4.4 Mission to Montenegro forensic standards as well as to provide an effective platform for information exchange. During the discussion, topics covered by participants included evidence management, DNA analysis, graphology and ballistics. At the end of the event, participants agreed that the accreditation of forensic laboratories remained a pre-condition for ensuring the effectiveness of national criminal justice systems. Activities Related to Threats Posed by Criminal Activity Financial Investigations, Anti-Money Laundering and Seizures of Criminal Proceeds On 3 and 4 November, in co-operation with the German Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and the JTC, the Mission organized a seminar on financial investigations of cases involving money laundering in Bar. 30 participants attended the event, including staff from the prosecutor’s office, police, judiciary, anti-money laundering agency, tax authorities, and the central bank. During the event, participants learned more about international standards on anti-money laundering, investigating corruption cases involving money laundering, identifying and tracing assets, and the seizure and confiscation of illicit assets. Cross-Border Co-operation in Criminal Matters On 16 June, the Mission participated in a regular cross-border meeting of Montenegrin and Albanian police delegations in Ulcinj. The purpose of the meeting was to revise joint patrol activities and to identify the course of action for the summer period. Participants highlighted the importance of securing borders and the smooth flow of people and goods during the tourist season as a priority, as well as the need for continuous operational communication and co-ordination. They also identified obstacles to the work of joint patrols, including the language barrier and a lack of technical devices. From 13 to 15 September, as part of a project to enhance police training capacities, the Mission assisted the PA in organizing a regional roundtable in Danilovgrad on best practices in cross border management. In total, 12 experts from police training centres from around the region, as well as instructors and lecturers from the Montenegrin Police, delivered presentations to 25 participants. On 19 November, in co-operation with the OSCE Presence in Albania, the Mission facilitated a central level cross-border co-operation meeting in Shkodra to assess the 74 work of Montenegrin and Albanian joint border patrols. During the meeting, progress was noted in terms of more intensified co-operation at the operational level, which has resulted in further seizures of illegal narcotics and the suppression of illegal fishing activities. It was also agreed that more efforts were needed in developing the Border Surveillance Protocol and the adoption of hot pursuit protocols. On 13 and 14 December, in co-operation with the OSCE Presence in Albania, the Mission facilitated the fourth regional cross-border co-operation meeting between the Montenegrin and Albanian border police in Plav. In assessing the work of the joint border patrols, participants from all sides found that progress had been made in increasing the level of co-operation at the operational level, and that this had resulted in further drug seizures and a reduction in illegal fishing. They also agreed that further action was necessary in the implementation of the 2007 Border Surveillance Protocol and the adoption of hot pursuit protocols. From 14 to 16 December, as part of an initiative of the OSCE Presence in Albania, the Mission supported the organization of a working level meeting and simulation exercise in Shkodra focusing on the draft Hot Pursuits Protocol negotiated in 2016 between Montenegro and Albania. In total, 60 officers from the border, crime and traffic police and prosecutors’ offices from both countries participated in these events. The exercise simulated a situation where two “criminals” attempted to cross the border from Albania to Montenegro using informal border crossings. The aim of the exercise was to assess communication channels, legal limitations and the means for co-operation between both law enforcement agencies. As a result of this activity, it is expected that participants will send amendments to the draft Hot Pursuits Protocol before the final document is sent to both governments for adoption. Counter-Terrorism & VERLT The Mission supported the participation of two representatives of the Crime Police Unit for investigating cases of terrorism and the Border Police at the “Foreign Terrorist Fighters – Challenges for South-Eastern Europe” conference organized from 22 to 24 November in Rakitje, Zagreb County, Croatia by the RACVIAC - Centre for Security Cooperation. This activity aimed to increase the awareness of national experts on the tools for investigating criminal acts with elements of terrorism. On 23 November, the Mission co-funded the participation of a national representative from the MoI in a two-day technical expert meeting of more than 80 law enforcement and government officials from across the OSCE region. Participants in the meeting discussed the need to gender