Enhancing Intelligence-Led Policing (ILP) to Combat Serious Security Threats and Crimes in BiH Project launched today

SARAJEVO, 20 September 2022 - Today in Sarajevo, the OSCE Mission to BiH held a high-level launch of a much-anticipated five-year project on Enhancing Intelligence-Led Policing (ILP) to Combat Serious Security Threats and Crimes in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). OSCE representatives introduced the key project aims and activities focused on advancing the ILP model through close collaboration and partnership among BiH law enforcement agencies. The participants also established a co-ordination group on ILP and stressed the importance of the project for modernizing policing.

“The project that we are launching today will help to address the longstanding needs and priorities of BiH law enforcement agencies. This undertaking comes at a time when BiH is faced with growing organized threats to its security - including those of a hybrid nature,” said Dr Susan Penksa, Acting Head of the OSCE Mission to BiH. “We will be working closely with the 16 law enforcement agencies to help them reach sufficient capacity and standards for dealing effectively with these complex security threats and risks,” she added.

"We are witnessing that the world is increasingly facing serious and sophisticated security threats, with highly organized criminal groups that use sophisticated methods to commit and conceal serious crimes. Therefore, police agencies must also be continuously trained, equipped and modernized in order to be ready to respond to new security threats and challenges. That is why we expect that members of the police and intelligence structures from all levels of government in BiH in the next five years will gain the best experiences and the necessary knowledge, which they will be able to apply in their daily work, and thus improve the fight against organized crime in BiH, but also contribute to fight against serious international crime. It is extremely important that this project was created together with law enforcement agencies in BiH and that it reflects the real needs of police agencies for modernization and capacity building” said dr. Selmo Cikotić, Minister of Security of BiH.  

“Norway strongly supports the advancement and strengthening of institutions and law enforcement agencies in this country. We consider this project to be a strategic priority for BiH as it will serve as an operational baseline for setting up a coherent and sustainable intelligence-led policing model in Bosnia and Herzegovina,” said Olav Reinertsen, Norwegian Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The generous contributions of Norway, Germany, Turkey, Liechtenstein, Austria, and Luxembourg have enabled the start of this high-impact project.