Transnational Annual Report of the Secretary General on Police-Related Activities 2020 The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe is The World’s Largest Regional Security Organization working to ensure peace, democracy and stability for more than a billion people between Vancouver and Vladivostok. This report is submitted in accordance with Decision 9, paragraph 6, of the Bucharest Ministerial Council Meeting, 4 December 2001. © OSCE 2021 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 be accompanied by an acknowledgement of the OSCE as the source. OSCE Secretariat Transnational Threats Department Strategic Police Matters Unit Wallnerstrasse 6 1010 Vienna, Austria E-mail: [email protected] http://www.osce.org/secretariat/policing http://polis.osce.org Table of Contents Foreword by the Secretary General 2 1. Executive Summary 5 2. Activities of the Transnational Threats Department 13 2.1 TNTD/Co-ordination Cell 14 2.2 TNTD/Strategic Police Matters Unit 16 2.3 TNTD/Action against Terrorism Unit 26 2.4 TNTD/Border Security and Management Unit 30 3. Police-Related Activities of Other Thematic Units 35 3.1 Programme for Gender Issues 36 3.2 Office of the Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings (OSR/CTHB) 38 4. Police-Related Activities of Field Operations 43 SOUTH-EASTERN EUROPE 44 4.1 Presence in Albania 44 4.2 Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina 51 4.3 Mission in Kosovo 56 4.4 Mission to Montenegro 71 4.5 Mission to Serbia 76 4.6 Mission to Skopje 84 EASTERN EUROPE 90 4.7 Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine 90 CENTRAL ASIA 94 4.8 Centre in Ashgabat 94 4.9 Programme Office in Bishkek 100 4.10 Programme Office in Dushanbe 103 4.11 Programme Office in Nur-Sultan 107 4.12 Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan 112 APPENDICES 119 APPENDIX 1 ODIHR Annual Report on Police-Related Activities for 2020 120 APPENDIX 2 HCNM Annual Report on Police-Related Activities in 2020 124 APPENDIX 3 RFoM Annual Report on Police-Related Activities for 2020 126 APPENDIX 4 OSCE MC and PC Decisions, Declarations and Action Plans with a Focus on Police-Related Activities 128 APPENDIX 5 Abbreviations and Acronyms 135 APPENDIX 6 Contact Details 138 1 Foreword by the Secretary General OSCE police-related activities demonstrate in a very tangible way the potential of our Organization’s comprehensive approach to security. Because to effectively counter transnational threats such as organized crime, terrorism, trafficking in human beings, or cybercrime, participating States’ police services appreciate the need to comply with, promote and uphold democratic principles and human rights. Within their respective mandates, the Secretariat, Institutions and Field Operations continued in 2020 to support OSCE’s participating States in two main categories of police-related activities. On the one hand, activities related to general police development and reform, including the crucial spheres of anti-corruption efforts, combating gender- based violence, community policing and hate crime. On the other, activities focused on countering threats involving criminal activities, such as organized crime, trafficking in human beings, terrorism, trafficking in illicit drugs and chemical precursors, and cybercrime. Intelligence-led policing (ILP) efforts are a great example of how activities belonging to the first category ultimately contribute to more effectively countering transnational threats. By systematically gathering and analyzing data, an ILP approach enables law enforcement agencies to address the ever-increasing complexity and transnational nature of crime, while responding to the growing public demand for financial efficiency. However, while moving from reactive forms of policing to the more proactive ILP approach, compliance with national and international laws, data protection and human remain a top priority. At a time when security challenges are rapidly evolving, effective platforms for the exchange of information and best practices are essential to strengthen and reform law enforcement capacities. In 2020, despite a reduction of activities due to the COVID-19 pandemic, our staff ensured business continuity by leveraging the opportunities offered by technology. Thanks to their efforts and dedication, it was possible to hold the two 2 most important recurring OSCE-wide police-related events: the Annual Police Experts Meeting and the OSCE-wide Drug Conference. Gathering around 400 participants in total, these two events enabled expert discussions between representatives from OSCE participating States and Partners for Co-operation, regional and international organizations, non-governmental organizations, academia and the media. The 2020 Annual Police Experts Meeting was dedicated to discussing challenges and examples of co-operation in police–media relations, with a special focus on lessons learned and good practices in police–public relations through traditional and social media platforms. The 2020 OSCE-wide Drug Conference provided an opportunity for experts from OSCE participating States and Partners for Co-operation to discuss collective responses, including by means of community policing, to protect youth from drug use and abuse. In summary, 2020 police-related activities once again demonstrated OSCE’s effectiveness in linking participating States and Partners for Co-operation with experts from other regional and international organizations, think tanks, civil society, academia and the media. As I believe this report shows, last year’s efforts represented a substantial and practical contribution to the Organization’s core mandate in conflict prevention and strengthening peace and security. Helga Maria Schmid OSCE Secretary General 3 1 Executive Summary 5 Executive Summary The Annual Report of the Secretary General on Police-Related types of police-related activities in comparison to the Activities provides a comprehensive overview of all police- previous year. related projects, events and programmes implemented by the OSCE executive structures, including the thematic units in In 2020, the three areas of police-related activities with the the Secretariat, field operations (FOs) and institutions. highest percentage shares were: Community Policing, Police– Public Relations and Crime Prevention (14%), Counter- The Report is submitted in accordance with Decision 9, Terrorism & Violent Extremism and Radicalization that lead Paragraph 6, of the 2001 Bucharest Ministerial Council (MC) to Terrorism (VERLT) (13%) and Gender-based Violence Meeting, while the activities described in this report are (11%). These areas also recorded the highest percentage shares based on a comprehensive list of individual mandates and in 2019, albeit with a slightly different composition: in that tasks that have been provided by various MC and Permanent year Community Policing, Police–Public Relations and Crime Council (PC) Decisions since 1998. A full list of all MC and Prevention recorded 15%, Counter-Terrorism & VERLT PC Decisions and Action Plans with a focus on police-related recorded 11%, and Gender-based Violence recorded 10%. activities is provided in Appendix 4. The areas that recorded a higher percentage share in 2020 The police-related activities described in this report are than in 2019 were the following: Organized Crime (an presented in two main categories: increase of approximately 4%), Police Development and 1) general police development and reform, including Reform, Counter-Terrorism & VERLT, and Illicit Drugs and Anti-Corruption, Gender-based Violence, Community Precursors (each approximately a 2% increase), as well as Anti- Policing and Hate Crime; and Corruption, Gender Mainstreaming, Gender-based Violence, 2) countering threats posed by criminal activity, including and Cross-Border Co-operation in Criminal Matters (each a Organized Crime, Terrorism, Trafficking in Illicit Drugs 1% increase compared to 2019). On the other hand, the areas and Chemical Precursors, Trafficking in Human Beings with the biggest decline in their percentage shares were the and Cybercrime. following: Trafficking in Human Beings & Migration-related Crime (a decrease of 5%, with its percentage of the total This report also provides data regarding the number of number also 5%, half its share in 2019), Human Rights and police-related activities related to these categories that were Police Accountability, Public Order and Crisis Management, implemented by the OSCE executive structures in 2020, and Cybercrime (each with a decrease of 2%). as well as a comparison to the previous year. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the impediments it caused, such The majority of OSCE police-related activities in 2020 as movement restrictions and the inability to organize on- continued to be dedicated to the area of general police the-spot events in the OSCE area, compared with last year development and reform, albeit with a smaller percentage this statistical data shows an overall decrease in the number than in 2019 (52%, compared to its 2019 share of 56%). of activities. The total number of police-related activities Within this group, a particular focus was placed on activities recorded in 2020 is 797, compared with 1,297 recorded in related to Community Policing, Police–Public Relations 2019. This represents a decrease of approximately 38%. Of and Crime Prevention (14% of the total), Gender-based this total, the number of general police development and