Preface by the OSCE Secretary General
Police-related activities are a key element and an integral
part of the OSCE’s efforts in conflict prevention, crisis
management and post-conflict rehabilitation, as stated in the
1999 Charter for European Security.
The OSCE’s engagement in police-related activities is more
crucial than ever at a time in which the OSCE region is
exposed to multiple security challenges that range from
instability and armed conflict to violent extremism and
terrorism, organized crime and trafficking in arms, drugs and
human beings.
The Annual Report of the Secretary General on Police-Related Activities aims at illustrating
and underlining the OSCE’s commitment in this area. The document provides a comprehensive
overview of all police-related projects and activities carried out by the OSCE executive
structures. They draw on the combined strength of the OSCE’s institutions and its network of
field operations, often cutting across the OSCE’s three security dimensions.
The Annual Report has been presented in the same format from the beginning of its
publication. This year, we decided to change its design and structure to better align the types
and categories of activities with recently adopted OSCE decisions, and to make the report
more user friendly for all stakeholders.
Mirroring the effective co-operation among all relevant OSCE executive structures, we
arranged all chapters in the same way, hoping to give the reader a comparative overview of
programmes, projects and other activities. In addition, we added information on financial
resources and staff at the beginning of each field operation’s chapter, showing the percentage
of total resources allocated to police-related activities, as compared to the previous year.
2