Publications

ODIHR has developed Training on Effective and Human Rights-Compliant Policing in Roma and Sinti Communities to strengthen the capacities of police officers operating at the local level in working effectively with Roma and Sinti and mixed communities, while complying with international human rights standards.

The report provides an overview of the police-related programmes and projects implemented by the OSCE executive structures, including the thematic units of the Secretariat, the institutions and the field operations. In his Preface, Secretary General Lamberto Zannier notes: “The OSCE’s engagement in police-related activities is more crucial than ever at a time in which the OSCE region is exposed to multiple security challenges that range from instability and armed conflict to violent extremism and terrorism, organized crime and trafficking in arms, drugs and human beings.” This year’s report, in its completely new design and structure, better aligns the types and categories of activities with recently adopted OSCE decisions and makes the report more user-friendly for all stakeholders.

This handbook aims to provide guidance for the police in facilitating the right to assemble peacefully. The handbook has been written primarily for police officers working in the OSCE area who have command responsibilities, at any level, for the policing of public assemblies. The handbook outlines key steps and principles for careful police work with assemblies through considered and proportionate policing, having at its core the aim of facilitating the right to peaceful assembly. It provides guidance for the successful policing of assemblies based on the requirements of international human rights law and established good practice from across the OSCE area. Although the focus of the handbook is on “assemblies”, the guidance and recommended practices are also applicable to other types of gatherings (e.g., state occasions, sporting events).

In 2015, the OSCE Mission to Serbia, the Interior Ministry and the Standing Conference of Towns and Municipalities worked jointly to develop a standard Municipal Safety Council model. This handbook outlines all aspects of the model including examples of formal decisions by local assemblies on forming the Municipal Safety Councils. It is not available in English.

The Annual Report of the Secretary General on Police-Related Activities in 2014, submitted in accordance with Decision 9, paragraph 6, of the 2001 Bucharest Ministerial Council Meeting, provides an overview of the police-related programmes and projects, implemented by the OSCE executive structures, including the thematic units in the Secretariat, the Institutions and the field operations, during 2014.

The OSCE Mission in Kosovo provides capacity-building for the Kosovo police and community safety forums, along with monitoring and advocacy for the implementation of the Community Safety Strategy and the 2011-2016 Action Plan. With an objective to instill local co-operation and enhancement of public trust in the Kosovo police, an information booklet on community policing in northern Kosovo is launched in December 2014. The brochure explains a community policing philosophy with applied methods in practice highlighting illustrious examples of partnerships and collaboration between the police and the residents throughout Kosovo.

Comparative study was done by Institute Alternative (IA), with the support of the OSCE Mission to Montenegro. The study provides a detailed overview of control mechanisms (modus operandi) and instruments for efficient identification and prevention of abuse, as well as the analysis of challenges and possibilities for enhancing the modus operandi of the internal control of the police. On that basis and on the basis of the analysis of comparative cases (models from three EU member states), IA formulated its concrete recommendations for the reform of the Montenegrin model.

This guidebook is a result of joint work between Ukraine's Interior Ministry officers and media unions’ experts as part of a project implemented by the OSCE Project Co-ordinator. It includes recommendations on their co-operation during mass events, the rules of safe conduct and a detailed overview of the rights and responsibilities of both the police and journalists. It is not available in English.

The Annual Report of the Secretary General on Police-Related Activities in 2013, submitted in accordance with Decision 9, paragraph 6, of the 2001 Bucharest Ministerial Council Meeting, provides an overview of the police-related programmes and projects, implemented by the OSCE executive structures, including the thematic units in the Secretariat, the Institutions and the field operations, during 2013.

The manual was prepared by experts from the Centre for Excellence in Negotiation and contains training material for community police officers.