practices in criminal cases in the context of the 2013-2014 events in Ukraine. The event, held in Lviv, gathered more than 80 participants from Ukraine, Germany and Poland and was focused on theoretical and practical problems of criminal substantive and procedural law, as well as on ways and means to improve criminal legislation in line with European standards. Scholars as well as practitioners discussed the challenges that the criminal justice system faces in view of recent experiences in the application of recently amended criminal and procedural legislation and ways of its further improvement. The symposium materials were published and disseminated within academia, the Parliament and the judiciary. The symposium participants also agreed on a number of recommendations for the judiciary and legislators and expressed a consensus on establishing an annual Lviv Criminal Justice Forum to be organized jointly by PCU and prominent scholar institutions, the Supreme Court and other interested state authorities. Organized Crime Continuing efforts begun in 2013, the PCU focused on developing a methodology to manage risks in the sphere of organized crime and promoting its implementation by the law enforcement agencies involved in combating organized crime. The PCU supported implementation of the methodology for assessing and managing risks and threats from organized crime by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and other law enforcement agencies involved in combating organized crime. The EU Serious and Organized Crime Threat Assessment, which is designed to assist strategic decision makers in the prioritization of organized crime threats, was used as a benchmark. Such an approach supports synergy of the Ukrainian methodology with the EU. The findings of the research were published as “Risks and Threats to the Organized Crime in Ukraine: Current State and Prospects”. Counter-Terrorism To enhance international co-operation and facilitate direct contacts and liaisons between the SBU and foreign security structures in the context of OSCE commitments, the PCU organized a high-level visit of the SBU delegation to Georgia on 2-4 September. Meetings and consultations on effective response to transnational organized crime challenges were held with the Georgian Ministry of State Security. The visit provided an opportunity to gain first-hand experience and identify the most efficient and effective means of international security co-operation between Ukraine and Georgia, as well as to promote the exchange of information and best practices. A similar high-level visit to Israel was organized on 19-22 November to facilitate joint efforts of two respective special services in combating terrorism and organized crime. On 17-18 September, the PCU organized a two-day national training seminar for SBU officers devoted to issues of terrorism and human rights as well as the OSCE comprehensive, co-operative, equal and indivisible approach to security and terrorism. The training gathered 25 responsible officers from each SBU territorial department. The first day was organized in Lviv and devoted to the OSCE security approach, international legislative framework and national and international approaches to combating terrorism. Eminent representatives from the OSCE TNTD/ATU, NATO and INTERPOL delivered comprehensive presentations. The second day was conducted in Warsaw jointly with the ODIHR and Poland’s Counter-Terrorism Centre and offered an intensive programme on terrorism and human rights issues. The activity was co-ordinated and organized jointly with the ODIHR. On 4-5 November, the PCU facilitated a joint two-day national seminar with the ATU for SBU officers on countering violent extremism and radicalization that lead to terrorism. The training seminar was devoted to understanding violent extremism and radicalization that lead to 117

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