4.1 Presence in Albania when addressing security challenges at the local level, as well as setting priorities on safety and security, considering the main challenges faced by these respective communities. Community policing officers, community members, youth and media representatives participated in the meetings and workshops held with LSCs. In all, 49 participants took part in these activities. On 21 November, 13 December and 17 December, the Presence organized meetings with LSCs in Puka, Lusnja and Vlora, to present and discuss the action plans. The meetings included mayors, Heads of Municipal Councils, government officials, civil society and other key local stakeholders involved in the law enforcement, education and health sectors as well as from religious communities. During the meetings, participants discussed how to develop the infrastructure for a model LSC, exploring best practice in inter-institutional cooperation and engaging community policing as an effective ‘bridge’ to ensure active community participation when addressing security challenges.  In November and December, the Presence organized a series of workshops for the youth in the regions of Lushnja, Vlora and Puka with the support of a local expert. The aim of the workshops was to increase youth capacities and empower them to address local safety and security challenges. In total, 83 young people attended the workshops, which focused on modern security challenges, radicalization, violent extremism, gender-based violence, role of youth in public decision-making, effective engagement in LSCs, and the importance of co-operation between youth and school security officers in high schools. Gender-Based Violence On 9 October, the Presence participated in the Second Regional Forum on “Integrated Policies, inclusive Partnerships”, in Tirana, aimed at promoting the Istanbul Convention in the Western Balkans and Turkey. The Regional Forum was organized by the Government, UN Women, CoE and European Commission (EC). Issues addressed during the event related to strengthening an integrated inter-agency response to violence against women and improving the implementation of Istanbul Convention provisions relating to sexual and other forms of violence in the Western Balkans and Turkey. In 2019, the Presence participated in a Government WG established to support the implementation of the new national survey on violence against women and girls in Albania. The survey was conducted by the National Institute of Statistics of Albania with the support of UNDP. In March, the Presence provided its reviews and comments, which were reflected in the final survey questionnaire. Furthermore, the Presence 44 contributed to the OSCE-led Survey on “Well-being and Safety of Women’”. Activities Related to Threats Posed by Criminal Activity Criminal Investigations and Analysis On 29 May, the Presence supported an operational meeting of JIT at Eurojust (European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation) HQ in The Hague where Albanian and Italian Prosecutors and Investigators alongside representatives of Eurojust and Europol discussed how to dismantle organized crime groups active in Albania and Italy. In October, the Presence supported the participation of one Italian and two Albanian police officers at a Joint JIT operational meeting in Rome. The meeting was held in the framework of an ongoing JIT between the Albanian and Italian (Guardia di Finanza Drug Unit) authorities. From 16 to 18 October, the Presence facilitated the third JIT operational meeting, held in Tirana between the Albanian Protected Witness Unit and Spanish Police. The Presence also supported the attendance of two Spanish Police investigators in the meeting. On 7 and 8 November, the Presence participated in the workshop in Skopje on “Criminal Intelligence Databases and IT Structures Supporting Intelligence-Led Policing” for SEE and facilitated the attendance of five ASP officers. The workshop was organized by TNTD/SPMU in co-operation with the Mission to Skopje. The aim of the workshop was to introduce and discuss three chosen best practice examples of national criminal intelligence databases structures: namely, Austria, Estonia and Israel. Cross-Border Co-operation in Criminal Matters During 2019, the Presence advanced its support to the Border and Migration Police through a series of activities that aimed to strengthen their levels of professionalism, promoting joint cross-border activities in line with recognized international best practice. International co-operation and intelligence sharing are of crucial importance given recent geo-political developments. To this end, regional and central level meetings were held between Albania and its neighbours during the year, aimed at enhancing co-operation and ensuring uninterrupted communication between law enforcement agencies in the region. Along with the regular cross-border meetings at a regional level (two with North Macedonia and two with