Public Assembly Management From 21-27 March, the Office facilitated a study visit of five senior police officers to Germany. The study visit was organized in co-operation with the MoI of the Federal State of SchleswigHolstein of Germany, and focused on public assembly management issues. The representatives of the Azerbaijani Ministry of Internal Affairs were given extensive briefings on the structure of the police service and prevention facilities in the city of Lübeck. Participants met with their respective counterparts and learned about modern public assembly management principles in Germany. During the visit, the delegation observed and monitored police actions during public demonstrations scheduled to take place in Lübeck city. On 2 April, six representatives of the Office and six additional German police officers visiting Azerbaijan on mission observed a demonstration called by the Public Chamber in the centre of Baku (for more information see Spot Report SEC.FR/169/11 of 5 April 2011). The authorities declined the Chamber’s advance notification, prevented the demonstration and detained demonstrators. The Office observed the activities of the police and demonstrators during the protest action; and subsequently tracked the court cases of detained demonstrators and of arrested organizers of upcoming protests. From 4-15 April, the Office conducted extensive theoretical and practical training courses in Public Assembly Management (PAM) to units of the police in Guba city. More than 70 middle-ranking police officers participated in the training course conducted by the six police trainers from Germany. The course included instructions regarding the most up-to-date international best practices in the role of police in PAM to ensure a measured, proportional response consistent with OSCE commitments, as well as the Constitution and laws of Azerbaijan. Gender-related Issues On 6 December, the Office, through its implementing partner, Azerbaijan Gender Association Symmetry, organized a workshop in the Shabran region within a project on gender mainstreaming in police services. The workshop brought together representatives from the police of the neighbouring regions. Participants discussed how to ensure greater involvement of women in policing. Discussions aimed at raising the understanding among police officials about the tangible benefits of the presence of female officers in law enforcement agencies. On 14 December, the Office organized the second workshop on “Gender Mainstreaming in Policing” at the Police Academy. The Office’s representatives and the implementing partner elaborated on principles of gender mainstreaming and enabled participants to engage in initial discussions on the gaps existing in their institution’s mechanisms that hamper gender balance in policing and about the need for corrective action. The implementing partner continued the discussions with case studies, which provided best practices from other OSCE participating States, with a special focus on domestic violence and the role of female police officers in the prevention and investigation of domestic violence. Corruption On 19 February, the Office participated in a public debate on corruption in the law enforcement sector that was organized by the Centre for Economic and Political Research and the Anti-Corruption Information and Cooperation Network of Azerbaijan’s National NGOs. 85