4.13 The OSCE Office in Tajikistan Background The OSCE presence in Tajikistan has been mandated to promote the implementation of OSCE commitments, support the development of common approaches to addressing problems and threats to security, facilitate the exchange of information, and build national capacity and expertise. The OSCE Office in Tajikistan (OiT), upon request from the Republic of Tajikistan, introduced an overall police reform project and supported Tajikistan in addressing threats posed to the country’s security emanating from organized crime, drug trafficking, terrorism and violent extremism and radicalization leading to terrorism. Thus, the OiT’s police-related activities aimed at assisting Tajikistan “in the development of common approaches to problems and threats to security, taking into account the commitments of the Republic of Tajikistan to contribute to stability and security, to prevent conflicts and take measures for crisis management, as well as in the areas of, inter alia, police-related activities…” as envisaged in the Permanent Council decision No. 852, 19 June 2008, on the Mandate of the OSCE Office in Tajikistan. The Office continued to support law enforcement agencies in the fields of police reform, training, drug control and counter-terrorism. In 2012, particular emphasis was put on enhancing a strategic management approach towards the implementation of police reform, combining training and operational needs, projected into the planning efforts of senior law enforcement personnel. In 2012, support for the Drug Control Agency was built on the acquired data from the 2011 drug prevention campaign, aimed at developing a partnership with all citizens through a community outreach programme that would enhance the fight against drug trafficking. Leadership and Management At the request of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA), the OiT supported the Senior Staff of the Ministry to enhance their capacity for implementing reform, by delivering ToT on Management and Leadership in line with the principles of democratic policing. The workshop focused on leadership principles, motivation and solution-based change management and included gender and human rights matters. The training also aimed at developing skills and structures to better respond to the crime situation and to strengthen the relationship between citizens and the police which was considered a pre-requisite for a successful police reform. On 23 February 2012, an MoU on Police Reform was ratified by the Parliament of the Republic of Tajikistan. The MoU obliges the Ministry of Internal Affairs to implement the police reform activities outlined in the MoU. At the end of 2012, the draft Police Reform Strategy was under consideration by the Ministry of Justice and Finance. Prior to this, it had been approved by all other relevant agencies. It was envisaged that in the first quarter of 2013 the Police Reform Strategy would be adopted and ratified by the Parliament. From 18-21 April, the OiT organized a study tour to Croatia for the MIA Senior Management headed by the newly appointed Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs. The visit aimed to learn from the reform experience of the Croatian Police. At the end of the visit a joint statement between the MIA of Tajikistan and the MoI of Croatia, focusing on the sharing of Croatian know-how and experiences in the training of police officers, was signed. 139