in September. and identify possibilities for future co- Ukraine in Almaty. On 24 January, the UN Assistant operation. In September, the OCEEA and the Secretary-General for the Rule of Law The OSCE participated in the UN Global OSCE Office of the Special Representative and Security Institutions (OROLSI) in the Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking (UN. and Co-ordinator for Combating UNDPKO visited the OSCE Secretariat GIFT), aimed at mobilizing state and non- Trafficking in Human Beings, in close co- in Vienna. Meetings were held with the state actors to eradicate human trafficking operation with UNODC and the govern- OSCE Secretary General and senior by: reducing both the vulnerability of po- ment of the Republic of Cyprus, organized staff, presenting the work of the recently tential victims and the demand for exploi- a regional meeting in Larnaca, Cyprus, for established OROLSI office and exploring tation in all its forms; ensuring adequate officials from the Mediterranean region possible areas for co-operation with the protection and support to those who fall on Combating Money Laundering and OSCE in the areas of policy development victim; and supporting the efficient pros- Trafficking in Human Beings, the first ever and resource generation. ecution of the criminals involved. In close such meeting with a special focus on how The annual OSCE-UN staff-level co-operation with the UNODC, the IOM, to improve mechanisms for prevention

OSCE Annual Report 97 and inter-agency co-ordination and inter- year. On 17 July, addressing the OSCE Representative, remarking on their com- national co-operation. Permanent Council, he emphasized the mon goal to promote better knowledge, In promoting the implementation of the OSCE’s indispensability for peace and understanding and data on trafficking in Aarhus Convention, the OSCE co-operated stability in Europe and underscored the human beings through the establishment with the UN Economic Commission for need for increased OSCE-EU complemen- of National Rapporteurs. One member of Europe (UNECE) in the organization of tarity. He focused particularly on Kosovo the Office was elected to join the recently the Access to Justice Regional Workshop and the unresolved conflicts in the OSCE established EU Expert Group against for High-Level Judiciary in Tirana on area, and sought support for the stabiliza- Human Trafficking. 17 and18 November, which brought tion of Afghanistan. Central Asia was also The OSCE Office for Democratic together judges from the South-eastern highlighted as one of the important areas Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) European region and environmental law for increased co-operation between the EU regularly collaborated with the European experts from other parts of Europe. The and the OSCE. Parliament during election observation OSCE was also an active member of the On 31 January, EU External Relations missions. ODIHR representatives also Aarhus Convention Capacity Building Commissioner Benita Fererro-Waldner participated in the EU Council Working Co-ordination group, addressing capacity addressed the Permanent Council, stress- Group on the OSCE and the CoE, discuss- building needs of countries. ing the importance of the OSCE as a ing co-operation between the EU, ODIHR, Co-operation with UNECE on trans- forum for political dialogue among its 56 and the CoE on human rights. port and trade facilitation also contin- participating States, as well as its extensive On minority issues, the High ued. Efforts focused on the drafting of field presence and its agreed values and Commissioner on National Minorities a Handbook of Best Practices at Border commitments in all three dimensions. worked closely with the EC, in particu- Crossings. Collaboration was extended to Other briefings to the Permanent Council lar the Commissioners for Enlargement include the Convention on Environmental by senior EU officials included the EU and for External Relations and European Impact Assessment in a trans-boundary Special Representative for Central Asia Neighborhood Policy, focusing on the pro- context, through a project between and the EU Special Representative for the tection of minority rights in EU candidate Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. crisis in Georgia. and pre-candidate countries, as well as on The OCEEA worked together with The Chairman-in-Office partici- the integration of minority groups. the UNECE, UNDP and the EU Water pated in the OSCE-EU Ministerial Troika Initiative within the framework of an meeting, held in April. Meetings of the Council of Europe extra-budgetary project Capacity for Water Ambassadorial Troikas took place in Co-operation in Eastern Europe, the South February and September. Topics discussed Building upon a consolidated co-operation Caucasus and Central Asia, funded by included co-operation in Central Asia, framework and regular contacts, the OSCE ENVSEC. the situation in Kosovo and protracted and the CoE continued to work together The OCEEA continued its collabora- conflicts. The OSCE Secretary General in 2008 and to closely co-ordinate their tion with the UN Convention to Combat addressed the EU Political and Security actions on emerging and current issues of Desertification, extending it also to the Committee in May and November, under common interest at the political and work- World Meteorological Organization, in the respective Slovenian and French EU ing levels, including in the field. particular in the Central Asian regions. Presidencies, and in the margins held a The events in Georgia topped the agenda A political event in Bishkek took place in number of bilateral meetings with repre- of the talks between the Chairmen-in- May as a follow-up to the technical work- sentatives of the European Commission Office of the two organizations, Foreign shop held in Tashkent in November 2007. (EC) and of the EU Council Secretariat. Ministers Stubb of Finland and Carl Bildt The annual EU-OSCE staff-level meet- of Sweden. At a meeting in Brussels on European Union ing was hosted by the EU in Brussels 12 September, they called for the imple- on 13 June, allowing for constructive mentation of the French and Russian 2008 saw deepened co-operation between exchanges of views and expertise on topics Presidents’ agreed ceasefire and discussed the EU and the OSCE on a number of key including: the international presence in the humanitarian implications and issues. The OSCE Chairman-in-Office was Kosovo, South Caucasus, Eastern Europe possible follow-up. They also examined instrumental in assisting the EU with the and Central Asia; implementation of the co-operation between the OSCE and the brokering of the ceasefire agreement in Madrid Decision on OSCE Engagement CoE on election-related issues and in the Georgia. with Afghanistan and the fight against four priority areas: tolerance and non-dis- In his address to the Permanent Council terrorism. crimination; rights of persons belonging on 24 January, the Slovenian Minister for The OSCE Special Representative and to national minorities; fighting terrorism; Foreign Affairs and President of the EU’s Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking and trafficking in human beings; stressing General Affairs and External Relations in Human Beings co-ordinated efforts the commitment to further deepen the Council highlighted the need for contin- and strategies with the EC, particularly existing co-operation. ued and deepened co-operation between with the Directorate General for Justice, The concrete outcomes and plans for the EU and the OSCE. He expressed the Freedom and Security, regarding the role co-operation in the four priority areas EU’s support for the OSCE’s work during of National Rapporteurs. Through this were discussed at the two meetings of the the Slovenian EU Presidency in the first co-operation, the Special Representative Co-ordination Group, held in Vienna and half of 2008. released an Alliance Expert Co-ordination Strasbourg on 14 March and 19 September, This commitment was reiterated Team Statement of the National respectively. These underlined the impor- by French Foreign Minister Bernard Rapporteurs on European Anti-trafficking tance of sustaining ongoing co-operation Kouchner during the French EU Day. The EC Vice-President praised while respecting the different member- Presidency in the second half of the the good co-operation with the Special ships and decision-making processes and

98 OSCE Annual Report mandates of the two organizations. both the CoE’s Parliamentary Assembly operation Council (RCC), who introduced On 28 February, Ján Kubiš, Chair of and its Congress of Local and Regional the newly created Secretariat, explor- the CoE Committee of Ministers, in his Authorities on election observation activi- ing venues for collaboration. The OSCE address to the Permanent Council, pointed ties. In July, the Office jointly assessed the Secretary General and representatives of to the importance of further strengthening human rights situation of the Roma and the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly also dialogue and co-ordination between the Sinti in Italy with the CoE’s Commissioner attended the final Regional Table of the two organizations. Subsequently, he had a for Human Rights. Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe bilateral meeting with the OSCE Secretary The High Commissioner on National and Inaugural Meeting of the RCC, in General to discuss regional issues and Minorities maintained regular contacts Sofia on 27 February. Moreover, the OSCE practical co-operation. with CoE national minority bodies. At his Secretary General was the first representa- Both the Secretary General of the CoE request, the Venice Commission ad- tive of an international organization to in his address to the Permanent Council opted a Report on Dual Voting for Persons visit the RCC Secretariat in Sarajevo on 17 on 24 April and the OSCE Secretary Belonging to National Minorities. March. A representative of the Secretariat General, speaking to the CoE Committee attended the 11th Meeting of the Heads of Ministers on 7 May, highlighted the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation of State and Government of the South- significant complementarities in the work East European Co-operation Process in of the CoE and the OSCE and the concrete OSCE-NATO relations continued to Pomorie, Bulgaria, on 21 and 22 May. results that could be reached through an develop in 2008 through regular political The OSCE Secretary General par- effective working relationship. dialogue and expert-level co-operation. ticipated in the Summit of the Heads of At the senior officials’ meeting on 8 July, On 9 July, the OSCE Secretary General Government of the Central European the two organizations had the opportunity delivered a statement to the Euro-Atlantic Initiative in Chisinau on 28 November, to further exchange views and advance Partnership Council (EAPC) provid- stating the OSCE’s readiness to pursue co- co-operation in the field. The meetings ing an overview of the Organization and operation with the Initiative, particularly focused in particular on South-eastern highlighting its values and commitments. on environmental issues. Europe, South Caucasus and Eastern He also met with the Secretary General of 2008 saw increased contacts with the Europe. NATO and other high-ranking officials. CSTO. The Secretary General attended The progress made in providing assis- Co-operation on regional matters and as observer the session of the Council tance to local self governments in South- politico-military activities were discussed of Collective Security of the CSTO in eastern Europe and the opportunities for at regular OSCE-NATO staff meetings. Moscow on 5 September, upon invitation additional joint projects were discussed at The Deputy Chairman of the NATO of the CSTO Secretary General. The OSCE AND CO-OPERATION FOR SECURITY PARTNERSHIPS the regular meeting on the implementa- Military Committee visited the OSCE and CSTO Secretaries General met bilater- tion of the Co-operation Agreement on Secretariat on 9 September and ex- ally on the margins of the Summit. The Local Government Assistance in South East changed views with OSCE staff. The Sub- main focus of these consultations was the Europe on 13 November. Committee on Democratic Governance implementation of the Madrid Ministerial The OCEEA interacted with the CoE of the Committee on the Civil Dimension Council Decision on OSCE Engagement on issues of migration, good governance, of Security of the NATO Parliamentary with Afghanistan. Contacts with the CSTO combating money laundering, financing Assembly was briefed on OSCE activities also included a visit by the Director of the of terrorism and corruption, including by the Chairmanship and the Secretariat Conflict Prevention Centre to the CSTO through cross-representation at events. on 25 November. Secretariat in April, and the participa- In 2008, the OSCE became an observer to Following an invitation from the NATO tion for the first time by an expert from the CoE’s Committee of Experts on the Secretary General, the OSCE Special the OSCE Secretariat in the international Evaluation of Anti-Money Laundering Representative and Co-ordinator for anti-drug operation Channel-2008, held in Measures (MONEYVAL). Combating Trafficking in Human Beings Moscow from 15 to 22 September. The Representative on Freedom of met with the EAPC members in March. On 3 July, the CIS Executive Secretary the Media held talks with the CoE’s The Special Representative discussed traf- addressed the Permanent Council. On Secretary General and the Commissioner ficking in human beings from the perspec- the margins, he met bilaterally with for Human Rights to discuss issues of tive of security and military operations. the OSCE Secretary General in order common interest and reinforce co- The Office of the Special Representative to discuss issues of mutual interest. The operation. At the regular meeting of the contributed to an anti-trafficking course ODIHR maintained an ongoing dialogue CoE’s Steering Committee on the Media held in Ankara. with the Secretariat of the CIS regard- and New Communication Services, the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly ing the election observation missions Representative also called upon member President Joao Soares addressed the NATO that the two organizations respectively states to make further efforts to decrimi- Parliamentary Assembly’s 54th Annual conducted, and also attended meetings nalize defamation. Session. on election observation hosted by the In 2008, the ODIHR and the CoE’s CIS Inter-Parliamentary Assembly. The Commission on Democracy through Other international, regional and sub- OSCE Parliamentary Assembly con- Law (Venice Commission) delivered joint regional organizations and initiatives ducted an intensive dialogue on elec- opinions on electoral legislation (Armenia, tion observation with the Parliamentary Moldova, Azerbaijan), assembly laws The OSCE followed closely the develop- Assembly of the CIS. The Office of the (Armenia, Kyrgyzstan), legislation con- ments of regional co-operation in South- Special Representative and Co-ordinator cerning freedom of religion (Kazakhstan), eastern Europe. In January, the OSCE for Combating Trafficking in Human as well as anti-discrimination legislation. Secretary General received the visit of the Beings, in co-operation with ODIHR The ODIHR regularly co-operated with Secretary General of the Regional Co- and the Strategic Police Matters Unit,

OSCE Annual Report 99 contributed to a training course at the the framework of the Alliance Against Highlights of co-operation in the field CIS International Training Centre on Trafficking in Persons, an OSCE initia- Migrations and Combating Trafficking in tive which established an informal forum South-eastern Europe Human Beings in Minsk. for dialogue between the participating ThePresence in Albania worked with the The Director of the Office of the OSCE States and international organizations. European Commission, the CoE and the Secretary General represented the OSCE at The Special Representative held two high- ODIHR on electoral and civil registry re- the 18th and 19th Meetings of the Council level Alliance conferences and a technical form. On decentralization, it co-operated of Ministers of Foreign Affairsof the seminar. During these events, participants with the CoE. It joined forces with the EC Organization of the Black Sea Economic discussed the latest developments and les- on judicial, police and property reform. Cooperation (BSEC) Member States in sons learned from common initiatives and With the UNDP, it worked on gender re- Kyiv on 17 April and in Tirana on 23 work carried out by Alliance participants: form. Donor co-ordination was jointly led October, respectively. These meetings UNICEF, OHCHR, UNHCR, UNODC, with the UNDP, WB and the EC. provided opportunities to highlight the CoE, IOM, ILO, UN Development potential for further co-operation between Fund for Women (UNIFEM), EU TheMission to Bosnia and Herzegovina the two organizations, especially in the Expert Group on Trafficking in Human carried out its various programmes in economic and environmental areas, where Beings, International Criminal Police co-operation with international organiza- synergies were most apparent. Organization (INTERPOL), European tions and agencies including the UNHCR, In accordance with the Madrid Police Office (EUROPOL), International UNDP, NATO, EUFOR, the Delegation Ministerial Decision on Tolerance Centre for Migration Policy Development of the EC, the CoE and the office of the and Non-discrimination; Promoting (ICMPD), ECPAT International (End High Representative and EU Special Mutual Respect and Understanding, the Child Prostitution, Child Pornography Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina. OSCE Secretary General attended the and Trafficking of Children for Sexual firstAnnual Forum of the Alliance of Purposes), Anti-Slavery International, La TheMission to Montenegro implemented Civilizations in Madrid on 15 January, and Strada International, Save the Children a total of 58 regular budgetary projects and presented a report on its outcomes to the and Terre des Hommes. 12 advisory/monitoring assistance projects participating States, for consideration of in 2008. Twenty-six of the projects were an appropriate OSCE contribution to the International financial institutions implemented in co-operation with interna- implementation phase of the Initiative. tional organizations. Representatives of the ICRC visited the The OCEEA continued its collaboration OSCE Secretariat in February for their with the Eurasian Group on Combating TheMission to Serbia co-operated with annual consultations with representa- Money Laundering and the Financing UN agencies such as the UNDP, UNHCR, tives of various departments. The meet- of Terrorism, the WB, the International UNODC as well as with the EU, CoE, ing served to exchange information on Monetary Fund and the Financial Action NATO, ICTY, the WB, the European Bank current and planned activities of the two Task Force. for Reconstruction and Development and organizations. In October, the OCEEA, in co-operation with NGOs in its five programme areas: In June, the OSCE assisted the with the Financial Integrity Network and rule of law/human rights, democratiza- Organisation for Economic Co-operation the CoE, organized in Davos, Switzerland, tion, law enforcement, media and economy and Development (OECD), in close an international seminar on combating and environment. co-operation with the American Bar terrorist financing for investigators, pros- Association’s Central and Eastern ecutors, Financial Intelligence Unit experts The Mission in Kosovo continued to European Legal Initiative and US Agency and other officials from OSCE countries. engage proactively with relevant interna- for International Development (USAID), The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly par- tional institutions, including the UNHCR, in organizing the 7th General Meeting of ticipated in a WB meeting in Tirana of the UNDP, CoE, IOM, NATO, and ICTY. the OECD Anti-Corruption Network for East European Parliamentary Network. Eastern Europe in Tbilisi. In addition to continuing co-operation The International Maritime Non-governmental organizations with the UNDP, the EC and a variety of Organization (IMO) responded to the invi- international organizations, the OSCE tation of the Finnish OSCE Chairmanship NGOs were invited and contributed to Spillover Monitor Mission to Skopje and the Office of the Co-ordinator and the main OSCE meetings and events. began working closely with the new contributed substantially to the 16th OSCE They also continued to co-operate with CIVI-POL CONSEIL Police Development Economic and Environmental Forum the Institutions, field operations, and the Assistance Project on community policing, process which focused on Maritime and Secretariat, frequently as project partners. training and structural police reform. inland waterways co-operation in the OSCE area: Increasing security and protecting the TheOffice in Zagreb worked closely in environment. consultation with the EC Delegation, Throughout the year, the OCEEA con- UNHCR and the International Criminal tinued its co-operation with the IOM and Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) the ILO. on access to housing and war crimes ac- The Special Representative and Co- countability issues. ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings continued close co- Eastern Europe operation with the main organizations TheOffice in Minsk worked in close combating human trafficking within consultation with those UN organizations

100 OSCE Annual Report present in Minsk: UNDP, UNHCR and of internally displaced persons and refu- Centre, the Project Co-ordinator orga- IOM. The Office conducted a seminar on gees, prisoners of war, missing persons and nized a conference on Environmental the Convention on Cybercrime with exper- detainees, as well as mine clearance. Security and Safety - a major factor of tise provided by the CoE. In the field of water management in October. economic reforms, the Office held a joint Central Asia seminar with the International Finance TheCentre in Ashgabad worked with UN Corporation and attracted expertise from agencies, the EU Technical Assistance to the WB and the EC on an energy effi- the Commonwealth of Independent States ciency workshop. The Office also worked Programme and the US Peace Corps to closely with UNEP and UNDP within the train civil servants to address border secu- ENVSEC initiative. rity, education, health and environmental issues, and assist farmers’ associations. The TheMission to Moldova maintained close Centre significantly intensified its interac- co-operation with the UN, the CoE and tion with higher education institutions the EU in promoting democracy, strength- and local educational organizations. ening the rule of law, freedom of the media and combating trafficking in human TheCentre in Astana co-operated closely beings. with the UNDP on local self-government, with the IOM, EC/Border Management for TheProject Co-ordinator in Ukraine Central Asia programme on border man- co-ordinated activities with the CoE, EU, agement, with the UNECE on transbound- USAID, IOM, the German Foundation for ary water management, with UNIFEM International Legal Cooperation and local and UNDP on gender issues, with the and international NGOs. WB on anti-money laundering and with the UNODC on fighting corruption and South Caucasus organized crime. TheMission to Georgia co-chaired with the UN the Ambassadorial Working TheCentre in Bishkek co-operated with Group ahead of the presidential and several international organizations on parliamentary elections. It worked closely large projects on human rights, economic AND CO-OPERATION FOR SECURITY PARTNERSHIPS with the CoE on electoral reform. To help security, and other areas of comprehensive improve the security situation after the security and democratic values. It worked August fighting, the Mission co-operated with the IMF on anti-money laundering with the new EU Monitoring Mission on and held joint conferences with the UNDP the ground. The Mission also closely co- on Democratic Governance. The Centre ordinated with international humanitarian co-operated with the UNODC on combat- organizations in support of their efforts ing corruption and with the International to provide humanitarian aid to internally Foundation for Electoral Systems on displaced persons and residents of the election monitoring. It also co-operated on areas adjacent to South Ossetia. human rights legislation with the Venice Commission and on migration with the TheOffice in Baku worked with the CoE IOM. on Freedom of Assembly legislation, with UNICEF on juvenile justice, with ILO and The Office in Tajikistan continued and ICMPD on enhancing anti-trafficking expanded its co-operation in a number efforts and with UNDP on improving aid of programme areas with international co-ordination. organizations, including UN agencies, international development banks, inter- TheOffice in Yerevan co-operated with national NGOs and also with bilateral the CoE, UN, EU, WB, IMF and USAID donors active in Tajikistan. These partner- on elections, anti-corruption, ombudsper- ships were essential in projects concern- son, media, gender, anti-trafficking and ing border management, anti-corruption, migration. In particular, jointly with ILO environmental issues, human rights and and IICMPD, the Office implemented a media. major anti-trafficking project. TheProject Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan TheOffice of the Personal Representative organized various events with inter- of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office on the national organizations and NGOs and Conflict dealt with by the OSCE Minsk implemented projects in the areas of Conference maintained contacts with or- tax control and human rights with the ganizations such as the EU, CoE, UNHCR, UNDP. Together with the OCEEA and the ICRC, and various international the Interstate Commission for Water NGOs, with relation to the major problems Coordination Scientific Information

OSCE Annual Report 101 Interaction with the Asian and Mediterranean Partners for Co-operation and with organizations and institutions outside the OSCE area

Interaction with Partners for Co- also invited to participate in all the main workshop on preventive diplomacy hosted operation OSCE events of the year, such as the by Germany in the spring. Economic and Environmental Forum, With regard to the politico-military A solid foundation for intensified dia- the Human Dimension Implementation dimension, the Finnish Chairmanship logue and co-operation with the Partner Meeting and the Annual Security Review supported a closer engagement of the States in 2008 was provided by the Madrid Conference. The Chairmanship included Partners, on a voluntary basis, in the Code Ministerial Declaration on the Partners for issues of particular relevance to the of Conduct on Politico-Military Aspects Co-operation and the Ministerial Decision Partners on the Permanent Council’s of Security. The successive Chairs of the on OSCE Engagement with Afghanistan agenda. For example, Amre Moussa, Forum for Security Co-operation and in late 2007, as well as by the Permanent Secretary General of the League of Arab its Austrian Co-ordinator, in line with Council Decision on the Establishment of a States, addressed the Permanent Council the call made in the Forum’s Decision on Partnership Fund. on 17 April. Awareness Raising and Outreach of the The Partners continued to stimulate Code of Conduct, will continue to engage Report of the OSCE Chairmanship new and interesting debate and activities. the Partners in a process aiming at their In September, for the third year run- voluntary implementation of the principles The Finnish OSCE Chairmanship closely ning, an informal discussion on the many followed developments in relations with points of contact between human security the Asian and Mediterranean Partners and the OSCE’s concept of comprehensive Asian Partners for Co-operation: and, where necessary, supported the work and co-operative security was held in Afghanistan, Japan, Mongolia, carried out by the Spanish and Greek Vienna. Finland, together with the initia- Republic of Korea and Thailand. Chairmanships of the Contact Groups. tor Japan and a number of Partners, was Spain chaired the Asian Contact Following the practice established in among the co-sponsors of the event. Group in 2008. previous years, the Partners were regu- To strengthen relations with the larly invited to meetings of the Permanent ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), a recom- Mediterranean Partners for Co-operation: Council as well as to the Forum for mendation made at the 2005 OSCE-Korea Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia. Security Co-operation and its working Conference, the Finnish Chairmanship, Greece chaired the Mediterranean groups, providing a platform for virtu- alongside the Secretariat, participated Contact Group in 2008. ally permanent interaction. They were in and contributed to an important ARF

Partnership Fund Apart from the Troika members Fin- UÊ Afghanistan: OSCE/ODIHR electoral land (€253,597.88), Greece (€100,000) technical assistance (project no. On the margins of the Madrid Ministe- and Spain (€100,000), donors were 1100744); rial Council in 2007 the participating (in OSCE alphabetical order): United UÊ Supporting the participation of rep- States adopted a Permanent Council States, Belgium, Denmark, Spain, resentatives from the Partners for Decision on the Establishment of a France, Ireland, Liechtenstein, Slove- Co-operation to the events listed in Partnership Fund, aimed at promot- nia, Switzerland, Japan, Republic of PC.DEC/812 (project no. 1100705); ing the engagement of the Partners Korea and Egypt. UÊ Publication of a French-language for Co-operation in the OSCE. At the Five projects were developed and version of the OSCE/International beginning of the year, the Secretary placed under the Fund’s umbrella in Organization for Migration/Interna- General established guidelines for the 2008: tional Labour Organization Mediter- Fund’s functioning and designated the UÊ Seminar for young diplomats from ranean edition of the Handbook on Section for External Co-operation as the Mediterranean Partners for Co- Establishing Effective Labour Migra- Fund manager, including liaising with operation (project no. 1100726); tion Policies (project no. 1100701). donors on fund raising and reporting UÊ Support for participation of and with individual project managers Mediterranean non-governmental As per the Decision, the Secretary regarding the everyday management organizations and members of civil General reported to the Permanent of speciﬁc projects. society in the OSCE 2008 Mediter- Council on the operation of the Part- Pledges received in its ﬁrst year of ranean Conference (project no. nership Fund. operation amounted to €552,049.36. 1100748);

102 OSCE Annual Report Engagement with Afghanistan a number of priority projects inside security in the region. the OSCE area, under the exist- The OCEEA also facilitated Throughout 2008, the Secretariat ing mandates of Central Asian field Afghan participation in a regional worked to deepen the OSCE’s operations. Among these projects task force dealing with issues of engagement with Afghanistan, an were the establishment of a new energy generation and transport in Asian Partner for Co-operation Border Management Staff College in Central Asia. Afghanistan also took since 2003, as follow-up to Madrid Dushanbe and a Customs Training part in an OSCE-supported regional Ministerial Council Decision 04/07. Facility in Bishkek, as well as the process aimed at elaborating ef- In June, the Secretary General pro- provision of Customs and Border ficient water management principles posed 16 concrete activities, which Assistance for Turkmenistan. Other and in September, Afghan repre- drew upon several fact-finding mis- projects were pending at year-end, sentatives participated in an OSCE sions to the country as well as con- and discussion among participating seminar on investment and business sultations with participating States States continued on possible OSCE climate. and relevant international organi- project activity on Afghan territory. The Partnership Fund enabled zations. They included proposals The Secretary General visited Afghan representatives to par- to strengthen border security and Kabul twice, in September and in ticipate in other OSCE activities, management, foster cross-border November, to discuss the proposed and financed an election-related co-operation and enhance national activities. Over the course of the project requested by Afghanistan law enforcement capacities. The year, various units of the Secretariat and implemented by the Office of projects were to have been carried carried out Afghanistan-related the Secretary General’s External out both within the OSCE region activities within their existing man- Co-operation Section and the OSCE and inside Afghanistan. dates. The Strategic Police Matters Office for Democratic Institutions Despite the overwhelming sup- Unit helped build the skills of the and Human Rights. Finally, the port of participating States for Afghan National Police and Counter- Asian Partners held their annual deepening OSCE engagement Narcotics Police in combating meeting in Kabul for the first time. with Afghanistan, consensus could drug trafficking. The Action against OSCE engagement in Afghanistan not be reached prior to the end of Terrorism Unit and the Office of the will remain a key organizational 2008 on project activities inside Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic priority because of its long-term Afghanistan. The Secretariat there- and Environmental Activities impact on the security of all OSCE ATESISFRSCRT AND CO-OPERATION FOR SECURITY PARTNERSHIPS fore took steps to initiate work on (OCEEA) organized a conference on participating States. of the Code of Conduct. of the host country and its active role and consultations. Due to the differing views of The Finnish Chairmanship, after receiv- deliberations in the conference were of the participating States, the Chairmanship ing the Secretary General’s proposal, great value. Furthermore, Afghanistan concluded that a positive consensus-based conducted extensive consultations with requested OSCE involvement in its decision would be unlikely at the moment. participating States on a draft Permanent upcoming elections in 2009. The Finnish However, the Finnish Chairmanship Council decision on the implementation of Chairmanship considered that the OSCE considered it important to continue infor- the Ministerial Council Decision on OSCE should reply positively to this request. mal co-operation between the OSCE and Engagement with Afghanistan, but unfor- Following an initial application to Palestinian representatives. The Chair- tunately consensus could not be reached. become an OSCE Partner in 2004, manship was pleased that the Palestinian Afghanistan, however, has been invited to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of National Authority took part in the OSCE participate in projects conducted within the Palestinian National Authority, 2008 Mediterranean Conference at the the OSCE area. Riad Malki, sent a letter on 22 July to invitation of the host country, Jordan. The The 2008 OSCE conference with the the Chairman-in-Office to renew the Finnish Chairmanship also supported the Asian Partners was hosted for the first Palestinian National Authority’s request incoming Greek Chairmanship’s intention time by Afghanistan in Kabul on 9 and10 for Partner status. On the basis of the let- to continue consultations on this matter November. The high-level participation ter, the Finnish Chairmanship conducted in 2009.

Participants at a conference in Kabul aimed at strengthening co-operation between the 56-country OSCE and Afghanistan and its four other Asian partner countries — Japan, South Korea, Thailand and Mongolia on 9November COURTESY OF THE AFGHAN FOREIGN MINISTRY

OSCE Annual Report 103 Finally, Finland contributed over OSCE has a role to play in Afghanistan, Valencia and Rabat Seminars of December €250,000 to the Partnership Fund, including in supporting capacity-building 2007, during which sensitive issues such part of which was used to finance the in areas such as customs, borders manage- as desertification, management of water participation of two experts from the ment and security, counter narcotics and resources and migration were discussed. Afghan Independent Central Election police. Possible OSCE support to next As for the human dimension, several Commission (ICEC) in the Chairmanship year’s elections in Afghanistan was also discussions were held on issues ranging Seminar on Election-related Issues on 21 mentioned. from the freedom of the media and toler- and 22 July; and to co-finance an elec- Further comments highlighted that ance and non-discrimination, to traffick- tion assistance project for ICEC, together many of the issues on the agenda, such as ing in human beings and gender issues. with Korea and Slovenia; and a side event trafficking in narcotics or terrorism, are by The Mediterranean Partners contributed for Mediterranean non-governmental their nature trans-national, trans-bound- to addressing these security challenges organizations (NGOs) at the Amman ary and trans-regional threats to security. by expressing their own perspectives and Mediterranean Conference, together with They cannot be circumscribed within the suggestions. Denmark and the United States. boundaries of one country and cannot be faced by one single State or organization in Seminar for young diplomats. Together with Report of the Chairmanship of the isolation. They require solid and system- the secretariat, the Greek Chairmanship Contact Group with the Asian Partners atic co-operation. organized a seminar for young diplomats for Co-operation from the Mediterranean Partners and Human security informal workshop. The quintet countries, which took place in June Work of the Asian Contact Group. The Asian informal human security workshop in Athens and in Vienna. Over 40 partici- Contact Group held five meetings in 2008, focused on concrete human security proj- pants from the Mediterranean Partners concentrating on a number of issues in all ects within the OSCE region in order to and the quintet countries had the oppor- three dimensions, from counter-terrorism understand the concept in a practical way. tunity to exchange ideas on European se- to border management and security, police Speakers identified the areas in which both curity issues and the broader development activities and anti-trafficking. Following the OSCE and United Nations (UN) have of European security architecture, while at previous recommendations to strengthen been active, highlighting the usefulness of the same time learning about the OSCE’s relations with the ARF, discussion took the UN Trust Fund for Human Security approach to security, both the doctrine place on the outcome of the March ARF in the OSCE region. They also noted that and its practical implementation. Seminar on confidence and security- participating States can enhance their re- building measures (CSBMs) and preven- sponses to issues affecting human security OSCE 2008 Mediterranean Conference. In tive diplomacy, hosted by Germany, and by drawing on the OSCE’s expertise. order to reflect the deeper and more mean- to which the Secretariat and the Finnish Speakers also pointed out how fields ingful engagement by the Mediterranean Chairmanship contributed. in which the OSCE possesses particular Partners in the OSCE, the Greek The Contact Group also held a solid expertise, such as human trafficking and Chairmanship upgraded this annual event, discussion on the outcome of the Madrid landmines, are also fields targeted by the renaming it the OSCE 2008 Mediterranean Ministerial Council, with its three ap- Trust Fund. The example was raised of Conference. proved Partner documents mentioned specific Trust Fund projects, which helped The OSCE approach to regional secu- above and the Permanent Council illustrate areas of common interest and rity — a model for the Mediterranean took Decision on the adoption of a Partnership concern with the OSCE, while at the same place in Amman, Jordan, on 27 and 28 Fund. time reconfirming the usefulness of co- October. The agenda addressed challenges operation between the OSCE and the UN. in all three OSCE dimensions. OSCE Afghanistan conference. The high- Spain presented a report on the work of In the politico-military sphere, partici- light of the Asian Contact Group’s work the Asian Contract Group at the Helsinki pants discussed the crucial role of CSBMs was the OSCE Afghanistan Conference Ministerial Council in accordance with in establishing mutual trust, transpar- on Strengthening Co-operation between the Madrid Ministerial Declaration on the ency and predictability in the OSCE area, the OSCE and its Asian Partners for Co- Partners for Co-operation. together with the usefulness of adopting operation to Address Challenges to Security Finally, Spain contributed €100,000 to and tailoring CSBMs to the needs of the held in Kabul on 9 and 10 November. The the Partnership Fund. Mediterranean region. To tackle terror- conference focused on three key issues: the ism, the OSCE’s assistance to participating OSCE’s contribution to capacity-build- Report of the Chairmanship of the States and the Mediterranean Partners in ing in the OSCE region and the Asian Contact Group with the Mediterranean such areas as enhancing legal co-opera- Partners; threats to the common security Partners for Co-operation tion in criminal matters and improving and stability of the OSCE participat- travel document security was cited as an ing States and the Asian Partners, with Work of the Mediterranean Contact Group. In example. The second session focused on particular attention to Central Asia and 2008, the Mediterranean Contact Group environmental challenges to security. Afghanistan; and challenges and opportu- held eight meetings, focusing on issues Participants noted that political tensions nities in border security and management, in all three dimensions. On the politico- and long-standing conflicts in the region including customs modernization. military dimension, the Mediterranean endanger regional security and the envi- The conference venue of Kabul carried Partners received an in-depth briefing on ronment, undermining development. Both significant symbolic weight, focusing the work of the Security Committee and Partner and participating States agreed attention on Afghanistan as well as on of the Forum for Security Co-operation. on the need for enhanced co-operation at broader security for the Central Asian The Mediterranean Partners had a regional and interstate level. region. Participants considered that the lively exchange of views following up the Discussion on the human dimension

104 OSCE Annual Report stressed that a key priority remains the on the implementation of the Decision briefings by the Conflict Prevention Centre implementation of OSCE commitments on OSCE Engagement with Afghanistan, and other relevant departments and units on combating intolerance and non- with particular reference to the 16 projects of the Secretariat on the OSCE’s work in all discrimination, by using the appropriate elaborated by the Secretariat. During three dimensions of security, with a par- tools developed by the OSCE. Moreover, the visit, the Secretary General met with ticular focus on early warning and conflict participants recognized the contribution President Hamid Karzai, Foreign Minister prevention. The League’s delegates were of civil society and national human rights Rangin Dadfar Spanta and Deputy also received by the Secretary General and institutions. Interior Minister General Mohammad the Chairmanship. In addition, the second On the eve of the Conference, a Side Daud. He also met with Kai Eide, Special delegation visited the High Commissioner Event on Co-operation with Mediterranean Representative of the UN Secretary- on National Minorities in the Hague to civil society and NGOs in promoting General for Afghanistan, and Ettore Sequi, familiarize itself with his mandate and ac- tolerance and non-discrimination was EU Special Representative for Afghanistan tivities, and Skopje to learn how an OSCE held, financed by the Partnership Fund. and other representatives of the local field operation works. Recommendations from the event were diplomatic corps. They expressed their full The Secretary General also held a bilat- presented at the conference. support to the OSCE’s proposed activities eral meeting with Amre Moussa, Secretary Greece reported on the Mediterranean in support of Afghanistan. General of the League, when he visited Contact Group’s work to the Helsinki Vienna to address the Permanent Council. Ministerial Council as per the Madrid Interaction with Organizations outside Relations with the Conference on Ministerial Declaration on the Partners for the OSCE Area Interaction and Confidence-Building Co-operation. Measures in Asia (CICA) were further fos- Finally, Greece contributed €100,000 The OSCE’s dialogue and co-operation tered in 2008. The OSCE Secretary General to the Partnership Fund, part of which with regional organizations outside the met with the CICA Executive Director was used to finance the above-mentioned OSCE area broadened in 2008. In addition during his trip to Astana in April and on seminar for young diplomats. to regularly inviting these organizations the margins of the Helsinki Ministerial to relevant OSCE events, including the Council. Discussions focused on the possi- Report of the Secretary General Helsinki Ministerial Council, the OSCE bilities for co-operation between the OSCE 2008 Mediterranean Conference and the and CICA on border security and manage- The Secretariat supported the efforts of OSCE-Afghanistan Conference, the OSCE ment in Central Asia and Afghanistan. the OSCE Chairmanship and the Chairs has increasingly shared with them its Furthermore, in July, officials from the of the respective Contact Groups to experience, in particular in preventive CICA Secretariat met with the OSCE AND CO-OPERATION FOR SECURITY PARTNERSHIPS strengthen relations with the Partners for diplomacy and confidence-building mea- Secretary General and representatives of Co-operation, including by organizing sures, as advocated in the 2007 Madrid various Secretariat departments in Vienna the annual Mediterranean Conference and Ministerial Declaration on the OSCE for an exchange of experience. As in previ- the OSCE-Afghanistan Conference. The Partners for Co-operation. ous years, CICA officials participated in Secretary General addressed both events. In March and April, the Section for a number of OSCE events, including the On the margins of the Mediterranean External Co-operation hosted two delega- Helsinki Ministerial Council. Conference, the Secretary General had an tions from the African Union’s recently In March, the Secretariat, together audience with King Abdullah II and bi- established Secretariat of the Peace and with the Chairmanship, participated lateral meetings with Prime Minister and Security Council (PSC), upon the latter’s in a workshop organized by the ARF Minister of Defence Nader A. Dahabi and request. As part of the Union’s capacity- on Confidence-Building Measures and Foreign Minister Salaheddin Al-Bashir, to building efforts, the PSC Secretariat Preventive Diplomacy in Asia and Europe. discuss co-operation between the OSCE representatives received extensive brief- The workshop, hosted by Germany in and Jordan. Talks focused on possible ings by various departments and units Berlin, provided a practical opportunity closer co-operation in water management in the Secretariat to exchange experience for the exchange of information and shar- and environmental security and Jordanian with the OSCE on issues related to the ing of experience between the OSCE and expert support to the OSCE’s work on bor- Organization’s mandate and activities in the ARF. Later in April, upon the invita- der management and security in Central early warning, conflict prevention and tion of the Government of Canada, the Asia and with Afghanistan. post-conflict rehabilitation. They were also Head of External Co-operation addressed On 28 and 29 April, at the invitation received by the Finnish Chairmanship. In the ARF Inter-Sessional Support Group of the Republic of Korea, the Secretary a follow-up letter to the Secretary General, on Confidence-Building Measures and General visited Seoul for consultations the PSC Secretariat noted that it had Preventive Diplomacy. with Korean authorities. During the visit, “acquired useful lessons, especially with he met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs respect to the provision of operational and Trade, Yu Myung-hwan, and Kim support to peace and security organs and Sung-hwan, the Vice Minister of Foreign related activities.” Affairs and Trade, as well as other senior Similarly, on two different occasions, in officials in the Ministry. The consultations February and December, the Section for focused on ways to deepen co-operation External Co-operation welcomed delega- between the OSCE and Korea, as well as tions of the Secretariat of the League of possible co-operation on projects to assist Arab States to exchange experience with Central Asia and Afghanistan. the OSCE, following its establishment of From 9 to 11 September, the Secretary a Peace and Security Council in 2006. The General visited Kabul for consultations League’s delegations received in-depth

OSCE Annual Report 105

Annexes OSCE/MIKHAIL EVSTAFIEV The OSCE at a glance www.osce.org

The OSCE, with its 56 participating States of key commitments on politico-military, and Lithuania (2011) within the framework in Europe, North America and Central economic and environmental and human of the quintet initiative. Asia, some 3,000 staff members in 19 field rights issues and also established funda- The Chairman-in-Office may also ap- operations, several specialized Institutions mental principles governing the behaviour point Personal or Special Representatives to and a Secretariat in Vienna, is a primary of States toward their citizens and toward deal with specific issues or situations. instrument for early warning, conflict each other. Summits of OSCE Heads of State or prevention, crisis management and post- Following the end of the Cold War, the Government are held periodically. Between conflict rehabilitation in its area. The CSCE took on a new role in managing the Summits, the Foreign Ministers of the Organization is recognized as a regional historic change taking place in Europe and participating States meet annually as the arrangement under the United Nations responding to new security challenges. Ministerial Council to review the OSCE’s Charter. In the early 1990s, the Conference’s work activities and to provide guidance and Based on the understanding that security became more structured, meetings were direction. The Economic and Environmental touches on many aspects of our lives and held more regularly and field operations Forum meets every year to focus on selected how we are governed, the OSCE addresses were established. It acquired permanent economic and environmental issues. The a comprehensive range of issues, which it institutions, including a Secretariat, an Annual Security Review Conference and the has traditionally grouped into three areas Office for Free Elections and a Conflict Human Dimension Implementation Meeting or dimensions. In the politico-military Prevention Centre. Important agreements focus, respectively, on key issues in the dimension, it not only carries out impor- on military confidence- and security- politico-military and human dimensions. tant work in the traditional areas of arms building measures were signed in 1990, The Permanent Council is the main control and confidence- and security- 1992, 1994 and 1999 (Vienna Documents). regular body for political consultation building measures but also helps partici- The CSCE participating States belonging and decision-making. Composed of the pating States improve the management of to NATO or the Warsaw Pact concluded a Permanent Representatives of the partici- their borders and reform their military major arms control agreement, the Treaty pating States to the OSCE, it meets weekly and police forces. In the economic and on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe, in Vienna to discuss all pertinent issues and environmental dimension, the OSCE in 1990 and updated it in 1999. Another to take appropriate decisions. The Forum promotes economic co-operation and good CSCE-related agreement, the Treaty on for Security Co-operation oversees the governance, a cornerstone of stability. It Open Skies, was signed in 1992. OSCE’s politico-military dimension. It also works to raise environmental awareness, Recognizing that the CSCE was no longer convenes weekly in Vienna’s Hofburg. promote co-operation among States regard- simply a Conference, participating States The Secretariat of the OSCE is based in ing shared natural resources and help them agreed at the 1994 Budapest Summit to Vienna. It is headed by Secretary General manage the disposal of toxic waste. In the change its name to the Organization for Marc Perrin de Brichambaut of France, human dimension, the Organization is en- Security and Co-operation in Europe. who was appointed to a second three-year gaged in ensuring respect for human rights, In the twenty-first century, the OSCE’s term in June 2008. As Chief Administrative democratic governance and the promotion comprehensive approach to security has Officer, Ambassador Perrin de Brichambaut of minority rights in its participating States. increasingly proved useful in tackling new manages the OSCE’s structures and The OSCE works co-operatively. It often challenges such as the fight against terror- operations and supports the OSCE’s acts behind the scenes, fostering discus- ism and combating trafficking in human Chairmanship. sions and defusing tensions before they de- beings, which defy categorization into any To assist participating States in comply- velop into conflict. All 56 States enjoy equal one of the three dimensions of security. A ing with OSCE principles and commit- status. Decisions are taken by consensus priority of the Organization continues to be ments, the OSCE includes the following and are politically but not legally binding. the resolution of protracted conflicts in the specialized Institutions: the Office for The OSCE also collaborates with countries former Soviet Union and the embedding Democratic Institutions and Human Rights outside the OSCE area, notably with six of stability in the Balkans. Important arms (established as the Office for Free Elections Mediterranean and five Asian Partners for control agreements concluded by the par- in 1990) based in Warsaw, Poland, the High Co-operation. It works closely with other ticipating States in the twenty-first century Commissioner on National Minorities international organizations, such as the include the Document on Small Arms and (1992) based in The Hague, Netherlands, United Nations, the European Union, the Light Weapons (2000) and the Document and the Representative on Freedom of the Council of Europe and the North Atlantic on Stockpiles of Conventional Ammunition Media (1997) based in Vienna. A dis- Treaty Organisation (NATO). (2003). tinct body, the Copenhagen-based OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (1991), consisting History How the OSCE works of 320 parliamentarians from all the participating States, supports inter-parliamentary The OSCE traces its origins to the early The OSCE is chaired by one of its partici- dialogue and also plays an important role 1970s, when the two-year Conference pating States, a role which rotates annually. in election monitoring. on Security and Co-operation in Europe In 2008, Finland held the Chairmanship. The OSCE has 19 field operations in 17 brought together representatives from To aid in long-term planning and fos- States. Slightly more than 69 per cent of Eastern and Western countries in Helsinki ter continuity, Finland promoted active the OSCE’s 2008 budget of €164 million and Geneva, resulting in agreement on dialogue between fellow Troika members was allocated to field operations, 19 per the Helsinki Final Act, signed on 1 August Spain (2007) and Greece (2009) and the fu- cent to the Secretariat and 11 per cent to its 1975. This document contained a number ture Chairmanships of Kazakhstan (2010) Institutions.

108 OSCE Annual Report Organigram

Summit Periodic meeting of OSCE Heads of State or Government

Ministerial Council Annual meeting of Foreign Ministers (except Summit years)

Permanent Council Forum for Security Co-operation Regular body for political Regular body for arms control and consultation and decision-making conﬁdence- and security-building (meets weekly in Vienna) measures (meets weekly in Vienna)

OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Chairman-in-Office Copenhagen Finland Troika (2008) Spain, Finland, Greece

Secretary General Secretariat Vienna Prague Ofﬁce Personal Representatives of the CiO Office for Democratic OSCE Representative on High Commissioner on Institutions and Human Freedom of the Media National Minorities Rights Vienna The Hague High-Level Planning

Warsaw ANNEXES Group Preparing for an OSCE Peacekeeping Force for Nagorno-Karabakh

OSCE Field operations

South-eastern Europe Eastern Europe South Caucasus Central Asia Assistance with Bilateral Presence in Albania Office in Minsk Office in Baku Centre in Ashgabad Agreements Mission to Bosnia and Mission to Moldova Mission to Georgia Centre in Astana Representative to the Herzegovina Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine Office in Yerevan Centre in Bishkek Latvian-Russian Joint Mission in Kosovo Office in Tajikistan Commission on Military Mission to Montenegro Project Co-ordinator in Pensioners Mission to Serbia Uzbekistan Spillover Monitor Mission to Skopje Office in Zagreb

OSCE-related bodies

Joint Consultative Group Open Skies Consultative Court of Conciliation and Promotes implementation of CFE Commission Arbitration Treaty Promotes implementation of Geneva (meets regularly in Vienna) Open Skies Treaty (meets regularly in Vienna)

OSCE Annual Report 109 OSCE Budget 2008 by Fund (Permanent Council Decisions 839, 882)

Fund Euros % of Total

The Secretariat 31,617,100 19.26%

Ofﬁce for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) 14,405,100 8.77%

High Commissioner on National Minorities (HCNM) 3,017,100 1.84%

Representative on Freedom of the Media (RFOM) 1,312,000 0.80% Total for the Secretariat and Institutions 50,351,300 30.67%

Augmentations* 5,340,900 3.25%

Mission in Kosovo 30,010,300 18.28%

Tasks in Bosnia and Herzegovina 15,254,500 9.29%

Ofﬁce in Zagreb** 2,748,800 1.67%

Mission to Serbia 8,200,400 5.00%

Presence in Albania 3,544,600 2.16%

Spillover Monitor Mission to Skopje 9,078,800 5.53%

Mission to Montenegro 2,309,500 1.41%

Mission to Moldova 1,956,400 1.19%

Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine 2,607,900 1.59%

Ofﬁce in Minsk 962,300 0.59%

Representative to the Latvian-Russian JC on Military Pensioners 9,600 0.01%

Mission to Georgia 9,750,700 5.94%

Ofﬁce in Yerevan 2,523,200 1.54%

Ofﬁce in Baku 2,498,800 1.52%

High Level Planning Group 192,200 0.12%

The Minsk Process 953,300 0.58%

Personal Representative of the CiO - Minsk Conference 1,050,900 0.64%

Centre in Astana 2,067,600 1.26%

Centre in Ashgabad 1,338,100 0.82%

Centre in Bishkek 5,051,900 3.08%

Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan 1,641,300 1.00%

Ofﬁce in Tajikistan*** 4,724,900 2.88% Total for Field Operations 113,816,900 69.33%

GRAND TOTAL 164,168,200 100.00%

* Augmentations established as a separate fund by PC Decision 827 ** Ofﬁce in Zagreb established by PC Decision 836 *** Centre in Dushanbe renamed to Ofﬁce in Tajikistan by PC Decision 852

Budget 2008 by Institutions and Regions Central Asia Central Asia 9.0% Caucasus 10.3% Caucasus Eastern Europe 3.4% The Secretariat South-eastern Europe 43.3% and Institutions Augmentations 3.3% The Secretariat and Institutions 30.7% Eastern Europe

Augmentations

South-eastern Europe

110 OSCE Annual Report OSCE Fixed-term Staff as of 31 December 2008 (including staff ﬁnanced from extra-budgetary contributions)

Nationality Kosovo Bosnia Herzegovina & Zagreb Georgia Skopje Serbia Montenegro Moldova Albania Astana Ashgabad Bishkek Tajikistan Uzbekistan Baku Minsk Yerevan ConferenceMinsk Ukraine Total for ﬁeld operations Secretariat Media, Vienna of Freedom HCNM, The Hague ODIHR, Warsaw Total for Secretariat & Institutions GRAND TOTAL Albania 00 Andora 00 Armenia 1 1 1 1 4 1 15 Austria 16515311 3 1 1 37 9112 13 50 Azerbaijan 2 1 1 4 1 15 Belarus 1 2 3 6 1112 511 Belgium 0 3 33 Bosnia and Herzegovina 8 1 2 1 1 13 12316 Bulgaria 2213121111 15 5 520 Canada 2 1 1 1 5 6612 17 Croatia 5 1 1 1 8 11210 Cyprus 0 1 11 Czech Republic 1 1 1 2 1 6 3 39 Denmark 1 1 2 1124 Estonia 112 2 6 0117 Finland 3 2 5 1 1 1 3 1 17 81211 28 France 77 42112 11 21111 32 10 1 6 17 49 the former Yugoslav 3 3 1 14 Republic of Macedonia Georgia 1 1 1 3 11247 Germany 185 7421121 21221 49 12 2 3 17 66 Greece 6 2 1 9 31413 Hungary 224121112117 12 1 421

Holy See 0 0 0 ANNEXES Iceland 0 0 0 Ireland 55 121 14 41 519 Italy 13811631 11 2 37 91414 51 Japan 1 11 Kazakhstan 1 1 2 1235 Kyrgyzstan 2 2 1 13 Latvia 1 1 1 3 1 14 Liechtenstein 00 Lithuania 2 1 3 1 14 Luxemburg 0 3 33 Malta 1 1 1 12 Moldova 2 12 111 1 9 211413 Monaco 00 Montenegro 1 11 Netherlands 43241115 223722 Norway 2141 1 9 222615 Poland 2 2 1 1 1 1 8 31711 19 Portugal 3 1 44 Romania 21112 1 8 31412 Russian Federation 2 3 3 1 2 1 12 14 1 1 16 28 San Marino 00 Serbia 1 1 2 2135 Slovakia 1 2 1 1 1 6 1128 Slovenia 1 1 1 3 2 25 Spain 173314 1 1 2 32 12 1 13 45 Sweden 53 2231 1 1 11 20 61727 Switzerland 1 2 3 21 36 Tajikistan 1 2 3 2 25 Turkey 7 4531 1 2 23 6 629 Turkmenistan 0 2 22 Ukraine 2 311 21 10 41 515 United Kingdom 51 243 13 1 11 22 13 1 5 19 41 United States 17111345224 22 1 54 14 2 7 23 77 Uzbekistan 2 1 3 1125 Internationally recruited staff 172757605441151226651322312596354617881971276822 Locally recruited staff 580435241441461363637791918688715219371145194718729582562203

OSCE Annual Report 111 Contact information

Press and Public Information OSCE Field operations Eastern Europe The Personal Representative Section of the OSCE Chairman-in- OSCE Secretariat South-eastern Europe OSCE Office in Minsk Office on the Conflict Dealt Wallnerstrasse 6 Prospekt Gasety Pravda 11 with by the OSCE Minsk 1010 Vienna, Austria OSCE Presence in Albania 220116 Minsk, Belarus Conference Tel: +43 1 514 36 6000 Sheraton Tirana Hotel Tel.: +375 17 272 34 97 4 Freedom Square Fax: +43 1 514 36 6996 & Towers, 1st Floor Fax: +375 17 272 34 98 GMT Plaza, 1st Floor [email protected] Tirana, Albania E-mail: [email protected] 0105 Tbilisi, Georgia www.osce.org Tel.: +355 4 235 993 Tel.: +995 32 99 87 32 Fax: +355 4 235 994 OSCE Mission to Moldova Fax: +995 32 98 85 66 Parliamentary Assembly E-mail: [email protected] Str Mitropolit Dosoftei 108 E-mail: [email protected] International Secretariat 2012 Chisinau, Moldova Raadhusstraede 1 OSCE Mission to Bosnia Tel.: +373 22 88 78 03 OSCE Office in Yerevan 1466 Copenhagen K and Herzegovina Fax: +373 22 22 34 96 64/1 Sundukyan Str. Denmark Fra Andjela Zvizdovica 1 E-mail: [email protected] Yerevan 0012, Armenia Tel.: +45 33 37 80 40 71000 Sarajevo Tel +374 10 229610-14 Fax: +45 33 37 80 30 Bosnia and Herzegovina OSCE Project Co-ordinator Fax +374 10 229615 E-mail: [email protected] Tel.: +387 33 752 100 in Ukraine E-mail: [email protected] Fax: +387 33 442 479 16 Striletska St. E-mail: [email protected] 01034 Kyiv, Ukraine Institutions Tel.: +380 44 492 03 82 Central Asia OSCE Mission in Kosovo Fax: +380 44 492 03 83 Office for Democratic OSCE Headquarters E-mail: csaba.csizmadia@osce. OSCE Centre in Ashgabad Institutions and Human 10000 Pristina org Turkmenbashy Shayoly 15 Rights Kosovo-UNMIK 744005 Ashgabad Aleje Ujazdowskie 19 Tel +381 38 240 100 OSCE Representative to Turkmenistan 00-557 Warsaw, Poland Fax +381 38 240 711 the Latvian-Russian Joint Tel.: +993 12 35 30-92 Tel.: +48 22 520 06 00 E-mail: [email protected] Commission on Military Fax: +993 12 35 30-41 Fax: +48 22 520 06 05 Pensioners E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] OSCE Mission to Montenegro Wallnerstrasse 6 Bulevar Svetog Petra 1010 Vienna, Austria OSCE Centre in Astana The OSCE High Commissioner Cetinjskog 147 Tel.: +43 1 514 36 68 58 10 Beibitshilik St. on National Minorities 81000 Podgorica Fax: +43 1 514 36 61 24 Astana 010000, Kazakhstan Prinsessegracht 22 Montenegro E-mail: helmut.napiontek@ Tel.: +7 7172 326804 2514 AP The Hague Tel.: +382 81 40 64 01 osce.org +7 7172 321940 The Netherlands Fax: +382 81 40 64 31 Fax: + 7 7172 328304 Tel.: +31 70 312 55 00 E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] Fax: +31 70 363 59 10 South Caucasus E-mail: [email protected] OSCE Mission to Serbia OSCE Centre in Bishkek Cakorska 1 OSCE Office in Baku 139 St. Toktogula The OSCE Representative 11000 Belgrade Serbia The Landmark III 720001 Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan on Freedom of the Media Tel.: +381 11 36 06 100 96 Nizami St. Tel.: +996 312 66 50 15 Wallnerstrasse 6 Fax: +381 11 36 06 119 Baku, Azerbaijan Fax: +996 312 66 31 69 1010 Vienna, Austria E-mail: [email protected] Tel.: +994 12 497 23 73 E-mail: [email protected] Tel: +43 1 514 36 68 00 Fax: +994 12 497 23 77 Fax: +43 1 514 36 68 02 OSCE Spillover Monitor E-mail: [email protected] OSCE Office in Tajikistan E-mail: [email protected] Mission to Skopje 18a A. Donish Ave. QBE Makedonija Building, 11 OSCE Mission to Georgia 734012 Dushanbe, Tajikistan Oktomvri Str. 25 Krtsanisi Governmental Tel: +992 37 251 0034 MK-1000, Skopje Residence Fax: +992 37 251 0137 The former Yugoslav Republic Krtsanisi St. E-mail: [email protected] of Macedonia 0114 Tbilisi, Georgia Tel.: +389 23 23 40 00 Tel.: +995 32 202 303 OSCE Project Co-ordinator Fax: +389 23 23 42 34 Fax: +995 32 202 304 in Uzbekistan E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] Afrosiyob Street 12b, 4th Floor 700015 Tashkent OSCE Office in Zagreb Republic of Uzbekistan Florijana Andraseca 14 Tel.: +998 71 120 44 70 10000 Zagreb, Croatia Fax: +998 71 120 61 25 Tel.: +385 1 309 66 20 E-mail: [email protected] Fax: +385 1 309 66 21 E-mail: [email protected]

112 OSCE Annual Report