News and press releases

A regional conference on “Effective strategies for recovering stolen assets; management and disposal of seized, confiscated and returned assets and current issues related to crypto assets in the context of asset recovery” took place in Tashkent on 20-21 May. The event convened delegations from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and the host country, Uzbekistan, and was co-hosted by the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities Economic Governance Unit (OCEEA/EGU), the Transnational Threats Department Strategic Police Matters Unit (TNTD/SPMU) and the UNODC Regional Office for Central Asia.

On 29-30 May, 2024, the OSCE Programme Office in Astana, in collaboration with the Agency for Regulation and Development of the Financial Market (ARDFM), conducted a training seminar in Almaty. The seminar focused on combating money laundering arising from tax crimes, entrepreneurial activities, and public procurement offenses. This initiative is part of a broader, multi-year co-operation aimed at strengthening Kazakhstan’s capacity to counter money laundering and terrorist financing.

From 21 to 24 May, the OSCE Secretariat, in co-operation with the OSCE Presence in Albania, held the South-Eastern Europe Youth Dialogue Forum on Youth Crime Prevention in Durrës, Albania. The Forum gathered around 20 young people from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia to build confidence and trust among youth in the region.

The OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek supported the development of a methodological guide titled "Organization of Activities of a Municipal Enterprise" as part of its efforts in advancing regional development in the Kyrgyz Republic. This initiative was made possible through collaboration with the State Agency for Public Service and Local Self-Governance Affairs (SAPS-LSGA).

Despite the numerous opportunities they present, cryptocurrencies and other virtual assets also come with a wide range of risks, including money laundering, terrorist financing, and fraud. To strengthen Georgia’s crypto-related crime investigations, the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities (OCEEA), in partnership with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), gathered 30 law enforcement representatives in Tbilisi from 29 April to 1 May for a targeted training to foster their expertise in this area.

Innovative experiences in improving investment climate and advancing capital market were presented during an OSCE-organized seminar that took place on 24 and 25 April 2024 in Ashgabat. The OSCE Centre in Ashgabat organized the event to facilitate the exchange of best practices in the attraction of

From 15 to 18 April, the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities (OCEEA) conducted a workshop aimed at increasing the capacity of the National Bank of Georgia to spot virtual assets “red flag indicators”. Held in Tbilisi and hosted by the National Bank of Georgia, the workshop aimed to enhance the National Bank of Georgia's ability to regulate VASP activity within the country.