The OSCE operates on the premise that respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, democracy and the rule of law, as well as an effective and accountable criminal justice system are fundamental to a well-functioning modern democracy. Democratic policing, which serves the people rather than just the State and respects human rights, fundamental freedoms and the rule of law, is central to protecting life and property, detecting crime, preserving public order as well as preserving social stability during crises and emergencies, and supporting post-conflict reconstruction and rehabilitation.
In recognition of the importance of the rule of law and democratic policing, police-related activities have become a key component of the OSCE’s post-conflict rehabilitation operations and have gained increasing relevance in the organization’s democratization and rule of law activities in states of transition as well as in the promotion of international co-operation in the fight against transnational threats. By the end of 2012, 14 out of 15 OSCE field operations undertook police-related activities.4
The following map provides an overview of OSCE field operations that undertook police-related activities as at the end of 2012.
Legend:
South-Eastern Europe:
1) Presence in Albania 2) Mission in Kosovo 3) Mission to Montenegro 4) Mission to Serbia 5) Mission to Skopje
Eastern Europe:
6) Mission to Moldova
7) Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine
South Caucasus:
8) Office in Baku 9) Office in Yerevan
Central Asia:
10) Centre in Ashgabat 11) Centre in Astana 12) Centre in Bishkek 13) Office in Tajikistan
14) Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan
4 Since not all field operations have a distinguished police component, police-related activities of these field operations have been undertaken by other thematic components such as democratization, human rights, or rule of law units.
The police-related activities of the OSCE executive structures are based on a comprehensive list of mandates and tasks, which have been provided by various Ministerial Council and Permanent Council Decisions since 1998. In December 2012, to further strengthen the OSCE’s efforts to address transnational threats, the Dublin Ministerial Council adopted Decision No. 4/12. This so called ‘chapeau’ decision endorses four decisions which had been adopted in 2012 by the Permanent Council on the Development of Confidence-Building Measures to Reduce the Risks of Conflict Stemming from the Use of Information and Communication Technologies (PC Decision No. 1039), the OSCE Concept for Combating the Threat of Illicit Drugs and the Diversion of Chemical Precursors (PC Decision No. 1048), the OSCE Strategic Framework for Police-Related Activities (PC Decision No. 1049); as well as the OSCE Consolidated Framework for the Fight against Terrorism (PC Decision No.
1063).5
Due to the OSCE’s comprehensive and cross-dimensional approach to the three dimensions of security, which emphasizes the connection between rule of law, economic development and stability, police-related activities have been increasingly attracting attention by the OSCE’s executive structures. In addition to the field operations and the Strategic Police Matters Unit in the newly created Transnational Threats Department (TNTD/SPMU), the High Commissioner on National Minorities (HCNM) and the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), as well as several thematic units within the OSCE Secretariat have included certain aspects of policing in their respective programmes. The thematic units include: the TNTD/Co-ordination Cell, TNTD/Action against Terrorism Unit (ATU); the TNTD/Borders Unit; the Gender Section; the Office of the Co-ordinator of Economic and Environmental Activities (OCEEA); and the Office of the Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings (OSR/CTHB).
With the adoption of the OSCE Strategic Framework for Police-Related Activities in 2012, the participating States reaffirmed their acknowledgement of the key role that OSCE police-related activities play in the Organization’s efforts to address threats to security and stability in the OSCE region posed by criminal activity emanating from organized crime, including terrorism and trafficking in drugs and human beings, as well as in the areas of conflict prevention, crisis management and post-conflict rehabilitation. Furthermore, the participating States acknowledged the added value of the OSCE’s police related activities in the international context, and reaffirmed the priority areas of OSCE engagement that they had defined in the past decade, and which had already been addressed by the OSCE executive structures throughout the previous years.
The topics that continued to dominate OSCE’s policing agenda in 2012 were the fight against transnational threats, including those emanating from organized crime and terrorism, and the promotion of the principles of democratic policing. In 2012, the main focus of OSCE police reform assistance programmes was directed towards providing assistance in introducing and enhancing community policing/police-public partnerships, strategic planning, accountability, the development of basic and advanced police training capacity; combating trafficking in human beings as well as terrorism, enhancing border management, and promoting regional law enforcement co-operation in addressing transnational threats. Increasing attention was devoted to addressing cyber security and cybercrime. In all of the police-related activities, the promotion of human rights and gender mainstreaming remained an integral element.6
Moreover, in line with a holistic approach to Criminal Justice System Reform (CJSR), the executive structures have increasingly combined police reform activities with activities that address capacity building of other key players of the Criminal Justice System too, such as prosecutors and judges. Such complementary activities included in particular joint training events for police officers, prosecutors and judges. In order to develop a coherent OSCE-wide
5 For a comprehensive overview of the Decisions, see Appendix 3 to this report.
6 An overview of different areas of police-related activities is provided in Appendix 4 and 5 to this report.
approach to holistic CJSR, the TNTD/SPMU, in close consultations with criminal justice practitioners, policymakers and academics from various international, regional and national partner organizations continued to work on a new guidebook on Police Reform within the Framework of Criminal Justice System Reform.
This is the eleventh report submitted in accordance with Decision 9, paragraph 6, of the Bucharest Ministerial Council Meeting, 4 December 2001. It describes the police-related activities of the OSCE executive structures in compliance with the Ministerial and Permanent Council Decisions and Action Plans, listed in Appendix 3. The report provides information about the police-related activities of the TNTD, other thematic units in the Secretariat, and the OSCE field operations. The Annual Reports on Police-Related Activities for 2012 by the HCNM and ODIHR are attached to this report in Appendix 1 and 2.
A list of contact details of the OSCE executive structures that dealt with policing issues in 2012 is attached in Appendix 6 to this report.