OSCE Centre in Ashgabad CONTEXT
The Centre in Ashgabad has developed activities in Turkmenistan in all three dimensions: the politico-military, the human and the economic and environmental. The Centre has continued to maintain cooperation with State institutions, international organizations and local NGOs.The Centre has provided regular information on developments in the country. During this reporting period, it facilitated the organization of several high-level visits to Turkmenistan. The 25 November assassination attempt on the President was strongly condemned by the OSCE.The subsequent activities of the Government created concerns with regard to the due process of justice and the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms. In mid-December, ten participating States invoked the Moscow Mechanism to look into concerns arising from investigations following the attempt.
Politico-Military Dimension Activities Controlling the circulation of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) A Training Workshop on SALW was held in Ashgabad where three specialists, from Russia, Germany and Croatia, gave talks on controlling the availability and circulation of small arms among the population. Officials of the State Border Service, Ministry of Defence, National Security Service, Ministry of Internal Affairs and police and the State Customs Service took part in the workshop and subsequent discussions with the lecturers.
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Fighting the issue of drug addiction The Centre held a joint interactive seminar with the Ashgabad office of the UNODCCP on stimulating public opinion on the struggle against drug addiction among young people. Participants included several law enforcement officials and NGO members, and a large number of teachers. Defining the OSCE’s role in the region The Centre organized a seminar on the OSCE and its work in the city of Turkmenabat, in the east of Turkmenistan, close to the border with Uzbekistan and Afghanistan. Within the scope of the seminar, the then Special Adviser of the OSCE Chairman-inOffice on Central Asia, Ambassador Herbert Salber, discussed the OSCE and Central Asia. Particular attention was given to OSCE activities and projects in Turkmenistan. Participants included representatives from the Welayat Administration, the state border and customs services, the Prosecutor’s Office, the women’s and the youth unions, the Deputy Governor of the Lebap region and the Deputy Mayor of Turkmenabat. Training in border control The Centre has conducted a series of training seminars to acquaint border and customs officials with international experience and practice in border and customs control. The seminars were arranged in co-operation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the OSCE’s international partners. Activities consisted of four two-day seminars in the provinces of Turkmenistan and a final one-day seminar in Ashgabad.
Turkmenistan’s role as a neutral state A roundtable was organized on The Role of Neutral Turkmenistan in Central Asia, focusing on the country’s possible contribution to regional security as a neutral state. Speakers came from international organizations and from other OSCE participating States. In the area of media development, the Centre assisted four Turkmen journalists to attend the Central Asia Media Conference, in Tashkent.
Human Dimension Activities HUMAN RIGHTS
A key seminar on rights of foreigners The Centre participated in a seminar about national and international standards on the rights of foreign citizens. It also looked at the role of local authorities in this issue. At this meeting, the Centre delivered presentations to partner organizations on the role of the OSCE in this area and on cross-border co-operation on a regional level in Europe. Training on international legislation in the sphere of human rights This is the third year of the Centre’s fiveday training course, which is delivered to some 35 participants from different governmental and social institutions. Monitoring alleged human rights abuse cases During the reporting period, the Centre has followed a number of individual cases in which alleged violations of human rights have been brought to the Centre’s attention: notably with regard to relatives of persons convicted in relation to the assassination attempt.