Save the date! OSCE-wide counter-terrorism conference to be convened by the OSCE Serbian Chairmanship on 30 June 1 July 2015 in Vienna.

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1 OSCE CTN Newsletter Contributions to the Editor and CTN Mehdi.Knani@osce.org No. 102, Jan.-Feb nd ISSUE Save the date! OSCE-wide counter-terrorism conference to be convened by the OSCE Serbian Chairmanship on 30 June 1 July 2015 in Vienna. CONTENTS In focus: PCC SEE Enhancing the role of law enforcement in a comprehensive approach to terrorism, radicalization and recruitment in Southeast Europe LINK OSCE NOTEWORTHY CTN Online Forum LINK Save the date 2015 OSCE-wide counter-terrorism conference LINK Inventory of policy and legislation in the field of countering VERLT LINK Recent publications and podcast LINK OSCE NEWS OSCE supports conference in Astana on international co-operation against extremism and terrorism LINK OSCE provides training facilities to Kyrgyzstan s National Guard LINK OSCE supports discussion on strategy for developing the penitentiary system in Kyrgyzstan LINK OSCE supports Common Contact Centre at the borders of fyrom LINK OSCE organizes training course for Tajik border and security officials on risk management to combat transnational threats LINK OSCE BMSC hosts regional WCO Programme Global Shield training course in Dushanbe LINK OSCE organizes seminar for defense lawyers in Kazakhstan LINK OSCE enhances security of SALW and SCA in Kyrgyzstan LINK OSCE facilitates study visit on criminal justice reform to The Hague for officials from Turkmenistan LINK OSCE SG participates in White House Summit on Countering Violent Extremism LINK OSCE supports AML/CFT national assessment in Kyrgyzstan LINK OSCE organizes training course for Tajik officials on combating organized crime LINK OSCE convenes first regional workshop for Central Asia on countering the phenomenon of foreign terrorist fighters LINK OSCE supports expert meeting on penitentiary legislation in Kazakhstan LINK OSCE trains prosecutor on conflict resolution and trial techniques in Kazakhstan LINK OSCE UPCOMING Regional workshop for Central Asia on border security management to counter terrorism LINK OSCE ODIHR upcoming activities LINK OSCE Security Days events in March and May LINK OSCE Mission in Kosovo upcoming activities LINK UNITED NATIONS NEWS INERPOL NEWS COUNCIL OF EUROPE NEWS GCTF AND RELATED NEWS CIS NEWS CSTO NEWS NATO NEWS POSSIBLE READING The OSCE stands united against terrorism, a scourge of our times. Bucharest Ministerial Decision on Combating Terrorism, December 2001

2 becomes IN FOCUS The PCC SEE Counter-Terrorism Network will increase the capacity of law enforcement services in the Southeast European region and their role in the comprehensive fight against contemporary terrorism and foreign terrorist fighters PCC SEE Enhancing the role of law enforcement in a comprehensive approach to terrorism, radicalization and recruitment in Southeast Europe The Police Cooperation Convention for Southeast Europe (PCC SEE), implemented since 2008, enables a common response to contemporary security threats that endanger the security of the countries of the region and the safety of their citizens. The common legal basis enables cross-border law enforcement cooperation between Candidate or prospective Candidate Countries Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia and neighboring EU Member States Austria, Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, Slovenia. Today, as the EU keeps stepping up the development of a closer JHA cooperation in recognition of the grave and persistent threat of terrorism to its citizens, and as it rethinks the next steps at highest political level to reinforce its policing tools and legislation, an enhanced cooperation with the neighboring Southeast Europe again of pressing importance. In January 2015, the 11 Contracting Parties to the PCC SEE Convention have established a Counter-Terrorism Network to respond together, within the PCC SEE security framework, to contemporary threats of terrorism, radicalization, recruitment and foreign terrorist fighters posed to the region and wider Europe and to apply policing practices in accordance with good practices, recent developments and regional needs. Jointly identified goals are going to be addressed within the Network s wider framework, involving particularly law enforcement and security services, relevant centralized bodies and national counterterrorism co-ordinators. Today, strong and comprehensive efforts are being implemented on part of law enforcement authorities in leading EU Member States to counter the security challenges related to contemporary terrorism. The high success rate depends on a strong police and intelligence service, which is made even stronger if it works in close cooperation with first-line practitioners from health services, social services, education, media and, crucially, the community. Successful prevention efforts are based on long traditions and experience with community policing, centuries-old experience with extremism and home-grown terrorism, and also the building of contemporary radicalization awareness platforms. Despite the strong political support at the EU level to bring the practices closer and to strengthen coordination, practical and legal solutions still vary to a great extent among some EU Member States. When looking at the non-eu countries of SEE region, the successful addressing of the security challenges of terrorism and radicalization should start with the building of a new perception of the very role that the police can play and increasing the capacity of the police to engage with other relevant agencies and the community. The PCC SEE Network will serve to transfer good EU practices and contemporary solutions within the PCC SEE platform. The aim of a future multi-annual 2

3 project to be led by the PCC SEE Secretariat is to improve this role and to increase the capacity of law enforcement services to engage in a comprehensive effort necessary to respond to the contemporary threat. It will transfer and exchange expertise, identify and address practical solutions based on identified gaps, raise awareness on issues and tools at EU and international level, promote relevant existing solutions, and discuss operational requirements, legislation, education and training, relevant strategies and action plans (complementary to requirements of Chapter 24). Most of all, it will address the lack of cooperation between law enforcement and other sectors/agencies at the national level, including social services, NGOs, education, health, religious communities, media. A modern online platform will be provided with open access to wider expert publics and all interested stakeholders. The Network will integrate counter-terrorism into the formal PCC SEE decision-making structure. It will provide a joint PCC SEE response to the common recognized threat, based on the operationalization of the commonly-held legal basis and with the political backing of the Committee of Ministers. The Network will steer and monitor additional activities foreseen by the future bi-annual project to be led by the PCC SEE Secretariat, such as trainings, awarenessraising activities, seminars. It will also be tasked with coordinating efforts and seeking synergies with other existing international or also bilateral efforts, including with EU partner agencies as well as other, international partners such as the OSCE. The mechanism will work to ensure complementarity with other initiatives, a principle that is deeply embedded into the Convention implementation process, providing an external coordinating role to its Secretariat. To fulfil the need for wider coordination of stakeholders in the SEE region, a special matrix will be developed to prevent any duplication of efforts. For more information, please contact Jelka Klemenc, Programme Manager, PCC SEE Secretariat, at j.klemenc@dcaf.ch OSCE NOTEWORTHY We call on you! National OSCE CTN principal liaisons are invited to register for the CTN Online Forum under the OSCE Policing On-Line Information System under Save the date for the OSCE-wide counter-terrorism conference convened by the Serbian OSCE Chairmanship on 30 June 1 July 2015 in Vienna. OSCE participating States and Partners for Co-operation are invited to contribute to TNTD s Inventory of Policy Documents and Legislation adopted by OSCE participating States and Partners for Co-operation on Countering Violent Extremism and Radicalization that Lead to Terrorism (VERLT). TNTD is preparing a third update of the inventory, previous circulated as SEC.GAL/60/14/Rev.1 on 5 September 2014, and we still miss contributions from 17 participating States and 9 Partners for Co-operation 3

4 OSCE NOTEWORTHY Published recently by the OSCE Transnational Threats Department: Updated Overview of OSCE Counter-Terrorism Related Commitments Consolidated Reference for OSCE Anti-Terrorism Efforts NEW OSCE PODCAST Women and Girls as Perpetrators of Violent Extremism OSCE NEWS OSCE supports conference in Astana on international co-operation against violent extremism and terrorism The OSCE Centre in Astana and the Prosecutor General s Office Institute of the Republic of Kazakhstan co-organized on 19 December 2014 a conference on mechanisms to enhance the effectiveness of international co-operation to prevent and combat violent extremism and terrorism. The conference was attended by more than 140 government officials, prosecutors and other law-enforcement officers, parliamentarians, academics and representatives of nongovernmental and international organizations. Another 150 prosecutors and law-enforcement officers from across the country participated in the event via video conference. International experts from Bulgaria, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, the Russian Federation and Uzbekistan shared national and international perspectives on preventing and countering violent extremism, terrorist activities and terrorism financing. For more information, please contact Colin.McCullough@osce.org OSCE provides training facilities to Kyrgyzstan s National Guard The OSCE Centre in Bishkek handed over on 23 December 2014 an additional service facility, an obstacle range and an assault training facility to the National Guard of the Armed Forces of Kyrgyzstan. The Centre also signed a protocol on co-operation in the fight against terrorism starting in 2015 with the aim of further strengthening the counter-terrorism capacity of the National Guard through training assistance, including command post exercises. For more information, please contact Yury.Padun@osce.org 4

5 OSCE NEWS CTN Newsletter, No. 102 OSCE supports discussion on national strategy for developing the penitentiary system in Kyrgyzstan The OSCE Centre in Bishkek and the Kyrgyz State Penitentiary Service held a roundtable discussion on 21 January 2015 to evaluate progress on implementing the National Strategy on the Development of the Penitentiary System UMUT 2. The event, co-organized with UNODC and other local partners, gathered government officials from various ministries, civil society (including the Public Oversight Council under the Penitentiary Service), and the media. Discussions focused on a mid-term assessment of the strategy, which covers the period This will serve as the basis for elaborating the next strategy for the period The official assessment was prepared by a working group under the aegis of the Penitentiary Service and was discussed with a number of stakeholders at the conference, including civil society representatives. The OSCE Centre in Bishkek has been active on penitentiary reform since 2009, providing support to the drafting of the Strategy and its implementation to modernize the penitentiary system. The Centre supports the professional training of prison staff on issues related to OSCE commitments and international and national human rights obligations, and the enhancement of professional competences. For more information, please contact Miroslaw.Nowak@osce.org OSCE supports Common Contact Centre at the border between the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Kosovo 1 A Common Contact Centre supported by the OSCE Mission to Skopje was officially opened on 23 January 2015 at the Blace border crossing point between the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Kosovo 1. The Centre will contribute to fighting transnational threats by strengthening cross-border co-operation. Some 16 police officers, currently employed at the Centre, were trained by the OSCE Mission beginning 2014, and technical equipment was provided. The Mission supported two similar facilities that opened at the border crossing points with Serbia and Albania in For more information, please contact Giulia.Sechi@osce.org 1 All references to Kosovo, whether to the territory, institutions or population, in this text should be understood in full compliance with United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244 OSCE organizes training course for Tajik border and security agencies on risk analysis, profiling and management for combating transnational threats 25 officers from the Border Troops, Customs Service, State Committee on National Security, Drug Control Agency and the Interior Ministry of Tajikistan completed on 30 January 2015 a week-long training course on identification, analysis and classification of risks, evaluating context and potential risks, and risk assessment against drug trafficking and other transnational treats. Additionally, the training included a case study on responding to a hostage-taking crisis from a risk-management perspective. The course was conducted as part of the border security assistance programme of the OSCE Office in Tajikistan. For more information, please contact Gorancho.Stojkovski@osce.org 5

6 OSCE NEWS OSCE Border Management Staff College hosts regional WCO Shield training course Practical exercise on use of the Programme Global Shield s presumptive chemical identification test kits, Dushanbe, 30 January (OSCE/Alexander Eliseev) CTN Newsletter, No. 102 The OSCE Border Management Staff College hosted a World Customs Organization s (WCO) Programme Global Shield (PGS) regional training course from 26 to 30 January 2015 in Dushanbe. 27 customs officers from customs administrations of Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, and Tajikistan participated in the training. During the training course, participants got in-depth knowledge on Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) identification and recognition, dual-use precursor chemicals used in explosives production, and customs risk assessment methodologies. International and national policies and measures to reduce risks posed by chemicals were also discussed during the training course. Trainees gained hands-on experience with PGS presumptive chemical test kits and devices that enable law enforcement agencies and the military to obtain accurate identification of chemicals, explosives and hazardous materials in seconds even through sealed translucent containers. Upon completing the training, participants became certified users of the device. In parallel with the PGS training the Second PGS Operational Coordination Meeting (OCM) took place from January. In the course of the meeting PGS co-ordinators from Afghanistan, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan and Tajikistan reported about progress on their activities conducted in close co-operation with the national customs administrations. WCO/United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Container Control Programme (CCP) regional co-ordinators for Central Asia and South Asia, as well as country co-ordinators for Afghanistan and Pakistan shared the experience of the CCP in conducting law enforcement operations. On the last day of the meeting participating Customs Administrations suggested drafting a plan for the second phase implementing the PGS operations. It was also decided that the Operational Coordination Meeting will be held on a quarterly basis to report results of operations and collaboratively plan the next operational activities. For more information, please contact Ilona.Kazaryan@osce.org OSCE co-organizes seminar for defense lawyers on criminal justice procedures in Kazakhstan Some 40 defense lawyers participated in a seminar on rules and standards of evidence in accordance with new Criminal Procedure Code of Kazakhstan co-organized by the OSCE Programme Office in Astana in co-operation with the Almaty Bar Association on 31 January 2015 in Almaty, Kazakhstan. The event aimed to help defense lawyers better understand criminal procedure legislation by learning rules of evidence and relevant defense strategies and enhance their knowledge and skills on a new institution launched pursuant to the new Criminal Procedure Code - evidence deposition procedure. Participants discussed general provisions 6

7 OSCE NEWS related to relevance and admissibility of evidence, compellability of parties, testimony by means of multimedia technologies as well as principles of evidence in case of closed hearings and self-incrimination by a witness. National legal experts presented a general review of changes in the criminal procedure legislation with regard to powers and functions of defense lawyers in criminal proceedings. For more information, please contact Colin.McCullough@osce.org OSCE enhances security of small arms and light weapons and stockpiles of conventional ammunition in Kyrgyzstan On 6 February 2015, the OSCE Centre in Bishkek and the Embassy of the United Kingdom handed over 60 desktop computers to the Kyrgyz Defence Ministry for establishing a data base on small arms and light weapons (SALW) and stockpiles of conventional ammunition (CA) across the country. The OSCE Centre in Bishkek has signed five agreements with the Kyrgyz Defence Ministry as a part of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic and the OSCE on SALW and a Stockpile of CA Programme in the Kyrgyz Republic. The agreements aim to enhance the capacity of Kyrgyzstan for effective Tracing smalls arms and light weapons (OSCE) SALW and CA management and control in a number of priority areas, including automated management, record-keeping and tracking. The software for the electronic database was developed and is being tested by the Armed Forces of Belarus. An outdated SALW and CA record-keeping and tracking system was ineffective in determining surplus that requires disposal. The assistance programme also envisages a series of two-week training courses on the use of the software for specialists in rocket-artillery armament from the Kyrgyz Armed Forces. Initial training courses were conducted in January and February 2015 and a second round is planned from 24 February to 6 March The programme was developed by the OSCE Centre in Bishkek on the initiative of the Government of Kyrgyzstan and is jointly financed by the European Union, Finland, Kazakhstan, the United Kingdom, the United States of America and Belarus. For more information, please contact Yury.Padun@osce.org OSCE facilitates visit on criminal justice reform to the Netherlands for Officials from Turkmenistan The OSCE Centre in Ashgabat supported a five-day visit to The Hague for four senior representatives of law-making and law-enforcement bodies from Turkmenistan, with a focus on best practices in criminal justice reform. Representatives of the Mejlis (Parliament), Supreme Court, Justice Ministry and the General Prosecutor s Office of Turkmenistan got a comprehensive overview of the legal reform process and its implementation stages. The delegation met with 7

8 OSCE NEWS officials of the Judiciary Council, Dutch Court, Council of State, Municipal Management and Ministry of Security and Justice. They were briefed on the Dutch legal system, practices of administering criminal justice and the role of different stakeholders in the process. They also visited the House of Representatives and the Senate of the Netherlands, as well as the International Court of Justice and the Ombudsman administration. For more information, please contact OSCE Secretary General participates in the White House Countering Violent Extremism Summit The OSCE was invited to participate in the Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) Summit convened by the White House in Washington D.C. on February 2015 to highlight domestic and international efforts to prevent violent extremists and their supporters from radicalizing, recruiting, or inspiring individuals or groups to travel abroad to commit acts of violence. The OSCE Secretary General and the OSCE Head on Anti-Terrorism Issues participated in the Ministerial component of the Summit on 19 February as well as in various side-events. The Secretary General delivered (OSCE/Jonathan Perfect) remarks outlining plans for the OSCE to actively engage in the process following the Summit to further develop programmes and strategies that will be reported at the September UN General Assembly. OSCE supports AML/CFT national risk assessment in Kyrgyzstan The Kyrgyz State Financial Intelligence Service in co-operation with the OSCE Co-ordinator of Economic and Environmental Activities, the OSCE Centre in Bishkek, and the World Bank presented on 20 February 2015 an assessment of national risks in money laundering and financing of terrorism in the Kyrgyz Republic. The national risk assessment seeks to improve national legislation, regulations and measures to address the challenges of money laundering and financing of terrorism. It is also a useful reference for financial institutions and designated non-financial businesses. The assessment was developed as part of the recommendations by the Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering (FATF). The OSCE Centre in Bishkek is supporting Kyrgyzstan s financial bodies to adopt modern investigative methods, counter measures, and legislation in line with FATF recommendations. As a result of the Centre s assistance Kyrgyzstan was removed from the FATF s grey list in July 2014 and is no longer subject to the FATF s monitoring process for anti-money laundering and combatting the financing of terrorism. In a related, more recent achievement, the Eurasian Group (EAG) also removed Kyrgyzstan from their monitoring list. For more information, please contact Yulia.Minaeva@osce.org 8

9 OSCE NEWS OSCE organizes two-week training course for Tajik border and security agencies on combating organized crime 26 officers from the Border Troops, the State Committee for National Security, the Ministry of Interior, the Drug Control Agency and the Customs Service of Tajikistan completed on 20 February 2015 a two-week training course on combating transnational crime, organized by the OSCE Office in Tajikistan as part of its border security assistance programme. The course targeted operational managers and representatives from training institutions. Experts from Tajikistan, Hungary and Turkey lectured on financial crime investigations, countering money laundering, as well as techniques for identifying and combatting drugs smuggling, illegal migration, trafficking in human-beings and combatting terrorism. For more information, please contact Gorancho.Stojkovski@osce.org OSCE convenes first Regional Expert Workshop for Central Asia on Regional Co-operation and Effective Response to the Phenomenon of Foreign Terrorist Fighters (FTF) The OSCE Transnational Threats Department (TNTD) and the OSCE Office in Tajikistan organized on February 2015 in Dushanbe a Regional Counter- Terrorism Expert Workshop as the first activity undertaken to implement Ministerial Council Declaration No. 5/14 on The OSCE Role in Countering the Phenomenon of Foreign Terrorist Fighters in the Context of the Implementation of UN Security Council Resolutions 2170 (2014) and 2178 (2014). The workshop was organized in consultation with the UN Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and (OSCE) was the first of its kind in Central Asia to raise awareness of, and facilitate an exchange of views on the requirements of these resolutions. The workshop was attended by over 150 participants, including civil society and government representatives from 14 participating States and 2 Partners for Co-operation, as well as representatives from UN entities, the Anti-Terrorism Centre of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS-ATC), the Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO-RATS), and NATO. For more information please contact Mehdi.Knani@osce.org and Elizabeta.Nikoloska@osce.org 9

10 OSCE NEWS OSCE supports expert meeting on penitentiary legislation in Kazakhstan The issues of harmonizing some legislative acts with provisions of the new Criminal Executive Code of Kazakhstan were among the topics addressed at an OSCE-supported expert meeting on 26 February 2015 in Astana. The event was co-organized by the OSCE Programme Office in Astana in co-operation with the Legislative and Judicial Reform Committee of the Mazhilis (lower chamber of the Parliament) with support from the Penal Reform International Office in Central Asia. Some 50 parliamentarians, representatives of the National Security Committee, Prosecutor General s Office, Internal Affairs, Justice, Defense, Education, Health Care and Social Development Ministries and non-governmental organizations discussed the amendments to legislative acts concurrent with the Criminal Executive Code adopted in Particular attention was paid to post-penitentiary control and social rehabilitation of convicts, administrative oversight as well as terms and conditions in detention facilities, prevention of juvenile delinquency and the role of familial support. An expert from Moldova shared his country s experience on effective methods of probation, in particular community service for adults as an alternative to custodial sentences. For more information, please contact Colin.McCullough@osce.org OSCE trains prosecutors on conflict resolution and trial techniques in Kazakhstan CTN Newsletter, No. 102 A two-day training seminar on conflict resolution and basic trial techniques for some 30 middle -level staff of Kazakhstan s Prosecutor General s Office took place on February 2015 in Astana. The event, co-organized by the OSCE Programme Office in Astana and the Institute under the Prosecutor General s Office, aimed to address challenges that prosecutors face in court proceedings. It intended to enhance their professional knowledge and improve their skills in conflict resolution on criminal and civil cases, ability to make expedient and constructive solutions, as well as conduct dialogue with all involved parties in the light of plea bargaining provisions introduced in the new Criminal Procedure Code adopted in The seminar was led by an international expert from the United Kingdom who will share his experience and good practices in preparing legal documents, public speaking and speechwriting with a specific focus on challenges for law enforcement in accordance with new criminal justice procedures. For more information, please contact Colin.McCullough@osce.org OSCE UPCOMING Regional Workshop for Central Asia on Border Security and Management for Countering-Terrorism: On 4-6 March 2015, the OSCE will organize in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, with the United Nations Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia (UNRCCA) and the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force (CTITF) the third regional initiative within the project entitled Towards a Comprehensive Implementation of the Joint Plan of Action for Central Asia under the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy. The workshop will focus on capacity building for regional border, customs and immigration officials and will advance OSCE-UN co-operation. For more information, please contact Simon.Deignan@osce.org 10

11 OSCE UPCOMING ODIHR to hold training-of-trainers session on the topic of Complying with Human Rights Standards and Effectively Countering Terrorism : From 9 to 12 March 2015, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) is organizing a training of trainers session on Complying with Human Rights Standards and Effectively Countering Terrorism in Warsaw. The event will mark the conclusion of a project aiming to review the ODIHR training curriculum for law enforcement officers on countering terrorism and protecting human rights. The revised curriculum will adopt an operational approach l inking the analysis of potential human rights concerns with the daily work and actions of the police involved in counter-terrorism activities. The purpose of the event is to build participants capacities to deliver training sessions on the basis of the revised curriculum. For more information, please contact Fraser.Hirst@odihr.pl ODIHR to hold Expert Workshop on the Phenomenon of Foreign Terrorist Fighters: a Human Rights Perspective: On March 2015, ODIHR will organize in Warsaw an expert workshop on the issue of human rights compliant responses to the phenomenon of foreign terrorist fighters. The workshop is intended to bring together government experts, academics, and civil society representatives to discuss the challenges of addressing the phenomenon of foreign terrorist fighters in a human rights compliant and gender sensitive manner with a focus on the practical impact of such counter terrorism measures on communities, women and youth. ODIHR will publish a summary of findings and recommendations following the event. For more information, please contact Fraser.Hirst@odihr.pl OSCE Security Days on Current Challenges to Euro-Atlantic Security: Strategies for Co-operation and Joint Solutions : On 17 March 2015, the OSCE Secretary General will hold this event in Washington D.C. with the Wilson Center, to discuss Ukraine and the Crisis of Euro-Atlantic Security ; Afghanistan and Central Asia: Enhancing Stability and Security in the Region ; Confronting the Challenge Within: Preventing Radicalization that Leads to Terrorism ; and Strategies for the Future. For more information, please contact Emiliano.Alessandri@osce.org ODIHR to train border officials on protecting human rights in the context of countering terrorism at borders: On 6-10 April 2015, ODIHR will deliver a one-week training session on Human Rights in Counter-Terrorism and Border Security, in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, for senior border and customs officers from the OSCE region and Partners for Cooperation. The course, jointly organized with the OSCE Border Management Staff College (BMSC), aims to strengthen participants knowledge of international human rights standards, with a strong emphasis on the practical application of human rights compliance in countering terrorism at borders in the specific context of the participants day-to-day work activities. For more information, please contact Fraser.Hirst@odihr.pl OSCE Security Days on Building Bridges: Promoting Dialogue to Prevent Radicalization and Violent Extremism : On 22 May 2015, the OSCE Secretary General will hold this event in Vienna in co-operation with ODIHR, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media and the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities. For more information, please contact Emiliano.Alessandri@osce.org 11

12 OSCE UPCOMING OSCE Mission in Kosovo to hold number of activities in 2015 in support of local counter-terrorism efforts: : A two-day multi-agency workshop in March, in order to finalize the new Kosovo 1 Strategy and Action Plan on Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety. A two-day multi-agency workshop in April, in order to finalize the new Draft Law on the Kosovo Agency on Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety. 1 The New Law aims at complementing the existing one, with the purpose of harmonizing the law with EU legislation (EURATOM Directive), and International standards of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), as a requirement of the EU, and a standard Kosovo 1 must achieve in the path of EU integrations. A three-day roundtable on Violent Extremism and Radicalism that Lead to Terrorism in the beginning of April. The seminar aims to facilitate a discussion among the religious community, civil society, safety forums and experts from Kosovo 1, on promoting a multi-dimensional understanding of the threat of violent extremism and radicalization that lead to terrorism (VERLT) and identifying the possible means to address it. It is important to incorporate community influencers who are not formal leaders into any engagement plan. The seminar will include around 40 participants from relevant institutions from the Kosovo Government 1 that deal with Terrorism, and Civil and Religious Societies and Community Safety Forums. A two-day roundtable on Violent Extremism and Radicalism that Lead to Terrorism mid-april. The roundtable aims to facilitate a discussion among experts, public authorities and stakeholders from Kosovo 1 on promoting a multi-dimensional understanding of the threat of violent extremism and radicalization that lead to terrorism (VERLT) and identifying findings and recommendations that will be used to draft the Kosovo 1 Strategy on preventing VERLT. A Workshop for Drafting the Kosovo 1 strategy and action plan on countering Violent Extremism and Radicalism that Lead to Terrorism (VERLT) at the end of April. A regular annual workshop at the end of November 2015 to evaluate the implementation of the Kosovo 1 Strategy and Action Plan Against Terrorism ( ). 1 All references to Kosovo, whether to the territory, institutions or population, in this text should be understood in full compliance with United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244 UNITED NATIONS NEWS On 12 February 2015, the UN Security Council adopted resolution 2199 (2015) against the financing of, and provision of support to ISIL, ANF or other individuals, groups, undertakings and entities associated with Al-Qaida. The resolution, adopted on 12 February 2015 under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, addresses: oil trade, cultural heritage, kidnapping for ransom and external donations, Banking, Arms and related materiel, asset freeze. UN Member States are called upon to report within 120 days on the measures they have taken to comply with the measures imposed in this resolution. Report (S/2015/79) of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team established pursuant to Security Council resolution 1526 (2004) on specific cases of co-operation between organized crime syndicates and individuals, groups, undertakings and entities eligible for listing under paragraph 1 of Security Council resolution 2160 (2014). While the Taliban have cooperated with criminal networks in 12

13 United Nations Afghanistan since the 1990s, their involvement in criminal activity, including narcotics trafficking, illicit mining, collusion with "transport mafias" and kidnapping for ransom, appears to be increasing. The scale and depth of this cooperation is new, and builds on decades of interaction between the Taliban and others involved in criminal behaviour. At times, the Taliban have attempted to generate resources directly by acting as a criminal body. On other occasions, they have extracted revenue from, or in cooperation with, criminal networks. This trend has real consequences for peace and security in Afghanistan, as it encourages those within the Taliban movement who have the greatest economic incentives to oppose any meaningful process of reconciliation with the new Government. This is all the more reason to intensify efforts to use the Security Council sanctions regime to expose and disrupt Taliban involvement in, and links to, criminal activity. Launch of project on Supporting Senior Judicial Officials in Leading a Criminal Justice Response to Terrorism: Europe, Middle East and North Africa On January 2015, a project on "Supporting Senior Judicial Officials in Leading a Criminal Justice Response to Terrorism in Europe, Middle East and North Africa" was launched during a round-table meeting hosted by the International Institute for Justice and the Rule of Law (IIJ) in Valletta, Malta. With expert support provided by the UN Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED), the project is implemented by the Global Center on Cooperative Security and the Institute for Security Studies, with funding by the European Commission. Its overall purpose is to allow Supreme Court justices to discuss substantive issues and current and projected judicial priorities and challenges in handling terrorism cases. Judicial experts from France and the Netherlands, together with some 30 experts from the highest judicial bodies (e.g. courts of cassation) in Algeria, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco and Tunisia participated in the inaugural meeting, along with representatives from regional and international organizations, including the OSCE. The participants reflected on the current state of terrorism-related case-law in their respective jurisdictions and discussed multiple challenges in reconciling the requirements applicable to national security cases and the respect for rule of law and fair trial principles. By the second meeting planned for October 2015, select Supreme Court-level justices will have conducted national-level seminars and listening tours. They will explore procedural issues faced by trial and appellate-level judges handling terrorism-related crimes through seminars and meetings with judges, judicial academies, attorneys, civil society, and other criminal justice actors. Key observations based on the country context, successful strategies employed, and ongoing challenges will be shared during high-level roundtable meetings. In so doing, the project aims to lay the foundations for the development of a sustainable, non-political forum for Supreme Court-level and senior judicial officials of Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. 13

14 United Nations UN Counter-Terrorism Committee open briefing on the rule of law with French Minister of Justice In an open briefing of the Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee on 10 February 2015, the Minister of Justice of France, H.E. Christiane Taubira participated in an interactive session on "The importance of the rule of law in countering the current terrorist threat." The Minister outlined France's four pillars of countering terrorism, which include modernized penal legislation, a government action plan to dismantle terrorist networks, a diversified state answer in terms of public policies, and a rigorous analysis of the phenomenon of indoctrination. "We have to build peace, and peace is built through law. (United Nations) We have to build peace through law because recent situations in several countries have taught us that it is not enough to win a war to achieve peace," said the Minister. Webcast and remarks are available here. Representative of the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation briefs the UN Counter-Terrorism Committee (United Nations) CTN Newsletter, No. 102 On 12 February 2015, Mr. Valeriy G. Domnin, Head of the Working Group of the Meeting of Heads of Special Services, Security Agencies, and Law Enforcement Organizations, briefed the Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee on the Working Group's activity in In particular, he stressed the important role of the Meeting of Heads of Special Services as a platform for concrete interaction between special services and agencies on the most topical issues and challenges in countering terrorism, in particular related to the threat of foreign terrorist fighters, and the use of the Internet by terrorists. Mr. Domnin, representative of the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation, also pointed out that the annual Meeting attached special importance to further developing the exchange of information regarding emerging trends in modern-day terrorism between the Meeting and relevant United Nations entities. Furthermore, he recalled that according to the concluding document of a briefing seminar entitled "International Counterterrorism Database 2014", organized in Moscow on 26 November 2014, seminar participants believed in the necessity of the continuous sharing of information related to foreign terrorist fighters, using the said database as an integrated technological tool for this purpose. 14

15 From 10 to 12 December 2014, the INTERPOL General Secretariat held a conference in Maspalomas, Gran Canaria, Spain, on the topic of Foreign Terrorist Fighters (FTFs). The Spanish National Police and INTERPOL s NCB Madrid graciously co-hosted the conference. 37 member countries and 5 international organizations sent a total of 120 counterterrorism experts. For two and a half days the attending subject matter experts provided presentations and were involved in discussing the increasing threat posed by the activities of FTFs, dealing with various aspects of the (Ministry of Interior of Spain) on-going threat posed by travel to and from the Syria/Iraq conflict zone by radicalized extremists. Co-operation and exchange of information among police organizations were discussed to promote the dismantlement of networks organized to recruit FTFs and to facilitate their travel to and from conflict zones. Many countries were very willing to share nominal and operational data pertaining to recent cases, or even on-going cases. INTERPOL has occupied a key role regarding the FTF issue because of its global reach and the experience it can draw from previous projects to collect and share information on FTF activity. In recent months INTERPOL s Anti-FTF project, and its tools, have been endorsed on several occasions, and in the strongest possible terms, by the United Nations, the European Union, and the Global Counterterrorism Forum. United Nations Security Council resolution 2178 (2014) recognizes INTERPOL s critical role in assisting member countries to combat the rapidly evolving FTF threat. The resolution s language is clear and unequivocal in identifying INTERPOL s leadership role and strongly encouraged the organization to increase its commitment to combatting the FTF menace. On February, representatives from Member and Observer States of the Council of Europe and from other international organizations gathered in Strasbourg for the first meeting of the Committee on Foreign Terrorist Fighters and Related Issues (COD-CTE), which was established in January by the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers to prepare a draft Additional Protocol to the Council of Europe Convention on the Prevention of Terrorism. The COD-CTE has started to examine the criminalization of the receiving of training for terrorism, travelling abroad for the purpose of committing terrorist acts, preparing and funding of such travels, and other relevant issues. The COD-CTE will hold two more meetings in March with a view to submitting the draft Additional Protocol for approval to the Committee of Experts on Terrorism (CODEXTER) in April. For more information, see The Working Group of the Council for Penological Co-operation (PC-CP) started in February 2015 preparing Guidelines on the role prison and probation services can play in dealing with violent extremism and radicalization leading to terrorism. The draft Guidelines will be presented for discussion at the 20th Conference of Directors of Prison and Probation Services on 9-10 June 2015 in Bucharest. It is expected that the Guidelines will be ready for adoption by the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers by the end of INTERPOL NEWS COUNCIL OF EUROPE NEWS 15

16 Hedayah and USIP host training on Empowering Communities for Countering Violent Extremism (Hedayah) GCTF AND RELATED NEWS From 9-12 February 2015, Hedayah, International Center of Excellence for Countering Violent Extremism, and the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) hosted a workshop intended to teach members of civil society to build individual and group resilience to the threat of violent extremism, as well as how to monitor and promote disengagement from violent extremist groups within their communities. The course brought together four themes. Guidance was provided on how to respond broadly when a community s values have become distorted or manipulated by violent extremists. There was also a related focus on skills that are clinically proven to promote individual resilience and regulate stress. Practical steps were outlined to identify the sources and drivers of violent extremism, develop clear objectives and goals in response, and design specific activities and programs that can be adjusted and evaluated over the course of time. The emphasis was also placed on how to present initiatives to counter violent extremism in culturally authentic ways that resonate with community traditions. Community actors attended the course from Kenya, Pakistan, Yemen, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and the Maldives among several other countries. For more information, please contact info@hedayah.ae IIJ hosts meeting on Designing Effective Workshops to Address the FTF Phenomenon within a Rule of Law Framework The International Institute for Justice and the Rule of Law (IIJ) held on February 2015 in Valetta, in collaboration with the Global Counterterrorism Forum (GCTF) and the United Nations, an inaugural workshop to identify specific needs and requirements for future FTF programmes, and aid the IIJ and other capacity building implementers in developing concrete agendas and performance measurements to support their efforts in collaboration with the UN and other international, national and non-governmental organizations. The OSCE participated in the workshop. For more information, please contact info@theiij.org GCTF Workshop on Raising Community Awareness in Response to the FTF Phenomenon The GCTF held on February 2015 in Washington D.C. a workshop to explore how regular engagement with diverse community groups can help promote and enable communities efforts to prevent terrorist recruitment and radicalization, specifically focused on the threat posed by foreign terrorist fighters. The OSCE participated in the workshop. For more information, please contact gctf@state.gov 16

17 GCTF and related GCERF establishes Accelerated Funding Mechanism The Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund (GCERF) is the first global effort to support local, community-level initiatives aimed at strengthening resilience against violent extremist agendas. A public-private partnership at the nexus of security and development, GCERF is committed to working in partnership and consultation with governments, civil society, and the private sector in beneficiary countries to support national strategies to address the local drivers of violent extremism. Responding to the challenges posed by the recent escalation in violent extremism worldwide and its current manifestations, such as the rise of the group known as ISIL, ISIS, or Da esh, GCERF has established an Accelerated Funding Mechanism (AFM) to facilitate the global community to react quickly and in a coordinated and coherent manner. PROGRAMMATIC ELIGIBILITY: The AFM has been designed to provide prompt support to international, national, and local non-governmental and community-based initiatives targeted at countering radicalisation to violent extremism both locally and transnationally. Funding under the AFM will be available for initiatives designed to stem radicalisation to violent extremist agendas, such as those of the group known as ISIL, ISIS, or Da esh. For example, projects that: (a) provide counter-messaging to challenge the supposed legitimacy and actions of groups involved in or supporting violent extremism; (b) provide positive alternatives for members of those communities most at risk; (c) develop the programmatic capacity of civil society to counter violent extremism; (d) encourage and support activism against radicalisation to violent extremism by populations at risk; (e) promote pluralism, diversity, and tolerance; and (f) facilitate dialogue and collaborative responses. GEOGRAPHIC ELIGIBILITY: The GCERF Secretariat will propose eligibility for approval by the GCERF Governing Board. Sample locations may include Iraq; Syria; and foreign fighter source countries in key regions (e.g., Central, South, and Southeast Asia; Middle East and North Africa; Western Balkans). BUDGET: GCERF is seeking to secure a minimum total of USD 7 million for the AFM in 2015 and Securing this total will allow for USD 5.6 million of grant-making over the next two years and ensure an operating expenses budget to expected disbursements ratio of no more than 20 percent. The proposed operating expenses budgets of the AFM for 2015 and 2016 (USD 1.4 million) have been constructed on a bottom-up basis from detailed work plans for the dedicated staff who will implement it. COMMONWEALTH OF INDEPENDENT STATES International Conference on Informational Counteraction to Terrorism and Extremism in Contemporary Conditions CTN Newsletter, No. 102 The Anti-Terrorism Center of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS-ATC) organized an International Conference on Informational Counteraction to Terrorism and Extremism in Contemporary Conditions on 10 February 2015 in Moscow, as part of the XX Forum "Security 17

18 CIS ATC and Safety Technologies". Representatives of the CIS state government bodies, international organizations (CSTO, RATS-SCO, CARICC), the scientific community, mass media and specialized manufacturers and institutes took part in the conference. Issues discussed by the participants included: legal regulation of state bodies activities to prevent the posting and dissemination of extremist and terrorist materials through the Internet, especially social networks; organization of work to identify and prevent the posting and distribution of extremist and terrorist materials (Commonwealth of Independent States) information-communication space; cooperation among security agencies, special services, law-enforcement agencies as well as civil society to counteract the spread of terrorist and extremist ideology. The conference underlined that the ideology of violence has become the basis for the activity of numerous organizations as well as certain countries espousing nationalistic, fascist, religious -extremist views and teachings. Terrorism and extremism have become the principle manifestations whereby destructive forces seek to achieve their objectives, resorting to extensive propaganda through mass media and social networks. Modern information and communication technologies are used for terrorist and extremist recruitment and financing, and also as vector of attacks with ever increasing frequency, especially against potentially dangerous facilities. A follow-up to the conference, a number of recommendations have been put forward for consideration by the CIS member States in their efforts to counter terrorism and extremism in the realm of information and communication technologies. For more information, please contact info@cisatc.org Annual session of the CSTO Collective Security Council in Moscow The annual session of the Collective Security Council (CSC) of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) comprising the presidents of the CSTO member-states (Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan) was held in Moscow on 23 December It was preceded by the meetings of the councils of foreign and defence ministers, as well as the national Security Council s secretaries Committee. The Secretary General of the CSTO, Nikolay Bordyuzha, delivered a report concerning key CSTO activities, based on the priorities and action plans designed to implement the decisions of the September 2013 CSC session in Sochi, Russian Federation. The report stated that a significant impetus for closer cooperation in a broad range of security matters was given by an informal summit of the Heads of CTSO member States in Moscow on 8 May COLLECTIVE SECURITY TREATY ORGANIZATION Substantive work has been carried out to improve joint operational and training facilities of the Collective security forces and means, established recently to counter various 18

19 CSTO transnational threats and challenges. In this context three major joint exercises - Frontier -2014, Enduring Brotherhood-2014 and Interaction were held in Combating terrorism and organized crime remains an important area of the joint work of the Organization. In order to strengthen the co-operation and security mechanisms on the external borders of the CSTO area of responsibility, the focus was made on preventive measures to counter challenges and threats coming from Afghanistan. An ad hoc Working Group including representatives of the border guard agencies of the CSTO member States was created to co-ordinate efforts to strengthen border security in Central Asia. The Working Group on Afghanistan under the CSTO Council of Foreign Ministers held regular meetings to compare views on the development of the situation. It was notably attended by high official from the OSCE. Comprehensive measures to develop CSTO peacekeeping activities were also undertaken, specifically regarding the composition, structure, equipment, and training of CSTO peacekeeping forces to anticipate possible future deployment under the auspices of the United Nations. As a multidisciplinary international organization, the CSTO has been strengthening mechanisms to overcome current challenges and threats to security in such areas as drug trafficking, illegal migration, and IT-crime. The CSTO Anti-drug strategy was adopted. The special joint anti-drug (Canal) and anti-illegal migration (Nelegal) operations were conducted on a regular basis. The PROXY operation to combat IT-crimes has become permanent. The CSTO s capacity to deal with emergency situations has been increased. The CSTO parliamentary activities, primarily in harmonizing national legislation of the member States, were further expanded. On 6 November 2014, the former CSC Chairman, President Vladimir Putin, received the heads of the parliaments of the CSTO member States and observer countries Serbia and Afghanistan in the CSTO Parliamentary Assembly. In order to promote co-operation between the CSTO and other international and regional organizations, the CSTO Secretary General held talks in September 2014 in New-York with the UN Secretary-General and his deputies. The 69 th session of the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution on co-operation between the UN and the CSTO. Two meetings with the OSCE Secretary General took place as well. The CSTO has been expanding its external relations with other international organizations, primarily the CIS and the SCO. The CSTO Secretariat established contacts with some high-level representatives of Latin American and Asia-Pacific countries. The CSTO Heads of State adopted a political statement containing a collective assessment of the geopolitical situation in the world. They reiterated their countries readiness to make a worthy contribution to strengthening regional and international security on the basis of UN Charter, OSCE practices and the rules of international law as well as with the use of political and organizational resources available to the CSTO. The Russian Federation handed over the Chairmanship of the CSTO to the Republic of Tajikistan, which will perform these duties until the next session. 19

20 NATO NEWS Pilot Course on Operational Level CT Attacking the Network The NATO Centre of Excellence Defence Against Terrorism (COE-DAT) organized a pilot course on Operational Level CT Attacking The Network in Ankara, Turkey, on January There were eight speakers from three different countries. Twenty-seven participants from nine countries participated in the course. Since the course was conducted as a pilot, only a limited number of participants were invited, mainly from different NATO bodies. The aim of the course was to provide Operational Level NATO HQ staff officers with the understanding of the framework to plan and conduct (NATO COE-DAT) Counter-Terrorism and Attack the Networks (AtN) operations in support of NATO missions. The course content covered topics such as: - To understand what the AtN is and its application in counter-terrorism; - To understand the concept of Human Network Analysis and support to Targeting (HNAT); - To develop understanding of AtN in NATO and national operations; - To apply this understanding to a particular scenario in a group exercise. Based on the findings and success of this pilot course, COE-DAT has decided to conduct a full scale AtN Course on May 2015 at COE-DAT facilities in Ankara, Turkey. All NATO HQ officers, as well as Allied and Partner Nations officers may attend the course in May For more information, please contact Col. Kemal Kahraman at chiefofintel@coedat.nato.int Course on Terrorist Use of Cyberspace The NATO Centre of Excellence-Defence Against Terrorism (COE-DAT) organized a course on Terrorist Use of Cyberspace in Ankara, Turkey, on 9-13 February There were twelve speakers from six different countries. The course was attended by sixtytwo participants from eighteen countries. These participants were drawn from the military, intelligence services, police, government and other security bodies. The aim of the course was to explore in which ways the internet is often utilized in support of acts of (NATO COE-DAT) terrorism (fund-raising, recruitment, communication, propaganda, and training), to develop an understanding of national and international considerations for countering terrorists use of cyber space, and to apply this understanding to case studies in working group sessions. The course covered topics such as: - The Role of the Internet for Terrorist Purposes; 20

21 NATO - The Role of Social Media in Terrorist Activities; - Hacktivism as an Emerging Threat; - Critical Information and Infrastructure Assessment; - National and International Considerations for Countering Terrorists Use of Cyberspace; - Future Trends in Terrorism Online. For more information, please contact Dr. Mehmet Ogun at leslearn_specialist@coedat.nato.int Annual Defence Against Terrorism Course The NATO Centre of Excellence-Defence Against Terrorism (COE-DAT) organized an annual course on Defence Against Terrorism in Ankara, Turkey, on 2-6 February There were thirteen lecturers and fifty participants from thirteen different countries. The course provided foundation knowledge about terrorism (origins, root causes, tools, ideologies, motivations etc.) to develop an understanding of counter-terrorism in the national and international contexts and to apply this understanding to a particular case in a group exercise. (NATO COE-DAT) For more information, please contact Col. Mehmet Aslantaş at seniorcoordinator@coedat.nato.int POSSIBLE READING Returning Jihadist Foreign Fighters: Challenges Pertaining to Threat Assessment and Governance of this Pan-European Problem, Edwin Bakker, Christoph Paulussen, and Eva Entenmann, Security and Human Rights Journal No. 25 (2014), pp11-32 Addressing Transnational Threats: Seven Options for Consideration, Executive Director s Commentary No.1, Partnership for Peace Consortium, Raphael Perl, 1 December 2014 Syria Calling: Radicalisation in Central Asia, Policy Briefing, Europe and Cental Asia Briefing No.72, International Crisis Group, 20 January 2015 When Women Become Terrorists, Op-ed by Jayne Huckerby, New York Times, 21 January 2015 Wrong assumptions: Integration, Responsibility, and Counterterrorism in France, commentary by Lorenzo Vidino, War on the Rocks, 22 January 2015 Is the Concept of Terrorism Still Useful?, Jarrod Hayes, International Relations and Security Network (ISN), Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, 23 January 2015 Becoming Mulan: Female Western Migrants to ISIS, Carolyn Hoyle, Alexandra Bradford, Ross Frenett, Institute for Strategic Dialogue, January 2015 Strengthening Government Partnership to Build Resilience: the Challenge of Foreign Fighters, report on the 16 th Policy Planners Network Meeting, Institute for Strategic Dialogue 21