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DOL Issues Guidance on Use of Cryptocurrency in 401(k) Plans

On March 10, 2022, the Department of Labor issued guidance on the use of cryptocurrency in plans governed by ERISA.  The announcement applies to cryptocurrencies as well as digital assets, which include “tokens,” “coins,” “crypto assets” and any derivates thereof.




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Poland and Other Central-Eastern European Countries Focus on Their Global Mobility & Immigration Policies

In February 2024, Poland’s government revealed that it is working on a comprehensive migration strategy for the years 2025-2030, advertised as a “responsible and safe” approach. The Ministry of Interior and Administration plans to spend the first half of 2024 conducting consultations to learn the preferences and expectations on migration and foreigners’ employment from various stakeholders, including the country’s biggest employers and their organizations, as well the trade unions.




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OFCCP Revises Compensation Analysis Directive But Leaves Questions About Documentation Created Under Attorney-Client Privilege

On August 18, 2022, the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) issued a revised version of its Directive 2022-01 - Advancing Pay Equity Through Compensation Analysis, which was originally issued on March 15, 2022.




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How should a company intelligently adopt employment-focused artificial intelligence, or AI tools?




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The County of Los Angeles Will Soon Post Notice and Sample Documents to Comply with the County’s Sweeping Fair Chance Ordinance

Starting after Labor Day, employers with jobs located in the unincorporated areas of the County of Los Angeles, including work-from-home and hybrid positions, must comply with the County’s fair chance hiring ordinance.  The ordinance, which imposes obligations well beyond existing federal and state law, and which extends to con




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Cos. Should Focus On State AI Laws Despite New DOL Site

Bradford Kelley, Sean O’Brien and Alice Wang discuss a new AI framework from the U.S. Department of Labor and what it means for employers. (Subscription required)

Law360

View (Subscription required)




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Ontario, Canada Appellate Court Provides Guidance to Employers on How to Draft Employment Settlement Documents

  • The Court of Appeal for Ontario found that settlement documents signed after an employee separated from employment prevented him from suing for the value of vested stock options.
  • The OCA emphasized that the employee had executed the settlement documents with the benefit of legal advice and that they clearly released the employee’s entitlement to the damages claimed.




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ETSI unveils NFV&MEC 2020 Interoperability Report: Strong focus on Containerized and 5G Network Services

ETSI unveils NFV&MEC 2020 Interoperability Report:
Strong focus on Containerized and 5G Network Services

Sophia Antipolis, 22 September 2020

ETSI is pleased to release the report of its NFV&MEC PlugtestsTM  event that took place remotely in June 2020. After several weeks of remote integration and pre-testing, the event offered NFV and MEC solution providers as well as open source communities an opportunity to discuss and solve interoperability challenges while validating their implementation of NFV and MEC specifications and APIs.

Read More...




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Making a better world through innovation a key focus of ETSI IoT Week 2022

Making a better world through innovation a key focus of ETSI IoT Week 2022

Must-attend event offers an up-to-date overview of the major European and global trends in IoT services, technology innovations and deployments

Sophia Antipolis, 14 September 2022

The potential for IoT technologies to enhance the lives of people across Europe through digital, green and eHealth revolutions will be a key focus of this year’s ETSI IoT Week and conference.

Held in Sophia Antipolis, France, from 10-14 October, ETSI IoT Week is an annual event for organizations and stakeholders interested in the service and operational areas of IoT. Speakers at the conference will include regulators, academics and practitioners from prominent IoT firms across Europe.

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The ETSI IoT conference 2023 focuses on Green and Digital Transformation

Sophia Antipolis, 18 April 2023

ETSI’s annual flagship event returns in 2023. This new edition of the ETSI IoT Conference - IoT Technologies for Green and Digital Transformation - will take place on 4-5-6 July 2023 in ETSI premises, Sophia Antipolis, France.

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Future confidence: Inaugural LTA Signature Augmentation and Validation Plugtests™ focuses on Long-Term Archive signatures

Sophia Antipolis, 21 February 2024

ETSI’s first LTA Signature Augmentation and Validation Plugtests™ has seen international participants exchange over 35 000 digital signature validation reports.

Held from 23 October - 22 December 2023, the remote interoperability event was organized by the ETSI Centre for Testing and Interoperability (CTI), on behalf of ETSI’s Technical Committee for Electronic Signatures and Trust Infrastructures (TC ESI). This Plugtests™ event was facilitated with the support and co-funding of the European Commission (EC) and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA).

Conducted using a dedicated web portal, sessions over the month-long Plugtests™ attracted the involvement of 190 participants from 121 organizations across 38 countries.

Read More...




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The Met presents the first major exhibition in the US focusing on early Sienese painting

The Met presents the first major exhibition in the US focusing on early Sienese painting...




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Louvre puts the focus on Watteau’s enigmatic “Pierrot”

Louvre puts the focus on Watteau’s enigmatic “Pierrot” From October 16th, 2024 to  February 3rd,...






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Inoculation

Can we protect ourselves from future outbreaks? COVID-19 isn't the first pandemic, and likely not the last. This hour, TED speakers share lessons from past pandemics and what they mean for our future. Guests on the show include science journalist Laura Spinney, anthropologist Heidi Larson, ecologist and animal-borne disease researcher Daniel Streicker, and physician economist Anupam Jena. We also hear some personal stories on coping with COVID-19 from TED speakers Susan Pinker, Leticia Gasca, Dixon Chibanda, and Dawn Wacek.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy




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IN FOCUS: National Native American Heritage Month

A curated selection of stories from across the UCLA campus spotlighting Native American voices, histories and research.




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U of T Welcomes Provincial Investment in New Centre Focused on Economic Success

Toronto, ON — The University of Toronto welcomes the $15M investment by the Ontario government for the new Centre for Engineering Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CEIE). As stated in the 2016 Ontario Budget introduced today, this investment will support strengthening the Innovation SuperCorridor in Ontario. This Centre will bring together smart building design and state-of-the-art learning technologies, […]




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HVAC Firms Focus on Sustainability

Sustainable commercial construction is the wave of the future, and, for many, the future is now. Public awareness of the benefits of sustainable — some call them green — buildings is increasing.




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New Trane Commercial Products Focus on Decarbonization

Trane has issued new and updated commercial products that the company says will further building decarbonization efforts and comply with refrigerant regulations.




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Rheem Focuses on Sustainability

Sustainability is core to the thinking at Rheem and was a common theme throughout the AHR Expo.




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Episode 31: Agile Documentation

In this episode, our guest Andreas Rueping and Markus talk about documenting software. While this is a topic that many people don't like or consider fun, it is nonetheless very important. Based on his book, Agile Documentation, we talk about various aspects documenting software such as what to document, when to document, which media to use as well as specifically a number of layouting tips for nice documents.




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SE Radio Episode 244: Gernot Starke on Architecture Documentation using arc42

Gernot Starke talks about arc42: an open-source set of templates he developed to document software architecture based on his practical experience with real projects. Also Gernot and host Eberhard then discuss how documenting architecture fits into agile processes and how to find the right amount of documentation for a system. They walk through the different parts of the arc42 templates covering requirements and the context of the system and the solution structure, including building blocks, runtime, and deployment. They discuss tooling, versioning, testing documentation, and how to keep documentation up to date.




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Episode 501: Bob Ducharme on Creating Technical Documentation for Software Projects

Nikhil Krishna speaks to Bob DuCharme an experienced technical writer and author about how to write and maintain technical documentation for software products. In the episode different mediums to distribute documentation and tools to maintain documentation are discussed.




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Coach's Corner: Focus + Action = Results

What if 10 minutes of focused energy changed the trajectory of your restoration company?




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Coach's Corner: Can Technology Sharpen Your Focus?

Dan gets honest about how to sharpen your focus which often involves a shocking concept: not multitasking.




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Coach's Corner: Multitasking Can Kill Your Focus

Dan encourages you to take a bit of a simpler approach to tackling that to do list.




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6 Tips to Boost Training ROI by Focusing on Impact

Learn how to boost your training ROI by focusing on impact-driven strategies that strengthen workforce performance and align with business goals in the fast-paced restoration industry.




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Low Order Quantities Now Available for Berry’s Consumer-Focused Dispenser

Businesses can order quantities as low as 5,000 pieces, providing an ideal solution for start-up operations, SMEs, and new product development trials.




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ALPLA UK Focuses on Regional PET Recyclate

ALPLA will collaborate with Biffa to increase the proportion of British recyclate used in the UK to manufacture packaging for home care products.




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Secondary Packaging Remains Key Focus for Dairy Market

Packaging is a critical concern for manufacturers and brands aiming to enhance efficiency, sustainability, and safety. The dairy sector faces unique challenges in both primary and secondary packaging, particularly in maintaining product freshness.




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MULTIVAC Roadshow Will Focus on Sealing, Labeling Fruit & Vegetable Trays

In addition to full-wrap labeling, MULTIVAC offers two other high-quality and sustainable packaging solutions for fresh produce trays. 




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MULTIVAC Roadshow Focuses on Sealing, Labeling Fruit & Vegetable Trays

From March onward in a live and convenient setting, customers will be able to learn all about MULTIVAC's innovative labeling and inspection solutions. This time the focus will be on high-quality and sustainable solutions for the closure sealing and labeling of fruit and vegetable trays.




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US inflation in focus for the day ahead

Broader markets are still largely clinging on to the post-election sentiment this week. However, today will add something different to the mix as we will have the US CPI report in focus. While inflation numbers haven't been too important in recent months, it is one that could still impact trading sentiment. That especially if the disinflation process meets a couple of bumps along the way.

And looking at the expectations for today's report, that might shape up to be the case at least for the October estimates.

Core monthly inflation is expected to nudge up by ~0.30% while headline monthly inflation is expected to nudge up by ~0.21%. Meanwhile, core annual inflation is expected to hold at 3.3% - similar to September. As for headline annual inflation, it is expected to come in a little higher this time at 2.6%.

According to Goldman Sachs, we should be seeing less disinflationary pressures from previously softer components such as airfares and used cars prices. Their estimates show the former increasing by 1.0% this month with the latter up 2.5%. So, that's one part of the argument.

At the balance, the report today should not provide a major reaction if within estimates. I reckon the balance of risks at this point is favouring an outsized reaction on an upside surprise, as compared to a downside miss.

Fed funds futures are showing ~63% odds of a 25 bps rate cut for December and that has been toned down since last week. If there is any upside surprise, the scope for a materially bigger shift in odds there is much wider as compared to a downside miss. So, that's the key consideration now.

Here's Goldman Sachs' playbook in terms of the S&P 500 reaction:

This article was written by Justin Low at www.forexlive.com.




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NAB Announces Creation of Advisory Committee Focused on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) today announced the creation of an advisory committee to the NAB Board of Directors that will provide insights and suggestions on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) issues. The committee will consist of senior-level broadcasters who are women and people of color, and may include current NAB and NAB Leadership Foundation (NABLF) board members who are committed to advancing DEI issues in broadcasting.




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NAB Hosts Recruitment-Focused Webinar for Broadcasters

The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) is hosting a webinar on recruitment strategies for television and radio stations to draw new sales and programming talent. The webinar, “Retooling Your Recruiting Strategy for 2023,” is an NAB members-only event and will take place on Wednesday, February 1 at 3 p.m. ET.




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NAB Show Focuses on Inclusion for Its Third Annual Diversity Symposium

Washington, D.C. -- NAB Show will host its third annual NAB Diversity Symposium, open to all attendees, from April 16-17, at the 2023 NAB Show in Las Vegas. Designed to help broadcast organizations develop corporate diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) strategies and embrace diversity in media and the workplace, this year's symposium will focus on inclusion.




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OSCE-supported Central Asian Youth Network focuses on renewing dialogue, rebuilding trust and restoring security

ALMATY, 5 July 2016 – The annual OSCE Central Asian Youth Network (CAYN) forum and seminar began today in Almaty.

The three-day event was organized by the OSCE Programme Office in Astana for some 35 university students and CAYN alumni from Central Asia, Afghanistan and Mongolia. Representatives of the OSCE and expert speakers from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Norway and the Russian Federation are also taking part.

The topic of this year’s forum “Renewing dialogue, rebuilding trust, restoring security” was selected to reflect the priorities of Germany’s 2016 OSCE Chairmanship. The participants will discuss the key challenges for comprehensive security in Central Asia and beyond, and explore ways to address them in their communities and together with co-operation from neighbouring countries. They will also address the issue of civil society’s role in promoting fundamental freedoms and human rights, and re-examine co-operation in Central Asia on its way to integration with a special emphasis on connectivity and multilateral co-operation.

“Through CAYN we hope that when you begin to take responsibility for your communities and your countries you can say with confidence that you have learned about key security challenges in the region,” said Head of the OSCE Programme Office in Astana György Szabó. “Moreover, you have heard perspectives from some of the best minds in the region and experts from around the world on how to address them.”

Renate Schimkoreit, Consul General of the Federal Republic of Germany to Almaty presented the priorities of the German OSCE Chairmanship. Pal Dunay, Director of the OSCE Academy in Bishkek and Milena Stošić, Special Representative of the OSCE Chairmanship-in-Office on Youth and Security, will focus on engaging youth in promoting OSCE values and principles and in addressing security challenges and threats in the wider region. Special attention will be paid to youth involvement in the OSCE's 'United in Countering Violent Extremism' campaign.

The forum will be followed by training workshops focused on using technology for governance, civil society development, networking and data utilization. The event will culminate with an outdoor exercise to promote team building.

Nurlan Dulatbekov, a Member of Kazakhstan’s Parliament spoke about the role of promoting social security as part of national and regional security as well as initiatives to counter violent extremism through engaging youth at the grassroots level.

The event is part of the Office’s efforts to enhance young people’s understanding of contemporary security threats and challenges and to explain the OSCE’s role in addressing them.

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Security of the global supply chain in focus of OSCE and UNECE discussion in Geneva

GENEVA, Switzerland, 17 June 2016 – Addressing the main security risks in the inland transport sector, such as terrorism, theft, illegal border crossings, the trafficking of dangerous substances and waste, was the focus of a joint OSCE-UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Inland Transport Security Discussion Forum on Securing the Global Supply Chain that ended in Geneva today.

More than 40 security experts and officials from Ministries of Transport and the Interior, other relevant agencies as well as road, railway and inland waterway transport operators and private sector associations from across the entire OSCE region participated, also discussing cyber threats which pose a growing danger to increasingly digitalized transport systems.

“Countries in our region need to collaborate more effectively in minimizing cyber security risks to ICT-enabled critical infrastructures including in the transport sector,” said Lorenzo Rilasciati, Senior Economic and Environmental Officer at the OSCE Secretariat. “Transport systems are often insufficiently protected against transnational cyber and other security threats, endanger people’s lives and jeopardises economic and social development. If unchecked, these can even create political tensions and worsen inter-state relations.” 

Experts emphasized the need to introduce a more effective and risk-based approach for all inland modes and identify a common denominator of security threats faced by road, rail and inland navigation. They called for a multi-stakeholder approach involving transport authorities, private sector operators and associations as well as customs and law enforcement agencies.

Eva Molnar, Director at the UNECE Sustainable Transport Division said: “International terrorism and transnational organized crime, including cyber-attacks pose serious threats to the transport sector.  While transport systems should be based on principles of accessibility, affordability, safety, environmental aspects, security considerations should also be taken very seriously.”

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Impact of corruption prevention measures at national and sectoral levels in focus at OSCE-supported expert meeting in Kyrgyzstan

ISSYK-KUL, Kyrgyzstan, 26 May 2016 – A two-day regional expert seminar which started today gathers some 60 anti-corruption practitioners, experts and policy-makers from 12 countries in Eastern Europe, the South Caucasus and Central Asia to discuss effective preventive measures to combat corruption in the extractive industries and education sectors and to exchange best practices.

Participants discussed how to improve government accountability and transparency in managing natural resources and assessed how to mitigate negative effects of the so-called “resource curse”. They also focused on corruption in the education sector, and how to enhance the quantity, quality, efficiency of, and access to education systems.

“The OSCE Centre in Bishkek is strongly committed to supporting the Kyrgyz Government in countering corruption and developing projects and initiatives aimed at strengthening good governance, economic growth and public integrity for the benefit of the Kyrgyz people,” said Yulia Minaeva, Senior Economic and Environmental Officer at the OSCE Centre in Bishkek. 

Ermelinda Meksi, Deputy Head of the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities, said: “Corruption, weak governance, and lack of transparency and rule of law undermine economic growth and impede trust in public persons and government institutions. Bribery and embezzlement of state resources deter domestic and foreign investments and deprive citizens of important public services. If unchecked, corruption can provoke social strife, fuel insecurity and even lead to conflicts.”

The practice-oriented and interactive seminar combined expert presentations, roundtable discussions and group work. It benefited from the participation of representatives of the UN Development Programme, the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, and the Open Society Initiative.

Olga Savran, manager of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Anti-Corruption Network for Eastern Europe and Central Asia (ACN), said: “This seminar helps public officials responsible for preventing corruption at national and sectoral levels learn about effective practical measures that do work, that improve the lives of citizens, and prevent the waste of public money.”

The seminar is co-organized by the OSCE Centre in Bishkek, the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities (OCEEA) and the OECD ACN. It is hosted by the Kyrgyz Government and held as part of the OSCE Centre in Bishkek’s Economic and Environmental Dimension activities.

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Institutional dialogue between central and Gagauz authorities in focus of OSCE Mission to Moldova-supported roundtable discussion

As part of a one-year project to support the engagement of national minority youth and civil society in public discussions and public service, a roundtable discussion was held at the OSCE Mission to Moldova on 24 June 2016.

The event brought together 23 representatives of the Moldovan Parliament, the authorities of Gagauz-Yeri, civil society and the international community to discuss institutional dialogue between central and Gagauz authorities.

Independent researchers from the Comrat-based NGO Piligrim-Demo presented a recent report detailing the joint commissions formed over the years to initiate dialogue on the implementation of Gagauzia’s status as an Autonomous Territorial Unit. They outlined their recommendations for improving the functioning of the current working group established between the Parliament of Moldova and the People’s Assembly of Gagauzia. 

“Such discussions on the process of dialogue between civil society, the expert community and members of the Parliament and People's Assembly are important as they provide critical input to the process and build common understanding of issues,” said Jale Sultanli, Country Manager Moldova of the Crisis Management Initiative (CMI). Participants from Comrat and Chisinau welcomed the opportunity to study past and present practices to strengthen co-operation between the central and regional authorities in Moldova.

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Institutional dialogue between central and Gagauz authorities in focus of OSCE Mission to Moldova-supported roundtable discussion

As part of a one-year project to support the engagement of national minority youth and civil society in public discussions and public service, a roundtable discussion was held at the OSCE Mission to Moldova on 24 June 2016.

The event brought together 23 representatives of the Moldovan Parliament, the authorities of Gagauz-Yeri, civil society and the international community to discuss institutional dialogue between central and Gagauz authorities.

Independent researchers from the Comrat-based NGO Piligrim-Demo presented a recent report detailing the joint commissions formed over the years to initiate dialogue on the implementation of Gagauzia’s status as an Autonomous Territorial Unit. They outlined their recommendations for improving the functioning of the current working group established between the Parliament of Moldova and the People’s Assembly of Gagauzia. 

“Such discussions on the process of dialogue between civil society, the expert community and members of the Parliament and People's Assembly are important as they provide critical input to the process and build common understanding of issues,” said Jale Sultanli, Country Manager Moldova of the Crisis Management Initiative (CMI). Participants from Comrat and Chisinau welcomed the opportunity to study past and present practices to strengthen co-operation between the central and regional authorities in Moldova.

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OSCE Mission to Skopje co-organizes training course on how to spot falsified documents

A one-week advanced training course, organised by the OSCE Mission to Skopje in co-operation with the German Federal Police and the Police Training Centre in Idrizovo, has started today for ten Border police officers on how to detect forged travel documents and certificates.

The training course aims to increase the participants’ operational awareness on security features of regional passports and Schengen visas as well as to enhance their skills regarding the use of modern forensic equipment.

Upon completion of this training course, participants will be ready to deliver the training modules to their colleagues working in the field of documents security.

The training course is part of the Mission’s support to national institutions in the fight against trans-national threats and organized crime with a special focus on irregular migration and human trafficking.

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OSCE conducts regional seminar in Kazakhstan on Vienna Document 2011

ASTANA, 24 May 2016 – An OSCE-supported regional training seminar for some 50 military officers from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan on the practical implementation of the Vienna Document 2011 and confidence- and security-building measures began today in Astana.

The OSCE Programme Office in Astana organized the four-day event in co-operation with Kazakhstan's Defence Ministry and with the support of the OSCE field operations.

Military and civilian experts from France, Hungary, the OSCE Forum for Security Co-operation and the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia will share their expertise. The participants will discuss developments in the field of confidence- and security-building measures, which are the focus of the Vienna Document 2011, as well as  its implementation aspects, such as inspection procedures, experience exchange and the demonstration of weapons and equipment systems.

Deputy Defence Minister of Kazakhstan Talgat Mukhtarov said: “The Vienna Document is one of the most important instruments of the OSCE’s politico-military dimension. It has long served to promote co-operation, transparency and confidence building as well as a system of verification. While the annual seminar serves to help us understand the ‘letter’ of the Vienna Document, it is always very important that our activities embrace its ‘spirit.’”

“The OSCE has been placing considerable emphasis on building confidence and security through closer co-operation of the armed forces in the region under the Vienna Document 2011,” said György Szabó, Head of the OSCE Programme Office in Astana. “What makes the Vienna Document so exceptional is that it does not only helps de-escalate a potential conflict, but can help build relations between countries in such a way that war between them seems inconceivable.”

Robin Mossinkoff, Head of the Forum for Security Co-operation Support Section, highlighted the work done to build trust and confidence by OSCE participating States, supported by the OSCE. He noted that this was conducted not only under the Vienna Document, but also agreements such as the Code of Conduct on Political-Military Aspects of Security and the Document on Small Arms and Light Weapons, and Stockpiles of Conventional Ammunition.

The seminar will include theoretical exercises and a simulated inspection visit to the 36th Air Assault Brigade near Astana on 27 May. The participants will carry out an evaluation in accordance with the provisions of the Vienna Document on compliance and verification, and produce a report.

The Vienna Document was adopted by all OSCE participating States and obliges them to share information on their armed forces and military activities. It also contains provisions on compliance and verification, such as conducting and hosting inspections and evaluations, as well as on risk reduction, military contacts and co-operation, and prior notification of certain military activities.

The OSCE Programme Office in Astana has been organizing seminars on the Vienna Document in Kazakhstan since 2006. The seminar is part of the Programme Office's long-standing efforts to promote OSCE confidence- and security-building measures and regional security.

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Inter-institutional co-operation in focus of OSCE-supported security policy course in Bosnia and Herzegovina

SARAJEVO, 16 June 2016 – An-OSCE supported course on security policy in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) for some 30 participants from government institutions, parliament, police, armed forces, civil society, academia, media and industry concluded today in Sarajevo.

The two-week course, organized by the OSCE Mission to BiH and Council of Ministers’ Inter-ministerial Working Group on Monitoring the Implementation of BiH Security Policy, focused on the necessity of a multi-disciplinary approach and co-ordination and co-operation among various security actors. The course also aimed at increasing their knowledge of the BiH security policy and security system.

“The responsibility for security is not the exclusive domain of any one particular ministry or institution. No single institution has sufficient resources or mandate to address what have become global security concerns and problems,” said Michael Delacruz, Head of Security Co-operation Unit at the OSCE Mission to BiH.

Momir Brajic, member of the Council of Minister’s Inter-ministerial Working Group, said: “Implementation of the security policy requires a particular accent to be placed on the establishment and improvement of inter-section co-operation, principally on co-operation between the government and civil sector. Therefore, this course is an excellent forum for exchange of opinions and experiences between different actors in the area of security.”

Dario Busic, Head of the Department at the BiH Ministry of Communication and Transport, said: “The course covered very interesting topics, some of which were new for me. It, therefore, enabled me to see the field of transportation, as my field of expertise, from a new perspective.”    

The OSCE Mission to BiH and Inter-Ministerial Working Group have been organizing security policy courses since 2007 to raise understanding of BiH’s security policy and to exchange information in this area. The course is accredited by the BiH Civil Service Agency with ten credits and serves for the professional development and career advancement of civil servants.  

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  • Reform and cooperation in the security sector
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2016 OSCE Annual Security Review Conference focuses on reviving co-operative security in a challenging environment

VIENNA, 28 June 2016 – High-level representatives of OSCE participating States, Partners for Co-operation and partnering organizations are exploring how to revive co-operative security against the backdrop of current challenges to European security, during the three-day 2016 Annual Security Review Conference (ASRC), which started today in Vienna.

The Conference brings together about 400 participants and was opened by the Special Representative of the Federal Government of Germany for the OSCE Chairmanship Gernot Erler who stressed that the discussion should provide an “honest, scrupulously constructive dialogue.” He welcomed the agreement by all OSCE participating States to use the platform of the ASRC to discuss the crises and conflicts in the OSCE area in a frank manner.

“Peace in Europe is broken and the fundamental values and principles of the European security order have been and are being called into question. This situation is unacceptable,” he said. “At the same time we must adhere to a tone characterized by mutual confidence.”

Looking at the conflict in and around Ukraine in particular, Erler emphasized that the Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM) must not be threatened nor its work obstructed. “The SMM must not be made blind,” said Erler as he criticized the recent attacks on SMM unarmed aerial vehicles and cameras.

Erler welcomed the keynote speaker José Ramos-Horta, 1996 Nobel Peace Prize laureate and former president of Timor-Leste:  “Mr. Ramos-Horta fought for the freedom of his country and his people with perseverance and by peaceful means.  Today, he can be a source of inspiration for us in the OSCE,” Erler said.  

In his speech, Ramos-Horta said that Europe is at a crossroads, but the region had faced greater challenges in the past. “You can do it again, and do better still,” he said, referring to the rebuilding of Europe after the Second Word War. With a view to many unresolved conflicts Ramos-Horta urged: “The preferred option should always be prevention of conflicts, dialogue and mediation to settle disputes. When these are actively, creatively and patiently exercised in a timely fashion more often than not they produce better results than the use of force.”

OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier said that despite divergent interpretations of the origins of the current crisis in European security “there is also a growing realization that we cannot simply give up on seeking a convergence of interests where this appears possible.”

Highlighting the agreement reached earlier this year by participating States on a second set of OSCE confidence-building measures on cybersecurity, Zannier said that the OSCE as the most inclusive platform for dialogue in the northern hemisphere should play a significant role in revitalising the discussion on strengthening arms control. “Establishing a neutral mechanism for military fact-finding, inspections under an OSCE flag or even a centralized and institutionalized OSCE verification/inspection mechanism are some of the suggestions that we may want to consider,” he said.

Michael Møller, Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva conveyed a message to the ASRC participants by the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, re-affirming the benefits of enhancing “the invaluable co-operation between the OSCE and the United Nations.”

Møller welcomed the call by Germany’s 2016 OSCE Chairmanship for ‘renewing dialogue, rebuilding trust and restoring security.’ “As we work to pursue these goals, we need to devise joint strategies according to our respective strengths,” he said.

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OSCE workshop in Kosovo focuses on improving the recording of hate crimes

A two-day workshop on  ways to improve the recording of hate crimes  was organized on 11 and 12 July in Prishtinë/Priština by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), the OSCE Mission in Kosovo and the Kosovo Police.

In addition to reinforcing their understanding of the OSCE’s approach to hate crime, workshop participants identified a series of additional improvements in the way local authorities monitor and record hate crimes. Participants also agreed to establish a permanent national mechanism to co-ordinate hate crime data collection.

"Police recording is the key point of entry for information about hate crimes into the criminal justice system. But, the police cannot operate alone," said Ales Giao Hanek, ODIHR Hate Crime Officer. "Co-ordination between all the agencies concerned is crucial, and political support will be required to make the changes identified and agreed upon by participants."

Workshop participants included Kosovo Police specialists responsible for recording and managing crime statistics from all eight policing districts. Police and Prosecution Service focal points on hate crimes took part, as well as representatives from the Kosovo Judicial Institute.

This workshop follows up on an event held in May 2015, which mapped hate crime data collection in Kosovo.

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Documentary Explores Connection of Algae and Community

Screen Arts Professor Paul B. Kim spent eight days in Hawai'i filming a documentary based on Assistant Professor of Biology Florybeth La Valle's research on algae. The two shared their similar philosophies for the work they do.

The post Documentary Explores Connection of Algae and Community appeared first on Pepperdine Graphic.




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Leaders support official acknowledgment of Oscar Mack after Kissimmee documentary screening

On Saturday, that effort may have begun taking another step, as community leaders who attended a screening of the documentary at the Solid Rock Community Church in Kissimmee vowed to work toward a public acknowledgment of Mack’s encounter with the Klan more than 100 years ago.




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[ B.10 (11/88) ] - Graphical symbols and rules for the preparation of documentation in telecommunications

Graphical symbols and rules for the preparation of documentation in telecommunications