introduced to illicit market places and the use of cryptocurrencies for committing crimes facilitated by the Darknet. A Key Findings and Outcomes document of the conference on the OSCE’s role in assisting participating States and Partners for Co-operation in combating drug-related crimes and follow-up activities was disseminated on 11 September (SEC.GAL/118/17). On 24 and 25 October, TNTD/SPMU organized a side event during the 2017 OSCE Mediterranean Conference on “Large Movements of Migrants and Refugees in the Mediterranean: Challenges and Opportunities”, held in Palermo, Italy. The side event, titled “Links between Illicit Trafficking in Drugs, Organized Crime and Terrorism in the Mediterranean Region” discussed means to strengthen co-operation and information sharing between participating States and Partners for Co-operation about active drug trafficking routes on their territories which are also used for other forms of trafficking. Participants noted that pertinent illicit financial flows, security threats and humanitarian challenges, including criminal and terrorist networks thriving on drug trafficking and kidnapping for ransom, are topical challenges. Particular attention should be paid to the young people of the Sahel and Sahara regions who are vulnerable to recruitment by criminal groups. It is necessary for the international community to address these threats in the Mediterranean region in a comprehensive manner. On 13 and 14 November, TNTD/SPMU, jointly with the Programme Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan, organized the Regional Workshop on Promoting Co-operation among Central Asian Law Enforcement Agencies in Countering Illicit Trafficking in Narcotic Drugs, in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. More than 50 representatives of law enforcement agencies and relevant ministries from 10 countries and nine international organizations discussed and identified followup activities in promoting broader co-operation among law enforcement agencies in combating the threat of illicit drugs, including Afghan opiates and NPS facilitated by the Internet and the Darknet. Trafficking in Human Beings & Migration-related Crime On 16 February, TNTD/SPMU attended the OSCE-ODIHR working session on combating trafficking in human beings (CTHB) in Warsaw, Poland. Both partners presented their strategy for 2017-2018 and discussed potential joint and/or complementary projects in 2017-2018 on CTHB, specifically focusing on the Mediterranean Region and SEE. Discussions showed the need to maintain close co-operation and share strategies and plans of current activities on CTHB, in order to complement each other’s work, strengthen the impact of OSCE activities implemented in the sphere of THB and avoid duplication of efforts. ODIHR and TNTD/SPMU started to 24 develop a joint concept paper and will propose joint activities on CTHB in 2017-2018, in co-ordination with OSR/CTHB, increasing the focus on the Mediterranean region. On 3 and 4 April, TNTD/SPMU attended the 17th Alliance against Trafficking in Persons in Vienna, organized by OSR/ CTHB on “Trafficking in Children and the Best Interests of the Child”. The conference provided an excellent opportunity to gather expertise and exchange good practices on the latest developments with respect to THB, specifically along migration routes. On the margins of the conference, TNTD/ SPMU organized a thematic session in co-ordination with the OSR/CTHB, entitled “Legal Framework and Practical Measures for Conducting Child Interviews in Human Trafficking Investigations”. The thematic session, attended by some 50 participants, provided a comprehensive overview of the latest research, good practices, methodologies and techniques for correctly interviewing child victims. From 26 to 28 April, TNTD/SPMU participated in the Regional Expert Group Meeting (REGM) on “Strengthening Capacities to use Special Investigative Techniques and Disrupting Illicit Financial Flows deriving from Smuggling of Migrants in South-Eastern Europe”, in Budva, Montenegro. TNTD/SPMU delivered two presentations: The first one focused on the OSCE’s role and perspectives on crossborder co-operation in combating smuggling of migrants, and the second on the use of special investigative techniques in combating smuggling of migrants. The REGM brought together some 50 criminal justice practitioners from 14 participating States from SEE along transit and destination routes, as well as international organizations, NGOs and representatives from the private sector. The workshop gave participants an overview of current challenges and will contribute to supporting a co-ordinated response to smuggling of migrants across borders within the wider region, and further assist in the implementation of the Protocol against Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air, supplementing the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime. Furthermore, it raised awareness on the use of special investigative techniques and financial investigations in cases related to smuggling of migrants. On 23 May, TNTD/SPMU attended the 24th Meeting of the Mirage Task Force on “Countering Trafficking in Human Beings and Smuggling of Migrants”, organized by SELEC in Bucharest. Participants discussed the regional situation on trafficking in human beings and smuggling of migrants registered in 2016 and planned future operational activities. TNTD/SPMU contributed by providing key outcomes from the OSCE events in 2016 and briefed on ongoing and planned TNTD projects.