POLICE-RELATED ACTIVITIES OF FIELD OPERATIONS CENTRAL ASIA From 16 to 19 February, the Office organized a trainingof-trainers course on effective police intervention in cases of domestic violence. The training, which was delivered in Varzob-Khodzhaobigarm, was attended by eighteen police officers, including inspectors from gender-sensitive police units from Tajikistan’s main towns, deputy heads of regional Departments for Public Order Defence under the MIA and lecturers from internal departments of the MIA. The MIA’s National Coordinator on Police Reform and representatives from the U.S. Embassy’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs attended. During the period from September through November, the Office provided assistance with regard to the comprehensive reconstruction of the Gender Sensitive Police Unit (GSPU) in Dusti district of Khatlon region. The support also included the provision of furniture with modern means and equipment. In December, the MIA, in co-ordination with the local government of Khorog, allocated premises for establishing the GSPU in Khorog. In addition to this decision, the MIA also appointed an inspector on domestic violence for the GSPU in Khorog. Activities Related to Threats Posed by Criminal Activity Cross-Border Co-operation in Criminal Matters Trafficking in Human Beings & Migration-related Crime On 29 July, the Office donated equipment to the Police Academy of the MIA for a course on Counteracting Trafficking in Human Beings. The audio-visual equipment will allow lecturers to use interactive teaching techniques for investigating crimes of human trafficking, including video projections of specialized films and simulation exercises. The Office also trained a team of lecturers on modern interactive teaching techniques, and recently updated the Course on Counteracting Trafficking in Human Beings following new legislation. Other On 21 and 22 June, an advanced training course on “Tracing Illicit Small Arms and Light Weapons” was organized jointly by the OSCE and INTERPOL in Vienna. A government representative from the State Committee of National Security participated with the support of the Office. From 11 to 15 July, the Office organized a workshop in Dushanbe which focused on “Combating illicit trade of cultural property and smuggling of historical artefacts”. The participants included representatives from the Border Troops, Customs Service, State Committee of National Security and the Ministry of Culture. During the workshop, experts from TNTD/BSMU, INTERPOL, the United States Department of Homeland Security, UNODC, the Greek National Police’s Department against smuggling of antiquities, the UNESCO Office in Afghanistan and the Afghan Customs Service shared best practices with the participants. From 14 to 16 April, the Office supported a bilateral meeting between senior representatives from the MIAs of Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan in Khujand. They discussed and signed bilateral security co-operation agreements to address transnational threats, including illicit drug trafficking and terrorism. They also established a Joint Coordination Board, which will be instrumental in sustaining co-operation. The parties to the agreement will meet once a year in a similar format. During the reporting period, the Office supported a visit of four senior officials from the MIA’s Office of Combating Organized Crime to their counterparts at the Ministry of Interior and Committee on National Security of Kazakhstan. The visit resulted in the signing of a bi-lateral agreement with Kazakh law enforcement agencies to closely co-ordinate efforts in tackling organized crime, preventing and combating violent extremism and radicalization that lead to terrorism, and investigating cross-border crime. 125