7. 4. 2022 | Macedonia - Finance, PR
Klikni tukaj za branje prispevka v slovenskem jeziku. 
Strengthening the field of financial investigations is one of the goals, but also one of the latest recommendations of the European Commission, which North Macedonia has recently been successfully pursuing with Slovenia’s international development assistance.
Following the adoption of the National Strategy for Financial Investigations in July 2021, the competent authorities involved in financial investigations are now paying intensive attention to the procedurals for the implementation of the Common Guidelines for Financial Investigations. In doing so they rely primarily on the Slovenian experience.
As part of such cooperation, consultations for the competent Macedonian authorities and exchange of experience on the implementation of financial investigation procedures took place on 28 and 29 March 2022 in North Macedonia. The consultation was attended by representatives from the Ministry of the Interior, Customs Administration, Financial Police Office and the State Prosecutor’s Office who are directly involved in standard procedures for financial investigation.
The results of the consultation contribute to the capacity of North Macedonia for financial investigations and confiscation of proceeds of crime, in particular the property of the perpetrators, for which they cannot prove that it originates from legal sources. The proceeds of crime will be frozen and confiscated in North Macedonia in the next period in the investigating and prosecuting authorities proceedings to an even greater extent and dedicated to the rule of law and to improve the quality of public services in North Macedonia.
Some photos of activities:
The project is part of the program activities of international development cooperation, financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia and implemented in cooperation with the State Prosecution, Financial Administration, Ministry of the Interior and the Police of the Republic of Slovenia.
Further information:
Andreja Dolničar Jeraj
Programme Director
Centre for European Perspective
5. 4. 2022 | North Macedonia - Communication, PR
Klikni tukaj za več o projektnih aktivnostih v slovenskem jeziku
Pending the date for the start of EU accession negotiations, North Macedonia is intensively preparing in accordance with the recommendations of the European Commission’s 2021 Progress Report. The Working Group set up for this purpose will be responsible for reporting on achievements in the field of reforms and progress under Chapter 24. The members of the group are experts from various Macedonian institutions dealing with the contents of Chapter 24. In preparing for effective and comprehensive communication with domestic and foreign stakeholders, as well as interinstitutional substantive cooperation, they also rely on the assistance of Slovenian experts.
Within the framework of the project of international development cooperation, the 2nd workshop was conducted for the members of the Working Group. This time the workshop took place from 28 to 31 March 2022 in North Macedonia. The aim of the workshop was to strengthen the presentation skills for communicating the content from Chapter 24.
The workshop was attended by representatives of the Ministry of the Interior, the Agency for National Security Agency, the Customs Administration, the Financial Police office, the Ministry of Justice and the Secretariat for European Affairs. Through practical interactive exercises, they developed and deepened skills, methods and techniques for more effective oral and written communication of the contents of Chapter 24. In addition, they got acquainted with the method and practice of reporting on the achievements of the European Commission and exchanged experience in communicating with the domestic professional and general public.
A constructive discussion successfully presented the current practices of presentation skills, pointed out the shortcomings and drew attention to the room and the need for improvements, which will be taken into account in the continuation of the project, in future workshops. According to the participants’ evaluation at the end of the workshop, the way of working was carefully thought out and the goal – strengthening presentation skills – was achieved.
The project is part of the programme activities of Slovenia’s Development Cooperation Programme financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia.
Further information:
Andreja Dolničar Jeraj
Programme Director
Centre for European Perspective
4. 4. 2022 | PR, Serbia - management of patrols
Klikni tukaj za več o projektu v slovenščini
The project ” Building capacities for management of patrols”, which Slovenia is implementing in Serbia within the frames of international development assistance, is continuing to upgrade the patrol management system and expand its users. As part of the following planned activities, a field visit to Serbia is planned between 11 and 17 April 2022. The field visit will be an opportunity to assess the technical capabilities and performance of the patrol management system and the impeccability of its operation and counselling on the spot in organizational units of the Serbian police that are newly joining the patrol management system.
Since its implementation, the project has already shown the positive effects of patrol management in the responsiveness of the police to the needs of the people and confirms the awareness of the benefits of such management in the wider area of Serbia.
The project is part of the program activities of international development cooperation, financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia and implemented in cooperation with the Ministry of the Interior and the Police of the Republic of Slovenia.
Further information:
Andreja Dolničar Jeraj
Programme Director
Centre for European Perspective
4. 4. 2022 | EUCTI, PR
Last week Centre for European Perspective (CEP)’s digital communications team successfully conducted the 3-day Digital Communications in Civilian Crisis Management training in Georgia as a part of the EU Civilian Training Initiative (EUCTI). The second module of the training took place in a residential format, in Tbilisi. After last year’s online first module both trainers and participants enjoyed live sessions and face-to-face feedback.
Participants, 11 of them, came from European Union Monitoring Mission in Georgia (EUMM) and from the Delegation of the European Union to Georgia. With the help of top experts in the field, they honed their skills in smartphone videography and photography, storytelling, and building infographics. They strengthened their rhetoric skills and learned what it takes to work in the era of influencer marketing. Last but not least, they familiarized themselves with the open-source tools for information verification.
Participants, or digital communicators as they can be called now, described the training as very useful and relevant. Practical elements such as hands-on work with modern video and photo equipment, interactive workshops, and the final simulation contributed greatly to the success of the training.
We remain optimistic that this training will inspire the participants to explore the world around them and share their findings with the rest of us. We wish to thank the participants and experts, who worked tirelessly alongside us for their dedication and valuable input throughout the course.
30. 3. 2022 | POTC, PR
Along with organizing and conducting training courses, Peace Operations Training Centre’s (POTC) regular activities also include monitoring trends in demand for new training content. We identified a number of potential new topics and have consulted national, European, and UN institutions on the most urgent and relevant training needs. We decided to develop a new comprehensive training on the protection of civilians (PoC) after consulting a number of stakeholders.
According to the Security Council Report on the protection of civilians in armed conflict, armed conflict is continuously accompanied by high levels of civilian death, injury and psychological trauma, sexual violence, torture, and disappearance, as well as damaged and destroyed homes, schools, markets, hospitals and essential civilian infrastructure, such as electrical and water systems. Protection of civilians is a responsibility that includes military, police, and civilian functions within a peacekeeping mission and many missions have a mandate that includes PoC.
Personnel, deployed to peace operations and missions have consistently demonstrated a lack of understanding of their missions’ PoC mandates and the same lack of understanding is applicable to the core PoC tasks. We have hence developed a training format that will equip participants with a basic understanding of the PoC concept and its applications in peace operations and missions.
We are now inviting police and civilian personnel deployed or waiting to be deployed in IOM to our Protection of Civilians Training Course between 19 and 21 April 2022. The participants will address the PoC concept, elaborate on how conflict affects civilians and will identify different types of threats, perpetrators, and protection actors. They will also address the international legal framework on PoC, different tiers and/or operational phases of PoC, vulnerable groups, and special mechanisms for their protection. Check out the training program for more information.
Fill out the registration form to apply for participation before 12 April or contact [email protected] for any additional information on the new training.
24. 3. 2022 | POTC, PR
The Peace Operations Training Centre (POTC) has successfully concluded the Gender Equality and Gender Mainstreaming in Peace Operations Training that took place online from the 21st to the 24th of March 2022.
Participants from several EU countries’ military and police structures have joined trainers from POTC, UN Women, International Committee of the Red Cross, Slovenian Armed Forces, European External Action Service – EEAS, The Slovenian Police and CMC Finland to address gender issues.
We addressed the international legal framework on gender equality with a special focus on EU legislation, the issue of gender concerning human dignity in international operations, and the impact of conflict on gender-related issues. The participants gained insight into concrete situations and issues in experience sharing sessions with experts from the field.
Shared knowledge and skills will enable participants to contribute effectively to sustaining peace by recognizing the experiences and capabilities of women that are contributing to all aspects of peace operations and are vital for building sustainable peace.
As one of the participants put it: “It was a great training on the topic. It’s good that it’s addressed in such context that we really become more conscious.”
