Ameresco Inc. announced that it has partnered with the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) on a new energy savings project. The $3.9 million (CAD) comprehensive energy efficiency and facility renewal project at NRC research facilities is expected to save over $330,000 annually in utility costs.

Enercare Inc. has announced the launch of the Enercare Fresh Start Program, a new corporate social responsibility program designed to help families transitioning between temporary shelters and a home of their own.

Posted by Brandon Z. on Nov 13

Constrafor is stepping up to support local contractors across Florida, North Carolina, and Georgia with a comprehensive Disaster Relief Effort. This initiative, in conjunction with their Early Pay Program (EPP), aims to provide immediate financial support to contractors, enabling them to overcome delays, secure materials, and ensure timely payment for their teams.

The ARMOR X7 compact tablet is specifically-designed for those mission-critical tasks that require connectivity, hand-held mobility, ease of use and the durability to support all-weather operations.

The Munters HC-150 and HC-300 desiccant dehumidification units have been inspected, tested and approved for ETL compliance to UL 1995 by Intertek Testing Services. 

The world’s first and leading fiberglass mesh drywall tape brand, FibaTape®, has once again added a new drywall tape to its growing product line.

Munters’s new psychrometric calculation tool, PsychroApp, easily calculates the thermodynamic properties of air from an iPhone or iPod Touch.

The new ZipDoor kit is a great way to create a dust barrier when all you need to seal is the doorway.

KILZ MAX Interior Water-Based Primer features a unique water-based “epoxy” technology that offers all the performance of an oil-based primer, including the ability to block the most severe stains. 

Phoenix Restoration has added a product video site, where users can go to watch “how-to” and “service and maintenance” videos on all of the company’s LGR dehumidifiers.

11/18/2024 - 7:00 PM - Venue: City Council Chambers

11/18/2024 - 8:30 AM - Venue: First United Methodist Church

11/17/2024 - 10:00 AM - Venue: SteamPlant Event Center

Yogurt manufacturers are getting innovative and capitalizing on the diversity of yogurt with niche products and appealing to a wider audience. Whole-fat and low-sugar varieties are part of the mix.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) estimates that nearly one-third of the edible components of food produced for human consumption gets lost or wasted, amounting to about 1.3 billion tons per year globally.

FSX 2025 is designed as a platform for knowledge-sharing, professional growth, and collaboration among key stakeholders in the food industry.

The latest Labour Force report from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, for October 2024.

Employment +15.9k

• expected +25.0k, prior +64.1k

Unemployment Rate 4.1%

• expected 4.1%, prior 4.1%

Participation Rate 67.1%

• expected 67.2%, prior 67.2%

Full Time Employment +9.7k

• prior +51.6k

A slightly softer employment report than we are accustomed to. Not a bad one. But a miss for jobs added, and the participation rate saw a tic knocked off.

More:

• employment to population ratio remained at 64.4%
• underemployment rate decreased to 6.2%
• monthly hours worked increased to 1,972 million.

more to come

Chinese media, Global Times, citing a state media report (CCTV):

• China’s annual production of new energy vehicles surpassed 10 million units on Thursday, info via China Association of Automobile Manufacturers.
• the first country to reach this milestone globally
• output for the whole year is expected to reach 12 million

The US and EU have quickly built walls (tariffs and other imposts) to protect domestic vehicle producers. This is not usually a recipe for thriving industry.

Noting this, report comes from Japan media (Sankei) via Reuters:

• Japanese government to compile a supplementary budget of about 13.5 trillion yen ($87 billion)
• to fund a stimulus package to help low-income households and offset rising prices
• government would provide 30,000 yen to low-income households that are exempt from residential taxes and 20,000 yen per child for households with families

The pullback in gold continues to play out since the post-election period. The precious metal is now down for a fifth straight day in what is already easily its worst weekly showing so far this year. It has more or less been a case of waiting for said pullback to reach some key technical levels on the charts. And we're just about there already in trading today.

The 100-day moving average (red line) is the key technical focus right now and that is seen at roughly $2,543. The last time gold actually had a brush against the key level was all the way back in February. And the last time that gold traded back below either that or its 200-day moving average (blue line) was all the way back in October last year.

That underscores the breathtaking momentum that has been in play for gold all through this year so far.

As such, this makes the 100-day moving average an even more important technical juncture now. A break there will not only signify a break in the bullish bias in gold. However, it could set off another wave of selling that leads to an even bigger pullback.

Traders love key levels like these and USD/JPY is a good example of that when it broke its own 100-day moving average back in late July as well. The drop there of course owed to a myriad of other factors but the technical consideration certainly exacerbated things. And it could also be the case for gold when we get there in the sessions ahead.

I'm still an advocate for gold in the bigger picture of things. However, I would say dip buyers will need to be patient to let this correction run its course before coming back in. From earlier this week: Gold pullback might prove to be timely for dip buyers

• Fed will 'most likely' need more cuts but should 'proceed cautiously'
• If Fed cuts too far past neutral, inflation could re-acclerate
• Difficult to know how many Fed rate cuts may be needed, and how soon they need to happen
• Fed has made a great deal of progress in bringing inflation down
• Fed not quite back to price stability yet
• US economic activity is resilient
• Labor market cooling gradually but not weakening materially
• Sees upside risk to inflation, downside risk to employment, says financial conditions may pose biggest challenges for monetary policy
• If bond yields continue to rise, the Fed may need less-restrictive policy

Logan last spoke in late October and wasn't quite this hawkish. I think the Fed cuts in December but takes a pause after that and waits to see how things play out.

Reserve Bank of Australia Governor Bullock

• bond markets pretty well behaved globally
• bond markets reflecting increasing government debt
• think we are restrictive enough, will stay there until confident on inflation

More:

• recent inflation had both supply- and deand-sdie components
• aim is to lower inflation
• prices not going back to pre-covid level, that would be deflation and not going to have that

NEW YORK (Sept. 8, 2017) – Two CPA.com staffers have been named to CPA Practice Advisor’s Top 20 Under 40 Superstars list, which the trade publication said is composed of “young leaders helping advance the profession through their roles in technology, education, consulting and firm development.”

Representing CPA.com on the list are Samantha Mansfield, the company’s director of professional development and community, and Kalil Merhib, director of sales. Mansfield is a driving force behind the Digital CPA Conference and the curriculum and training it offers to firms, including the recently launched Client Accounting Advisory Services (CAAS) certificate and CPA.com’s popular CAAS workshops. Merhib’s key responsibilities include rollout of the RIVIO Clearinghouse, a private company financial information hub jointly developed by CPA.com and Confirmation.com, and working with firms across the country in building effective strategies for outsourced accounting practices.

“This year’s 40 Under 40 and 20 Under 40 honorees are visibly and incrementally changing the accounting profession through their exemplary leadership, their innovative thinking, their collaborative efforts guaranteed to provide unity to the profession across the generations, and their community outreach which extends the visibility of the profession outside the workplace” Gail Perry, CPA Practice Advisor’s editor-in-chief, wrote in an article announcing the winners.

“It’s a great honor for CPA.com to have two employees on this list,” said Erik Asgeirsson, president and CEO of CPA.com. “We’re grateful to see validation of our staff’s hard work in helping CPA firms embrace change and thrive.”

The full list of winners can be found on CPA Practice Advisor’s website.

About CPA.com

CPA.com offers a growing list of products and services for practice management, client advisory services and professional development. The company has established itself as a thought leader on cloud technology and has been a driving force around the reemergence of virtual CFO/controller services by firms. The RIVIO Clearinghouse, a joint venture between CPA.com and Confirmation.com, is an online financial document clearinghouse that enables private businesses to exchange key financial information with lenders and investors.

CPA.com is a subsidiary of the American Institute of CPAs, the world’s largest member body representing the CPA profession. For more information, visit CPA.com.

Associations Plan Joint Effort to Advance Blockchain Technology for Accounting Profession

NEW YORK (Oct. 23, 2017) – The American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) and Wall Street Blockchain Alliance (WSBA), a leading nonprofit trade association promoting the comprehensive adoption of blockchain technology across global markets, today announced plans to work together to define the impact of blockchain technology for the accounting profession and advance the interests of both the public and profession in this area.

As part of this collaboration, the AICPA – through its technology arm, CPA.com – will administer the WSBA’s working group on tax and accounting, a focal point for advocacy and education on blockchain adoption within the profession. Other existing WSBA working groups include research and innovation, legal, and technology and product. The working group model is designed to provide a forum for experts to share information, guide advocacy and technical efforts and create broader educational opportunities—such as webcasts, roundtables and other content—to address issues arising from the adoption of blockchain, distributed ledgers and smart contract technologies.

“The accounting profession is built on confirmation and verification, and that’s what blockchain is all about,” said AICPA President and CEO Barry C. Melancon, CPA, CGMA. “This technology can have a profound impact on accounting and finance going forward, and it’s important we make sure that its adoption proceeds in a way that’s in the best interest of the public and our financial markets. Our working relationship with the WSBA, combined with our expanded global reach through the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants, will help further that goal.”

The collaboration was announced at the fall meeting of the AICPA’s governing Council in San Antonio, Tex.

“The WSBA is very pleased to be collaborating with the AICPA and CPA.com to guide the evolution of the global accounting profession in a future with blockchain technology,” said Ron Quaranta, chairman of the WSBA. “We look forward to working together to advance the world of accountancy and its use of blockchain, as accountants become integral participants in the adoption of this innovative technology for global markets.”

As a first step in collaboration, the AICPA will be part of an accounting-related panel at the WSBA’s Blockchain for Wall Street education day on Nov. 14, 2017.

“Blockchain is one of several innovations that are reshaping the accounting profession,” said Erik Asgeirsson, president and CEO of CPA.com, one of the participants in the upcoming panel. “Our role with the WSBA working group is to guide and speed the use of blockchain technology as it applies to the core areas of an accounting practice.”

About the Wall Street Blockchain Alliance

The Wall Street Blockchain Alliance (WSBA) is an industry leading 501(c)(6) non-profit trade association created for financial market professionals, by financial market professionals. Its mission is to guide and promote comprehensive adoption of blockchain and distributed ledger technology across global financial markets.

For information about the WSBA, including membership, visit www.wsba.co or email to info@wsba.co.

About the American Institute of CPAs

The American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) is the world’s largest member association representing the CPA profession, with more than 418,000 members in 143 countries, and a history of serving the public interest since 1887. AICPA members represent many areas of practice, including business and industry, public practice, government, education and consulting. The AICPA sets ethical standards for its members and U.S. auditing standards for private companies, nonprofit organizations, federal, state and local governments. It develops and grades the Uniform CPA Examination, offers specialized credentials, builds the pipeline of future talent and drives professional competency development to advance the vitality, relevance and quality of the profession.

The AICPA maintains offices in New York, Washington, DC, Durham, NC, and Ewing, NJ.

Media representatives are invited to visit the AICPA Press Center at www.aicpa.org/press.

About the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants

The Association of International Certified Professional Accountants (the Association) is the most influential body of professional accountants, combining the strengths of the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) and The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) to power opportunity, trust and prosperity for people, businesses and economies worldwide. It represents 650,000 members and students in public and management accounting and advocates for the public interest and business sustainability on current and emerging issues. With broad reach, rigor and resources, the Association advances the reputation, employability and quality of CPAs, CGMAs and accounting and finance professionals globally.

Bill.com and CPA.com have expanded their Accountant Partner Program. The program offers services, resources and technology to help accounting firms solve bill payment challenges for their clients.

The program has been updated to offer services tailored to the needs of large firms. Enhancements include dedicated Bill.com implementers for client portfolios, educational and training resources, and Bill.com accountant-specific features.

The upgrades come in response to a 2017 Bill Payment Trends Survey from Bill.com and CPA.com, which found 77 percent of large accounting firms wish their clients would eliminate paper checks, 75 percent recommend their clients pay their bills online, yet only 25 percent require clients to use a specific solution for digital bill payment. According to Bill.com, this disconnect illustrates an opportunity for client accounting services to be more efficient and demonstrate more value to clients.

The Bill.com Accountant Partner Program now offers:

● Dedicated Bill.com implementation consulting and support for client adoption, including implementers experienced with bill payment in large accounting firms; and

● New features for the Bill.com Accountant Console, a portal that helps firms manage client bill payments. Firms can add and remove staff from multiple clients at once, assign customer roles and permissions, and create reports on billing and system access.

These additions join existing educational resources Bill.com already offers to small and midsize accounting firms.

“The enhanced Accountant Partner Program allows greater collaboration between Bill.com, CPA.com, and accounting firms at every stage of client accounting services,” said Michael Cerami, CPA.com’s vice president of strategic alliances and business development, in a statement. “Whether a firm is targeting prospective or existing clients, the program delivers the tools and resources necessary for firm-wide adoption of digital bill payments.”

The Accountant Partner Program is available for all Bill.com clients. To learn more, visit https://www.bill.com/for-accountants/.

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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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TASHKENT, 12 July 2016 – A three-day seminar for journalists to improve their skills in reporting on human trafficking, organized by the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan and the Office of the Prosecutor General, began yesterday.

The seminar brings together 26 journalists from all the regions of Uzbekistan to discuss the challenges of reporting on human trafficking and effective ways to overcome them by drawing on international and national good practices. “For better coverage of human trafficking, it is important to both see it as a global phenomenon and understand its specifics in your own country,” said Anatoly Verbin, an international media expert, addressing the media specialists.  

Ambassador John MacGregor, the Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan, said that OSCE anti-trafficking commitments include the cultivation of partnership with journalists to enhance their knowledge and understanding of the complexity of the phenomenon, which is a composite of many serious crimes as well as denials of rights. “Prevention of human trafficking cannot be effective if the media do not join us in raising awareness of this crime. The trafficked persons need understanding and assistance in restoring their rights, not moral accusations, judgment or pity,’’ he noted.

Gyulnoza Rakhimova, the head of the press service of the Office of the Prosecutor General, stressed that the training will cover current legislative and law enforcement practices, how to make the information more interesting for readers and not to violate the rights of victims of trafficking.”

The training is part of the OSCE Project Co-ordinator’s project to assist Uzbekistan in combating trafficking in human beings and to develop a comprehensive victim-support system through expert advice and information.

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The OSCE Project Co-ordinator on 15 July 2016 launched the first distance course in Ukraine on the application of the case-law of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR).

Developed, designed and produced by the OSCE Project Co-ordinator, the course was finalized after it was successfully piloted on the online platform of the National School of Judges of Ukraine (NSJU).

From now the NSJU will have this sustainable tool at its disposal for systematically training judges on applying the case-law of the ECtHR without having to involve extra human or financial resources. Thirty judges from all over Ukraine have already been trained distantly and received their certificates of accomplishment.

The content was developed in co-operation with experts on the European Convention on Human Rights and the case-law of the ECtHR, and Ukrainian judges.

The course was developed as part of the “Safeguarding Human Rights through Courts” project, which is being implemented by the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine with the financial support of the Government of Canada.

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A mentoring training programme for women politicians was launched by the OSCE Office in Tajikistan on 1 August 2016 in Dushanbe and will see experienced women politicians cascading their knowledge, provide guidance, support and reassurance to younger women in politics.

The training programme is a part of the women's political participation project, which addresses the needs of women politicians active in seven official political parties in Tajikistan.

“Political mentoring is a very important tool to promote and increase the role of women in public and political life,” said Acting Head of OSCE Office in Tajikistan Fabio Piana. “Based on the expressed needs by the political parties, the Office stands ready to continue providing support in this area.”

At the end of this week’s five-day training course, teams of mentors and mentees will be created.  

Vesna Ivanovikj-Castarede, Head of the OSCE Democratization Unit and the project leader, said: “We have identified active, committed and devoted women politicians in Tajikistan who wish to further empower other women in the country and are ready to become mentors to the peers in their political parties.”

The trainer Dr. Alenka Verbole said women are the key actors in political life of their countries and yet they are often under-represented and their voices do not get heard enough. “Mentoring will certainly strengthen women's political identity and confidence.”

Other similar courses for the political parties with inclusion of men will follow towards the end of 2016.

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Awards recognizing best practices in local governance in Montenegro’s municipalities over the course of this year were presented at a ceremony organized on 28 December 2015 in Podgorica by the OSCE Mission to Montenegro in co-operation with the Union of Municipalities and the Ministry of Interior.

The annual Awards, now in their eighth year, are open to all local government units and allow them to showcase successful and innovative solutions and initiatives in providing services to their citizens.

Opening the award ceremony, Chairperson of the Executive Board of the Union of Municipalities of Montenegro and Mayor of Cetinje, Aleksandar Bogdanović, said the Awards were the product of the excellent co-operation of national authorities, local government and international organizations with the aim of supporting sustainable development at the local level.

Deputy Head of the OSCE Mission Dan Redford said: “The OSCE Mission to Montenegro has always and will continue to support each and every effort of local governance units in Montenegro to enhance principles of good governance in their communities. These are of fundamental importance because local government is closest to citizens and provides them with essential services. Our goal has always been to mobilize and stimulate action by local stakeholders so that the citizens may benefit from good democratic governance at the local level, through the continuously improving quality of local public services.”

General Director of Directorate for State and Local Authorities in the Ministry of Interior Dragana Ranitović said this programme is of great importance for local governance units as it enables the sharing of best practices among municipalities and that it could be expanded further to facilitate bilateral cross-border co-operation.

The winners of this year’s Awards are:

• Žabljak Municipality for its economical financial practices;
• Budva Municipality for its effective human resources management through an electronic personnel recording system;
• Petnjica Municipality for establishing institutional models to enhance co-operation with citizens and the diaspora;
• Bijelo Polje Municipality for its work in economically empowering women;
• Berane Municipality for establishing a Secretariat for Sports, Culture, Youth and Co-operation with NGOs, and a Youth Council.

Berane Municipality also received a special award for introducing a more efficient accounting management system for budget spending, and for establishing the post of an Internal controller.

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DUSHANBE, 15 June 2016 – A three-day regional trade facilitation and border management workshop gathering senior trade and customs officials from UN Special Programme for the Economies of Central Asia (SPECA) countries Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan concluded today at the Border Management Staff College in Dushanbe. 

The workshop was co-organized by the OSCE Office in Tajikistan, the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities, and the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Trade Division.

“This workshop enabled participants to exchange national experiences and explore the scope for closer co-operation at the regional level. Trade facilitation is a key condition for the economic development of Central Asia,” said Martin Rossmann, Senior Economic and Environmental Officer at the OSCE Office in Tajikistan

The practice-oriented and interactive workshop combined expert presentations, roundtable discussions and group work. It aimed at equipping participants with an array of tools and approaches needed for the simplification and harmonization of procedures for international trade.

Roel Janssens, Economic Adviser at the OSCE Secretariat said: “Landlocked developing countries, in this region, and elsewhere, face higher trade transaction costs due to complexities of multimodal transportation and the multiple border-crossings, transit arrangements and documentation requirements involved.  The challenge for countries along Euro-Asian trade corridors is to turn this geographical challenge into an opportunity.”

Particular attention was paid to implementing the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement in the region; the establishment of National Trade Facilitation Committees; and the development of a roadmap for implementing comprehensive trade facilitation reforms. All of this in support of governments’ efforts to reduce delays at border-crossings and speed up customs clearance, transit, import, and export procedures.  Participants also learnt about the development of Authorised Economic Operator programmes and tools aimed at improving inter-agency cooperation both domestically and internationally.

Mario Apostolov, Regional Adviser at the UNECE said: “Trade facilitation is not just a matter of one agency but can only be successful when adopting a ‘whole of government’ approach where customs and border authorities, trade and transport ministries as well as private sector and other relevant actors coordinate their tasks, conduct joint controls and exchange documents and data.”   

On the second day of the workshop, the participants paid a study visit to the Tursunzade border crossing-point between Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

VIENNA, 20 July 2016 – Presenting the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s work concerning the refugee and migrant crisis at a special meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna today, Swiss parliamentarian Filippo Lombardi laid out the Assembly’s plan of action going forward, which includes monitoring the situation on the ground and developing policy recommendations for the OSCE and its participating States.

The meeting was convened by the OSCE German Chairmanship to present and discuss the report by Amb. Claude Wild, Chair of the OSCE Informal Working Group Focusing on the Issue of Migration and Refugee Flows. The participants discussed in particular the importance of improving global migration governance and how the OSCE can lend its contribution to promoting regional implementation of a global migration governance architecture.

Lombardi noted that the OSCE PA’s Ad Hoc Committee on Migration, which he chairs, has been active in three main areas, including by organizing field visits, strengthening co-operation with the OSCE and other international actors, and promoting discussions on the migration crisis within the OSCE PA.

“The migration and refugee crisis remains high on the agenda of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly as highlighted by the importance accorded to this issue in the Tbilisi Declaration adopted at the OSCE PA Annual Session on 5 July,” Lombardi said. “Indeed, the various aspects of this complex issue are addressed in the resolutions of all three general committees as well as in a number of supplementary resolutions” adopted in Tbilisi, he added.

Stressing the need for better communication strategies between governments and the public, Lombardi said that while media plays a fundamental role in shaping public opinion on migration, “political forces bear an equally important responsibility.

“Governments, diplomats and parliamentarians must join forces to tackle the root causes of migration,” he said.

Lombardi further highlighted a recent field visit to camps in Calais and Dunkirk, the Parliamentary Assembly’s contribution to the 27 June meeting of the Informal Working Group, which was addressed by five OSCE parliamentarians, and noted that the PA’s Ad Hoc Committee on Migration met officially for the first timeduring the OSCE PA Annual Session in Tbilisi on 3 July.

In June, the OSCE PA’s then-human rights and humanitarian committee chair, Portuguese parliamentarian Isabel Santos, joined a delegation of the OSCE’s Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, Ambassador Madina Jarbussynova, for a visit to Lampedusa, Italy, to an aircraft carrier in the Mediterranean Sea, and to a refugee reception centre in Catania.

Migration will also occupy a prominent position in the discussions of the OSCE PA Autumn Meeting to be held in Skopje from 29 September to 2 October, Lombardi pointed out.

Other than Lombardi’s presentation, today’s special meeting of the Permanent Council included a comprehensive report by Amb. Wild, who noted that addressing the migration crisis requires a multidimensional response based on protection, combating crime, border management, successful integration, and solidarity and partnerships. The OSCE has a number of comparative advantages when addressing migration and refugee flows and is thus uniquely positioned to address this crisis, he emphasized.

Lombardi welcomed the priorities of the OSCE’s Informal Working Group and stressed that members of the PA’s Ad Hoc Committee have agreed to keep in mind the principles identified by this body in carrying out its work.

The Permanent Council and the Ministerial Council are the primary decision-making bodies of the OSCE.

To learn more about the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s work in the field of migration, please click here. A video interview conducted with Ad Hoc Committee Chair Filippo Lombardi is available on the OSCE PA’sYouTube channel.

The OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Baku and the Azerbaijani Press Council are pleased to announce two contests for media reports highlighting the problems of domestic violence in Azerbaijan.

The first contest is for the articles published in newspapers and online media, the second one for TV reports. An evaluation committee comprising the representatives of the OSCE, Press Council and the State Committee for Family, Women and Children Affairs will award prizes for the best reports produced from 1 May 2015 to 30 November 2015.

The deadline for entries is 30 November 2015. The results will be announced in December 2015.

The competition is open to media representatives only. The authors of the winning articles and reports will receive certificates and cash prizes: first place - 1500, second – 1200 and third – 1000 AZN. Each contest also includes an award for the best report from young journalists – 1000 AZN. These contests are part of the PCiB’s project on supporting the implementation of the law on the prevention of domestic violence.

Questions about the contest may be directed to Zhala Azizova, National Project Officer, at zazizova@osce.org and Avaz Rustamov, representative of the Press Council, at evez.rustemov@gmail.com.

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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.

WARSAW, 9 July 2016 ─ Michael Georg Link, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), today welcomed the decision by the Supreme Court of Kyrgyzstan to reconsider the case of human rights defender Azimjan Askarov, and again called on the Kyrgyz authorities to heed a decision of the UN Human Rights Committee calling for Askarov’s release.

A Supreme Court hearing is scheduled to review Mr. Askarov’s case on Monday, 11 July.

“I welcome Kyrgyzstan’s openness to reviewing Azimjan Askarov’s case, and my Office stands ready to support the Kyrgyz authorities in their implementation of OSCE commitments related to human rights,” said Director Link. “Kyrgyzstan is obligated under both international law and its own Constitution to quash Askarov’s conviction and immediately release him.”

On 21 April 2016, the UN Human Rights Committee decided in favour of a complaint filed by Askarov, finding that he had been arbitrarily detained, held in inhumane conditions, tortured and mistreated, and prevented from adequately preparing his trial defence. The Committee called on Kyrgyzstan to immediately release him, overturn his conviction, and provide him with compensation for the violations of his human rights. Article 41.2 of the Kyrgyz Constitution requires authorities to implement the Human Rights Committee decision.

“Mr. Askarov’s ongoing detention is not only unlawful, as the UN Human Rights Committee made clear, but also inhumane, in light of the serious deterioration of his health,” the ODIHR Director said. “We look forward to Mr. Askarov’s release and the restoration of his rights, including his access to urgently needed medical care outside of confinement.”

Askarov was reportedly subjected to ill-treatment during his initial detention by police and during his trial. Despite very serious health concerns, he was denied access to adequate medical treatment by detention officials. Since then, he has been held at Penal Colony No. 47, in Bishkek, where his health has reportedly deteriorated further.

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VIENNA, 8 July 2016 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović, today expressed concern about a proposed law on the German Foreign Intelligence Agency (BND, Bundesnachrichtendienst), which was debated in the Bundestag, Germany’s Federal Parliament, today.

“Increasing surveillance capabilities of journalists is a clear threat to media freedom,” Mijatović said. “This draft law runs counter to the very core of fundamental freedoms such as media freedom and freedom of expression.”

The draft law increases BND’s capabilities to place foreign journalists under surveillance. Moreover, no exemption is made for the work of journalists, and journalists without citizenship of the European Union can be subjected to surveillance without an explicit court order.

“I call on the German Bundestag to revise the current draft law and ensure proper the protection of journalists regardless of their nationality,” Mijatović said.

The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media observes media developments in all 57 OSCE participating States. She provides early warning on violations of freedom of expression and media freedom and promotes full compliance with OSCE media freedom commitments. Learn more at www.osce.org/fom, Twitter: @OSCE_RFoM and on www.facebook.com/osce.rfom. 

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GENEVA / VIENNA, 28 July 2016 – Two top holders of media freedom mandates of the United Nations and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) today condemned the ongoing crackdown on journalists and the media launched by Turkish Government in the wake of the attempted coup.

The UN Special Rapporteur on the right to freedom of opinion and expression, David Kaye, and the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Dunja Mijatović, expressed alarm at recent measures adopted by the Turkish authorities. Dozens of journalists have been reportedly arrested and a large number of media outlets closed in the past twenty-four hours.

“The simultaneous arrests of independent journalists and shutdowns of print and broadcast media strike a major blow against public debate and government accountability,” the experts warned. “We strongly urge the Turkish authorities to reconsider these decisions and confirm their obligations to media freedom.”

Reports indicate that the Government ordered the closure of three news agencies, 16 TV channels, 23 radio channels, 45 papers and 15 magazines. Since the attempted coup, authorities have issued arrest warrants against 89 journalists and have already arrested several of them, blocked access to more than 20 news websites, revoked the licenses of 29 publishing houses, and cancelled a number of press accreditations.

Numerous academic institutions, schools, civil society organizations were also ordered to close down by decrees issued after the adoption of the “Statutory Decree Regarding Measures to be Taken Within Scope of State of Emergency and Regulation of Certain Institutes and Institutions” on 23 July.

“It is quite clear that this wave of restrictions against media groups does not meet the basic international standards concerning restrictive measures even in times of emergency,” Mijatović said. “The disregard for any assurance of due process is flagrant and only contributes to the extreme levels of insecurity affecting all those working to inform people of the ongoing crisis in the country.”

“The attempted coup cannot justify such a broad attack against almost all voices, not just critical ones but analytic and journalistic,” Kaye said. “The widespread and abrupt nature of the measures, lacking even the basic elements of due process, is shocking and unprecedented in recent times in Turkey.”

“The Government’s purging of personnel and institutions of what it perceives as being dissenting and critical voices, solely on the basis of allegations of membership in the Gülen movement, clearly violates standards of international human rights law,” he noted.

Both experts expressed their continued willingness to discuss their concerns with Turkish authorities. UN Special Rapporteur Kaye will be visiting Turkey on an official visit in November, at the invitation of the Government. OSCE Representative Mijatović reiterated her Office’s assistance in improving media freedom, including a visit to the country. 

The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media observes media developments in all 57 OSCE participating States. She provides early warning on violations of freedom of expression and media freedom and promotes full compliance with OSCE media freedom commitments. Learn more at www.osce.org/fom, Twitter: @OSCE_RFoM and on www.facebook.com/osce.rfom.  

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VIENNA, 1 August 2016 – At the end of the siege of police headquarters in Yerevan, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović today sought reassurance from the foreign minister of Armenia that journalists’ rights and safety during times of civil unrest would be protected.

Mijatović wrote to Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian indicating that the Government “should implement practical steps to ensure restraint on the part of law enforcement representatives toward members of the media and suggested steps should be taken by the authorities to guarantee that the press is not targeted by the police or thugs. The police should be protecting journalists and members of the media.”

According to reports, on 29 July media reporting on the forced dispersal of demonstrators in the Sari Tagh district and other events were attacked, beaten and had their equipment destroyed. In some cases the attackers were uniformed police; in others, civilians armed with metal rods.

Those attacked include:

• reporter Aghvan Asoyan and camera operator Albert Galstyan from Armenia TV;
• journalist Mariam Grigoryan and camera operator Davit Harutyunyan from Arajin Lratvakan;
• reporters Karlen Aslanyan and Hovhannes Movsisyan and camera operator Garik Harutyunyan of Azatutyun;
• reporter Robert Ananyan and camera operator Tigran Badalyan from A1+ TV;
• camera operator Marut Vanyan from the Lragir.am news website;
• journalists Sargis Kharazyan and Mkrtich Karapetyan from CivilNet;
• reporter Hovik Grigoryan of Panorama.am; and
• camera operator Tigran Gasparyan who works for Life.ru.

Mijatović also noted in the letter the statement published by the Armenian media NGOs of 21 July about the police attacks on journalists that took place in Yerevan days and weeks earlier. The victims included:

• Gevorg Tosunyan, a journalist from iravaban.net;
• Artak Hambardzumyan, a reporter from Azatutyun;
• Arthur Hayrapetyan, a reporter from 4news.am; and
• Tehmine Yenoqyan , a reporter from lragir.am.

The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media observes media developments in all 57 OSCE participating States. She provides early warning on violations of freedom of expression and media freedom and promotes full compliance with OSCE media freedom commitments. Learn more at www.osce.org/fom, Twitter: @OSCE_RFoM and on www.facebook.com/osce.rfom. 

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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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SHKODRA, Albania, 25 May 2016 – The OSCE Presence in Albania, USAID and the Austrian Development Co-operation launched a new phase of the ‘Justice without delays’ initiative today in Shkodra, Albania, with the aim of increasing the efficiency of court proceedings by reducing unnecessary hold ups.

Judges and support staff, with guidance from the Presence, USAID and local partners, will analyse the root causes for delays in their court and commit to improved planning and administration of cases by strengthening co-operation with trial participants, including state institutions. This will give the courts the benefit of active case management techniques and provide citizens with better access to justice.

“The courts have made remarkable progress in reducing the number of hearings and the overall length of trial proceedings, with no changes to legislation and no additional budgetary resources,” emphasized Florian Raunig, Head of the OSCE Presence in Albania. “This achievement not only benefited court users in those districts, but has become an important step toward improving the quality of justice throughout Albania. It shows the clear potential for all Albanians to have efficient justice in all first instance courts throughout the country.”

Ambassador Johann Sattler of Austria stated that, “the nationwide roll-out of the ‘Justice without delays’ project ultimately aims to increase citizen’s trust in the judiciary.”

The initiative is implemented by the OSCE Presence and USAID’s Project Justice for All, with funding from the Austrian Development Co-operation. It was developed by the Presence and USAID after a study conducted by the Presence showed that almost half of the sessions in Albanian courts were non-productive – no argument was put forward, no documents circulated, no evidence taken and no requests made.

‘Justice without delays’ first started as a pilot project in Kruja court in February 2014, and was quickly embraced by courts in Korça, Puka and Tropoja. Building on the programme’s success in these four initial courts, and with the strong support of the High Council of Justice and the Ministry of Justice, over the next three years the ‘Justice without delays’ initiative will be extended successively to all 18 district courts in Albania.

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An exhibition of paintings, photographs, installations, poetry and writing by students of the Petro Nini Luarasi High School in Tirana on the theme of domestic violence, was unveiled by the students and the OSCE Presence in Albania on 24 May 2016 in the capital.

The exhibition, held under the slogan #MosHesht (Don’t be silent), builds on a campaign against domestic violence first launched by the OSCE Presence in Tirana four years ago, and extended to other cities such as Korça, Elbasan and Gjirokastra, to bring together the  police, civil society, citizens and youth, to discuss and react to this phenomenon.

A higher number of domestic violence cases has been reported to the police since the start of the campaign, indicating increased public awareness of the problem and trust in the authorities. According to statistics, on average 15 women die every year as a result of domestic violence; domestic violence accounts for about 60% of the reported crimes against persons in Albania.

“Civic engagement is more than just identifying issues of public concern. It is about citizens working to address them in a constructive manner. It is about action,” said Deputy Head of the OSCE Presence Robert Wilton at the launch of the exhibition. “You took on the slogan of the campaign #MosHesht. You reacted through your paintings, pictures and poetry and sent a strong message to your fellow students, to us and to the society. This is a brilliant example of the kind of citizen engagement needed for a democracy to thrive.”

General Director of the Albanian State Police, Haki Çako, commended the students saying that through the exhibition they help raise the awareness of the problems that domestic violence victims face. He said that trust in the police is an important part of the overall solution.

The event is as part of the OSCE Presence in Albania’s ongoing campaign on countering domestic violence. The Presence has also extensively worked in raising the capacities of the Albanian State Police on addressing this problem through various training programmes.

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The OSCE Presence in Albania held a ceremony on 22 June 2016 to award winners of a national essay competition for high school and university students called Young People Say NO to Corruption.

The three main winners, equally awarded, were Albion Bylykbashi from the Tirana Polytechnic University, as well as Arjeta Zenelaj and Keti Gjipali from Tirana University. Their essays have been chosen as the best among more than 100 entries and their prize is an opportunity to participate in Transparency International’s Summer School on Corruption in July 2016. Seven runners-up were also awarded and will take part in a study tour to visit institutions involved in the fight against corruption in Albania and experience first-hand their work and the way they co-operate with each other to fight corruption.

Attending the event were Acting Head of OSCE Presence in Albania, Robert Wilton, and National Anticorruption Co-ordinator, Minister for Local Government Issues Bledi Çuçi.

Wilton said that the Albanian authorities cannot win the fight against corruption on their own: “They need the energy and passion of young, dedicated people to make big changes in mentality and practice that are necessary to stamp out corruption.”

Çuçi said that in order to win the battle against corruption, the healthy parts of the society should find each other and heal the parts affected by corruption. He said, he was impressed by the level of discussions in a series of OSCE-organized awareness-raising lectures on anti-corruption in high schools and public universities across the country that preceded the essay competition.

The essay competition and anti-corruption lectures were part of a wider OSCE project supporting anti-corruption measures in Albania. This effort is funded by the Italian Development Cooperation, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the Italian National School of Public Administration.

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Addressing the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna on 2 June 2016, OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities Astrid Thors described country engagement and highlighted the disturbing increase in hate speech.

The statement covered the High Commissioner’s activities since her last statement to the Permanent Council in November 2015. During this period Thors visited Kyrgyzstan, Serbia, Ukraine, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Croatia, Hungary, Slovakia and Moldova.

The High Commissioner expressed concern about the increase in hate speech targeting national minorities. Thors called for renewed efforts to tackle hate speech in order to prevent tensions and to promote integration with respect for diversity.

Thors also informed the Permanent Council about the work her institution is doing together with researchers to identify best practices that highlight the bridge building potential of national minorities in diverse societies.

The full statement can be found here.

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During her visit to Kosovo from 7 to 10 June 2016, the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities Astrid Thors focused on education, implementation of the framework of language rights and access to justice.

The High Commissioner continues to urge for the adoption of the Strategy for the Protection and Promotion of Language Rights, contending that it will make the implementation of legislation more efficient and improve the quality and the consistency of different language versions of legal acts. “When in place, the strategy will lead to positive results quickly,” said Thors.

The visit included Prishtinë/Priština, Mitrovicë/Mitrovica, Prizren, Janjevë/Janjevo and Gračanica/Gracanicë where Thors met with ministers, local authorities, media representatives, judges, university professors and students, as well as representatives of the international community. The High Commissioner was joined in several meetings by the Head of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo Jean-Claude Schlumberger.

Thors commended the recent adoption of an administrative instruction of the Ministry of Education Science and Technology, which will make it easier for members of non-majority communities to pursue studies at universities in Kosovo as it, among others issues, improves the functioning of the existing quota system.

Whilst visiting the University of Prizren, the High Commissioner expressed concern that courses taught in Turkish and Bosnian have not yet received official accreditation for the next academic year. Such courses cater to the fundamental needs of non-majority communities in Kosovo. “I encourage relevant authorities to take urgent measures so that these options remain available also the next academic year,” said Thors.

High Commissioner Thors discussed extensively with a number of stakeholders the prospective establishment of the Association/Community of Serb majority municipalities as well as ways to overcome the current stalemate in the process. She heard views on the need to respect the relevant legal framework but also to meet the expectations of concerned communities, in north Kosovo as elsewhere. Thors also noted the concerns expressed by Serbs living outside Serb majority municipalities, as well as non-Serb non-majority communities, who fear they will not benefit from the process.

In several meetings Thors pointed to the need to improve access to justice for all non-majority communities, to thoroughly follow up on crimes targeting them, as well as to fully enforce their property rights. “When such crimes are investigated and prosecuted, it sends a powerful and reassuring message to non-majority communities that their rights will be effectively protected by the authorities.”

On the last day of her visit, Thors attended a class of Serbian language instruction for Kosovo Albanian officials from the municipality of Prishtinë/Priština, part of a flagship partnership project on language acquisition by municipal officials sponsored by the Office of the Language Commissioner and the HCNM, with German funding, and implemented by the ECMI Kosovo.

The visit served to underline the importance attached by the High Commissioner to language learning as a key building block for integrated societies: “Speaking more than one language is beneficial, both for the person who speaks them and for society as a whole; it is even more important for local government officials, who regularly engage with members of public, to be able to communicate with every person in their community.”

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A mentoring training programme for women politicians was launched by the OSCE Office in Tajikistan on 1 August 2016 in Dushanbe and will see experienced women politicians cascading their knowledge, provide guidance, support and reassurance to younger women in politics.

The training programme is a part of the women's political participation project, which addresses the needs of women politicians active in seven official political parties in Tajikistan.

“Political mentoring is a very important tool to promote and increase the role of women in public and political life,” said Acting Head of OSCE Office in Tajikistan Fabio Piana. “Based on the expressed needs by the political parties, the Office stands ready to continue providing support in this area.”

At the end of this week’s five-day training course, teams of mentors and mentees will be created.  

Vesna Ivanovikj-Castarede, Head of the OSCE Democratization Unit and the project leader, said: “We have identified active, committed and devoted women politicians in Tajikistan who wish to further empower other women in the country and are ready to become mentors to the peers in their political parties.”

The trainer Dr. Alenka Verbole said women are the key actors in political life of their countries and yet they are often under-represented and their voices do not get heard enough. “Mentoring will certainly strengthen women's political identity and confidence.”

Other similar courses for the political parties with inclusion of men will follow towards the end of 2016.

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Around 100 boys and girls from different Kosovo communities took part in the OSCE Mission-organized Junior Basketball Tournament in Gёrmia/Grmija Park, Prishtinё/Priština, held from 20 to 30 June 2016. The aim was to empower young people through sport, help them get to know each other and socialize, overcome ethnic barriers, and make them more aware of issues young people face in Kosovo.

Besides a basketball competition that was held under the supervision of accredited trainers from Prishtinё/Priština and Belgrade, the participants also engaged in thematic workshops, designed especially for youth and focused on promoting dialogue, tolerance and mutual understanding.  

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