Publications

The publication: "Exercising the right to access environmental information" was developed in cooperation with the office of the Commissioner for Information of Public Importance and Personal Data Protection with the support from the OSCE Mission in Serbia in order to inform the interested public about the importance and meaning of information relevant to the environment as well as about ways to provide accurate, timely and make reliable "green information" more accessible. New powers of the Commissioner relating to access to environmental information, provided through amendments to the Law on Free Access to Information, are also presented. Available in Serbian only.

This unique OSCE project equips energy stakeholders with the know-how, capacities, and data to to prevent and address climate risks to critical energy infrastructure, prepare for future climate realities, and advance a resilient and long-lasting energy transition.

This report presents a baseline assessment of environmental governance, taking into consideration an analysis of legal framework, institutional capacities, and technical expertise. The assessment was conducted from October 2022 to January 2023, by reviewing legal framework and literature, and interviews conducted with 25 institutions, and the validation of the findings in a technical consultation workshop with the participation of 40 attendees, representing compliance and management agencies, police, prosecution, civil society, media and academia. Also, baseline assessment highlighted the opportunities and concrete recommendations to enhance inter-institutional co-operation and environmental law enforcement. January 2023

To evade prosecution, organized crime groups are increasingly targeting recruitment efforts towards young people under the age of criminal liability. The COVID-19 pandemic and security developments across the OSCE area exacerbated socio-economic vulnerabilities and risk factors, making young people more susceptible to being recruited into criminal networks and activities. This can put them on a path to long-term criminality, with significant consequences for themselves, victims, criminal justice systems and society as a whole. Research shows that by the age of 25, a single “multiple offender” has had – on average – 100 victims and generated EUR 1.7 million in social follow-up costs.1 Investing in effective youth crime prevention and strengthening youth resilience from an early age therefore have major economic and societal benefits, and contribute to good governance and the rule of law. This report builds on the OSCE’s longstanding focus on youth development and crime prevention, emphasizing the need for targeted strategies to mitigate vulnerabilities. The OSCE’s commitment to promoting the role and inclusion of youth in its security agenda dates back to its founding document, the Helsinki Final Act, and has been strengthened though many subsequent OSCE decisions. The OSCE’s mandate in combating organized crime underscores prevention as a key approach, as reaffirmed in the 2020 Tirana Declaration, which calls for a multi-stakeholder and gender-sensitive response.

The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina addresses environmental challenges by working with the authorities and civil society in a wide range of areas. The Mission’s priorities in this field include improving public access to information and participation in decision-making affecting the environment, strengthening the capacities of the BiH Aarhus Centres and other relevant CSOs, and training justice sector professionals and future lawyers on environmental law. The Mission also supports local-level efforts that strengthen inter-municipal co-operation and directly involve citizens in protecting the environment.

The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is proud to release a practical resource designed to empower law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and stakeholders in tackling cryptocurrency-related crimes. The guide "Decoding Crypto Crime: A Guide for Law Enforcement" simplifies complex concepts like blockchain technology and virtual assets, offering best practices for investigating common crypto crimes such as investment scams, extortion, and phishing.

Strategy Paper: Strengthening climate resilience in the South Caucasus through fire risk reduction