POLICE-RELATED ACTIVITIES OF FIELD OPERATIONS SOUTH-EASTERN EUROPE Crime, Terrorism and Corruption, would impact the MoI’s organization. The law envisages a new Police Organizational Unit in charge of investigating corruption-related crimes. An international expert conducted the assessment and provided recommendations to the MoI. The aim of this activity was to ensure that specialized departments investigate and prosecute corruption efficiently, professionally and in accordance with best international practices. To build capacities for future specialized departments, the Mission supported the MoI in the selection and training of police investigators, using the revised curriculum from the previous activity. The process of creating a pool of experts on prevention and suppression of corruption cases involved the following steps: • From 23 to 29 August, the Mission supported the MoI in conducting entrance exams for the MoI’s course on prevention and suppression of corruption cases. In total, four exams were organized in Vrnjacka Banja, Nis, Novi Sad and Belgrade respectively. Some 250 candidates took the test, following the open call from the MoI’s human resources for interested officers to apply. • From 2 to 27 October, the Mission supported the MoI’s Service for Combatting Organized Crime in organizing the first of five cycles of the specialized training course on corruption in the Police Training Center in Sremska Kamenica. The following courses were organized in the period from 30 October to 24 November and 27 November to 22 December. 65 police officers were trained during these three training cycles. Over the course of four weeks, police officers from across Serbia learned about criminal legislation framework on corruption-related crimes, utilisation of available databases and basics of forensic accounting. On 14 December, the Mission and the Norwegian Embassy in Belgrade handed over IT equipment and accompanying software to the MoI’s National Asset Recovery Office (ARO), recently established to improve exchange of information with other countries regarding identification and seizure of criminal assets. Gender and Ethnic Mainstreaming To support the ongoing reforms within the MoI’s human resources management and to contribute to having a more representative police service, the Mission implemented the following activities: • From 3 to 6 January, the Mission supported the Roma Police Officers Association in organizing an outreach campaign to advocate for basic police training. The campaign aimed to promote the enrolment of members of minority communities, especially Roma, in Belgrade, Nis, Pancevo, Pirot, Zajecar, and Zrenjanin. The recruitment campaign was organized following the MoI’s call for application of 460 new police officers. This activity is part of the Mission’s overall efforts to assist the Ministry in developing a democratic police service that provides equal opportunities to minority communities and women. • On 1 February, the Mission supported the Roma Police Association in holding a planning session with the management of the MoI’s Basic Police Training Centre. The aim was to design seminars for national minority candidates to prepare them for enrolment into basic police training. As a result of this initiative, from 20 to 23 February, the Mission, together with the MoI and the Roma Police Association, organized two preparatory workshops for some 40 potential national minority applicants. • From 13 to 14 December, the Mission and the MoI coorganized a seminar for district police to introduce the professional orientation programme at district police level. 54 uniformed police officers, with two representing from each of the 27 police districts in Serbia, attended the seminar organized in the MoI’s Basic Police Training Center in Sremska Kamenica. The officers were assigned the task of advising interested candidates from their local communities on the police profession and on the process of enrolment for basic police training. They were informed about possibilities of organizing outreach activities with their local communities, especially needed for recruiting prospective candidates from national minorities nationwide to apply for basic police training. From 5 to 7 June, the Mission, in co-operation with the CSO Centre E8, the European Commission and the international organization Promundo, organized a conference for CSOs, journalists, academics and police on the involvement of men in combating violence against women and promoting gender equality. Over 100 participants discussed issues of responsible fatherhood, safe and healthy life choices and gender equality and non-violent culture, with special emphasis on combating violence against women. They also touched upon non-violent models of masculinity. This activity is part of the Mission’s wider efforts to promote men’s active participation in gender equality and combating violence against women. From August to December, the Mission and its implementing partner, CSO Impuls from Tutin, implemented the project “Local initiatives in Tutin and Sjenica in supporting migrant/ refugee women in line with the Serbian National Action Plan for the UNSCR 1325”. The project objective was to contribute to community safety, with particular focus on the most vulnerable groups, through supporting women in asylum centres with psycho-social support, awareness-raising 81