POLICE-RELATED ACTIVITIES OF FIELD OPERATIONS SOUTH-EASTERN EUROPE From 14-18 September, an open source analysis course was conducted by the Mission for 12 participants from the regional and central levels of the KP Department of Intelligence and Analysis. The aim of the course was to increase the abilities of the police officers working with open source materials focusing on when, why, and how to evaluate and utilize open sources. Financial Investigations, Anti-Money Laundering and Seizures of Criminal Proceeds The Kosovo Strategy to Prevent Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing has been implemented, but convictions for money-laundering remain low. Some progress has been made in freezing and seizing illicitly obtained assets, but a very small number of such assets have been confiscated. Still, a major concern is the lack of expertise among prosecutors and judges in specialised areas, specifically in financial crime and procurement fraud. They have knowledge of Kosovo’s laws but they lack experience in running such cases at a trial. Therefore, they require designed training through practice trials, so that they can be provided with the expertise needed to carry out this type of trial in a professional way. From 7-18 September, the Mission delivered a training course on freezing, restraining, and confiscating criminal assets to 13 KP officers engaged in this line of work. The training, funded by the German government and delivered by two former investigators with extensive experience in money laundering, provided the trainees with the principles of conducting, managing, and investigating effectively cases involving freezing and confiscation of assets. Counter-terrorism and VERLT It is anticipated that Kosovo will experience a significant risk from the return of foreign terrorist fighters with radical beliefs and with an interest in harming Kosovo’s multi-ethnic and multi-religious society. To tackle this, a law banning participation in armed conflicts abroad was adopted in 2015 and is being implemented. Additionally, in September 2015, the Kosovo Government adopted the Strategy on Prevention of VERLT 2015-2020. From 27-28 April, in co-operation with the Office of the Prime Minister, the Mission supported the organization of a two-day roundtable on preventing VERLT in Prishtinë/Priština. The aim of the roundtable was to facilitate a discussion among experts, public institutions, and civil society stakeholders on promoting a multi-dimensional understanding of the threat of VERLT, and to identify possible means to address it. In addition, the event focused on the gender aspect in preventing VERLT, and in identifying findings and recommendations that will be used to draft the Kosovo Strategy on Preventing VERLT. The roundtable gathered approx. 30 representatives of religious communities, academia, governmental organizations, media, and civil society. From 8-11 August, the Mission facilitated a workshop on drafting the Strategy and Action Plan on Preventing VERLT, held in Tirana, Albania. The working group was chaired by the Office of the Prime Minister with other members, including representatives of the MoIA, MFA, KP, Kosovo Islamic community, EULEX, UNDP, and the Mission. Finally, in December, the production of a TV spot was supported by the Mission, which covered three thematic areas of VERLT. The TV spot will be transmitted in electronic media, online social media networks, and official websites of law enforcement institutions of Kosovo. The aim of this TV spot is to raise awareness on the new law prohibiting participation in armed conflicts outside the country; on the dangers of violent extremist ideologies and their consequences, focusing on volunteers from Kosovo participating in armed conflicts in Syria and Iraq; and on providing a counter narrative of extremists breaching religious literature to ensure the interpretation of religious messages are conveyed in a non-violent way. Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) threats The Kosovo Agency for Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety (KARPNS), established recently as an independent agency reporting to the Office of the Prime Minister, still needs to strengthen its capacities through training and exposure to international regulatory practices. From 25-27 February, the Mission supported the participation of the Chief Executive of the KARPNS in the 2nd Annual Summit on Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) threats in Rome, Italy. The Summit provided the attendees with an overview of the key CBRN threats present across the globe and focused specifically on biological outbreaks and terrorism. From 17-19 March, the Mission organized a multi-agency workshop to finalize the Strategy and Action Plan for Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety to support the Office of the Prime Minister in establishing a strategic framework for meeting the national and international obligations in prevention and reduction of CBRN terrorist threats. The working group, consisting of representatives of the KARPNS, several government ministries and relevant agencies, and international stakeholders including the Mission, managed to finalize the Strategy during the workshop, thus reflecting international basic safety standards that will ensure institutional responsibility in handling, transporting, and storing radioactive materials. 61