ACTIVITIES OF THE TRANSNATIONAL THREATS DEPARTMENT Lyon, France, in October 2015, this two-day forum focused on the involvement of criminal networks in migrant smuggling. A new EU organization, the European Migrant Smuggling Centre (EMSC), was also launched at the Forum. EMSC is intended to gather and analyze information and data and turn it into intelligence as the basis for launching operations against criminal networks. The EMSC will be staffed with 45-50 experts, analysts and investigators, who will create mobile teams to support national authorities in targeting and investigating criminal cases related to migrant smuggling. TNTD/SPMU was approached by representatives of the EMSC, who expressed their interest in closer collaboration with the OSCE. On 4 March, TNTD/SPMU attended the OSCE Security Days event in Rome, Italy. This event aimed to stimulate a constructive and forward-looking discussion of rapidly evolving migration trends in and around the OSCE region and their complex security implications, as well as to identify policy areas in which the OSCE can make a difference by complementing the work of its international partners. The overall objective of the OSCE Security Days was to highlight the changing migration realities and emerging security needs, while calling into question approaches that tend to securitize national and regional responses to the challenges created by the movement of people. On 10 March and 15 April, TNTD/SPMU participated in the 4th and 5th OSCE – CoESPU co-ordination meetings, held at the OSCE Secretariat and in Vicenza, Italy respectively. The first meeting focused on preparations for a countering trafficking in human beings (CTHB) simulation training exercise. 16 representatives from TNTD, OSR/CTHB, CoESPU, the Special Operations Group Carabinieri in Rome, as well as the Deputy Chief Prosecutor in Turin, discussed the status of scenario scripts and story-line development, presented by the OSR/CTHB. The second meeting included 20 participants from the OSCE, CoESPU and the Italian criminal justice system, who continued to design and plan for a simulation-based training initiative entitled “Combating Human Trafficking along Migration Routes”, The first simulation was held at CoESPU’s facilities in Vicenza, Italy, from 14 to 18 November, with two additional simulations scheduled to take place at the same location in 2017. The project was designed for approximately 200 civilian experts from the OSCE participating States, Partners for Cooperation and neighbouring regions. From 14 to 17 March, TNTD/SPMU participated in an international training course in CTHB, titled “Professional Certificate in Tackling Human Trafficking”. The course was organized by the International Centre for Parliamentary Studies in London. The certificate for participants of this course is accredited by the Chartered Management Institute, a leading body that certifies internationally recognized management and leadership qualifications. 18 participants from different organizations in 11 countries attended this training. On 11 and 12 April, TNTD/SPMU attended a conference organized by the OSR/CTHB, titled “Combating Trafficking in Human Beings for the Purpose of Forced Criminality”, which was part of the 16th Alliance against Trafficking in Persons meeting. On the margins of the conference, TNTD/ SPMU organized a side event in co-ordination with the OSR/ CTHB on “Data Collection and Exchange of Information in Detection of Trafficking in Human Beings Cases and Identification of Victims: Challenges, Good Practices and Lessons Learned”. This side event aimed at strengthening the efforts and collaboration of OSCE participating States and Partners for Co-operation in countering trafficking in persons. Experts from Europol and Western Union delivered keynote presentations. Some 60 participants attended this side event. On 13 April, TNTD/SPMU attended the Joint Alliance Expert Co-ordination Team Meeting – OSCE Focal points meeting organized by the OSR/CTHB. Some 60 representatives from OSCE field operations, the OSCE Secretariat, and international and non-governmental organizations attended the meeting. Participants discussed and received updates on current and future trends and challenges in the area of THB. The meeting allowed TNTD/SPMU to strengthen ties with anti-trafficking contact points in the OSCE executive structure and to present SPMU’s planned activities on addressing THB and migration-related crimes. On 21 and 22 April, Co/TNTD, together with BSMU and SPMU participated in an ad hoc meeting on new developments on the South-Eastern Europe Migratory Route and Joint Response to Newly Occurring Security Challenges co-organized by the PCC SEE Secretariat under the auspices of the Moldovan Chairmanship-in-Office and the DCAF Border Security Programme in Portorož, Slovenia. The meeting focused on new developments regarding the migration crisis and mitigation measures, modi operandi of criminal groups in the region and cross-regional effects, analytical tools available and exchanges of information, needs and actions to be taken, border security responses and criminal police responses. SPMU also participated in an additional meeting organized by MARRI (Migration, Asylum, Refugees Regional Initiative), and used the opportunity to receive additional first-hand information with regards to the lessons learned by services affected by the migration crisis. 23