organizations, international organizations and representatives of bilateral representations operating in the country. Participants shared information on annual activities and priority areas and elaborated on planned future projects to prevent human trafficking and forced labour, and protect the victims of such crime. From 13-15 November, the Office organized a three-day training course for the operational officers of the Counter-trafficking Department of the MIA, investigators and prosecutors working on human trafficking and forced labour cases. The purpose of the training was to improve the capacity of specialist counter-trafficking practitioners to secure viable victim and witness evidence based on an overall human rights and victim-centered approach. The training included three modules on securing victim safety and care; preparing and conducting in-depth evidential interviews; and identifying and securing independent evidential corroborations. The modules used a combination of interactive plenary and working group sessions based upon three specially constructed case study scenarios, two of which concerned regional labour trafficking case histories, while the third covered a sex trafficking scenario. From 6-7 December, the Office organized an “International Conference on Enhancing Cooperation to Combat Trafficking in Human Beings and Forced Labour”. The Conference brought together Government and civil society organizations of Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Russian Federation, Serbia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan, as well as international and bilateral organizations to discuss the challenges faced in combating human trafficking and forced labour and to exchange good practices in prosecuting this crime and protecting those suffering from it. Some 100 participants discussed how various OSCE participating States addressed human trafficking, how migration policies could impact and contribute to or reduce the vulnerability of migrants for trafficking, and highlighted the international instruments that call for the need to protect the victims of THB. Participants also focused on trafficking for labour exploitation as a very challenging and emerging form of exploitation, in particular the trafficking of labour migrants; and reiterated the necessity of assistance and support during, for and after criminal proceedings; the victims’ right to compensation; and non-prosecution for deeds committed while being victims of trafficking. The event also played a unique role in being able to present to the Government of Azerbaijan various examples of mechanisms of financial investigation and recovery of criminal assets. From 8-10 December, the Office and the OSR/CTHB conducted training for 80 judge candidates. The training focused on the national and international legal frameworks defining counter-trafficking and forced labour; indicators for various types of exploitation; and presented good practices and lessons learned in addressing the crime. The participants worked in groups to analyse the trafficking cases. Border Security and Management On 30 October, the Office visited Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic (NAR) and conducted several meetings with the NAR Ministry of Internal Affairs, State Customs Committee and State Border Service. On the same day, the Office travelled to Igdır, Turkey’s bordering province with NAR, and met with the Chief of Police and Governor of Igdır Province. These meetings were preparatory consultations for the Office to explore options for project activities in NAR, particularly those related to joint border co-operation activities. Other Activities From 20-23 January, the Office supported the participation of Azerbaijani officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of National Security in the 13th conference of the International Bomb Data Centre Working Group (IBDC WG) in Hungary. The Office has been 116