POLICE-RELATED ACTIVITIES OF FIELD OPERATIONS SOUTH-EASTERN EUROPE and Novi Pazar. The aim of the workshop was to train police officers on international standards in the area of anti-discrimination and any relevant legislation, thus strengthening their capacity to recognize and react properly to cases of discrimination. More than 170 police officers attended the workshops throughout 2016. This initiative directly supports the MoI in implementing the Action Plan for Community Policing Strategy, adopted by the Serbian Government in 2015, and more specifically strategic objective 6 of the MoI’s commitment to respect ethical principles and diversity in police work. This activity was part of the Mission’s wider efforts to foster mutual accountability in the relationship between the community and the police service, thus reducing the number of cases of discrimination by police officers. In the period from 27 January to 23 February, the Mission implemented an assessment of the role of the police and prosecution and their co-operation in the use of special investigative measures, such as covert interception of communication, through meetings with the MoI and Prosecution Offices. With a view to address the role of the police in prosecutor-led criminal investigations, to follow up on the activities developed in 2014/2015 in all 27 Police Districts, and related to the co-operation between police and prosecution in the criminal proceedings, the Mission met district police and prosecutors in Belgrade, Novi Sad, Subotica, Valjevo, and Kragujevac. Based on the assessment results, the Mission will deliver its expert opinion on the application of special investigative measures, while highlighting the main obstacles to their legitimate use. Overall, this activity will contribute to the Mission’s efforts to enhance the functionining of the criminal justice system. On 27 September, the Mission, together with the MoI, organized a workshop on challenges to the current system of internal oversight of the work of the police. Some forty participants representing the MoI’s Sector for Internal Control, the Ombudsman’s Institution, the Prosecutors’ Association, the Judges’ Association, the Serbian Bar Association, the Police Union of Serbia, the Union of the Serbian Police, as well as CSOs “the Belgrade Centre for Security Policy” and “the Belgrade Centre for Human Rights”, discussed necessary reform measures to ensure an efficient police internal control system. This activity was part of the Mission’s overall efforts to support the strengthening of accountable, democratic policing. On 1 November, the Head of Mission opened an event in Belgrade, entitled “Roundtable on Police Integrity – A Holistic View – Individual, Organizational and External Dimensions – Best Standards, Practices and Challenges in Southeast Europe”, alongside the Minister of Interior, the Deputy Chief of Mission - U.S. Embassy in Serbia and die Assistant Director and Head of Operations I (Southeast Europe) of DCAF. The event was organized in partnership with the MoI, DCAF and ICITAP. The roundtable aimed at fostering discussions on best standards, practices and challenges pertaining to the process of police integrity. Some fifty participants included representatives from the MoIs of Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, Slovenia and Serbia. This activity was part of the Mission’s overall efforts to enhance regional co-operation related to police accountability. Anti-Corruption On 27 and 28 April, the Mission organized a seminar on lifestyle analyses. A leading international forensic accountant expert shared best practices in forensic accountancy from the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency. Lessons focused on sources of financial information, analytical and reporting techniques and case studies. A total of 24 police investigators and two prosecutors participated in the training. This activity aimed at enhancing police capacities in the fight against corruption. On 7 June, the Mission organized the closing ceremony for the two-and-half year project “Enhancing Capacities of the Serbian Police to fight Corruption” funded by the Government of Norway and implemented jointly by the Mission, the MoI and the Prosecutor’s Office for Organized Crime. The aim of this project was to strengthen the capacities of a core group of 25 police investigators and two organized crime prosecutors in investigating corruption-related crimes. Twelve members of the core group completed internationally accredited courses, thus making the MoI the first state institution with in-house Certified Fraud Examiners, Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists and Certified Forensic Accountants. This project was part of the Mission’s wider efforts to strengthen the police and prosecution’s skills and knowledge in fighting against corruption and other forms of economic crime. On 19 September, the Mission, together with the MoI, launched a specialized nine-week training course on the prevention and investigation of corruption-related cases. The MoI’s police trainers delivered the course to 20 participants from the MoI’s Criminal Investigation Directorate in Belgrade. Another nine-week course started on 18 November. Fifteen economic crime police investigators from the Service for Combatting Organized Crime strengthened their capacities in a number of areas, including prevention, detection, documentation and providing evidence for corruptionrelated criminal offences following the public prosecutor’s order, applying the rules of forensic accounting, analysing 81

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