Police-Media Relations In June and July, the Office, in co-operation with the NGO National Centre for Legal Research and the Armenian Police, organized two police-media round tables in the towns of Vanadzor (Lori region) and Gyumri (Shirak region). The round tables were a follow-up to the 2010 events on strengthening police-media co-operation aiming at evaluating the current police-media relations. During the events, experts gave presentations on the development of the judicial practices related to the freedom of information and presented research on the development of police-media relationships in the regions during the past three years. A number of recommendations were presented by the police and the representatives of massmedia outlets. Some 70 participants attended the events, including 40 police officers from regional police departments and 30 media representatives from the regions. In October, a two-day “Summary Conference on Police-Media Co-operation” was held, aimed at encouraging and facilitating an effective partnership between the police and the media. Some 50 media representatives from Yerevan and police officials from different police departments discussed media coverage of sensitive areas, such as pre-trial investigations of criminal cases; cases involving juveniles; as well as traffic security and drug trafficking issues. The conference was attended by the Head of the OSCE Office and the Head of the Armenian Police. An expert from the OSCE Mission in Kosovo also participated and shared international experiences and best practices in the field of police-media interaction and cooperation. Public Order Management During the period preceding the May 2012 parliamentary elections, a series of training courses were delivered by an international expert aiming at improving public order management. 23 participants from the Patrol Service, the Police Headquarters, the Yerevan Police Department and the Police Troops took part in a four-day “Strategic and Tactical Level” course delivered at the Police Educational Complex. Training delivered at the Educational Complex also included a three-day “Operational Planners” course, a four-day course for “Supervisory Levels” from the Patrol Service and the Police Troops, and a fourday course for the newly formed Public Order Management Battalion. Around 60 police officers, including 12 female officers, were trained on modern policing techniques including communication skills, understanding attitude and behavior, media attention and negotiation skills. In 2012, the Office also assisted in the development of Guidelines for Police Actions during Assemblies. The Guidelines were an effort by the Police to produce clear guidance for their actions during the parliamentary election process, and in general, to improve the techniques and professional capacities of the police actions during the management of assemblies, in line with international standards. The final version of the guidelines was published with the support of the Office and distributed to police officers involved in public order management. Cyber Security/Cybercrime In 2012, the Government of Armenia set up a special working group under the auspices of the General Prosecutor’s Office to trigger the implementation of Armenia’s international commitments on cybercrime issues, as defined in the CoE Convention on Cybercrime. The Office also supported the working group in developing an Action Plan that is compliant with the Convention’s provisions which were going to be implemented in 2013. Furthermore, the Office supported the state authorities in organizing seminars and special training courses on cyber security and cybercrime. 122