POLICE-RELATED ACTIVITIES OF FIELD OPERATIONS
SOUTH-EASTERN EUROPE
focus on the security and equality aspects of this issue. Based
on the good practice established in previous years, the Mission
presented its monitoring findings and paired up internal
expertise with external trainers to deliver presentations at its
training and public information events.
Overall, the Mission organized two workshops and five
roundtable meetings, two of which in co-operation with
the NGO Sarajevo Open Centre, targeting more than 140
law enforcement representatives in seven locations across
the country, both at the local and state level. In addition,
the Mission delivered six presentations at local events and
police stations around the country, bringing together 120
participants from law enforcement and other stakeholders.
The presentations focused on the definition of hate crimes,
the Mission’s findings on the current situation in BiH, the
relevant legal framework and the importance of proper
investigation and prosecution.
Signing ceremony in Sarajevo Canton of the Protocol on
Children Victims of Illegal Actions. 2 October 2018, Sarajevo,
Bosnia and Herzegovina (OSCE/Vedran Pribilovic)
Presentations on hate crimes and the Mission’s monitoring
findings were also part of events under the umbrella of the
counter-terrorism and P/C VERLT activities implemented
by the Mission, such as events for local stakeholders in
Zavidovići, Mostar and Brčko on 11 October, 22 November and
4 December, respectively.
The continuous capacity-building and awareness-raising with
law enforcement and other justice sector actors resulted in
one hate crimes verdict reached in 2018 by applying hate
crimes provisions from the amended 2016 Criminal Code
of the Federation of BiH. This is the fourth final verdict on
charges of hate crimes reached in BiH since the legislation
was amended, and the first final verdict reached in the FBiH
on the basis of the amended provisions.
Activities Related to Threats
Posed by Criminal Activity
Counter-Terrorism & P/C VERLT
The Mission continuously assists relevant institutions in
BiH in their efforts to effectively counter-terrorism and P/C
VERLT through co-ordinated action at all levels of authority,
through capacity-building and awareness-raising on relevant
international and domestic regulatory and institutional
frameworks. This is mainly done by supporting the BiH
Council of Ministers’ Monitoring Body for Implementation
of the BiH 2015-2020 Strategy for the Prevention of and
Fight against Terrorism (the Monitoring Body) and its Action
Plan, as well as by enabling relevant BiH representatives to
adequately participate at OSCE and other international and
regional forums dealing with counter-terrorism and P/C
VERLT-related issues. The aim is foremost to build national
capacities to address issues by raising awareness within the
country and to facilitate the exchange of international and
national expertise and good practices in this field.
On 20 and 22 February, the Mission organized a workshop on
the development of the first Monitoring Body’s “Report on
Implementation of the BiH 2015-2020 Strategy for Prevention
of and Fight against Terrorism” and associated Action Plans.
Members of the Monitoring Body and representatives of
international organizations that support the implementation
of the Strategy and its Action Plans, including the Mission,
produced a draft report which was submitted to the Council
of Ministers of BiH for review and adoption. The draft report
includes the Mission’s programmatic activities related to
counter-terrorism and P/C VERLT, the rule of law, hate
crimes, democratic governance, human rights and gender
equality.
On 26 and 27 March, Mission members participated in and
supported the participation of two prosecutors from the BiH
Prosecutor’s Office in the “FATF/OSCE/CoE MONEYVAL
Workshop for Judges and Prosecutors: Experiences,
Challenges and Best Practices”, held in Strasbourg, France.
The Workshop provided a platform for gathering and sharing
experiences, challenges and best practices in investigating
and prosecuting money laundering and terrorist financing, as
well as seizures and confiscation of criminal proceeds.
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