Aspects of the Terrorist Bombings Convention”. The objective was to raise awareness of the
need to enhance the implementation of the captioned counter-terrorism Convention. More
than 30 experts from different public institutions and the private sector participated in the
event. The meeting was opened by the Deputy Minister of Security and the Deputy Head of
the OSCE Mission to BiH. Among other issues, the need to invest more resources to
enhance security of explosives of industrial use − particularly in warehouses − was
discussed. In relation to chemicals of common use in industries, which may be used as
ingredients to prepare homemade explosives, participants learned about the risk posed by
the current low level of control of these substances. It was generally agreed that minefields
represented the most significant threat to BiH in relation to explosive substances to be
controlled/secured as well as military-type ammunition and many stored explosives waiting to
be destroyed (18 years after the end of the war). Finally, it was suggested that the relevant
department in the Ministry of Security would continue assessing the existing and potential
threats, in order to enable the corresponding legal initiatives to face them appropriately.
On 17-18 September, the TNTD/ATU, jointly with UNODC and in close co-operation with the
Spanish Ministry of the Interior, organized a regional expert workshop on the
“Implementation of the Universal Legal Instruments against Terrorism as a Way to Enhance
Counter-Terrorism Cooperation in the Mediterranean Basin” in Malaga, Spain. 78 experts
(prosecutors, judges and law enforcement) from 17 countries (including six OSCE
Mediterranean Partners for Co-operation) and six international and regional organizations
participated in the event. The experts shared their expertise and practices on legal and
operational issues during pre-investigation, investigation and prosecution of terrorism cases.
They discussed the state of play, gaps and challenges for an effective and timely exchange
of operational information on terrorists and terrorist networks, and on ways to use operational
intelligence to support evidences in trial, with due respect for human rights and the rule of
law. Experts also shared initiatives on how to better build trust among and between the
judiciary and law enforcement practitioners in the region. They acknowledged that some
legal vacuums existed to effectively prosecute ‘individual terrorists’, which should be urgently
addressed. Many presentations underscored the trend to create ‘fusion centres’ (national coordination centres), bringing together all counter-terrorism actors of a country.
On 1 October, the TNTD/ATU and the OSCE Office in Tajikistan, in co-operation with
UNODC, organized a roundtable in Dushanbe on “Good Practices to Enhance
Implementation of Preventive Aspects of the Terrorist Bombings Convention”. 30 experts
from relevant ministries and agencies and the private industry participated in the event. The
roundtable aimed at raising awareness of the need to implement the preventive measures of
the Terrorist Bombings Convention by addressing the control of explosive substances of
legal use, and other chemical substances of common use (such as Ammonium Nitrate
fertilizers). The meeting provided a platform for discussing this threat important to the region
also taking into account the frequent use of these substances for terrorist purposes in
Afghanistan. Experts reviewed and discussed relevant existing laws in Tajikistan and were
informed that the practical implementation of the respective laws constituted a challenge.
On 15 October, the TNTD/ATU and the OSCE Office in Yerevan organized a roundtable on
“Good Practices to Enhance Implementation of Preventive Aspects of the Terrorist Bombings
Convention” in Yerevan. The event, which was organized in co-operation with the UNODC
Terrorism Prevention Branch, was attended by 25 participants from relevant ministries and
agencies of the Armenian Government, as well as private companies and international
experts from Belgium, Spain and the United Kingdom. The need for raising awareness with
regard to control of AN-Fertilizers and other chemical explosive precursors was discussed.
Participants acknowledged the importance of the roundtable and agreed that the National
Security Service, the Ministry of Emergency Situations, the Ministry of Agriculture and the
Armenian Police were going to follow up on the discussions.
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