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Projects

26
Oct
08:10

EU Supported Project - Countering Serious Crime in the Western Balkans

EU Supported Project: Countering Serious Crime in the Western Balkans

Agreement number: 81291489

Duration: 26.10.2022 - 30.4.2023

Topic: Countering Illicit Trafficking of Cultural Goods

 

The illicit trade of cultural heritage (ITCG) is one of the most lucrative forms of organized crime worldwide. Various reports of EU, UNESCO, EUROPOL, and Interpol suggest that the WB region has become a transit zone for trafficked cultural property form other regions, such as the Middle East, towards destinations in the EU and beyond. The legal, institutional, and social capacity of the WB countries to counter this type of organized crime, however, show room for improvement. In particular, a general lack of specialization on the side of law enforcement for detection and countering ITCG can be observed in the WB.

 

The Aim of project activities in general was to enhance the regional cooperation in the area of fight against the ITCG in the Western Balkans, specifically through the organisation of a peer-to-peer field measure in the form of a joint police operation.

 

As specified in the ToR for the call, it was expected that DCAF Ljubljana would deliver the following outputs:

1)     Facilitating a planning workshop on ITCG

2)     Providing expertise for and co-facilitating an awareness raising measure on ITCG

3)     Implementing a joint field measure on ITCG

 

The Project beneficiaries were Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, Montenegro, and Serbia. 

Additional project partners (participants) included Croatia and Slovenia, and international Agencies and Organisations, specifically DCAF, Interpol, Carabinieri.

 

Project target audience:

-        border police officers,

-        representatives of customs services,

-        representatives of judiciary branch, and

-        representatives of international organisations and agencies.

 

*this designation is without prejudice to positions on status and is in line with UN Security Council resolution 1244 and the International Court of Justice Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence.