4.9 Centre in Ashgabat In 2019, the Centre enhanced its co-operation with all law enforcement agencies of Turkmenistan. In total, 22 police-related activities were organized or supported by the Centre. These activities included facilitating the participation of Turkmenistan officials in two OSCE senior-level conferences related to countering terrorism and its financing and organized crime, three events on CTHB, two events on preventing domestic violence, and two events on developing an API system in Turkmenistan. Across all of its activities, the Centre continued to promote the principle of gender mainstreaming. Activities Related to General Police Development and Reform Police Development and Reform From 14 to 19 October, the Centre organized three lectures in Ashgabat on codes of conduct and ethical standards in law enforcement for over 250 police cadets attending the Institute of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA), law students from the Institute of International Relations and the Turkmen State University, and cadets of Border and Military Institutes. An expert from Latvia delivered the lectures, which were aimed at increasing the knowledge of participants on international standards of ethics in law enforcement and presenting examples based on the work of international organizations, such us the UN, CoE, and Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in the field of good governance. During the lectures, participants considered a variety of issues, including the importance of transparency in state institutions and the application of effective codes of conduct, conflicts of interest and potential problems arising from them, anti-corruption measures, and best practice within state institutions. Human Rights and Police Accountability On 12 and 13 November, the Centre organized a seminar in Ashgabat aimed at fostering co-operation on the promotion and protection of human rights in Turkmenistan. In all, 30 representatives from government ministries, Ombudsperson’s Office, MIA, Mejlis [parliament], Supreme Court, MoJ and MoEd, Bar Association, and GPO attended the seminar. During the seminar, ODIHR experts shared the experiences of national human rights institutions (NHRIs) from the OSCE region, offering a comparative perspective on their work, especially in terms of reaching out to different stakeholders. The seminar also drew on international standards in NHRIs and best practice from the OSCE region. From 3 to 5 December, as part of the project “Strengthening co-operation in the field of international human rights 106 standards”, the Centre organized a training workshop in Ashgabat entitled “International human rights standards during criminal proceedings and investigations” for 39 police cadets from the MIA Institute and Law Faculty students of the MFA’s Institute of International Relations. During the seminar, participants were introduced to the requirements to be adhered to during pre-trial stages under the UN Charter and Treaty Bodies (CEDAW Committee) as well as national legislation. Anti-Corruption On 21 and 22 October, as part of the project on “Strengthening Adherence to Good Governance Principles”, in co-operation with the OCEEA, the Centre organized a seminar on institutional and legislative measures in combating corruption in Ashgabat. The event brought together 30 representatives from various government ministries and state bodies, including the MIA, the Ministry of Finance and Economy (MoFE), Ministry of National Security (MNS), MoJ, Central Bank, and GPO. During the seminar, two experts from Latvia and Lithuania elaborated on international standards and best practice in the development of anti-corruption legislation, as well as international and inter-agency co-operation in this area. They also addressed tools and mechanisms for the retrieval of embezzled funds and compensation, as well as best practice in the prevention of corruption in state procurement. An MIA representative also presented an overview of Turkmenistan’s anti-corruption system. Gender-based Violence From 23 to 25 October, within the framework of the project on “Raising Awareness about Domestic Violence and Assistance to Victims of Domestic Violence”, the Centre’s implementing partner CSO Keyik Okara organized the final seminar in Ashgabat in a series aimed at high school students and other interested stakeholders, designed to raise awareness of domestic violence, its prevention, as well as referral mechanisms available to potential victims. During the seminar, participants learned about the hotline on domestic violence operated by the CSO, through which citizens can receive information about domestic violence, as well as services available to assist victims. The Centre will continue participating in discussions related to the