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Quelle : © Europäische Union, 2018 - EP

Au lendemain du scandale Facebook, la Commission européenne augmente la pression sur les dirigeants européens pour qu’ils approuvent une loi controversée sur la vie privée, dans l’impasse depuis plus d’un an.

Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg's EU charm tour has gone awry before it began over plans to hide from public scrutiny.

Russian president Vladimir Putin and German chancellor Angela Merkel will meet for the second time in just one month in the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi on Friday to discuss current global issues of Iran, Syria and Ukraine. The meeting could signal a shift in EU-Russia relations, amid a deepening US-European crisis of confidence, Russian state broadcaster RT reported.

"With friends like that, who needs enemies?" European Council Donald Tusk asked on Wednesday, as EU leaders were trying to come up with a reply to the US president's questioning of the transatlantic relationship.

Le prix, dont la 2 édition a été lancée ce mercredi 16 mai, récompense des personnalités politiques ayant porté des projets innovants en lien avec la participation politique, la citoyenneté ou encore la biodiversité.

French energy giant Total said on Wednesday it might quit a $2bn natural gas project in Iran if it could not secure a waiver from US sanctions. It follows a decision on Monday by Danish shipping operator Maersk Tankers to wind down business in Iran by November. German insurer Allianz said on Tuesday it was also prepared to curtail Iran-related business to avoid US sanctions.

Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday that the UN has "collapsed" and described the international body as "finished" because of its lack of response to Israel's use of force against demonstrators in Gaza, where over 60 Palestinians were killed and thousands wounded during protests earlier this week. Irish premier Leo Varadkar blamed the US decision to relocate its embassy to Jerusalem for the violence.

A majority of 58 percent of voters in Ireland supports repealing the Eighth Amendment and allowing for abortions, a fresh poll from Irish Times/Ipsos MRBI has found ahead of the abortion referendum on 25 May. The pro-abortion camp is however shrinking, and is now three points lower compared to opinion polls in April, while the anti-abortion side increased four points in the past month to 42 percent support.

Suspendu par le Parlement, le gouverneur de la banque centrale lettone continue de faire l’objet d’accusations rocambolesques. L’exécutif européen promet un groupe de travail pour lutter contre le blanchiment d’ici l’été.  

The EU is prioritising motorways and gas pipelines across the potential accession Western Balkan countries, plus hydropower energy projects which threaten one of the world's freshwater biodiversity hotspots.

Three European capitals are seeking to annul laxer nitrogen oxides limits for cars - which were introduced as compensation to the car industry's difficulties in passing the new on-road emissions test.

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An evening discussion among peacebuilders was held at IPI, May 16, 2018, on women’s meaningful participation in negotiating peace and the implementation of peace agreements.

The meeting, convened by UN Women and IPI, brought together internationally recognized peacebuilders, officials from the United Nations, diplomats, and representatives of civil society. The event was held as part of an Expert Group Meeting (EGM) convened by UN Women in preparation for the Secretary-General’s annual report on women, peace and security, expected in October.

Teresa Whitfield, Director of the Policy and Mediation Division at the United Nations Department of Political Affairs; said that the meeting built upon the work these stakeholders have undertaken thus far to explore what makes women’s participation “meaningful” in the context of negotiating peace. She reminded participants that the Secretary-General’s report last year unequivocally stated, “inclusive processes should be the rule, not the exception.”

The EGM participants have worked to support joint strategizing to overcome the persistent barriers to inclusion, representation, and meaningful participation. The international community must continue to articulate ways of moving beyond words to action in implementation of women, peace and security commitments, she said.

The conversation was seen as one of the preliminary steps on the “collective road” to 2020, the year in which the landmark Security Council resolution 1325 will observe its 20th anniversary.

Ms. Whitfield moderated a panel discussion between Jean-Marie Guéhenno, President & CEO of the International Crisis Group, and member of the UN Secretary-General’s High-Level Advisory Board on Mediation; and Rosa Emilia Salamanca, Director, Institute for Social and Economic Research and Action. Ms. Salamanca addressed inclusivity in the Colombian peace process and gender-sensitive peace agreements.

Overarching themes that emerged from the discussion included the need for meaningful participation of women in decision-making positions in all efforts to end conflict, including formal peace negotiations, as well as power sharing, disarmament and ceasefire arrangements, humanitarian access agreements and implementation mechanisms; women in leadership roles in negotiation teams; delivering on the commitment to civil society inclusion in mediation processes; the essential role of international community in the transition phase to support the implementation of gender-relevant provisions; and the importance of gender sensitive provisions in agreements for gender responsive implementation.

IPI Vice President Adam Lupel, and Paivi Kannisto, Chief, Peace and Security Section, UN Women delivered the opening remarks.

MINSK, 16 May 2018 – The Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office in Ukraine and in the Trilateral Contact Group (TCG), Ambassador Martin Sajdik, made the following statement to the press after the meeting of the TCG ‎and its Working Groups in Minsk on 16 May 2018:

“At the previous TCG meeting, the situation around Donetsk Filtering Station (DFS) was subject to particular attention. Unfortunately, despite the sides’ security guarantees and the reinforced patrolling by OSCE Special Monitoring Mission, further ceasefire violations near the DFS occurred. 

Let me remind you that the DFS, as a part of the enterprise “Voda Donbassa”, provides water for several hundred thousand people on both sides of the contact line. 

These issues, among others, were duly considered in the Working Group on Security. At the TCG meeting, it was decided to hold a videoconference of the Working Group on Security concerning the situation in the DFS area next week. In this regard, I call on the sides to provide all the required security guarantees to allow for the uninterrupted operation of the station and to ensure security for DFS employees and SMM monitors.

Besides, the increase in civilian casualties in April raises a major concern. In this respect, I once again call on the sides to do their utmost to avoid civilian casualties. I am determined to repeat these calls to ensure that the interests of the conflict zone residents are properly voiced.

The Working Group on Economic Issues continued its discussion of further steps to restore and improve Vodafone-Ukraine mobile communication in certain areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions (CADR and CALR). Moreover, the Group considered the topic of water deliveries in Karbonyt system as well as the crucial environmental issues. 

The Working Group on Humanitarian Issues continued its discussion on the topics of detainees exchange and the conditions of their detention, missing persons, as well as improving conditions for the contact line crossing via the entry-exit checkpoints.  

The Working Group on Political Issues further considered the implementation of the so-called ‘Steinmeier formula’, amnesty and modalities of local elections in CADR and CARL.”

 

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Most, hogy a magyar vadászrepülők a lengyelországi NATO Tigristalálkozón állnak helyt, érdemes felidézni a múltat, amikor a szövetségi interoperabilitást célzó gyakorlatok még korai fázisukban voltak...

...persze egy MiG-jelvény akkor még univerzális fizetőeszköznek bizonyult (ezúton is köszönet a névtelen fotósnak :-)

Zord

On May 16th, IPI together with the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, cohosted a policy forum to launch the publication of an IPI policy paper on the formulation of peacekeeping policy through intergovernmental bodies at the UN.

Partnerships are critical to effective UN peacekeeping, particularly in New York, where the Security Council, the Secretariat, and member states examine proposed reforms and seek consensus on the direction of peacekeeping. Yet throughout the nearly seventy-year history of UN peacekeeping, relations among key stakeholders have frequently fractured due to their often diverging interests. These differences have often been compounded by member states’ limited access to information on the roles and responsibilities of different UN bodies in taking forward peacekeeping reforms.

As the UN reaches another important junction in peacekeeping reform, this paper examines the intergovernmental processes and partnerships that support and guide the development of UN peacekeeping policy to identify what need to be considered to build consensus on its future direction.

Read the report >>

Opening Remarks:
H.E. Ms. Gillian Bird, Permanent Representative of Australia to the United Nations
Mr. David Haeri, Director, Department for Policy, Evaluation and Training, United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations

Speakers:
Ms. Lisa Sharland, Head of International Program, Australian Strategic Policy Institute
Ms. Inderjit Nijjar, First Secretary Peacekeeping, Permanent Mission of Canada to the United Nations
Mr. Eugene Chen, Office of the Under-Secretary-General, United Nations Department of Field Support
Colonel Sandeep Kapoor, Military Adviser to the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations
Dr. Craig Mills, First Secretary Peacekeeping and Africa, Permanent Mission of the United Kingdom to the United Nations

Moderator:
Dr. Alexandra Novosseloff, Senior Visiting Fellow, International Peace Institute

*If you are not logged into Facebook, times are shown in PST.

This report is for the media and the general public.

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions, compared with the previous reporting period. The Mission continued to facilitate access to the Donetsk Filtration Station for Voda Donbassa water company employees in order to keep the station operational. It heard ceasefire violations close by, despite security guarantees, and immediately left the location and suspended operations in the area of the station. In Betmanove, the Mission followed up on reports of civilian casualties. The SMM followed up on reports of fresh damage to civilian properties caused by small-arms and automatic-grenade-launcher fire in Zolote-4. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske and recorded ceasefire violations near the Zolote and Petrivske disengagement areas. Its access remained restricted in all three areas and elsewhere, including in Novolaspa and Kreminets.* The SMM observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines near Vidrodzhennia. The SMM continued to facilitate and monitor repairs to high-voltage power lines near Almazna and to the water pipeline in Obozne. The SMM continued to follow up on media reports of arson at a Roma community camp near Lviv. In Ostroh in Rivne region, the SMM followed up on reports of a break-in at a chapel at a Jewish cemetery. The SMM also followed up on media reports of a raid by the Security Service of Ukraine on the offices of RIA Novosti in Kyiv.

In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations[1], including about 500 explosions, compared with the previous reporting period (about 210 explosions).

On the evening and night of 14-15 May, the SMM camera at the Donetsk Filtration Station (DFS) (15km north of Donetsk) recorded, in sequence, an explosion, a projectile in flight from north to south, and two explosions, all 0.2-5km west.

On the evening and night of 14-15 May, while in Horlivka (non-government-controlled, 39km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard about 50 explosions assessed as artillery rounds 3-6km west-north-west, four explosions assessed as outgoing artillery rounds 4-6km north-west and about 50 undetermined explosions 3-6km at directions ranging from south-west to north-west.

On 15 May, positioned 1km north of Pyshchevyk (government-controlled, 25km north-east of Mariupol), the SMM heard about 110 undetermined explosions at undetermined distances south, an undetermined explosion at an undetermined distance north-east and an undetermined explosion 5-7km south. Positioned 1km north-north-west of the entry-exit checkpoint in Pyshchevyk, the SMM heard an undetermined explosion 5-7km south-east, about 70 undetermined explosions south and south-east and small-arms fire south-west and north at undetermined distances. 

Positioned 1km west of Khreshchatytske (formerly Krasnoarmiiske, non-government-controlled, 33km north-east of Mariupol), the SMM heard 13 explosions assessed as outgoing rounds of multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) at undetermined distances south-east and 13 explosions assessed as impacts of MLRS at undetermined distances south, as well as about 70 undetermined explosions at undetermined distances south and south-east.

Positioned in Svitlodarsk (government-controlled, 57km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard 34 undetermined explosions 4-20km at directions ranging from south-east to west-south-west and about 170 bursts and shots of small-arms fire 3-7km at directions ranging from east to south.

Positioned in Novohnativka (government-controlled, 40km south of Donetsk), the SMM heard 36 outgoing explosions 2km south-south-east and six outgoing explosions at an unknown distance south-south-east.

Positioned in Kruta Balka (non-government-controlled, 16km north of Donetsk), the SMM heard 20 explosions 0.5-3km at directions ranging from north-west to north and about 70 bursts of small-arms fire 0.5-2km north-west.

In Luhanskregion, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations, including about 100 explosions, compared with the previous reporting period (13 explosions). Positioned 1km south of Stepanivka (non-government-controlled, 62km west of Luhansk), the SMM heard an explosion assessed as an outgoing artillery round, an explosion assessed as the impact of a mortar round and 50 bursts of heavy-machine-gun fire, all 4-5km west-north-west.

Positioned 1km south-west of Bile (non-government-controlled, 22km west of Luhansk), the SMM heard about 60 explosions of tank rounds, assessed as outgoing and impacts, 5-10km south-south-east.

The SMM was in close proximity to small-arms fire while monitoring the security situation and facilitating access for employees of the Voda Donbassa water company to the Donetsk Filtration Station (DFS). Positioned on road H20, about 1.6km south-east of Kamianka (government-controlled, 20km north of Donetsk), the SMM heard the whistling sound of a bullet flying at a distance of 20cm to 1m above their heads, assessed as small-arms fire from an unknown distance south-south-east in an area covered by explicit security guarantees. The SMM patrol immediately left the location and suspended operations in the area of the DFS. (See SMM Spot Report 15 May 2018.)

The SMM followed up on reports of civilian casualties in Betmanove (non-government-controlled, formerly Krasnyi Partyzan, 23km north-east of Donetsk). The SMM spoke by phone with a woman (aged 57) who said that on 1 May she and her husband (aged 58) were home at 68A Chervona Street in Betmanove when shelling had started at 13:15. The woman said that as they ran towards their shelter, their garage had sustained an impact, but a car in the yard had shielded them from much of the blast. According to her, she sustained a deep shrapnel wound above her right thigh, and her husband sustained injuries from metal fragments to the right rear of his neck. The woman also said that they were treated for two days in Horlivka Hospital No. 2. Earlier in the day in Horlivka, hospital staff told the SMM by phone that the couple had been admitted to the hospital on 1 May, provided a similar description of their injuries, and said that after two days of care the two were released. The SMM could not visit the abovementioned address due to security reasons.

The SMM followed up on reports of fresh damage to civilian properties caused by small-arms and automatic-grenade-launcher fire in Zolote-4/Rodina (government-controlled, 60km north-west of Luhansk). At 6 Ostrovskoho Street, at a two-storey brick house, the SMM observed three fresh divots (2-3cm deep, 10-15cm in diameter) on a wall and door as well as a hole in the glass of a first floor window, all facing east, assessed as caused by small-arms fire. The SMM also observed a number of minor surface scratches on the north-facing wall. Three residents (two women aged 50 and 65, and one man aged 45) told the SMM that the damage had occurred in the late evening of 4 May and that one of the women had been home at the time. 

At 7/2 Ostrovskoho Street, at a two-storey brick house, the SMM observed three fresh bullet holes (10mm in diameter) on the south-facing wall and door as well as a hole in the glass of a south-facing second floor window, all assessed as caused by 5.45mm rounds fired from a south-easterly direction. The SMM observed a 5.45mm bullet inside the frame of a double-pane insulated window and another 5.45mm bullet inside the door frame. The SMM spoke with two owners of the house (women aged 25 and 50), one of whom said that the damage had occurred in the late evening of 3 May and that they had been inside the house, together with a two–year-old child, at the time of shooting. 

At 7/1 Ostrovskoho Street, at a two-storey brick house, the SMM observed a fresh bullet hole (20mm in diameter) in the east-facing first-floor window, assessed as caused by small-arms fire from a south-easterly direction. The owner (woman aged 30) told the SMM that she had been inside the house when the damage had occurred in the late evening of 3 May.

At 5/2 Ostrovskoho Street, the SMM observed two fresh bullet holes (10mm in diameter) in the south-facing concrete wall of a shed (located 20m west of the house) assessed as caused by small-arms or heavy-machine-gun fire coming from a west-south-westerly direction (likely ricochet), and a minor surface scratch (5-7cm in length) assessed as caused by an automatic-grenade-launcher. About 20m east of the shed,the SMM observed many holes (more than 2mm in diameter, around half of them fresh, assessed as caused by various weapons) in the north-facing metal gate to another property at 4/1 Ostrovskoho Street. The owner (man, aged 40) told the SMM that he had been at home when the damage occurred on the late evening of 3 and 4 May.Otsrovskoho Street is located around 300m north of the contact line and the SMM is aware of Ukrainian Armed Forces positions between 300-400m south-east and south-west of the street.

The SMM continued to monitor the disengagement process and to pursue full access to the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska (government-controlled, 16km north-east of Luhansk), Zolote (government-controlled, 60km west of Luhansk) and Petrivske (non-government-controlled, 41km south of Donetsk), as foreseen in the Framework Decision of the Trilateral Contact Group relating to disengagement of forces and hardware of 21 September 2016. The SMM’s access remained restricted, but the Mission was able to partially monitor them.* 

On 15 May, the SMM camera in Zolote recorded an illumination flare in vertical flight and two undetermined explosions, all 4-12km east-south-east (all assessed as outside the disengagement area).

Positioned in Petrivske, the SMM heard eight undetermined explosions 5-8km south-west (assessed as outside the disengagement area).

Positioned near Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area, the SMM noted a calm situation.

The SMM continued to monitor the withdrawal of weapons in implementation of the Memorandum and the Package of Measures and its Addendum.

In violation of withdrawal lines in a government-controlled area, the SMM saw a stationary self-propelled howitzer (2S3 Akatsiya, 152mm) near Vidrodzhennia (66kmnorth-east of Donetsk).

Beyond the respective withdrawal lines but outside designated storage sites in government-controlled areas, the SMM saw five self-propelled howitzers (2S1Gvozdika, 122mm) being transported on trucks travelling near Sloviansk (95km north of Donetsk), two towed howitzers (2A36 Giatsint-B, 152mm) in Khlibodarivka (65km south-west of Donetsk) and three stationary tanks (T-64) in Bakhmut (67km north of Donetsk).

The SMM revisited permanent storage sites whose locations were beyond the respective withdrawal lines in non-government-controlled areas of Luhansk region and noted that six tanks (four T-64 and two T-72) were again missing. 

The SMM observed armoured combat vehicles[2], a pontoon bridge and unmanned aerial vehicles in the security zone. In government-controlled areas, on 14 May, an SMM mid-range unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) spotted an armoured reconnaissance vehicle (BRDM-2) in Muratove (51km north-west of Luhansk) and an infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) (BMP-variant) in Krymske (42km north-west of Luhansk). On the same day, an SMM mini-UAV spotted a pontoon bridge (PMP-3), two motorboats (BMK-130, BMK-460) and an amphibious transporter (PTS-2) across the Siverskyi Donetsk River, as well as a trench digger (PZM-2) north-west of Krymske. On 15 May, the SMM observed an armoured personnel carrier (APC) (BTR-80) in Shchastia (20km north of Luhansk).

In non-government-controlled areas, on 14 May an SMM mini-UAV spotted an IFV (BMP-1), an APC (MT-LB) and a probable APC (MT-LB) in Pryvitne (11km north of Luhansk) and, on 15 May, the SMM saw an IFV (BMP-1) near Starolaspa (51km south of Donetsk). 

On both sides of the contact line in the security zone, the SMM heard UAVs. Positioned 2.5km south-east of Lomakyne (government-controlled, 93km south of Donetsk), the SMM heard an unidentified UAV flying east of its position, near the line of contact, from south to north. In a non-government-controlled area, positioned1.5km west of Khreshchatytske, the SMM heard an unidentified UAV flying from east to north-west then north-west to south.

The SMM observed demining activities. In Nikishyne (non-government-controlled, 60km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM observed two trucks, one fitted with blue emergency lights and “demining” written in Russian on the front of the truck, and five men (aged 30-40) in military-style clothing in an uncultivated agricultural field that had been fenced off with wooden stakes and white tape 1km north of the town.

The SMM continued to facilitate and monitor repair works to high-voltage power lines near Almazna (non-government-controlled, 55km west of Luhansk)and the water pipeline in Obozne (non-government-controlled, 18km north of Luhansk).

In Lviv city, the SMM continued to follow up on media reports of arson at a Roma camp on 9 May. On 14 May, the head of the Department of Culture and Religions of the Lviv Regional State Administration told the SMM that prior to the alleged attack approximately 30 people had been living in the settlement in Rudne (11km west of Lviv City). On 15 May, the head of the Rudne village council told the SMM that the affected individuals had been living in the area for the past three years and that there had been no conflict between them and other local residents. The SMM was told the same by members of the local Roma community staying at a different camp in Rudne. (See also SMM Daily Report 14 May 2018.) 

The SMM followed up on news reports of unknown persons breaking into a chapel at a Jwish cemetery on Kozatska Street in Ostroh (247 km north-east of Lviv) in Rivne region. At the chapel, the SMM saw three broken windows on the west side of the chapel and a door showing signs of forced entry. According to a cemetery attendant, the damage had occurred on the night of 27-28 April 2018 and the attackers took a small sum of money from the chapel.

In Kyiv, the SMM followed up on media reports of a raid on the offices of the RIA Novosti news agency at 16 Shota Rustaveli Street. At the RIA offices, a security guard told the SMM that at around 09:00 on 15 May he had seen agents of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) enter the building. The SBU published a statement on its website that it had conducted searches in offices of RIA Novosti. 

The SMM continued monitoring in Kherson, Odessa, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kharkiv, Dnipro and Chernivtsi.

 

*Restrictions of SMM’s freedom of movement or other impediments to fulfilment of its mandate

The SMM’s monitoring and freedom of movement are restricted by security hazards and threats, including risks posed by mines, unexploded ordnance (UXO), and other impediments – which vary from day to day. The SMM’s mandate provides for safe and secure access throughout Ukraine. All signatories of the Package of Measures have agreed on the need for this safe and secure access, that restriction of the SMM’s freedom of movement constitutes a violation, and on the need for rapid response to these violations. They have also agreed that the Joint Centre for Control and Co‑ordination (JCCC) should contribute to such response and co-ordinate mine clearance. Nonetheless, the armed formations in parts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions frequently deny the SMM access to areas adjacent to Ukraine’s border outside control of the Government (see SMM Daily Report 15 May 2018). The SMM’s operations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions remain restricted following the fatal incident of 23 April 2017 near Pryshyb; these restrictions continued to limit the Mission’s observations.

 

Denial of access:

• While on the eastern edge of Novolaspa (non-government-controlled, 50km south of Donetsk), an armed formation member prevented the SMM from travelling west into Novolaspa citing security concerns and alleging that there was ongoing IFV (BMP-2) cannon fire in the area.

Related to disengagement areas and mines/UXO: 

• The SMM was prevented from accessing parts of the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area, with the exception of the main road, due to the possible presence of mines and UXO. A Ukrainian Armed Forces officer of the JCCC told the SMM that no demining had taken place during the previous 24 hours. The SMM did not consider it safe to proceed and informed the JCCC.[3]
• The SMMwas prevented from accessing secondary roads in the Zolote disengagement area due to the possible presence of mines and UXO. A Ukrainian Armed Forces officer of the JCCC told the SMM by phone that no demining had taken place during the previous 24 hours. The SMM did not consider it safe to proceed and informed the JCCC.
• On 9 May and again on 14 May, the SMM did not travel across the bridge in Shchastia due to the presence of mines. A Ukrainian Armed Forces officer of the JCCC told the SMM that there had been no demining in the area in the previous 24 hours. The SMM did not consider it safe to proceed and informed the JCCC.

Conditional access:

• While 2.7km east of Kreminets (non-government-controlled, 16km south-west of Donetsk), an armed formation member allowed the SMM to proceed east on road H15 only after inspecting an SMM trailer.

[1]For a complete breakdown of the ceasefire violations, please see the annexed table. The SMM cameras at the entry-exit checkpoints in Marinka and Pyshchevyk were not operational during the reporting period.

[2]This hardware is not proscribed by the provisions of the Minsk agreements on the withdrawal of weapons.

[3]The SMM informed Ukrainian Armed Forces officers of the JCCC. Russian Federation Armed Forces officers of the JCCC have withdrawn from the JCCC as of 18 December 2017.

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Communication and Media Relations Section

A well-governed security sector, grounded in respect for human rights and the rule of law, strengthens society’s resilience to threats to security and stability, said OSCE Secretary General Thomas Greminger at a high-level side event on the margins of the 27th Session of the UN Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice in Vienna on 16 May 2018.

The side event, organized by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and co-sponsored by the Government of Slovakia and the OSCE, focused on the role of security sector reform and governance as a tool for conflict prevention, particularly in the context of transnational organized crime.

“To meaningfully improve our approaches to peace, security and sustainable development, we need to invest in preventive measures, and commit ourselves to long-term, impact-oriented approaches that address the underlying causes of conflict,” said Greminger. “Preventive efforts – such as supporting improved, democratically controlled security and justice institutions – will reduce the risk of multiple forms of conflict.”

He added that the OSCE has a rich toolbox, including the OSCE Guidelines on Security Sector Governance and Reform, to assist participating States in reforming and strengthening the governance of their security sectors.

The OSCE Secretary General also commended Slovakia and UNODC for their leadership and work in this area.

“I welcome the recent integration of security sector reform and governance as a new topic in the OSCE-UNODC Joint Action Plan for 2018-2019, and I would welcome even closer co-operation in the future,” he said.

Yury Fedotov, UNODC Executive Director, said: “Supporting conflict prevention through security sector reform is a highly relevant priority, which is fully in line with the UN Secretary-General’s vision. This event is an opportunity to discuss current efforts, challenges, linkages and future prospects for security sector reform.” 

Michal Mlynár, Permanent Representative of Slovakia to the UN in New York, and Co-Chair of the Group of Friends of Security Sector Reform, said: “A well-governed and accountable security sector is a pre-condition for addressing transnational organized crime effectively. Slovakia remains committed to supporting both the OSCE and the UN in their efforts to improve their partnership on security sector reform and in particular, to prevent violent conflict.”

Also addressing the side event were Ján Kubiš, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General and Head of the UN Assistance Mission in Iraq; Jabir Hemaidawi, Permanent Representative of Iraq to the UN in Vienna; and Masood Ahmad Azizi, Afghanistan’s Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs.

A new law in Kenya imposes fines of up to $50,000 and/or up to two years in prison.

A new law in Kenya imposes fines of up to $50,000 and/or up to two years in prison.