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ANNUAL REPORT

2012

BUILDING TRUST

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THE WORLDS LARGEST REGIONALSECURITY ORGANIZATION

From its beginnings in 1975 as a conference that helped

to bring together Cold War rivals, the Organization for Security

and Co-operation in Europe has developed into the worlds

largest regional security organization, working to ensure

peace, democracy and stability for more than a billion people

between Vancouver to Vladivostock.

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5OSCE ANNUAL REPORT 2012

TABLE OF CONTENTS

MESSAGE FROM THE SECRETARY GENERAL 6

THREE DIMENSIONS OF SECURITY 8

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 9

REPORT OF THE CHAIRMANSHIP-IN-OFFICE 12

PERMANENT COUNCIL 25

FORUM FOR SECURITY CO-OPERATION 28

OSCE PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY 33

FIELD OPERATIONS 36

SOUTH-EASTERN EUROPEPresence in Albania 38Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina 40Mission in Kosovo 42Mission to Montenegro 44Mission to Serbia 46Mission to Skopje 48

EASTERN EUROPEMission to Moldova 50Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine 52

SOUTH CAUCASUSOffice in Baku 54Office in Yerevan 56

CENTRAL ASIACentre in Ashgabat 58Centre in Astana 60Centre in Bishkek 62Office in Tajikistan 64Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan 66

ASSISTANCE WITH BILATERAL AGREEMENTSRepresentative to the Latvian-RussianJoint Commission on Military Pensioners 68

INSTITUTIONS 69

Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights 70High Commissioner on National Minorities 73Representative on Freedom of the Media 75

SECRETARIAT 77

The OSCE Secretariat 78Office of the Special Representative and Co-ordinatorfor Combating Trafficking in Human Beings 80Transnational Threats Department 82Conflict Prevention Centre 84Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic andEnvironmental Activities 86

PARTNERSHIPS FOR SECURITY AND CO-OPERATION 88

Engagement with the Asian and MediterraneanPartners for Co-operation 89Engagement with international, regional and

sub-regional organizations and institutions 92

ANNEXES 98

OSCE fixed-term staff 992012 OSCE Unified Budget 100Extra Budgetary Contributions 102Contact information 104Impressum 105

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6 OSCE ANNUAL REPORT 2012

MESSAGE FROM THE SECRETARY GENERAL

We end the year one participating State stronger. And, as an organization,we remain as committed as ever to our founding principles. I am pleased towelcome Mongoliaas the latest country to join our (now) 57-member strong

community. This demonstrates the continuing relevance of the OSCE comprehensiveapproach to security and the viability of the Organization as a forum where securityissues can be discussed and solutions sought in an open and inclusive manner.

We have another first this year: the Transnational Threats Departmentwas estab-lished to provide co-ordination and cohesiveness to OSCE-wide activities. The newTNTD combines OSCE resources in policing, counter-terrorism, borders and cyber-security, offering new opportunities for enhanced co-operation in an integratedway with many partner organizations, including NATO, the Collective Security TreatyOrganization, the Council of Europe and the European Union.

While participating States are clear in supporting a steady development of ouractivities to address TNTs, we have seen that differences remain in other areas ofour agenda. This has to do in part with the overall balance, both geopolitical andthematic, of our activities. But it also includes issues such as the OSCE role inworking to resolve protracted conflicts, dealing with cybersecurity and addressingfreedom of electronic media.

This year I launched the first Security Days,an event which brought togetherprominent experts, members of think tanks, representatives of civil society and OSCEdelegates, to discuss current challenges and the role of States and civil society inshaping a security community. More than 250 participants discussed Euro-Atlantic andEurasian security last June, strengthening interaction between the OSCE and relevant

partners. This is one effort to bring more balance to the agenda of the Organization bybuilding up and sharpening our focus and activities in the politico-military field.

MESSAGE FROM THESECRETARY GENERALSecretary General:Lamberto Zannier

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Trust and dialogue are what we are about. This year we mark the 20thanniversariesof two great forums which are important pillars of our Organization:

The Forum for Security Co-operationwas the result of successful discussions be-tween sides in the OSCE on developing unparalleled confidence- and security-buildingexercises that not only keep parties talking, but also have real results to show.

Experience at the Economic and Environmental Forumproves that security improves

when all States work toward best practices in good governance, environmental integ-rity, transportation, migration and energy issues.

Also this year, we saw progress on the Transdniestrian settlementprocess culmin-ating in a statement at the Dublin MC for the first time in 10 years. Ministers declaredtheir unanimous support for the Transdniestrian settlement process, giving newpolitical impetus to the official negotiations, which resumed in 2011 after a six-yearhiatus.

The OSCE has extensive experience in monitoring and organizing elections. Underthe leadership of the Chairmanship-in-Office, the OSCE also successfully assisted inorganizing the Serbian presidential and parliamentary elections in Kosovo.

Moreover, we do this with ever-shrinking resources during this worldwide financialcrisis. These difficult financial times mean that OSCE must work even more efficiently.I have tried to achieve this by creating synergies with regional and internationalactors and with our Partners for Co-operation. We have adopted the same strategywith think tanks, academic organizations and governments. I would like to take thisopportunity to thank all of our partners who work diligently with us, sharing theirideas and displaying common commitment.

My appreciation also goes to Tnaiste, Eamon Gilmore, for his excellent work asChairperson in 2012. Assisted by a very committed team, he worked with strongdetermination throughout the year and was particularly successful in highlightingimportant issues like promoting progress towards conflict resolution, freedomof expression and good governance.

I would also like to express my profound gratitude to the dedicated women andmen who serve the OSCE in the Secretariat, the Institutions, the Field Operationsand the Parliamentary Assembly.

Lamberto Zannier

OSCE Secretary General

Vienna, 2012

OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier (l) speaking

with the Head of the OSCE Mission to Moldova, Ambas-

sador Jennifer Brush, on the bridge over Dniester/

Nistru River. (OSCE/Igor Schimbator)

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

THREE DIMENSIONS OF SECURITYThe Helsinki Final Act was signed as a politically binding agreement

at the Helsinki Summit in 1975 and acts as the backbone of OSCE

activities. The Final Act divides areas of activities into three basketswhich now are referred to as the OSCEs three dimensions:

HUMAN DIMENSION

Activities aim to ensure full respect forhuman rights and fundamental freedomsas they apply to security; to abide bythe rule of law; to promote the principlesof democracy by building, strengtheningand protecting democratic institutions;and to promote tolerance throughout theOSCE area.

POLITICO-MILITARY DIMENSION

Activities include a number of com-mitments by participating States andmechanisms for conflict preventionand resolution. The Organization alsoseeks to enhance military securityby promoting greater openness, trans-parency and co-operation.

ECONOMIC AND

ENVIRONMENTAL DIMENSION

Activities focus on the monitoring ofdevelopments in this area among partici-pating States, with the aim of alertingthem to any threat of conflict; and

assisting in the creation of economicand environmental policies and relatedinitiatives to promote security in theOSCE region.

HUMANDIMENSION

Elections Human Rights Media Freedom and Freedom of Expression Roma and Sinti Rule of Law Tolerance

CROSS-DIMENSION

National Minorities Gender Equality Human Trafficking Other

POLITICO-MILITARYDIMENSION

Arms Control Combating Cybercrime Combating Terrorism Conflict Prevention and Resolution Military Reform Police Reform

ECONOMIC ANDENVIRONMENTALDIMENSION

Anti-Money Laundering Economy Energy Entrepreneurship Environment Good Governance

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARYAt a time of stagnating budgets and increasingly divergent views, the OSCE

continued to meet its mandate across all three dimensions under the strong

and able leadership of the Irish Chairmanship-in-Office.

Ministers agreed on a process towards building a security community by the

year 2015, the 40thanniversary of the seminal CSCE conference in Helsinki at the

Ministerial meeting in Dublin. A Declaration on Good Governance was another

highlight. OSCE states further agreed that Switzerland would hold the 2014

Chairmanship-in-Office. Serbia will follow in 2015.

New partnerships were forged; old oneswere strengthened. We organized thefirst Security Days conference, an eventwhich brought together 250 prominentexperts, members of think tanks and OSCEdelegates to discuss current challengesand the role of civil society in shaping asecurity community.

POLITICO-MILITARYFor the first time in ten years, theparticipating States spoke in one posi-tive voice on the negotiations to settlethe conflict between Moldova and thebreakaway region of Transdniestria. OSCEstaffers, under the leadership of theIrish Chairmanship, organized ballotingof Serbian elections in Kosovo.

The Transnational Threats Departmentopened this year to co-ordinate OSCEresources in policing, counter-terrorism,border security and cybersecurity andenhance co-operation in an integratedway with NATO, the Collective Secu-rity Treaty Organization, the Councilof Europe and the European Union.Furthermore, our Community Service Ini-tiative helped improve policing in southKyrgyzstan.

110TONNESOF NAPALM

10,023TONNES OF TOXIC ROCKET FUEL

DESTROYED:

CLEARED:

15

231 HECTARES OF LAND FROMLAND MINES

STRENGTHENED CROSS-BORDERTRADE AND SECURITY:

1,809BORDER OFFICIALSTRAINED

650BOMBS

22,600TONNESOF UNSTABLE OR SURPLUS AMMUNITION

MILLIONEUROS ONPROJECTS

TO HELP STATES SOLVE PROBLEMSWITH SMALL ARMS, LIGHT WEAPONS ANDCONVENTIONAL AMMUNITION

40

YEARS FORUM FORSECURITY CO-OPERATION:

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Women entrepreneurs from Afghanistan,Tajikistan and Azerbaijan took part inan OSCE-supported training course onbusiness management. (OSCE/UrsulaFroese)

WE HELPED DOZENS OFCOMMUNITIES IN5 COUNTRIESWITH

WATERMANAGEMENTAND CONFLICTRESOLUTION

We made great strides in good governanceand anti-money laundering issues. Thiswas done by organizing training coursesfor police and border guards as well as

government officials and parliamentariansin at least 14 countries. It was also doneby advising 13 governments on reform-ing their judicial systems and/or revisingcertain laws and regulations.

Progress also advanced in environmentalissues as they relate to security. Waterand gas rights continued to play a domi-

ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL

ENTREPRENEURSSUPPORTED TOSTART BUSINESSES ANDGENERATE JOBS

SUPPORTING DEMOCRACY:

15,000+WOMEN IN 8 COUNTRIESENCOURAGED TO PARTICIPATE INPOLITICAL AND PUBLIC LIFE

800+ADOPTED A GOOD GOVERNANCEDECLARATION

48

nant role in many participating States;OSCE staff assisted in improving usageand in teaching conflict resolution skills.We have strongly supported Aarhus

Centres and civil society engagementthroughout the OSCE region.

We continued our work training andsupporting entrepreneurs. For example,in Tajikistan we trained 178 women touse the computer. More impressive:More than 800 entrepreneurs receivedlegal advice as they seek to start up

their own businesses throughout theOSCE region.

STATES

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BUILT A NETWORK TO

EMPOWERWOMENFROM MIGRANT,MINORITY,ROMA AND SINTICOMMUNITIES

Students from Kosovo taking measure-ments of an exposed part of the dig atthe Ulpiana archaeological site, during anOSCE-supported multi-ethnic archaeologi-cal youth camp. (OSCE/Hasan Sopa)

150INTERVENTIONS REGARDING

JOURNALISTSIN 38PARTICIPATINGSTATES

HUMAN DIMENSION

3,997PEOPLE VULNERABLE TOHUMAN TRAFFICKINGTRAINEDIN LIFE SKILLS

A wide range of activities were car-ried out under the human dimension.One important focus was on Internetfreedom. Chairmanship-in-Office Ireland

held a high level conference to highlightchallenges. Field Offices followed suit.In 2012, the Representative on Freedomof the Media intervened more than 150times in 38 participating States on issuesranging from violence against journaliststo criminal and administrative harass-ment of the media.

Support to participating States inconducting democratic elections is aprimary focus for us. In 2012, theOffice for Democratic Institutions and

Human Rights deployed election observ-ers to 14 countries.

We also successfully launched the firstof a series of workshops on preventinghuman trafficking for domestic servantsin diplomatic households. We carriedout innovative research on trafficking forthe purpose of organ removal.

We built a mentoring network to em-power women from migrant, minorityand Roma and Sinti communities to actas agents of change in society.

At the Euro 2012 Championship inPoland and Ukraine; and at the LondonOlympic Games, OSCE raised awarenessof the potential value of Sport in Com-bating Racism, Intolerance and Discrimi-nation in Society.

14ELECTIONS OBSERVEDBY MONITORS FROM47 DIFFERENT COUNTRIES

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REPORT OF THE

CHAIRMANSHIP-IN-OFFICE

The Chairmanship rotates annually, and the post of theChairperson-in-Office is held by the Foreign Minister.

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It was an honour for Ireland to chair the worlds largest security organization, theOrganization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, for the first time last year.The OSCE plays a key role in ensuring peace, stability and security in our region

and I am satisfied that Irelands Chairmanship has helped to progress and protect theOrganizations capacity in this area.

The main goal throughout the year was to strengthen security across all dimensionsand to enhance the Organizations capacity to fulfil its fundamental objectives.I believe that the OSCE has emerged strengthened as a result of the decisions agreedthroughout 2012 and at the Dublin Ministerial.

From the outset, I planned that, as Chair-in-Office, I would adopt a pragmatic, fair-minded approach to the Chairmanship responsibilities. Irelands priorities across the

Dimensions were balanced and clear. In addition, conflict resolution efforts, drawingon our experience of the Northern Ireland peace process, was a particular priorityfor the Chairmanship and for me personally. In my capacity as Chairperson-in-Office,I visited Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan in June to meet with key stakeholdersand to underline Irelands commitment to finding solutions to the protracted conflictsin the region.

A particular highlight was the high-level conference I hosted in April in Dublin, en-titled Shared Future: Building and Sustaining Peace, the Northern Ireland case study.This event proved a unique opportunity to listen to the experiences of a range ofsenior political figures with first-hand experience of the peace process.

The Chairmanship also successfully organized a high-level conference in June onInternet Freedom. It involved not only representatives of the 56 participating Statesbut also representatives of international organizations, civil society, IT and mediasectors. It was clear from the conference that we must continue to strive for a com-mon understanding of human rights and fundamental freedoms, as they apply bothonline and offline.

In November, I was delighted to welcome Mongolia as the 57thparticipating State ofthe OSCE, a long-standing Asian Partner for Co-operation.

The most important success of the Dublin Ministerial was undoubtedly the politicalagreement to launch the Helsinki +40 Process which sets out a clear path of workfrom now until 2015 and offers a valuable opportunity to strengthen the Organization.The Declaration on Good Governance and the Ministerial Statement of support for theTransdniestrian settlement process were also substantial outcomes. I also welcomethe completion of the package of transnational threats decisions, as they represent animportant rounding off of a body of work undertaken over the last number of years.

I regret that no decisions were agreed in the Human Dimension. I will work, as OSCETroika, with Ukraine to strive to reverse this negative trend.

As I look back on our overall priorities and on what Ireland achieved in 2012, I amsatisfied that we were able to register concrete positive progress. I am immenselygrateful for the support from the Secretary General and from all of the OSCE team the Secretariat, field offices, Institutions and Parliamentary Assembly. I would also liketo pay special thanks to those who gave freely of their experience to work throughoutthe year as Special or Personal Representatives to the Chair-in-Office.

Finally, I wish every success to the current Chair-in-Office, Leonid Kozhara of Ukraineand I pledge my full support as we continue our engagement as OSCE Troika partners.

Eamon Gilmore T.D.

2012 OSCE Chairperson

LETTER FROM EAMONGILMORE2012 OSCE Chairperson:Eamon Gilmore

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REPORT OF THE CHAIRMANSHIP-IN-OFFICE

IRISH CHAIRMANSHIP-IN-OFFICE 2012The overarching goal of Irelands Chairmanship-in-Office was to strengthensecurity across all dimensions in the OSCE region and to enhance the Organiza-

tions capacity to fulfil its fundamental objectives.

From the beginning, the Irish Chairmanship noted that the 40thanniversary of

the Helsinki Final Act in 2015 provided an opportunity for Chairmanships up to

then to work with all participating States to identify common principles which

will help build on the unique strengths of the OSCE and develop the specific con-

tribution which the Organization can make to tackling global challenges. This

discussion led ultimately to the adoption by Ministers in Dublin of a decision on

the Helsinki + 40 Process, which provides a roadmap for a co-ordinated

strategic approach by the three forthcoming Chairs towards the 40thanniversary

of the Helsinki Final Act.

The Chairperson-in-Office, EamonGilmore T.D., Tnaiste and Ministerfor Foreign Affairs and Trade, sets outIrelands prioritiesas Chairmanship-in-Office for 2012 at the PermanentCouncil.

Participating States, investigativejournalists, civil society, internationalorganizations and private sector expertsdiscussed the OSCEs practical contribu-tion to combat money laundering andfinancing of terrorism.

ViennaDIPLOMATIC JOURNALIRISH CHAIRMANSHIP-IN-OFFICE

Vienna

12 January 2012 67 February 2012

Foreign Ministers, Heads of Delegations and OSCE officials pose for a family photograph at the 2012 OSCE Ministerial Council in Dublin.

(OSCE/Dan Dennison)

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2012 OSCE-Thailand Conference on strengthe-ning security through regional co-operationdiscussed the OSCE comprehensive approach andexperiences of Asian Partners for Co-operation.

Right: Lamberto Zannier with Her Royal Highness,

Princess Bajrakitiyabha Mahidol, the AlternateRepresentative of Thailand to the United Nations.

(OSCE/Frane Maroevic)

Chiang Mai, Thailand

1314 February 2012

PROTRACTED CONFLICTS

The Irish Chairmanship attached highpriority to the resolution of protractedconflicts and highlighted experience ofconflict resolution on the island of Ire-land by organizing a conference in Dublin

on 27 April for all participating States.

The Chairperson-in-Office appointed twospecial representatives on protractedconflicts: Ambassador Erwan Four for the

Transdniestrian settlement process

Ambassador Pdraig Murphy for the

South Caucasus.

Ambassador Fourpaid several visitsto Chisinau and Tiraspol, and chaired fiverounds of the 5+2 negotiations, two ofwhich took place in Ireland. These meet-ings saw agreement being reached onprinciples and procedures for the conductof negotiations, and on the agenda ofthe negotiating process. In addition, thechief negotiators from both sides, andtheir teams, visited Dublin and Belfastin May to examine the experience of theNorthern Ireland peace process, and asimilar visit was organized in October forcivil society and media representatives.The year concluded with the adoption ofa first-ever Ministerial Council Statementon the 5+2 format Transdniestriansettlement negotiations. (See p. 50)

Ambassador Murphy,together with UNand EU representatives, co-Chaired theGeneva Discussions, established afterthe August 2008 conflict in Georgia, andco-Facilitated an unprecedented numberof meetings of the related Ergneti/Dvani Incident Prevention and ResponseMechanism. The Irish Chairmanshipworked actively in support of OSCE waterprojects to address the needs of peopleaffected by the conflict. On the impor-tant issue of the fate of missing personsas part of post-conflict reconciliation,the Irish Chairmanship helped organizean information session for participants inthe Geneva Discussions on the approachto this issue in relation to victims ofthe Northern Ireland conflict, and alsofunded a project to identify the remainsof people who went missing during theAugust 2008 conflict in Georgia.

The Chairperson-in-Office stressed theneed for progress towards a resolution ofthe Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, includingduring his visits to Yerevan and Baku inJune. The Chairmanship worked closelywith the Co-Chairs of the Minsk Group,both directly and via the Personal Rep-resentative of the Chairperson-in-Office,Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk.

An Open-ended Working Group on theConflict Cycle was established in response

to the tasking contained in Vilnius Minis-terial Council Decision No. 3 on Elementsof the Conflict Cycle, co-Chaired by theChairmanship and the Conflict PreventionCentre. The Working Group met five timesand provided opportunities for delega-tions and the Secretariat to share viewson how the tasking contained in theDecision could be best implemented.

DECISIONS

No. 1/12OSCE consecutive Chairmanshipsin 2014 [Switzerland] and 2015 [Serbia]

No. 2/12Accession of Mongolia to the OSCE

No. 3/12Decision on the OSCE Helsinki + 40

Process

No. 4/12OSCEs efforts to address trans-national threats

No. 5/12Time and place of the nextmeeting of the OSCE Ministerial Council[Kyiv, 5 and 6 December 2013]

Declaration on strengthening good gover-nance and combating corruption, money-laundering and the financing of terrorism

Statement on the negotiations on the

Transdniestrian settlement process in the5+2 format.

MONGOLIA BECOMES OSCES 57TH

PARTICIPATING STATE

Building on Ministerial

Council Decision 12/11 on

the application of Mongolia to become

an OSCE participating State, the 2012

Chairmanship continued the consensus-

building process on the accession of

the country to the Organization. In

June, the Chairperson of the Perma-

nent Council, Ambassador OLeary and

Secretary General Zannier led a team

of experts to Mongolia for a series of

political level and technical meetings

to gain a better view of Mongolias

understanding of, and commitment

to, meeting the requirements of an

OSCE participating State. The report of

this visit in turn informed the discus-

sions in Vienna and in capitals on the

merits of Mongolias application. On 21

November, following the expiration of a

silence procedure, Mongolia became the

Organizations 57thparticipating State.

Transdniestrian settlement process: Firstround of 5+2 negotiations during the IrishChairmanship took place. Chairperson-in-Officeencourages the negotiators to go the extramile needed to achieve a comprehensivesolution.

Dublin

2829 February 2012

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PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE OF THE OSCE CHAIRPERSON-IN-OFFICE ON THE

CONFLICT DEALT WITH BY THE OSCE MINSK CONFERENCE

The Personal Representative, Ambas-sador Andrzej Kasprzyk,continued tosupport the Chairperson and the OSCEMinsk Group (MG) Co-Chairs in theirefforts to help negotiate a settlementto the Nagorno Karabakh conflictthrough supporting the Chairpersonsvisit to the South Caucasus in Juneand four visits to the region by the MGCo-Chairs. One trip took them to theKelbajar region and another to Zangilanand Jabrail regions, enabling them toassess developments since their visit inOctober 2010.

Meeting regularly with representativesof all sides, including at the highestmilitary and political levels, he wasable to keep the Chairperson and MGCo-Chairs informed of relevant devel-opments. In June, he called on thesecontacts to help the US Secretary

of State and Co-Chair reinforce theceasefire during the Secretarys visit tothe region, in wake of reports of seriousceasefire violations and incursions onthe eve of her visit that seemed all toolikely to escalate.

The office helped the Co-Chairs pre-pare for a meeting in January of thePresidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan,hosted by the President of Russia;and 18 subsequent meetings of theCo-Chairs with the foreign ministersof Armenia and Azerbaijan.

With the support of the sides, the officeconducted 16 monitoring exercises onthe Line of Contact (LOC), in three ofwhich members of the High-Level Plan-ning Group took part, and eight suchexercises on the Armenian-Azerbaijaniborder.


A key objective of the Chairmanship was

to build on the excellent work of the 2011

Lithuanian Chairmanship in the area of

addressing transnational threats, and

in particular, to finalize consensus on the

four documents that outline the OSCEs

strategic priorities in the areas of cyber-

security, policing, combating illegal drugs

and chemical precursors and on consolidat-

ing the Organizations counter-terrorism

mandates. Following intensive discussions

in the Security Committee, under the

Chairmanship of Ambassador Tacan Ildem,

Permanent Representative of Turkey to

the OSCE, decisions on all four areas were

adopted by the Permanent Council during

2012 and were subsequently endorsed by

Ministers in Dublin.

In April, the Permanent Council decidedto establish an informal working grouptasked with developing confidencebuilding measures to reduce the risks ofconflict stemming from the use of Infor-mation and Communication Technologies.Chaired by Ambassador Ian Kelly of theUnited States, this group made signifi-cant progress towards elaborating a firstset of confidence building measures,which are expected to be adopted in2013. Threats emanating from cyberspaceare on the increase in terms of quantity

and complexity, and it is important that

the OSCE continues to play its part in

global efforts to counter them.

The Transnational Threats Departmentwas formally established at the begin-ning of 2012, in line with MinisterialCouncil Decision 9/11 and the 2012 Uni-fied Budget Decision, and a departmentco-cordinator was appointed in April.The new Department brings under oneroof the Action against Terrorism Unit,the Borders Unit and the Strategic PoliceMatters Unit, along with a smallCo-ordination Cell. The Department

The 1stSupplementary Human DimensionMeeting underlined the key role thatsport can play in countering manifesta-tions of racism, intolerance and discrimi-nation in society.

Vienna

1920 April 2012

Fight against corruption and thepromotion of good governance andtransparency is the focus of a high-level OSCE meeting in Dublin.

Dublin

1920 April 2012

The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Ambassadors Robert Bradtke of the United States, Igor Popov of the Rus-

sian Federation, and Jacques Faure of France, addressing the OSCEs Permanent Council in Vienna. (OSCE/Curtis

Budden)

Right: Students of ethnically-mixed high schools

in Tetovo play volleyball as part of an OSCE-

supported project. (OSCE/Erkan Celik)

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THE HIGH-LEVEL PLANNING GROUP

The Chairperson-in-Office appointedCol. William Harrington as Head ofthe OSCE High-Level Planning Groupfor the period from 1 January until31 December 2012. The Group partici-pated in three monitoring missions.The Group is composed of eightofficers. Despite requests to OSCEparticipating States to second officersto HLPG, three positions remainunfilled.

TRANSDNIESTRIA: MARKING THE UPBEAT

For the first time in ten years, theparticipating States have spoken withone voice on the negotiations to settlethe conflict between Moldova and the

breakaway region of Transdniestria, ina statement welcoming the holdingof five official meetings in 2012 andexpressing satisfaction about the reac-tivation of the work of expert workinggroups and of direct contacts betweenthe sides.

The last time was at the MinisterialCouncil meeting in Porto in 2002, andin that statement the tone was muchdarker: We are deeply concerned thatin spite of the efforts undertaken by theRepublic of Moldova and mediators fromthe OSCE, the Russian Federation andUkraine no progress was achieved in2002 towards negotiation of a com-prehensive political settlement of theTransdnistrian problem.

The prospects for settling this conflictthat has simmered unresolved sincethe breakup of the Soviet Union twodecades ago worsened before they gotbetter. There was a hiatus of aboutsix years before negotiations resumedat the end of 2011, in the current5+2 format, with the two sides joinedby the OSCE, the Russian Federationand Ukraine as mediators and theEuropean Union and the United Statesas observers.

Despite the progress that has beenmade, many difficult issues remain to betackled and it will be for the incomingChairmanship to build on the good workachieved in 2011 and 2012.(See p. 50, Moldova Field Operation)

Above: OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and Deputy Prime Minister of Ireland, Eamon Gilmore with the Moldovan

and Transdniestrian political representatives Eugen Carpov (l) and Nina Shtanski (r) at the official 5+2 talks

on Transdniestrian settlement. (Chris Bellew/Fennells) copyright: Department of Foreign Affairs of Ireland.

The Shared Future conference gives par-ticipating States the opportunity to shareexperience of building and sustaining peaceon the island of Ireland. U.S. Senator GeorgeMitchell: [Conflicts] are created and sustai-ned by human beings. They can be ended byhuman beings.

The Human Dimension seminar gathersexperts and practitioners to examine waysto strengthen the legal framework incombating trafficking in human beings.

Dublin Warsaw

27 April 2012 1416 May 2012

organized a range of events in Viennaand beyond during 2012, including sev-eral relating to particular programmaticpriorities of the Chairmanship such astwo well-attended workshops on ViolentExtremism and Radicalization that Leadto Terrorism (VERLT), and a meeting ofpolice experts on the issue of cybercrime.

The Chairmanship worked closely throu-

ghout the year with the three Chairs of

the Forum for Security Co-operation;

Kyrgyzstan, Latvia and the former Yugo-

slav Republic of Macedonia, including

preparing for the Annual Security Review

Conference. An FSC-PC meeting took place

under the joint Chairmanship of Ireland

and Latvia on the issue of Afghanistan.

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OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Tnaiste and Minister for

Foreign Affairs & Trade, Eamon Gilmore T.D. welcomes

(from left) Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland,

Martin McGuinness MP, MLA, Moderator H.E President

Martti Ahtisaari, Secretary of State for Northern

Ireland, Rt Hon. Owen Paterson MP, First Minister of

Northern Ireland, Rt Hon Peter Robinson MLA,

Secretary General of the Organization for Security

and Co-operation in Europe, Lamberto Zannier at

the OSCE Chairmanship Conference Shared Future:

Building and Sustaining Peace the Northern Ireland

Case Study at the Royal Hospital Kilmainham in

Dublin. (Fennells)



The Irish Chairmanship also hosted ahigh-level conference in Dublin thatpresented the experience of achieving

a peaceful political settlement inNorthern Ireland (generally known asthe Good Friday Agreement) as a casestudy of possible relevance to conflictresolution efforts in the OSCE areaand elsewhere.

This was the first time the Irish Govern-ment held an international conference ofthis kind on the subject of the NorthernIreland peace process.

Presided by the Chairperson-in-OfficeEamon Gilmore, it brought togethera broad range of senior political figures

with first-hand knowledge of the peaceprocess to share their experience withOSCE participating States. It wasmoderated by the former President ofFinland and Nobel Peace Prize winner,Martti Ahtisaari, who brought hisunique experience of conflict resolutionand mediation to bear on discussions.Former US Senator George Mitchell,who chaired the negotiations for theGood Friday Agreement, also spokeat the conference.

The conference was not intended toprescribe blueprints for action, but tohighlight some universal experiences: that with political will and leader-

ship the seemingly impossible canbe achieved;

that peace is a process which beginswith the signing of an agreement;

that things which appear beyond solu-

tion can be addressed as confidence isbuilt through implementing an agree-ment;

and that, with peace, prosperity, eco-nomic growth and a better life for allcan be achieved.

This conference aim was to inspire thosewho are striving to craft lasting settle-ments to conflicts in the OSCE area andelsewhere to search for the middle groundwhere agreement becomes possible.Above all, it was to encourage themto think of their enemy as their futurepartner.

If you want to make

peace with your enemy,

you have to work with

your enemy. Then he

becomes your partner.Nelson Mandela

An academic conference The OSCE and a newcontext for regional co-operation in the Me-diterranean discussed the ways of strengthe-ning the OSCE Mediterranean Partnership aswell as a possible response of the OSCE to therecent developments in the region.

Rome

28 May 2012

Seminar in Dublin and Belfast on NorthernIreland peace process held for negotiatingteams in the Transdniestrian settlementprocess 5+2 negotiations.

Dublin and Belfast

2831 May 2012

The Chairperson of the Permanent Council andthe Secretary General of the OSCE led a team ofexperts to Mongolia for a series of political leveland technical meetings, following up on theMinisterial Council Decision No. 12/11 on the

Ulaanbaatar

36 June 2012

CHAIRMANSHIP PRIORITY:Shared Future Building and Sustaining Peace, the Northern Ireland case study

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money laundering and the financing ofterrorism. It stresses the value of doingso from a cross-dimensional perspective.

Working closely with Ambassador Eusta-thios Lozos, Permanent Representativeof Greece to the OSCE, who chaired theEconomic and Environmental Committeewith great skill and energy during 2012,and with the Office of the Co-ordinator ofEconomic and Environmental Activities,the Chairmanship also sought to takeforward the Permanent Council tasking oninitiating a review of implementation ofthe 2003 OSCE Strategy Document for theEconomic and Environmental Dimension.This culminated in a progress report tothe Permanent Council in December.

ECONOMIC AND

ENVIRONMENTAL DIMENSION

The priority of the Irish Chairmanship inthe Second Dimension was to further ad-vance good governance issues across theOrganization. Central to these efforts wasthe annual Economic and EnvironmentalDimension Forum process, comprising twoPreparatory Meetings, in February andin April, and the Concluding Meeting inPrague in September.

The two Preparatory Meetings examinedefforts to tackle money-laundering andcountering the financing of terror-ism while promoting transparency andcountering corruption. These strands werebrought together at the very successfulEconomic and Environmental Forum inPrague during September, which in turncontributed to discussions on a Decla-ration on Good Governance which wasadopted by Ministers in Dublin.

Cybercrime, terrorism, trafficking:the greatest threats to our security inthe present day are transnational. The

Foreign Ministers in Dublin endorsed apackage of four Permanent Council deci-sions adopted in the course of 2012 on:

Cybersecurity

To reduce the risk of conflict stemmingfrom the use of ICT, a working group hasbeen established that will continue in2013 to elaborate pertinent confidence-building measures.

Promoting Security and

Stability through Good

Governance.Theme of the 20 thEconomic and Environmental Forum

Chairperson-in-Office visited Armenia,Georgia and Azerbaijan.

South Caucasus

1114 June 2012

application of Mongolia to become anOSCE participating State. A report wasdrawn up on Mongolias understanding of,and commitment to, meeting the require-ments of an OSCE participating State.

CHAIRMANSHIP PRIORITY:Addressing Transnational Threats

The declaration, the first OSCE Ministerialdocument focused exclusively on goodgovernance, emphasizes that problemsof governance, including corruptionand money-laundering, pose securitychallenges for participating States. Thedeclaration reaffirms the commitment ofparticipating States to individually andcollectively promote good governanceand tackle problems of weak governance.

The declaration includes new OSCE com-mitments on protecting whistleblowersand in the area of asset recovery, andalso reiterates a number of existing com-mitments including to implement relevantinternational frameworks such as the UNConvention Against Corruption (UNCAC)and the recommendations of the FinancialAction Taskforce (FATF). The declarationenables the Organization to deepen itswork to promote good governance andtransparency as well as support efforts inparticipating States to fight corruption,

Confronting the world drug problemA political framework was adopted forcombating the trade in illicit drugs and

the diversion of chemical precursors.The OSCE will co-operate with partnersby sharing information and facilitatingcross-border interaction between nationalagencies.

Supporting Policing Activities

The OSCE has adopted a strategic frame-work for its police-related activities,

including police reform and fightingorganized crime. All activities under-taken promote the principles of demo-cratic policing.

Combating terrorismA new consolidated framework for thefight against terrorism articulateshow the OSCEs comparative advantages,especially its comprehensive and co-operative approach to security, shouldbe leveraged.

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The Chairperson of the Economic andEnvironmental Committee also conveneda series of thematic meetings to allowfor more detailed discussions on issuesof particular interest. The topics coveredduring 2012 were: Environmental Governance and

Sustainable Development; Energy Security Dialogue and

Co-operation; Good Governance; Promoting Equal Opportunities for

Women in the Economic Sphere; Water Management and Co-operation.

The discussions benefited from the in-sights of a range of guest speakers,drawn from international organizations,national experts and the OSCE ExecutiveStructures, particularly the Economicand Environmental Officers in the OSCEField Operations.

In addition to these thematic meet-ings the Chairperson also introduced anew standing item on the Committeesagenda to allow participating States toshare national activities that they areimplementing related to OSCE commit-ments in this dimension. This new initia-tive was one of a number of successfulsteps taken by the Chairperson of theCommittee to further invigorate discus-sions in the Committee. It was verywell received and numerous delegationsseized the opportunity to make presen-tations over the course of the year on awide range of activities.

In line with the Chairmanships program-matic priority to promote interest in thearea of seizing criminal assets, a veryuseful seminar was co-organized by theOSCE, UNODC and the World Bank in earlySeptember which allowed experts to lookat identifying, restraining and recovering

Lucinda Creighton, Irish Minister of State for European Affairs, speaking to the media at the 2012 OSCE Ministerial Council in Dublin.

stolen assets in the OSCE region. Therecommendations from this meeting alsohelped inform the relevant sections ofthe declaration agreed upon in Dublin.

The Dublin Conference on InternetFreedom recognized that our OSCEcommitments apply across all mediumsand regardless of new technologies.

At the OSCE Security Days and Annual Secu-rity Review Conference, participating Statesdiscussed key issues on the politico-militaryagenda, such as arms control, transnationalthreats and the conflict cycle, as well asstrengthening interaction between the OSCEand relevant Track II initiatives on Euro-Atlantic and Eurasian security.

Dublin Vienna

1819 June 2012 2528 June 2012

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Participants of a training course on combating money laundering and terrorism financing working on a casestudy exercise. (OSCE/Zarina Ligay)

A solid package of legislation underpinsthe Bureaus actions. The Proceeds of

Crimes Act freezes and confiscates crimeproceeds using civil procedures in court,without requiring a criminal conviction.

Additional legislation concerning taxationand social welfare allows for disclosure ofinformation across the various sections.Not only does the Bureau work to seizecriminal gains, it also assesses, chargesand demands tax on profits from unlawfulactivity and takes away social welfarebenefits from persons engaged in criminalactivity.

In its sixteen years, the Bureau hasbeen extraordinarily successful, withhundreds of millions of euros of taxescollected and property frozen. Its secretlies in its multi-disciplinary structure

Investigating drug trafficking orcorruption often takes years, but in the

meantime, criminals can enrich them-selves with impunity and consolidatetheir power.

Irelands Criminal Assets Bureau haspioneered an innovative approach torelieving suspected criminals of theirill-gotten gains. It was highlighted asa model for consideration by other OSCEparticipating States at several OSCEconferences in 2012.

Created in 1996, it strengthens the abil-ity of the Irish government to tackle thethreat posed by organized criminal gangs.It has since become an important toolin combating a wide spectrum of criminalactivity, not simply organized crime.

The Bureaus remit is to carry out inves-tigations into the suspected proceeds ofcriminal conduct and to take appropriateaction to deprive or deny persons of theirgains. It is an investigative authoritywhich applies to the court for help inenforcement.

It brings together the powers andfunctions of Irelands Police Force, theRevenue Commissioners for taxes andfor customs and the Department ofSocial Protection. It includes officersfrom each entity, legal experts, analystsand administrative staff and is supportedby divisional asset profilers speciallytrained members of the police force throughout the country.

CHAIRMANSHIP PRIORITY:Promoting Good Governance and Combatting CorruptionThe Criminal Assets Bureau of Ireland

and its wide investigative powers sup-ported by legislation.

The Bureau works closely with interna-tional crime investigation agencies andhas successfully targeted proceeds ofcriminal acts committed outside Irelandin countries.

It also works with international bod-ies like the European Commission andCamden Assets Recovery Inter-AgencyNetwork, an informal network of lawenforcement agencies that share knowl-edge and information on how to trace

assets in a members country. It is partof the European Union Asset RecoveryOffice network.

OSCE Economic and Environmental Forumin Prague focused on how states can pro-mote security and stability through goodgovernance, combating corruption, moneylaundering and terrorism financing.

Prague

1215 September 2012

National and international expertsdiscussed ways for states to betterco-operate on recovering stolen assets.

Vienna

35 September 2012

The 2ndSHDM outlined the vital importanceof ODIHRs election observation missions andstressed the need for participating States tofollow-up to recommendations.

Vienna

1213 July 2012

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PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVES

ON COMBATING INTOLERANCE AND

DISCRIMINATION

The three Personal Representatives ofthe CiO on Combating Intolerance andDiscrimination, Judge Catherine McGuinness, Rabbi Andrew Baker, Senator Adil Akhmetov,have had an extremely busy year whichincluded four joint country visitsto Norway, Austria, Azerbaijan andArmenia, and three follow-up visits toHungary, Spain and Sweden by RabbiBaker. The country visits of the PersonalRepresentatives enable them to raisethe level of awareness of issues of

tolerance and non-discrimination

among government ministers and otherhigh-level political authorities and area valuable complement to the work ofODIHR.

In addition to these visits, the PersonalRepresentatives also attended a largenumber of meetings in their officialcapacity, including the HumanDimension Committee in March, theFourth Congress of the Leaders ofWorld and Traditional Religions held inAstana in May, the Human DimensionImplementation Meeting in Warsaw, theAutumn meeting of the OSCE Parliamen-tary Assembly in Tirana in October, thePermanent Council in November, as wellas some other meetings individually.

HUMAN DIMENSION

The Irish Chairmanship attached thehighest priority to the human dimensionin 2012, encompassing the promotionand protection of human rights, funda-mental freedoms, democracy and the ruleof law. Particular emphasis was placedon the need to ensure that existing OSCEcommitments in the human dimension

by the Chairmanship in June. This well-attended event featured a number ofhigh-level speakers and the excellent de-bates helped to clarify the key issues inthis fast developing area. The Chairman-ship regrets that it was not possible toreach consensus on a Ministerial Councildecision which would have updated OSCE

commitments on Freedom of the Media.Nevertheless 48 OSCE participating Stateshave subscribed to a Declaration onFundamental Freedoms in the Digital Agewhich emphasizes that all OSCE commit-ments apply, both online and offline, andregardless of technology. A related topicwas Freedom of Assembly and Associationand this was the subject of a Supple-mentary Human Dimension Meeting inNovember.

The Chairmanship utilized the scheduleof a number of important sporting eventsthis year, particularly the Euro 2012Championship in Poland and Ukraineand the London Olympic Games to raiseawareness of the potential value of Sportin combating racism, intolerance anddiscrimination in society and this wasthe subject of the first SupplementaryHuman Dimension Meeting in April.Another priority for the Irish Chairman-ship was the need for an effective rule oflaw framework for combating traffickingin human beings and this was addressedat a very successful Human DimensionSeminar in May.

The main event of the year was of coursethe Human Dimension ImplementationMeeting which took place over two weeksin Warsaw in September and October andwhich included special days on Freedomof Religion or Belief, Empowermentof Roma Women and rights of Personsbelonging to National Minorities. OtherHuman Dimension events included aSupplementary Human Dimension meet-ing on Democratic Elections and ElectionObservation in July and a Thematic Event

Civil society and media representativesfrom both banks of the Dniestr/Nistru rivervisited Dublin and Belfast to examine theexperience of the Northern Ireland peaceprocess.

Researchers, journalists and communicationsexperts discussed the role of communica-tions in conflict resolution at the OSCE TalksSeminar in Dublin organized with the TrinityCollege Philosophical Society.

Dublin and Belfast Dublin

15 October 2012 24 October 2012

The 2012 Human Dimension Implemen-tation Meeting allowed for a thoroughexchange of views between participatingStates, civil society, academia, and otherinternational organizations, and provedthe indispensable contribution of NGOsto the OSCE.

Warsaw

24 Sept5 Oct 2012

were safeguarded and implemented butthe Chairmanship also sought to identifyand focus on new challenges.

A significant priority was the issue offreedom of expression and freedom ofthe media, in particular as they applyto the Internet and to digital media.A highlight of the year was the DublinConference on Internet Freedom hosted

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on Cross-Border Mobility and Intoleranceand Discrimination against Migrants inearly November.

In addition to the above events, theregular meetings throughout the year ofthe Human Dimension Committee, chairedby Ambassador Thomas Greminger of

Switzerland, offered an invaluable oppor-tunity to highlight the work of the insti-tutions and field missions in the HumanDimension and for participating Statesto make voluntary reports on experiencesand practices in the implementation oftheir commitments.

Within the past two years around half ofthe participating States have used thisopportunity to exchange experiences andpractices, establishing the widely accept-ed practice of voluntary peer review. The

OSCE Chairperson in Office and Tnaiste (Deputy Prime Minister) and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade,

Mr. Eamon Gilmore, T.D., addresses the Dublin Conference on Internet Freedom. (Fennells)

SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE

ON GENDER ISSUES

The Special Representative of theCiO on Gender Issues,June Zeitlin,highlighted gender mainstreaming asa key priority of the Irish Chairman-ship. Ms Zeitlin has worked relent-lessly throughout the year making

country visits to Serbia, Kazakhstanand Turkmenistan, as well as attend-ing and speaking at OSCE meetingsincluding Enhancing the Role ofWomen in Conflict Mediation in theOSCE Region, the Human DimensionImplementation Meeting in Warsaw,National Human Rights Institutions(NHRI) and Gender Equality in CentralAsia, the Permanent Council in Octo-ber and numerous Gender focal pointmeetings.

committee also strengthened its ties withexternal partners by inviting high-levelspeakers, such as three UN Special Rap-porteurs, representatives of the Councilof Europe and members of civil society.

Finally, the Chairmanship devoted con-siderable attention in 2012 to the review

of human dimension events, buildingon the work initiated by the LithuanianChairmanship in 2011 and benefitingfrom a report of a Swiss consultancy.The Chairmanship presented a number ofproposals to improve the effectivenessand attractiveness of human dimensionevents. Unfortunately, however, it wasnot possible to reach consensus on anyamendments to the existing frameworkand this remains a task for future Chair-manships.

SERBIAN ELECTIONS IN KOSOVO

Of particular note, the Chairmanshipworked closely with the Secretariat, theOSCE Mission in Kosovo, the Governmentof Serbia, the authorities in Pristina andinterested participating States to arrangefacilitation by the OSCE of Serbian elec-tions in Kosovo in April and May. Theagreement reached with the interestedparties ensured that Serbian citizens inKosovo were able to participate fully inthe Serbian parliamentary and Presiden-tial elections. (see p. 34)

2012 OSCE Mediterranean Conference focusedon economic co-operation with MediterraneanPartners in the democratic transition proces-ses and political reforms.

Rome

3031 October 2012

The 3rdSHDM on Freedom of Assembly andAssociation and the preceding Civil SocietyForum underlined the importance of safe-guarding these freedoms in securing andmaintaining a healthy democracy.

Mongolia became the 57thparticipatingState of the OSCE.

Vienna

89 November 2012 21 November 2012

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The Ministerial Troika meetings with theAsian and the Mediterranean Partners forCo-operation took place in the margins ofthe Dublin Ministerial Council meeting.

The 19thOSCEMinisterial Councilheld in Dublin.

Dublin Dublin

7 December 2012 67 December 2012

Dublin Net Freedom@NetFreedom2012

@netfreedom Robert Guera summing up of key points on behalf

of the Chair from the sessions over the two days of the #dcif.

Expand

19 Jun


#dcif key points: fundamental freedoms apply online as well as

ofine.

Expand

19 Jun


#dcif key points: one internet - a shared resource around the

world @OSCE

Expand

19 Jun


#dcif key points: crucial interaction needed on all these issues by

a variety of different stakeholders.

Expand

19 Jun


#dcif key points: @OSCE could collaborate with academia and

encourage research on internet governance.

Expand

19 Jun

The Internet is arguably the most trans-formative technological innovation ofthe 20thcentury, and has already defined

the 21st. In little more than 20 years,the Internet has connected not justcities, but continents; not just powerfulcapitals, but individual citizens acrossthe globe. It has changed the dynamic ofpower, both within and beyond borders.It has changed how we do business; howwe do politics; and how we engage withsociety. Some things, however, do notchange. They are the values upheld byOSCE: the right to freedom of opinionand expression, freedom of the media,freedom of association and freedom of

peaceful assembly.

With those words, a conference hosted byIrelands Chairmanship on the challengesto freedom of expression and mediafreedom online and the debate around In-ternet governance opened in Dublin lastJune. The high-level panel discussions inthose two days focused on ways to ensurethat the Internet remains an open, globaland public forum for freedom of opinionand expression and a platform for facili-tating the exercise of other human rightsand fundamental freedoms.

Prominent speakers included:Frank La RueUN Special Rapporteur on the promotionand protection of the right to freedom ofopinion and expression;Rebecca MacKinnonSenior Fellow, New America Foundation,former CNN bureau chief in Beijing inTokyo and co-founder of Global VoicesOnline;Nils Muinieks

Council of Europe Commissioner forHuman Rights;

Transdniestrian settlement process:Final round of 5+2 negotiations duringthe Irish Chairmanship held in Dublin.Followed on 7 December by the adoptionby the Ministerial Council of a first everstatement on the 5+2 negotiations.

2830 November, 2012

Dublin

CHAIRMANSHIP PRIORITY:Internet Freedom

Cory Doctorowscience fiction author, activist,journalist and blogger;Alec RossSenior Adviser on Innovation in theoffice of the US Secretary of State;Sonia FlynnDirector of Online Operations,Facebook;Dunja Mijatovic

OSCE Representative onFreedom of the MediaJanez LenarcicDirector of the OSCE Office for DemocraticInstitutions and Human Rights (ODIHR).

The medium may change

the medium may even

pose its own challenges

but the message remains

the same.Eamon Gilmore

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PERMANENT

COUNCIL

The Permanent Council is the OSCEs regular body for political

consultation and decision-making. It is responsible for the daily

business of the Organization.

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PERMANENT COUNCIL

PERMANENT COUNCIL

PC COMMITTEE CHAIRPERSON

APPOINTMENTS

Ambassador Tacan Ildem

Chair of the Security Committee

Ambassador Eustathios LozosChair of the Economic and Environ-mental Committee

Ambassador Thomas GremingerChair of the Human DimensionCommittee

PC INFORMAL WORKING GROUP

CHAIRPERSON APPOINTMENTS

Ambassador Ian Kelly

Chair of the Informal Working Groupestablished pursuant to PC Decision1039 and tasked to develop confi-dence building measures to reducethe risks of conflict stemmingfrom the use of Information andCommunication Technologies.(see p. 16)

Convening weekly at the Hofburg inVienna, the Permanent Council is theOSCEs regular body for political consulta-tion and decision-making and respon-sible for the day-to-day business of theOrganization. In 2012, Irish AmbassadorEoin OLeary presided over the PermanentCouncil, which met 40 times. Ambas-sador OLeary welcomed a wide range ofguest speakers to the Permanent Council,including the Deputy Prime Ministers ofIreland and Albania, the Ministers forForeign Affairs of Jordan, San Marino,and Ukraine, and the Secretaries Generalof the Council of Europe, Organizationfor Democracy and Economic Develop-ment (GUAM), the Organization of IslamicCo-operation, the Parliamentary Assemblyof Turkic Speaking Countries, and theCo-operation Council of Turkic SpeakingStates.

On 12 January, the Chairperson-in-Office, Eamon Gilmore T.D., addressedthe first Permanent Council under theIrish Chairmanship and set out his priori-ties for the coming year. He committedto pursuing the principles and aims of

the OSCE promoting a peaceful andsecure environment for all our citizens in a balanced and pragmatic manner

Ambassador Enkhsaikhan Jargalsaikhan, the Permanent Representative of Mongolia to the OSCE, addresses the

Permanent Council a day after Mongolias accession to the Organization. (OSCE/Curtis Budden)

across all the dimensions of the Organi-zations work.

Under the stewardship of the Chairman-ship, the three committees in thepolitico-military, economic and environ-mental and human dimensions turnedwords into action. Their work, and that ofthe Special and Personal Representativesof the Chairperson-in-Office, the headsof Institutions, the Parliamentary Assem-bly, Field Operations and other workinggroups, helped to inform the debates,conclusions and decisions adopted by thePermanent Council in 2012. Ultimately,their efforts also informed the discus-sions, deliberations and decisions at theDublin Ministerial Council in December.

With an ambitious agenda covering allthree dimensions, the Permanent Counciladopted 43 decisions, including a deci-sion to establish an ICT security workinggroup, and a package of three decisionson the OSCEs efforts to address transna-tional threats.

There was also a joint meeting of

the Permanent Council and the Forumfor Security Co-operation on 9 Mayon Transition Aspects in Afghanistan.

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GUEST SPEAKERS AT THE PERMANENT COUNCIL IN 2012

12 January Opening Address by the CiO, Tnaiste andMinister for Foreign Affairs & TradeEamon Gilmore, T.D.

2 February Council of Europe Commissioner for

Human Rights Thomas Hammarberg

8 March President of National Council of AustriaBarbara Prammer

15 March Minister for Foreign Affairs of the HashemiteKingdom of Jordan Nasser Judeh

22 March Co-Chairs of the Minsk GroupRobert Bradtke, Igor Popov and

Jacques Faure

Chairpersons of the Security Committee,the Economic and Environmental Committeeand the Human Dimension CommitteeTacan Ildem, Eustathios Lozos and

Thomas Greminger

29 March Secretary General of the Council of EuropeThorbjorn Jagland

Representative on the Freedom of the MediaDunja Mijatovic

19 April Commissioner for Human Rights, Democracyand the Rule of Law of the Ministry of ForeignAffairs of the Russian FederationKonstantiv Dolgov

17 May Secretary General of the Organization forDemocracy and Economic Development GUAM Valery Chechelashvili

14 June Deputy Prime Minister and Minister forForeign Affairs of AlbaniaEdmond Haxhinasto

20 June (Special PC) Minister for Foreign Affairsof Ukraine Kostyantyn Gryshchenko

21 June Representative on the Freedom of the MediaDunja Mijatovic

12 July OSCE High Commissioner on NationalMinorities Knut Vollebk

20 September Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of GeorgiaSergi Kapanadze

Secretary General of the ParliamentaryAssembly of Turkic-Speaking CountriesRamil Hasanov

11 October President of the OSCE Parliamentary

Assembly Riccardo Migliori

25 October Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs ofAzerbaijan Araz Azimov

1 November Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs ofArmenia Ashot Hovakimian

Co-Chairmen of Geneva DiscussionsPdraig Murphy, Antti Turunen and

Philippe Lefort

8 November Director of the Office for DemocraticInstitutions and Human RightsJanez LenarcicCo-Chairmen of the Minsk GroupRobert Bradtke, Igor Popov

and Jacques FaurePersonal Representative of the OSCEChairman-in-Office on the Conflict Dealtwith by the Minsk ConferenceAndrzej Kasprzyk

15 November Personal Representatives of the OSCEChairperson-in-Office on CombatingIntolerance and DiscriminationJustice Catherine McGuinness, Sen. Adil

Akhmetov, and Rabbi Andrew BakerEuropean Union Border Assistance Missionto Moldova and Ukraine (EUBAM) Head ofMission Udo Burkholder

22 November Minister for Foreign Affairs of AndorraGilbert Saboya SunyHigh Commissioner on National MinoritiesKnut Vollebaek

29 November Secretary General of the Organization ofIslamic Co-operationEkmeleddin IhsanogluRepresentative on Freedom of the MediaDunja Mijatovic

20 December Secretary General of the Co-operationCouncil of Turkic Speaking StatesHalil Akinci

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FORUM FOR

SECURITYCO-OPERATION

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FORUM FOR SECURITYCO-OPERATIONThe establishment of the Forum for Security Co-operation (FSC)in 1992 was a major breakthrough in strengthening security

in the military sphere in the OSCE. Today, this decision-making

body, made up of delegates from the OSCEs 57 participating

States, has lost none of its uniqueness and relevance. The Forums

wide-ranging documents and measures make our region a safer,

more secureplace.

OUR ROOTS

At the first meeting of the FSC on 22September 1992, few people had anyidea how things would work out. It wasa heady time. The Berlin Wall had justfallen; the Soviet Union collapsed, andnew countries emerged as sovereignStates. Established by the 1992 Confer-ence for Security and Co-operation inEurope Summit in Helsinki, the Forumwas designed to take security relationsamong participating States to a newlevel; one based on common and co-operative approaches to security.

Austrian Federal Minister of DefenceWerner Fasslabend delivered the open-ing statement at the first meeting, andthe first Chairman of the FSC, AustrianAmbassador Martin Vukovich, invited ev-eryone to begin the work and they did.

The FSC Support Section of the OSCEConflict Prevention Centre providesinstitutional memory for the Forumand advises participating States in theimplementation of their politico-military

commitments. The OSCE CommunicationsNetwork supplies a reliable and securemeans of transferring military informa-tion among participating States.

In weekly meetings, 56 participatingStates (now 57) discuss military secu-rity issues on a regular basis. Talks notonly addressed security issues betweenStates but also within States, and theForum quickly realized that the emergingcountries needed help to address a newphenomenon, a large amount of surplussmall arms and light weapons.

OUR MANDATE

The initial mandate of the FSC was agreedupon in the Helsinki Document 1992,which also established the Forum. Overyears, the tasks of the Forum have grownand expanded to deal with a wide rangeof politico-military issues ranging fromtraditional security between and withinstates, to also addressing transnationalthreats such as the trafficking of weaponsor the proliferation of weapons of massdestruction (WMD).

IMPORTANT MILESTONESOF THE FSC: Creation of the Forum for Security

Co-operation, the platform forsecurity dialogue.

Start of confidence- and security-building measures.

Helsinki SummitHelsinki Final Act

19921975

THE HELSINKI DECALOGUE

Sovereign equality, respect for therights inherent in sovereignty

Refrain from the threat or useof force

Inviolability of frontiers

Territorial integrity of States

Peaceful settlement of disputes

Non-intervention in internal affairs

Respect for human rights andfundamental freedoms, includingthe freedom of thought,conscience, religion or belief

Equal rights and self-determinationof peoples

Co-operation among States

Fulfillment in good faith of obliga-tions under international law

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FORUM FOR SECURITY CO-OPERATION

Creates a web of interlocking and mutuallyreinforcing arms control obligations andcommitments; links current and future armscontrol efforts into a comprehensivestructure.

Aims at building transparency andtrust. Adds regional measures.

Provides norms and measures relatedto the life cycle of a weapon.

Kyrgyzstans Ambassador to the OSCE Lydia Imanalieva, Latvias Ambassador to the OSCE Gints Apals and Ambassador Zoran Dabik, Permanent Representative of the former

Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.

Lisbon Summit Framework for Arms control

Istanbul Summit Vienna Document 1999

Document on Small Armsand Light Weapons

The Forums main tasks include: Providing regular consultations and

intensive co-operation on militarysecurity matters;

Negotiating on confidence- andsecurity-building measures;

Reducing risks of conflict;Implementing agreed measures.

In addition, the agenda for the weeklyForum meetings in Vienna also includesthe so-called security dialogue, allowingparticipating States to raise and discussany concerns and challenges.

OUR DOCUMENTS

Over the years, the OSCE has created acomprehensive arms control and confi-dence- and security- building regime be-yond comparison to any other organiza-tion or continent. OSCE agreements suchas the Vienna Document 2011, the Codeof Conduct on Politico-Military Aspects ofSecurity and the OSCE Document on SmallArms and Light Weapons, together withthe Conventional Forces in Europe Treatyand the Open Skies Treaties, have cre-ated a web of interlocking and mutuallyreinforcing commitments.

1996 1999 2000

TROIKA

The FSC Chairmanship rotates threetimes a year. The Chairmanship setsthe agenda for each meeting andbrings attention to pertinent issues.The FSC Chairperson is assisted bythe incoming and the outgoingChairperson, who together form theFSC Troika.

In 2012, the Chairmanship was heldby Kyrgyzstan, Latvia and the formerYugoslav Republic of Macedonia.

The 2011 update of the Vienna Documentcontains the most comprehensive set of

mutually complementary confidence- andsecurity-building measures (CSBMs) shap-ing the relations between participatingStates in the politico-military sphere ofsecurity. It includes:Transparency measures, such as the ex-

change of defense budgets and plans;Verification regimes;Mechanisms for consultation;Military contacts, such as visits to

air bases and military facilities andformations;

Military co-operation.

When these measures, such as theexchange of military information or theright to conduct inspections in otherstates territory, were introduced nearlytwo decades ago, they were revolution-ary in nature. Today, they seem almostroutine and debate now stems aroundwhich are still relevant in the era of newthreats like nuclear proliferation, drugtrafficking and terrorism. Even thoughthere are differing views on the threatsposed, the purpose of confidence- andsecurity-building measures is shared by

each participating State. Furthermore, theco-operative approach among States helpsavoid misunderstandings and contributesto stability and security. Thereby CSBMsalso serve as early warning indicators ofpotential conflict situations.

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Places control on MANPADS, improvesbrokering legislation and createsEnd User Certificates (EUCs).

Outlines procedures for storage anddestruction.

Export control packageDocument on Stockpiles ofConventional Ammunition

20042003

OUR ACTIVITIES

Confidence- and security-building mea-sures were gradually expanded during the1990s. Nowadays, about 90 inspections,40 evaluation visits and a half a dozenvisits to airbases, military facilities ordemonstration of major weapons andequipment systems take place every year.

These remarkable figures demonstratea high level of trust among States andtheir military.

Despite the greater inter-state stabilityachieved through the implementationof CSBMs, the OSCE participating Statesface other challenges related to theunsecured and loosely stored stockpilesof small arms and light weapons (SALW)and conventional ammunition.

Security risks posed by the destabiliz-ing spread and proliferation of SALWand conventional ammunition remain agrave concern. Moreover, many partici-pating States face problems with surplusweapons and ammunition as well as withcontrolling illicit trade in small arms.Certainly, the problem is not exclusiveto the OSCE area.

The FSC has developed a co-operativevoluntary programme that provides as-sistance on the destruction and stockpilemanagement of small arms and lightweapons and conventional ammunition.To date, it has channeled 15 millioneuros on 40 projects to help States dealwith problems they are facing with SALWand conventional ammunition.

One of the biggest achievements is thesuccessful destruction of liquid rocketfuel, called Mlange (see box).

Since the signing of two documents on the regulation of small arms and thecontrol on conventional ammunition, the OSCE has been involved in more than40 projects in 17 different countries.

MELANGE DESTROYED:

Armenia 873 tonnesMontenegro 120 tonnes

Albania 30 tonnesUkraine 9000 tonnes

PLANNED 2013:

Bulgaria 500 tonnesKazakhstan 410 tonnesUkraine 7000 tonnes

REQUEST EXPECTED:

Kyrgyzstan 110 tonnes

NAPALM POWDER DESTROYED:

Serbia 110 tonnes (in progress)

PLANNED, SERBIA:Destruction of surplus white

phosphorous filled ammunitionUpgrade, Technical Repair Factory,

Kragujevac Renovate two military ammunition

storage sites

A member of the Ukrainian military takes a sample of the toxic rocket fuel component Mlange at the depot in

Radekhiv, Ivano-Frankivsk region of Ukraine, before it is shipped for disposal. (OSCE/Leonid Kalashnyk)

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FORUM FOR SECURITY CO-OPERATION

OUR DIALOGUE

The platform for dialogue continues.Projects leading from Forum deci-sions continue to emerge. This year, forinstance, the Forum agreed that, in theabsence of any military exercise that isabove a certain threshold, the partici-pating States will inform the Forum oftheir largest military activity per year.By doing so, transparency and opennessincreases among the States of the OSCEregion.

As they have been doing for the last20 years, Ambassadors, Delegates andMilitary Advisers from the now 57 par-ticipating States meet weekly to discuss

Astana Summit

KYRGYZSTAN, THE OSCE AND THE

1540 COMMITTEE

When it gained independence fromthe Soviet Union, Kyrgyzstan alsoinherited a vast nuclear infrastruc-ture. Insufficiently protected uraniumtailings and waste by-products ofuranium mining posed serious securitythreats to the country, its populationand the environment. These dangersextend well beyond national and re-gional boundaries. Possible diversionof nuclear material to terrorists wasalso a risk.

To effectively mitigate these chal-lenges, the Government of Kyrgyzstan,

together with the OSCE and the 1540Committee, which works to pre-vent weapon proliferation, drafteda national action plan in 2012 toensure the physical protection ofexisting repositories, radioactive tail-ings facilities and waste heaps fromuranium. These preventive measureswill significantly lower the risk thatradioactive materials pose for thelocal population and help to curbthe threat of illicit transfers of thesematerials.

Revitalizes and updates conventionalarms and confidence- and security-building measures agreements.

Promoted military predictability.Non-proliferation declared by all56 States.

Vienna Document 2011

2010 2011

and find solutions to military aspects ofsecurity. This regular contact, combinedwith OSCE strategies to resolve tensionsand conflicts, increases security for allparticipating States and its peoples.

Today, the FSC continues to play thisimportant role, addressing military secu-rity in all its aspects, thereby creatinga safer world for tomorrow.

IN FOCUS

PROMOTING SAFE BORDER PATROLLING

THROUGH HUMANITARIAN DE-MINING IN TAJIKISTAN

For the people living along the border between Tajikistan

and Afghanistan, land mines planted in the 1990s are,

literally, a matter of life and death.

Since 1992, 836 people have been wounded in incidents

involving anti-personnel landmines, 366 of whom died. Espe-

cially hard hit are border patrols. Ten guards have died since

2005, when the Border Troops of Tajikistan took control of

the border.

No firm statistics are kept on the number of smugglers and

extremists killed as they figured out a route that keeps their

drugs and weapons trade in business, but it was clear that

the area needed to be cleared of mines.

Every now and then we hear about a colleague stepping on a

landmine. That creates tremendous psychological pressure on

my men. We try to stick to the roads while on patrol, but then

the smugglers win. Theyve already found routes through the

minefields, said Lieutenant Jamshed Usmanov of the border

troops.

Since 2009, the OSCE Office in Tajikistan has worked with the

Tajikistan Ministry of Defence to clear land mines from the

Tajik-Afghan border. In 2012, 279,728 square metres of land-

mines were cleared from contaminated lands. Operations were

carried out by the Humanitarian De-mining Group in partner-

ship with the local NGO Union of Sappers of Tajikistan.

In the four years of work, the Humanitarian De-Mining Group

has made safe nearly 109 hectares of land. In that time,

they found and destroyed 1,105 land mines and unexploded

ordnance.

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OSCE

PARLIAMENTARYASSEMBLYThe Parliamentary Assembly brings together 320 parliamentarians

from across the 57-nation OSCE region. It provides a forum fordialogue, leads election observation missions, and strengthens inter-

national co-operation to uphold commitments on political, security,

economic, environmental and human rights issues.

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OSCE PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY

OSCE PARLIAMENTARYASSEMBLY

More parliamentarians than ever participated in OSCE Parliamentary

Assembly activities in 2012 a year that saw the Assembly put a

sharper focus on human rights and democratic governance through

its core work of election observation, conferences and parliamentary

diplomacy.

ELECTION OBSERVATION

In a time of budget cuts and decreasedparticipation in international organiza-tions, the Assembly fielded more par-liamentarians to observe more electionsthan at any time in its history.

The OSCE Chairperson-in-Office appointedparliamentarians to lead many electionobservation missions in 2012, but theAssemblys leadership observing Georgiasparliamentary elections stood out as amoment that made a difference.

Statements issued by the Assemblyhelped ensure all parties had an opportu-nity to compete and laid the groundworkfor the election results to be acceptedpeacefully.

In places as varied as the United States,the Russian Federation and Ukraine, theParliamentary Assembly helped increasethe clarity of the Organizations voice

Participation in the Assemblys Annual

Session increased 10% in 2012.

people attended an OSCE Parliamentary

Assembly conference in 2012.

1,763

+10%

about elections, delivering accurate andcritical election assessments that pointedout concerns over the influence of moneyin politics, the melding of state andparty resources and imbalanced mediacoverage.

In all, the Assembly provided politicalleadership for 10 observation missionsin 2012 in Kazakhstan, Russia, Armenia,Serbia, Belarus, Georgia, Montenegro,Ukraine, the United States and Romania.

HUMAN RIGHTS

At the Winter Meeting, the Assemblyshuman rights committee focused onprison reform and judicial independencein the OSCE area. The committee ad-dressed issues of selective justice, prisonconditions and police oversight, hearing

cases of individual mistreatment fromjudicial systems in Belarus, Italy, Russia,and Ukraine.

Voting in the standing commitee, Monaco Annual Session Day 1.

In 2012, women doubled their repre-

sentation in OSCE PA elected leader-

ship posts, now accounting for 9 of the

20 positions.

911womenmen

Secretary General:Spencer Oliver

Budget: 2,856,000www.oscepa.org

Staff: 18 full-time employees

7 research fellows

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At the Monaco Annual Session thelargest meeting of parliamentarians the

OSCE has had in seven years del-egates called for the release of politicalprisoners and for countries serving asOSCE Chair-in-Office to lead by exampleon their human rights commitments.A resolution on the rule of law recom-mended that parliaments pass legislationto freeze the assets and ban travel forhuman rights abusers. Several nationalparliaments have since advanced legisla-tion on this issue, adding lasting impactto the Assembly decisions taken bymajority vote.

ECONOMY AND ENVIRONMENT

The Monaco Declaration also includeda timely resolution warning against thenegative long-term impacts of austeritymeasures, in particular with regards tohealthcare and education budgets. Theresolution called on national govern-ments to increase green investments toencourage economic growth and encour-aged greater parliamentary oversight ofeconomic policies. The Assembly alsoendorsed a reform of the internationalcredit rating system to promote transpar-ency.

PRESIDENTIAL AND PARLIAMENTARY

VISITS

Parliamentary leaders traveled to morethan 20 countries for high-level meetingsin 2012, raising the overall profile of theOSCE and adding focus to Ukraines 2013chairmanship. In some OSCE countries,national parliaments held open debateson OSCE policy.

CONFLICT PREVENTION

The Assembly actively supported the IrishChairmanships goals related to conflict

prevention, Internet freedom and goodgovernance. Visiting Chisinau and Tira-spol, the Parliamentary Team on Moldovasupported the OSCE governmental sidein the Transdniestrian status negotiations.The team promoted confidence-buildingmeasures by strengthening contacts be-tween legislators on both sides in closeco-operation with the OSCE Mission toMoldova.

GOOD GOVERNANCE AND INTERNET

FREEDOM

The Assemblys Fall Meetings in Albaniacentered on good governance, and ses-sions at the Economic Conference inGeorgia focused on how good governanceand co-operation can stimulate eco-nomic development.

The Assembly also created a reportand interactive map calledsOcialSCapE,which includes social media and othercase studies from more than 30 OSCEcountries, highlighting new methods ofincreasing civic engagement online.

REFUGEES

The Assembly condemned the violencein Syria and, in November, PA President

Riccardo Migliori followed up by meetingthe Foreign Minister of Turkey, AhmetDavutoglu, in Ankara and visiting a Syr-ian refugee camp. The Assembly releaseda special report analyzing the Syrianrefugee situation in the OSCE region andoffering policy recommendations to helpbring more international attention tothe humanitarian crisis.

MEDITERRANEAN CO-OPERATION

The Assembly raised the profile of theOSCE Mediterranean Partnership byholding the Mediterranean Forum duringthe Annual Session with a presentationby the Libyan Foreign Ministry. Delegatesdiscussed possible expansion of theMediterranean partnership and ways toaddress threats to security and stabilityof the Mediterranean area. An adoptedresolution encouraged OSCE participat-ing States to use all means to supportdemocratic processes in the region.

Francois-Xavier de Donnea, Special Co-ordinator to lead the OSCE short term

observers in Armenia, talks to a head of a precinct in Artashat, Armenia.

A man casts a ballot in Ararat, Armenia, during the parliamentary elections.

Assembly President Riccardo Migliori and Human Rights

Committee Chair Matteo Mecacci talk with a Syrian

rebel at the Turkey-Syria border.

Kyrgyzstans increased

involvement in the

Parliamentary Assembly

and the new contacts

that has provided us are

essential to our demo-cracy in the volatile

region of Central Asia.Roza Aknazarova, MP, Kyrgyzstan

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FIELD

OPERATIONS

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OVERVIEW OF THE CURRENTFIELD OPERATIONS

South-Eastern Europe

Presence in AlbaniaMission to Bosnia and HerzegovinaMission in KosovoMission to MontenegroMission to SerbiaMission to Skopje

Eastern Europe

Mission to MoldovaProject Co-ordinator in Ukraine

WE ARE PRESENT IN THE FOLLOWING REGIONS:

In addition to the political bodies and permanent institutions theOSCE has 15 Field Operations in various participating States. Their

tasks include early warning and conflict prevention as well as

support for governments and authorities. The OSCE Field Operations

help achieve normalization in post-conflict situations and support

democratic transformation processes.

South Caucasus

Office in BakuOffice in Yerevan

Central Asia

Centre in AshgabatCentre in AstanaCentre in BishkekOffice in TajikistanProject Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan

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FIELD OPERATIONSFIELD OPERATIONS SOUTH-EASTERN EUROPE

PRESENCE IN ALBANIA


STRENGTHENING THE POLICE

The Presence organized specialized police training on internalinvestigation and covert policing techniques, as well as ontopics like cybercrime and computer forensics. In addition, thePresence helped develop equality and diversity training withinthe State Police. Following a strategic-level course for seniorofficers, training for a group of police instructors enhanced sus-tainability and ensured that diversity training is incorporatedinto training curricula.

IMPROVING BORDER MANAGEMENT

Recognizing the importance of cross-border collaboration inaddressing transnational threats, the Presence focused onovercoming barriers to regional co-operation. The opening of thefirst Joint Information Exchange Centre between Albania andthe former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia is a decisive step inthis regard. Provision of specialized training, including languagetraining, ensures that officials on both sides of the border areable to maximize impact of the Centre.

FINALIZING DEMILITARIZATION

The Presence provided material assistance to Albanian author-

ities to safely dispose of hazardous waste chemicals and22,000 tonnes of surplus ammunition, ensuring that Albaniaremains on track to complete the demilitarization processby mid-2013.

The Presence in Albania supported the strengthening of Albanias publicinstitutions, focusing on judicial, legislative and electoral reform, parliamentary

capacity-building, anti-trafficking, police training, demilitarization, good

governance and property reform. It worked to advance media independence and

strengthen gender and civil society structures. A highlight of 2012 was Albanias

adoption of amendments to the Electoral Code, based on recommendations

made by OSCE/ODIHR. The Presence actively supported the consultative electoral

reform process, providing advice and hosting discussions for parliamentarians

and experts on technical aspects of the reform, including new voting

technologies, to assist decision-makers in crafting appropriate legislation.

Head of Presence: Ambassador Eugen WollfarthBudget: 3,169,600www.osce.org/albania

Nr. of Project Offices: 4Full-time Staff:22 international, 68 local

ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL DIMENSION

SUPPORTING DECENTRALIZATION

In a pilot project, the Presence supported a group of local gov-ernment units to write a comprehensive strategic developmentplan that promotes sustainable development in the region andlays the groundwork for more effective delivery of decentral-ized public services. This community-driven planning processhas improved transparency a

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Documents