This report describes the police-related activities of the OSCE executive structures in compliance with the Ministerial and Permanent Council Decisions and Action Plans, listed in Appendix 3. The report provides information about the police-related activities of the TNTD/SPMU, other thematic units in the Secretariat, and the OSCE field operations. The HCNM and ODIHR Annual Reports on Police-Related Activities for 2012 are attached to this report in Appendix 1 and 2, respectively.
Following up on the 2011 Vilnius Ministerial Council Decision No. 9/11 on Strengthening Coordination and Coherence in the OSCE’s Efforts to Address Transnational Threats, as well as the proposals by the Secretary General included in the 2012 Unified Budget Proposal for the creation of a department to address transnational threats, the Transnational Threats Department (TNTD) became operational on 1 January 2012.
Police-related activities of the TNTD’s Co-ordination Cell focused on supporting the participating States in developing cyber/ICT security-related confidence-building measures (CBMs) to reduce the risks of conflict stemming from the use of information and communication technologies; and on extending and enhancing online and information system support through the online information management platform Policing OnLine Information System (POLIS) to all TNTD units and other relevant actors in the OSCE, in planning, co-ordinating and implementing activities.
The TNTD/Strategic Police Matters Unit continued providing police-related support to the OSCE Secretary General and the OSCE Chairmanship-in-Office. The Unit also responded to participating States’ requests for assistance in policy-development and police reforms and supported the OSCE field operations and Institutions in the implementation of their mandates, including an assessment of the OSCE Community Security Initiative’s achievements in Kyrgyzstan and the development of guideline documents for law enforcement practitioners, policymakers and civil society in the OSCE area. During the year, particular efforts were devoted to the areas of strategic planning and police reform within the framework of criminal justice system reform, democratic policing, and combating organized crime, including the fight against illicit drugs, trafficking in human beings and cybercrime.
The TNTD/Action against Terrorism Unit promoted capacity building on terrorism issues related to policing and anti-organized crime. Through trainings, seminars and events field operations, participating States, and other OSCE executive structures were assisted on issues such as community policing and countering VERLT, countering the use of the Internet for terrorism purposes, promoting the legal framework and co-operation in criminal matters related to terrorism, as well as travel document and border security.
The TNTD/Borders Unit was involved in activities to address crime-related issues, directly focusing on capacity building activities related to trafficking in drugs, human beings and goods, anti-corruption, licencing and control of exported small arms and light weapons, and other major cross-border crimes relevant to border security. In addition, considerable support was provided to the OSCE Border Management Staff College in Dushanbe.
The Gender Section in the Office of the Secretary General continued providing assistance to integrate a gender perspective in police-related activities of the OSCE as well as in national police strategies of participating States, and further developed the roster for female experts
in the first dimension.
Police-related activities of the Office of the Co-ordinator of Economic and Environmental Activities focused primarily on raising awareness of the participating States on the implementation of international legislative frameworks in the fields of good governance, combating corruption, money laundering and terrorist financing.
Police-related activities of the Office of the Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings continued to focus on providing training for police agencies, prosecutors and judges in the OSCE area to raise awareness about the human rights-based approach in the fight against THB, as well as about the links of THB with other forms of transnational threats such as drug trafficking, corruption, money laundering and terrorist activities. Furthermore, the Office promoted international co-operation among law enforcement agencies and among relevant international organizations, such as the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the International Labour Organisation and the International Organisation for Migration.