On 5-8 November, the TNTD/SPMU attended the “81st INTERPOL General Assembly Meeting” in Rome. Some 110 Ministers from INTERPOL Member States engaged in a highlevel dialogue on “Challenges for Police facing Contemporary Criminal Violence” and on sharing best practices based on national and international experience. The Ministers issued a declaration on the future development of police training, structures, co-operation and partnerships between police and civil society. Furthermore, they affirmed the importance of full compliance with human rights principles and the rule of law measures undertaken by the police. Representatives from 140 Member States attended the General Assembly meeting, to which approximately 30 observers from various international organizations and civil society were also invited. OSCE Policy Development In 2012, the Unit continued to support the participating States in finalizing the OSCE Strategic Framework for Police-Related Activities, as well as the OSCE Concept for Combating the Threat of Illicit Drugs and the Diversion of Chemical Precursors. Both documents were adopted by the OSCE Permanent Council on 26 July and endorsed at the Ministerial level within the Ministerial Council Decision No. 4/12 on OSCE’s Efforts to Address Transnational Threats. 8 The Strategic Framework puts on paper what has long been the OSCE’s important role in policing in the international context. On the basis of this, it defines priorities for police-related activities such as police development and reform, and the fight against organized transnational crime, including trafficking in illicit drugs and precursors, trafficking in human beings, the sexual exploitation of children on the Internet, and cybercrime. The Concept for Combating the Threat of Illicit Drugs and the Diversion of Chemical Precursors identifies areas and activities for a short-, medium- and long-term engagement in combating the threat of illicit drugs and the diversion of chemical precursors that requires sustained efforts. It also establishes a political framework for comprehensive action by the OSCE participating States and the OSCE executive structures to combat this threat. Assessment of Police-related Projects In 2012, upon invitation and in close consultation with the Kyrgyz authorities and the OSCE Centre in Bishkek (CiB), the TNTD/SPMU together with the Conflict Prevention Centre (CPC) conducted a week-long assessment visit to Kyrgyzstan to take stock of achievements made by the OSCE Community Security Initiative (CSI) since the last mid-term assessment in September 2011, and to provide evidence-based input for reshaping the CSI to meet any evolving needs of Kyrgyzstan. During the visit, the assessment team spoke to some 160 individuals from a wide cross section of those involved in or addressed by the CSI, including high-level representatives from the Ministry of Interior in Bishkek; Regional and City Police Commanders; Police Station Commanders; Neighbourhood Inspectors and other police officers in four of the districts in which the CSI was located; members of the public municipality and community leaders; NGOs; representatives of the international community; as well as staff from the CiB and CSI. The findings and recommendations of the assessment were highly appreciated by the Host country, the CiB and other international stakeholders. Upon request from the Kyrgyz authorities the CSI was extended for another year. 8 22 Cf. OSCE, Permanent Council Decion No. 1048, OSCE Concept for Combating the Threat of Illicit Drugs and the Diversion of Chemical Precursors, Vienna, 26 July 2012; OSCE, Permanent Council Decision No. 1049, OSCE Strategic Framework for Police-Related Activities, Vienna, 26 July 2012; and OSCE, Ministerial Council Decision No. 4/12, OSCE’s Efforts to Address Transnational Threats, Nineteenth Meeting of the Ministerial Counci, Dubliin, 7 December 2012.