Activities of the Transnational Threats Department On 16 May, as a follow-up to the previous event, the organizers and trainers attended a debriefing workshop hosted by the OSCE Mission, during which the material, delivery and organization of the pilot training course were discussed to update and improve future delivery. From 12 to 15 November in Madrid, Spain, and from 21 to 23 November in Tirana, Albania, TNTD/SPMU delivered in cooperation with ODIHR two training workshops on "Human Rights and Counter-Terrorism Investigations". The training workshop was a part of a practically oriented and scenariobased training programme for law enforcement officers, jointly developed by ODIHR and TNTD on the basis of the joint OSCE-ODIHR Human Rights in Counter-Terrorism Investigations Manual. Topics addressed included challenges and pressures faced by officers, stress and its consequences, implicit biases, discrimination and moral injury. At the training course, participants were engaged in real-life case studies addressing all phases of a hypothetical counterterrorism investigation. Illicit Drugs and Chemical Precursors From 22 January to 5 February, 13 Afghan law enforcement officers successfully completed a two-week Training of Trainers (ToT) course on combating illicit drug trafficking and drugrelated crimes at the All-Russian Advanced Training Institute of the MoI in Domodedovo, Russian Federation. The course gave participants an opportunity to increase their capacity to deliver training courses in search operations, including in the use of modern techniques for identifying illicit drugs, their precursors and countering drug-related crimes. The course also included practical exercises in searching residential areas and vehicles, and in effectively using specialized equipment. From 4 to 8 June 2018, TNTD/SPMU organized a regional training course in Minsk, Belarus on combating drug-related crimes facilitated by the internet and the Darknet for 20 police investigators dealing with drug-related cases. The participants, who came from Belarus, Moldova and the Russian Federation, were taught the essentials of digital forensics and the usage of open source software tools, enabling them to identify, analyse, obtain and preserve relevant digital evidence for use in investigating and prosecuting criminal activities, including illicit trafficking of new psychoactive substances (NPS) on the Darknet. On 16 and 17 July, TNTD/SPMU assisted the Italian OSCE Chairmanship with the organization of the annual OSCE conference on combating the threat of illicit drugs and the diversion of chemical precursors. This year’s conference, which focused on “Strategic Approaches to the Reduction of Supply and Demand of Illicit Drugs”, was attended by some 130 experts from OSCE participating States, OSCE Partners for Co-operation, OSCE executive structures and civil society. They discussed the effectiveness of current drug control policies and strategic and innovative approaches to tackle the world drug problem in line with the outcome document of the 2016 UN General Assembly’s Special Session on the World Drug Problem. Participants reviewed the benefits of complementary and mutually reinforcing programmes for reducing supply and demand of illicit drugs, explored links between drug control policies, security and human development, and discussed ways forward. Special attention was given to prevention efforts, including a special session on the role of education, gender mainstreaming and public health-oriented approaches. A Key Findings and Outcomes document of the conference was distributed to all OSCE participating States (SEC.GAL/7/19). From 24 to 26 October, TNTD/SPMU participated in a regional expert workshop on “New Psychotropic Substances: Legal and Practical Challenges” in Almaty, Kazakhstan. The EU Action against Drugs and Organised Crime (EU-ACT) and the Central Asian Regional Information and Coordination Centre for Combating Illicit Trafficking of Narcotic Drugs, Psychotropic Substances and their Precursors (CARICC) organized the event. Participants discussed the emerging threat of NPS in Central Asia, arising mainly from China and India. They called for further capacity-building activities focused on the application of new technologies and methods to tackle this threat. It was emphasized that special attention should be given to youth as the main consumer of NPS, and to the enhancement of medical centres addressing problems with NPS treatment. TNTD contributed to the discussion on trafficking in NPS in the OSCE area and shared pertinent experience and knowledge in relation to Eastern Europe and Central Asia. From 13 to 15 November, TNTD/SPMU attended the “UNODC Paris Pact Initiative (PPI) Expert Working Group on Cross-border Co-operation”, hosted by the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in Beijing, China. Participants discussed additional measures to tackle the increased (by 87 per cent since 2017) opium production in Afghanistan and the anticipated influx of illicit opiates to Central and Southern Asia, China and Europe. Experts forecast the growth of the illicit economy in Afghanistan, the weakening rule of law in the country, the increased funding to terrorist groups, and the negative impact on the security situation in the region and beyond. TNTD co-chaired one of the sessions and contributed to discussions outlining the OSCE’s role in tackling NPS facilitated by the internet and its hidden services. Some practical results of the OSCE’s antidrug activities in other regions, e.g. in Eastern Europe, were 21