Trying to get from SSA to Sao Paulo on Monday. Revenue fares $450. Gol has a ticket bookable with AA, SSA- GRU/CGH-GIG. Separate legs not bookable. We have checked luggage. Can we pick up the luggage in GRU and get lost on the way? Or too...

Electrolit's planned 600,000-sq.-ft. greenfield project is slated to open in early 2026.

A Democratic member of the U.S. Congress is doubling down as he faces calls to resign after expressing concern about trans-identified male athletes competing in female sports. 

More than 70 passengers travelled through LAX last year, an all-time record.; Credit: Photo by monkeytime | brachiator via Flickr Creative Commons

Here’s a pop quiz: What is the world’s busiest airport?

Almost two weeks ago, Chicago's O'Hare International claimed the honor.

"As Chicago reclaims its place with the world’s busiest airport, it speaks to the strength of our city’s economy," bragged Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel.

Not so fast, said Dubai, which last week said it was number one.

“This historic milestone is the culmination of over five decades of double-digit average growth," announced HH Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Airports.

Then, on Wednesday, Atlanta weighed in, and yes, it also claimed to be the champion.

“I am pleased to announce that once again – for the 17th year in a row – Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is the busiest airport on Planet Earth, with more than 96.1 million passengers,” Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed said. 

Airports Council International ranks Atlanta as number one in passenger traffic, but those are based on 2013 numbers. The group's 2014 numbers will be out in a few months, but until then we know that LAX proudly takes an undisputed sixth place.

Gina Marie Lindsey, Executive Director of the Los Angeles World Airports, announced her retirement Tuesday after a 33-year career in the aviation industry. Since Lindsey started in 2007, passenger traffic has grown by 15 percent. 

Aviation consultant Jack Keady doesn’t think LAX stands a chance of competing with rapidly expanding Dubai, which state-owned Emirates airlines has made its glitzy global hub.

"Dubai has bumped everyone down,” said Keady.

Still, Keady says LAX will keep growing, even though it’s going to be working with the same number of runways for the foreseeable future.

“Instead of running 30-passenger turboprops and 100-passenger planes, you start bringing in the heavy metal,” said Keady.

Bigger planes are especially important because under a 2006 settlement with airport neighbors, once LAX hits 75 million passengers, it has to start closing gates.

More than 70 million passengers travelled through LAX last year, an all-time record.

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

In this Jan. 14, 2015, photo, shipping containers are stacked up waiting for truck transport at the Port of Los Angeles.; Credit: Damian Dovarganes/AP

The Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach reopened Monday after ship loading and unloading was suspended this weekend because of a long-running labor dispute, which caused the worst delays the ports have seen in more than a decade.

The stoppage led to a queue of 31 ships, according to Kip Louttit, Executive Director of the Marine Exchange of Southern California, the agency that manages ship traffic.

“It’s quite unusual,” said Louttit.

There was a 10-day lockout at the ports in 2002, and an eight-day strike by port clerks in 2012, but even during those standoffs, the queue never exceeded 30 vessels.

The last time that happened was in 2004, because of staffing shortages at the Union Pacific Railroad. Some 65 ships were anchored, "backed up halfway down to San Diego, like 50 miles down the coast," Art Wong, spokesperson for the Port of Long Beach, told JOC.com, a container shipping and international supply chain industry website.

By Monday afternoon, the situation had improved some: 24 vessels were waiting to dock.

Louttit says all those ships waiting at sea means cargo is not getting where it needs to be.

“We had an automaker from the Midwest stop by, trying to get an idea of what the flow would be, because their plants are running out of parts to make cars,” he said.

Los Angeles Councilman Joe Buscaino, who supports the dockworkers union, called on both sides to reach an agreement quickly. To underscore the delays the dispute is having, he travelled a mile and a half out to sea Monday morning to count the number of anchored ships for himself. He posted a video of his trip on Youtube:

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

India recently imposed an anti-dumping duty (ADD) of up to $557 per tonne on epichlorohydrin imports from China, South Korea and Thailand for five years, the department of revenue said in a notification. The chemical is primarily used in the adhesive industry. The duty was imposed as the chemical was exported to India from these countries at prices below normal.

Wacoal Holdings has reported revenue of ¥90,167 million (~$586.1 million) in H1 2024, down by 5.2 per cent YoY. Gross profit fell 4.9 per cent to ¥51,056 million (~$331.86 million). Domestic revenue dipped 4.8 per cent to ¥45,006 million, while overseas revenue declined 1.4 per cent to ¥34,549 million. The company’s business profit was ¥2,304 million, down 39.6 per cent YoY in its overseas segment.

Gokaldas Exports has reported an 85 per cent YoY revenue increase in Q2 FY25, with total income reaching ₹941.8 crore (~$111.6 million) and PAT at ₹28.2 crore, a 19 per cent rise. EBITDA grew 48 per cent to ₹82.4 crore (~$9.77 million), though margins declined by 222 bps to 8.7 per cent. H1 FY25 revenue surged 82 per cent to ₹1,881.5 crore (~$223.0 million), with PAT slightly down by 2 per cent YoY.

The University of Aberdeen Sport and Recreation department are able to offer all delegates preferential rates for using the Sports facilities for the duration of the conference. [11 July 2008]

Event Begins: Thursday, November 14, 2024 12:00pm
Location: Intramural Sports Building
Organized By: Maize Pages Student Organizations

Recreational Sports, in partnership with Michigan Esports and Alienware, are hosting a drop-in gaming and esports lounge at the Intramural Sports Building from November 12th - 17th!

The game lounge will be open at 11am daily for drop-in play for all students and recreational sports members, and will also feature competitive performances from the Michigan Esports team in the evenings!

During the week, there will also be giveaways for participants, and lots of product demos for participants to test the latest and greatest gaming equipment!

Stop by with some friends and play games together!

The Heating, Refrigeration, and Air Conditioning Institute of Canada (HRAI) reported decreases in commercial and residential air conditioning shipments year-to-date in the fourth quarter.

The Heating, Refrigeration, and Air Conditioning Institute of Canada (HRAI) reported that ductless split systems shipments had a major increase of 20 percent in the first quarter of 2016. Residential air conditioning showed an increase of 2 percent.

TASHKENT, 15 October 2015 – An OSCE-supported roundtable discussion introducing representatives of local law enforcement bodies to the methodology of a national assessment of money-laundering and terrorism-financing risks in Uzbekistan was held today in Tashkent.

International experts invited by the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan presented the results of their work on devising a comprehensive and tailored methodology for conducting a national risk assessment in the country.

“The OSCE continues to support international efforts that have made national risk assessment the standard in the fight against money laundering and the financing of terrorism,” said the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan Gyorgy Szabo. “We see this as an essential step on the road to eliminating money laundering and terrorism financing in Uzbekistan.”

The discussion is part of a wider process of consultations with representatives of Uzbek law-enforcement agencies and the private sector to implement a national risk assessment on money laundering and the financing of terrorism.

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Equal access to justice for women and men was the focus of an OSCE-supported forum on 9 June 2016 in Kyiv, which brought together over 80 representatives of the national justice system, legislative and executive authorities, the Ombudsman Office, regional and international organizations and NGOs.

The OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine organized the forum jointly with USAID’s Fair Justice project and the National Judicial Institute of Canada.

The participants discussed common barriers to access of women and men to justice, such as discriminatory laws, social and cultural patterns, gender bias in the justice system and lack of financial and other resources, and outlined the measures needed to gather gender- disaggregated statistical data in the judiciary. They also exchanged experiences and presented good practices for promoting equal access of women and men to justice and enhancing networking and partnerships among judiciary and civil society, and developed recommendations for improving gender mainstreaming in judicial reform.

During the forum, the OSCE Project Co-ordinator presented its new publication ‘Gender in Justice’, which provides recommendations for judges and lawyers on the implementation of gender equality in their work. The publication is based on the findings of a survey conducted among 400 judges and lawyers designed to uncover existing behavioural prejudices in their professional environment.

The event was organized as part of the OSCE Project Co-ordinator’s project on  safeguarding human rights through courts, implemented with financial support from the Government of Canada. 

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The OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine and the Supreme Court of Ukraine organized on 10 June 2016 in Kyiv a joint roundtable discussion on protection of property in times of conflict, bringing together over 60 representatives of Ukrainian legislative and executive powers, leading judicial and law schools, as well as judges and international and local experts.

The participants discussed the guarantees of exercising the right to property and the mechanisms of its protection under special circumstances, such as armed conflict, occupation, annexation of territories and anti-terrorist operations. They identified mechanisms of protection, which would be efficient in terms of practical implementation and useful for judicial practice, and produced recommendations to keep up with international standards in this field.

The participants shared visions about international standards and the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) case law regarding the protection of the right to peaceful enjoyment of possessions, and reviewed the experience of other states which faced similar circumstances, such as Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Georgia and Moldova. They also discussed problems of the judicial settlement of disputes related to the protection of property rights of individuals and legal entities in the conflict zone.

The event is part of the OSCE Project Co-ordinator’s project on safeguarding human rights through courts, which is implemented with financial support from the Government of Canada. The project also addresses the problem of property rights protection through development and piloting specialized courses for judges on the application of the ECtHR case law in the context of Article 1 of Protocol 1 to the European Convention on Human Rights.

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Thirty experts were trained to deliver specialized training courses for judges on how to review corruption–related disputes and prevent corruption in the judiciary during a two-day session, organized by the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine and the National School of Judges on 5-6 July 2016 outside Kyiv.

The trainees, judges-lecturers of five regional branches of the School, enhanced their knowledge of anti-corruption legislation, including national regulations and relevant international conventions, major aspects of judges’ ethics, including the identification and prevention of real and potential conflicts of interest, and judicial review of corruption-related disputes. The purpose of the session was to create a pool of experts able to deliver training courses for their peers at the National School of Judges on a regular basis.

According to the Judicial Education Concept adopted by the School, the training methodology was based on interactive techniques and included discussions, case studies, mini-lectures, various exercises and role plays, and screenings of short simulation videos on the topic.

To ensure the sustainability of OSCE efforts, the training course on anti-corruption will be submitted for institutionalization at the National School of Judges by the end of the year. This course will form part of the School’s mandatory curriculum for every judge appointed to the post.

The training session was part of a project by the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine to enhance the quality of judicial education and training.

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Twenty-five lecturers from law faculties at fifteen universities from around Ukraine, during a roundtable discussion supported by the OSCE Project Co-ordinator on 13 July 2016 in Kyiv, developed recommendations on teaching human rights within Master of Law university programmes.

The discussions focused on teaching the European Convention on Human Rights and the case-law of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), with international experts from the Max Planck Institute Luxembourg for International, European and Regulatory Procedural Law, the Union University and the ECtHR highlighting ways of ensuring a human rights-based approach to legal education.

Participants exchanged syllabi, research materials and teaching methodologies and agreed to set up a platform to further develop the human rights law curricula. This community of practice will function on a permanent basis with further support from the OSCE Project Co-ordinator and with the participation of leading Ukrainian law schools.

The roundtable discussion was held as part of the Second Annual Inter-University Human Rights School on 11-15 July 2016, which was organized by the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine in co-operation with the Lviv and Kyiv Universities.

The School was held as part of the OSCE Project Co-ordinator’s project on safeguarding Human Rights through the courts. The project is being implemented with the financial support of the Government of Canada, and follows on from the First Annual Inter-University School dedicated to the Right to Life held in 2015.

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Application of modern forensic standards in the judiciary with a particular focus on treatment of evidence, forensic analytics and quality control, as well as DNA analysis and crime scene investigation were the focus of an OSCE-supported seminar on 3 June 2016 in Danilovgrad, Montenegro.

The OSCE Mission to Montenegro organized the event together with the Judicial Training Centre (JTC) and the Forensic Centre (FC) of the Interior Ministry’s Police Directorate. 

Three eminent national forensic experts held lectures for 20 representatives of prosecutor’s offices and the judiciary on how to increase the efficiency of prosecutor-led investigations through the well-prepared execution of warrants for evidence. Particular emphasis was placed on the enhancement of direct communication between the forensic services of the police and prosecutors at the very beginning of an investigation.

The Director of the FC, Zoran Tomčić, underlined the necessity of improving the system of search warrants prepared by prosecutors: “The number of warrants for forensic evidence has to be reduced and prepared more effectively. In May of this year alone, the FC received 200 warrants for DNA analysis, requesting results within a disproportionate time. In some cases, warrants are not sufficiently detailed, so that the results provided by forensic expertise do not stand up as evidence at the court.”

Maša Adžić, Head of the Training Unit in the JTC, said: “Good co-operation in a criminal investigation, communication between police, prosecutors and judges and their timely and professional performance are of crucial importance for a positive outcome.”

Participants emphasized the need for continued training in the field of forensic evidence as well as an expansion of the content of lectures on DNA expertise to cover such topics as sampling, types of biological evidence, writing orders for expert DNA analysis and interpretation of results. They also requested the organization of a seminar on forensic expertise regarding explosions and fire.

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An OSCE Programme Office in Astana-supported workshop on international best practices in irregular migration management and readmission procedures for 10 Internal Affairs Ministry and National Security Committee officials started on 6 June 2016 in Astana.

The three-day event was organized by the EU-funded Border Management Programme in Central Asia (BOMCA) in co-operation with the OSCE Programme Office in Astana, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and Latvia’s State Border Guard. It focused on national legislation and best international practices in dealing with vulnerable groups of migrants passing through borders.

An Office-supported legal analysis of readmission policies was presented along with a draft bylaw to participants who brainstormed ways to further develop the legal and institutional framework. Participants also engaged in an in-depth discussion on readmission as well as countering trafficking of human beings. As a result of the discussions, the participants developed a set of recommendations on amendments to relevant national legislation in line with international best practices.

The workshop is a part of the OSCE Programme Office’s activities related to enhancing the host country’s border security and efficient labour migration management practices.

Holocaust education and remembrance are the main topics of a five-day study visit of Azerbaijani officials to the Netherlands, organized by OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Baku, in co-operation with the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, which will take place from 15 to 20 December 2014.

The Azerbaijani delegation consists of eight representatives from the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Baku International Multiculturalism Centre.

Thedelegation will meet representatives of the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science of the Netherlands, the Institute for Curriculum Development and HAN University of Applied Science - College of Education for Secondary School Teachers. They will also visit the Institute for War, Holocaust and Genocide Studies and the Dutch Holocaust Memorial.

The main topics of discussions will include a review of the Dutch government policy regarding primary and secondary education and Holocaust education, as well as experience on improving skills of secondary school teachers in this field. Azerbaijani and Dutch experts will also exchange views on current practices regarding Holocaust remembrance activities.

This visit is part of a wider project agreed between the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Baku and the Azerbaijani government aimed at strengthening tolerance and non-discrimination in Azerbaijan. As a first component of this project, an international conference on “Strengthening religious tolerance -Azerbaijan’s model, challenges in the OSCE area and beyond” took place in Baku on 17-18 November 2014. The PCiB will organize other events under this project during 2015. 

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ISSYK-KUL, Kyrgyzstan, 8 July 2016 – A five-day training course supported by the OSCE Centre in Bishkek on a risk-oriented approach in supervising activities related to anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism concluded today in Bosteri village, in the Issyk-Kul region.

The aim of the workshop, which was organized by the State Financial Intelligence Service under the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic (SFIS) in partnership with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), was to update the relevant State agencies and financial institutions on the practical aspects of a risks-oriented approach in their work. Some 46 officials from law enforcement agencies, supervisory agencies and financial institutions took part.

“A risks-oriented approach is the process which allows the countries to identify, assess and understand risks to effectively combat money laundering and financing of terrorism,” said Nana Baramidze, Senior Economic and Environmental Officer at the OSCE Centre. “The OSCE Centre in Bishkek fully supports the efforts of the Kyrgyz Government in its attempt to establish effective systems to counter money laundering and the financing of terrorism.”

Chyngyz Kenenbayev, Head of the Organizational and Legal department of the SFIS, said: “We are holding this educational seminar to train representatives of national authorities and the private sector so that we can successfully pass the second round of the evaluation by the Eurasian Group on Combating Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism (EAG). In order to fulfil international obligations under the EAG, the Kyrgyz Republic is to conduct a mutual assessment of its anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism system. From 28 November to 9 December 2016, a visiting mission of EAG evaluators will conduct this assessment within the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) initiative."

The training course, which was conducted by two IMF experts and three SFIS officials, was part of the OSCE assistance to the Kyrgyz Government in preparing for the second round of the FATF evaluation.

BISHKEK, 22 July 2016 – Three public discussions on the regulatory legal acts regarding the use of natural resources and environmental protection are being organized from 19 July to 27 July 2016 by the OSCE Centre in Bishkek and the local Aarhus Centre in the districts of Toktogul, Aksy and Kadamjay in southern Kyrgyzstan.

The discussions are gathering representatives of environmental services, the local authorities, village- and district-level state administrations, local council deputies and public organizations, to exchange ideas on environmental problems and discuss how to address them through active public scrutiny.

“Local stakeholders should be aware of the environmental legislation upfront. This will help them to prevent conflict arising from the use of natural resources,” said Dmitry Prudtskikh, Environmental Officer at the OSCE Centre. “I am glad to see that the Aarhus Centre in Osh has established a platform for communication between governmental, public and private structures, with the support of the OSCE.”

Kanybek Isabaev, Director of the Aarhus Centre in Osh, said: “For several years, we have been disseminating information to the public and our partners on the legislation regarding environmental protection, the rational use of natural resources, and subsoil and environmental safety in our country. It is very significant that citizens can participate in decision-making in the area of ecology, a sphere that is becoming increasingly important in Kyrgyzstan.”

During the discussions, participants will gain knowledge on issues of environmental protection, public access to environmental information, the normative legal acts of the Kyrgyz Republic on ecology and the basic principles of the Aarhus Convention.

The event was organized as part of the OSCE Centre's project on promoting environmental security through dialogue and enhanced disaster risk reduction.

BISHKEK, 29 July 2016 – Some 30 police officers of different ranks from seven regions of Kyrgyzstan are taking part in a summer school training programme, which closes tomorrow in Issyk-Kul, on the topical issues of police reform, conducted by the Kyrgyz Association of Women Police and the Interior Ministry, with the support of the OSCE Centre in Bishkek.  

The training course, which began on 18 July 2016, aimed at enhancing the knowledge of the police on the regulatory and legal changes enacted as part of the police reform. The participants will also improve their capacity in the field of human rights and gender equality.

As part of the ‘Police reform measures’ adopted by the Kyrgyz Government in 2013, basic provisions such as the framework for comprehensive evaluation of police activities and mechanisms for the interaction between police and civil society institutions were developed with the support of OSCE experts and approved by the Government in 2015. These provisions create a legal basis for the openness and accessibility of the police, as well as co-ordination of actions by police and civil society in ensuring public safety and preventing crime.

"One of the main objectives of the police reform is to build the capacity of the police by enhancing their knowledge on the regulatory and legal changes in order to achieve sustainable results,” said Pavel Khalashnyuk, acting Head of the OSCE Centre’s Police Matters Programme. “The OSCE Centre in Bishkek is ready to provide extensive support to such training courses."

Kaana Aidarkul, Head of the Kyrgyz Association of Women Police, said: “Our Association played the main role in the development of the police reform regulatory framework. With the support of the OSCE Centre, members of our Association train police officers to apply these provisions, as well as to enhance their communicative and professional competences with respect to human rights and gender equality."

The summer school was organized as part of the OSCE Centre’s police reform project.

BISHKEK, 30 July 2016 – To mark today’s World Day against Trafficking in Persons, the OSCE Centre in Bishkek supported a public awareness-raising campaign and held a public discussion with academic representatives in Bishkek and Osh.

On 29 July, in co-operation with the State Service on Migration, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and local partners, the OSCE Centre raised public awareness about the risks of human trafficking in Bishkek and Osh.

Information material such as pocket calendars with the hotline number and contact information of the Kyrgyz Embassies in the five top migrant destination countries were distributed among the public. Illustrated silhouettes of people, symbolizing victims of trafficking, were displayed on posters in public places with stories in the Russian and Kyrgyz languages narrating their experience of human trafficking.

“Public awareness campaigns play an important role in the prevention of trafficking in human beings,” said William Leaf, OSCE Senior Field Representative in Osh. “The OSCE works to assist the government in improving its education and outreach efforts at the local and central levels in line with its commitments to prevent and combat all forms of human trafficking.”

In addition to the awareness-rising campaign, today the representatives of five local universities in Osh participated in a roundtable discussion organized by the OSCE Centre in co-operation with the Centre for Support of International Protection. The discussion focused on the ways of promoting inter-disciplinary research efforts among students and professors on the scope, tendencies and root causes of human trafficking in southern Kyrgyzstan.  

“As trafficking in human beings is a complex phenomenon, it requires a multi-disciplinary approach, covering, among others, socio-economic, legal, migration, human rights, gender and law enforcement aspects,” said Akylbek Tashbulatov, Director of the Centre for the Support of International Protection. “The academic community have the necessary research potential and tools to positively contribute to the development of such an assessment.”

The events were organized as part of the OSCE Centre’s project on addressing human trafficking in Kyrgyzstan through grassroots initiatives and multi-agency cooperation.

TIRANA, 9 May 2016 - The OSCE Presence in Albania today launched a sports-based youth development programme in co-operation with Tirana Rugby Club, with the aim of promoting teamwork, sport ethics, camaraderie, and a sense of belonging among youth, helping them understand that there are always positive alternatives to anti-social behaviour and criminality.

The Presence’s youth development programme will build on the Tirana Rugby Club’s success, helping to increase participation of youth in rugby and promoting both the cross-community and cross-border aspects of sport, bringing together young people from across Albania and the region for training events and tournaments.

Currently there are very few opportunities for youth to take part in interactive activities such as sports outside schools. Tirana Rugby Club, on the other hand, has engaged with youth, including the most vulnerable such as unemployed and/or school dropouts in its activities. Despite funding challenges, the Club has supported events where teams from Albania and the region compete regularly.

“While the development of rugby as a sport in Albania is relatively new, the interest and commitment of so many in such a short period of time, is not,” said Head of the OSCE Presence Florian Raunig. “As a result, building one team has led to creating a second one. Therefore today we present both Tirana Rugby Club and the Ilirians Rugby Club, wearing their new club colours.”

The sports kits were provided by the OSCE Presence and will be on show over the next few months, as these two teams meet in Korça, Elbasan and Durrës to play a series of exhibition games, which will increase the visibility of and interest in the sport.

The Presence will support local authorities, including police, social services and the regional education directorate, to directly involve youth in the activities. The activities will be planned and co-ordinated to allow young women and girls to be equally involved.

Albanian Rugby Development Officer Adam Vernon said: “We thank the OSCE Presence for its support and are excited about the opportunity this initiative has afforded us. We have many positive examples of youth engagement outcomes in Albania and hope that we can further encourage the development of the sport in many local communities over the next few months. The future of the sport in Albania is bright. We will wear our new kit with pride, in support of the game we all love.”

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ELBASAN, Albania, 17 May 2016 – The OSCE Presence in Albania, with support from the German government, yesterday in Elbasan hosted a performance of a play reflecting on Albania’s totalitarian past.

The play, “They enter without knocking”, centres on a couple waiting for the police to come to their door to take them to prison - or worse - for reasons unknown. A packed audience of around 300 people watched the performance, which evoked the atmosphere of fear and constant surveillance that reigned under the former totalitarian regime.

“Although it is never easy to talk about a painful past, society needs to engage in a conversation about the crimes of the past, and art is one way of stimulating such dialogue, because it speaks to us on so many levels,” said Ambassador Florian Raunig, Head of the OSCE Presence. “This should be entirely an Albanian process; we are only providing the framework for this dialogue to take place.”

The OSCE Presence and the German Embassy launched the project to foster a national dialogue on Albania’s totalitarian past a year ago. Under the “We start talking” motto, the Presence has so far facilitated discussions among high school students, a series of TV debates hosted by the public broadcaster and a nationwide survey about the public's knowledge, perceptions and expectations for dialogue regarding the totalitarian past in Albania.

“They enter without knocking” was previously staged in Shkodra, as part of the project, and will be performed another three times in different cities around Albania over the course of this year.  

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WARSAW, 30 June 2016 – Michael Georg Link, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), expressed his concern following the rise in hate incidents reported to the police in the United Kingdom following the 23 June referendum vote to leave the European Union.

"These manifestations of hate and intolerance have a negative impact on the whole of British society, undermining the security of minority and immigrant communities. The current political climate in the United Kingdom provides absolutely no justification for racism and xenophobia," said Director Link.

He also commended the strong national response by Prime Minister David Cameron and other national leaders. "By publicly denouncing these incidents, the authorities have sent a strong message that bias motivated attacks have no place in the United Kingdom. I add my voice to those calling for the swift identification and prosecution of the perpetrators."

The National Police Chiefs’ Council reported a 57 per cent increase in reporting to True Vision, the online hate crime reporting site run by the police, between 24 and 27 June, compared to the same time in May 2016. ODIHR has also received reports of hate crimes and expressions of concern about the safety of people living in the United Kingdom.

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ASHGABAT, 12 May 2016 – OSCE-organized practical training courses for some 43 officials from the Aviation Security Service and Aviation School of Turkmenistan Airlines, as well as the Transport Police Service of the Interior Ministry, the State Customs Service and State Border Service on X-ray for baggage and passenger screening at airports, concluded today in Ashgabat.

International experts from the United Kingdom delivered two identical training courses on international regulations addressing aviation security, state-of-the-art search techniques and the recognition of firearms, explosive devices and prohibited items.

“In our turbulent times, ensuring aviation security remains a challenging task for governments, law-enforcement bodies, aviation personnel and other involved parties,” said Richard Wheeler, Political Officer of the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat.

“Organized as part of the Centre’s project to enhance infrastructure security, these activities acquire a special importance as Turkmenistan is actively preparing for the 5th Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games, which will be held in September 2017. The Games will attract a large number of sportsmen, media, sports officials and fans. It is our strong belief that the training courses on X-ray screening will help the relevant officials manage the increased passenger flow while ensuring the observation of efficient security procedures.”

During the training courses, participants also discussed the operation and safety of modern X-ray machines, X-ray image interpretation and screening of people and baggage. Special emphasis was placed on gender-specific screening. Practical exercises focused on X-ray image interpretation techniques, item recognition and consent search techniques.

Both training courses were held in the premises of the Aviation School of Turkmenistan Airlines.

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The Kyrgyz Government, in co-ordination with the Parliament and the Public Council of the Interior Ministry, on 30 June 2016 issued, as a result of the advocacy efforts of the OSCE Centre in Bishkek, a decree authorizing the establishment of a working group on police reform.

The working group, chaired by the Head of the Department on Defence, Law Enforcement and Emergency, Sagynbaev Damir, under the auspices of the Prime Minister’s Office, includes members of the Parliament, Heads of Ministries, relevant State agencies, the Defence Council, as well as representatives of international organizations, including the OSCE Centre and civil society. The first meeting of the working group is expected to take place on 12 July 2016.

Through the continuous support of the OSCE Centre’s programme on Police matters, the Forum of Parliamentarian Women successfully advocated for the establishment of the working group with the aim of strengthening parliamentary control over the police reform.

“The OSCE Centre in Bishkek welcomes the initiative of the Government to engage in a reform of the police as a starting point for a comprehensive security sector reform,” said Pavel Khalashnyuk, Acting Head of Police Affairs of OSCE Centre in Bishkek. “The OSCE will continue assisting Kyrgyz authorities in their efforts through expert and methodological assistance, information sharing, analysis of best practice, and technical support.”  

The OSCE Centre, as part of its police reform project, provided Kyrgyz authorities with international expertise on issues related to police reform and the development of relevant legislation and mechanisms to ensure that this significant effort is carried out in compliance with international standards and OSCE commitments.

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Fifty-two representatives of Local Crime Prevention Centres (LCPCs) in Kyrgyztsan, including members of the courts of Aksakals (local elders), women and youth councils completed a two-day workshop supported by the OSCE Centre in Bishkek  on 7July 2016 in Osh, with the aim of enhancing interactions between the police, civil organizations and the public.

Participants improved their practical skills on analyzing security situations and applying problem-solving methods, and in strengthening effective communication with the police and other stakeholders. LCPC members learned about the development and implementation of crime prevention projects and programmes. Participants also revised the normative-legal documents that regulate LCPCs and crime prevention activities.

“Preserving public order and preventing crime is the shared responsibility of the police, local self-government bodies, and local communities,” said Pavel Khalashnyuk, acting Head of Police Affairs at the OSCE Centre. “This training course seeks to strengthen this collective, consultative approach and the LCPCs’ capacity to foster community engagement in crime prevention and to strengthen the effectiveness of the partnership with police in addressing community security concerns.”

The workshop was conducted at the Community Policing Training Centre by a local expert and trainers from the Main Directorate for Public Safety of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and of the Ministry’s Academy.

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BISHKEK, 29 July 2016 – Some 30 police officers of different ranks from seven regions of Kyrgyzstan are taking part in a summer school training programme, which closes tomorrow in Issyk-Kul, on the topical issues of police reform, conducted by the Kyrgyz Association of Women Police and the Interior Ministry, with the support of the OSCE Centre in Bishkek.  

The training course, which began on 18 July 2016, aimed at enhancing the knowledge of the police on the regulatory and legal changes enacted as part of the police reform. The participants will also improve their capacity in the field of human rights and gender equality.

As part of the ‘Police reform measures’ adopted by the Kyrgyz Government in 2013, basic provisions such as the framework for comprehensive evaluation of police activities and mechanisms for the interaction between police and civil society institutions were developed with the support of OSCE experts and approved by the Government in 2015. These provisions create a legal basis for the openness and accessibility of the police, as well as co-ordination of actions by police and civil society in ensuring public safety and preventing crime.

"One of the main objectives of the police reform is to build the capacity of the police by enhancing their knowledge on the regulatory and legal changes in order to achieve sustainable results,” said Pavel Khalashnyuk, acting Head of the OSCE Centre’s Police Matters Programme. “The OSCE Centre in Bishkek is ready to provide extensive support to such training courses."

Kaana Aidarkul, Head of the Kyrgyz Association of Women Police, said: “Our Association played the main role in the development of the police reform regulatory framework. With the support of the OSCE Centre, members of our Association train police officers to apply these provisions, as well as to enhance their communicative and professional competences with respect to human rights and gender equality."

The summer school was organized as part of the OSCE Centre’s police reform project.

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Supporting the process of ethical standards reform and developing a code of conduct for members of the Verkhovna Rada, the Ukrainian parliament, was the focus of an event, co-organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), the Verkhovna Rada, the Agency for Legislative Initiatives, the USAID RADA Program and the Netherlands Institute for Multi-party Democracy.

Bringing together 20 Members of Parliament, the event aimed at identifying and addressing specific ethical dilemmas facing them. The event also provided a platform for discussing various ethical dilemmas relating to conflict of interest, gift declaration, gender equality and conduct in private vs. public life with representatives of around 50 civil society and international organizations.

"Enhancing trust in the Verkhovna Rada is a necessary precondition for ensuring and maintaining the legitimacy and trust of our institution," said Andriy Parubiy, Speaker of the Parliament of Ukraine. "This is our main responsibility and an opportunity."

Participants also discussed avoiding harm to the reputation of the Parliament by considering ethical dilemmas and the low level of public trust in the institution, as well as exploring ways the introduction of ethical standards for its members can increase confidence. 

Pat Cox, former President of the European Parliament and Head of the European Parliament's Needs Assessment Mission to the Verkhovna Rada, said: "Ethics is not only about black and white, legal and illegal, but also about regulating unethical behaviour and thus showing the public that you strive towards ensuring the highest professionalism standards in your work."

"ODIHR has, in recent years, supported more than 12 national Parliaments with developing and adopting a code of conduct," said Kateryna Ryabiko, Project Co-coordinator at ODIHR. "I am convinced that we, together with partner organisations and experts, will be able to support the Verkhovna Rada with ethics reform and development of professional standards for MPs that will meet the public’s expectations of transparency and accountability."

The event was organized as part of the ODIHR’s "Strengthening dialogue among civil society and with key governmental stakeholders in Ukraine" project, which was launched in April 2015 with the goal of enhancing effective mechanisms for dialogue to address key human rights issues in Ukraine, in line with OSCE commitments and international standards.

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