Promoting the Legal Framework and Co-operation in Criminal Matters related to Terrorism On 24-26 January, the TNTD/ATU participated in the visit of the United Nations Counter Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (UN CTED) to Albania. CTED monitors the implementation of Security Council resolution 1373 (2001), which contains provisions aimed at criminalizing terrorist offenses, fighting the financing of terrorism and enhancing counterterrorist investigations and international operational co-operation. To this end, CTED conducts visits to UN member States and produces reports with recommendations on how to better address gaps pertaining to the implementation of the UNSC Resolution by national authorities. Since 2005, the OSCE has been regularly invited to participate in these visits. The team met with high level representatives from the State Intelligence Service, Ministries of the Interior, Justice and Finance and the General Prosecutors’ Office. On 16-20 April, the TNTD/ATU participated in the CTED team visit to the Kyrgyz Republic. The TNTD/ATU contributed to the team’s visit by covering aspects related to law enforcement and international co-operation. On 10-11 May, the OSCE and UNODC jointly organized a conference on “Enhancing Implementation of the Universal Anti-terrorism Instruments on Terrorist Use of Explosive Substances” in Vienna. 183 experts from 54 participating States and Partners for Cooperation, eleven international/regional organizations and representatives from the private sector participated. The purpose of the conference was to raise awareness of the need to fully implement the 1997 United Nations Convention for the Suppression of Terrorist Bombings and particularly the preventive aspects relating to the investigation and control of explosive substances and their precursors. The final report of the conference, which contains conclusions and recommendations, was circulated as SEC.GAL/151/12. On 6-7 June, the OSCE/TNTD, together with the OCEEA, CARICC, and UNODC, organized a regional workshop on “International Co-operation in Criminal Matters: Information Exchange in the Fight against Organized Crime and Terrorism”” in Almaty (see also chapter 2.2). On 26-27 July, the OSCE CiBand the Anti-Terrorism Centre (ATC) of Kyrgyzstan’s State Committee of National Security (SCNS), with the support of the TNTD/ATU, organized an expert meeting on “Exchanging Expertise and Enhancing Cooperation and Co-ordination on Anti-Terrorism Issues” in Bishkek. This was the first time ever that a meeting of experts from ATCs had been organized in the OSCE’s framework. The event brought together some 30 experts, representatives of the SCNS, the Anti-Terrorist Centre of the Commonwealth of Independent States, the Regional Counter-Terrorism Structure of the Shanghai Co-operation Organization and relevant State Agencies of other OSCE participating States, including France, Georgia, Poland, Spain, Turkey and Ukraine. As a follow-up, a team of experts from the SCNS ATC visited the Spanish National Centre of Anti-terrorist Coordination (CNCA), the Guardia Civil and the National Police from 24-26 September. The visit was organized by the OSCE CiB and supported by the TNTD/ATU. Three high-level officials from Kyrgyzstan travelled to Spain with the objective of exchanging experiences with the Spanish authorities. 33