News and press releases

National experts from the Government of Kazakhstan convened at the Law Enforcement Academy under the Prosecutor General’s Office near Astana on 27 and 28 March 2024 for an interactive national workshop on the protection of vulnerable targets from terrorist attacks.

Disseminating good practices and enhancing knowledge of new technologies in detecting forged documents and imposters at border crossing points was the focus of a three-day study visit organized by the OSCE Transnational Threats Department from 20 to 22 March 2024. This study visit included both an instructional component on chip technology in passports and a working visit to Amsterdam Schiphol Airport and took place in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. This visit was held in close co-operation with the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee and the Identity Fraud and Documents Centre of Expertise (ECID) for border police representatives from Bosnia-Herzegovina.

On 14 March 2024, the OSCE’s Transnational Threats Department and the Office of the Representative on the Freedom of the Media (RFoM) held an expert meeting to discuss challenges and opportunities affiliated with the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and preventing and countering violent extremism and radicalization that lead to terrorism (P/CVERLT). The meeting, which took place in Тhe Hague, the Netherlands, was organized in close co-operation with the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism (ICCT).

Identifying forged documents and impostors at border crossing points was the focus of a two-week training course held from 4 to 15 March 2024 by the OSCE Transnational Threats Department. This course, which included both an introductory and an advanced component, took place in Krakow Poland in close co-operation with the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine.

Promoting the responsible use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) by OSCE participating States was the focus of a two-day training event held in Belgrade, Serbia on 13 and 14 March. With the continued digitalization of societies, states are increasingly using ICTs to pursue their objectives. However, in a borderless domain such as cyberspace, this can lead to misperception and a lack of transparency.

On 11 March 2024, the OSCE Transnational Threats Department co-organized a side event with the OSCE Chairpersonship of Malta on "Empowering Women for Justice: Advancing Gender Equality in Organized Crime Prevention and Exit Strategies," on the margins of the 68th Commission on the Status of Women. The event was hosted by the Permanent Mission of Malta and co-sponsored by the Permanent Missions of Albania, Canada, Italy, Sweden and the Republic of Tajikistan to the United Nations. 

The OSCE Transnational Threats Department and the OSCE Presence in Albania provided the Albanian State Police with additional crime analysis software licences and conducted an advanced training programme in Tirana, Albania, from 26 February to 8 March 2024. Building on the previous introductory training programme held in December 2023, this initiative was tailored for 40 junior analysts from the Intelligence and Criminal Archives Directorate of the Albanian State Police.