OSCE supports ninth annual meeting of the permanent conference of organized crime prosecutors

Participants at the ninth ninth annual meeting of the permanent conference of organized crime prosecutors held on 22 and 23 February in Belgrade, Serbia. (OSCE) Photo details

The OSCE supported the ninth annual meeting of the Permanent Conference of Organized Crime Prosecutors (PCOCP), held on 22 and 23 February in Belgrade, Serbia. The meeting gathered 25 prosecutors from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, and Slovenia.

Over the course of three sessions, participants exchanged knowledge and experiences on topics such as integrated financial investigations in money laundering cases; processing and criminal prosecution of Foreign Terrorist Fighters (FTF); collecting e-evidence from the internet in organized and cybercrime cases, among others. In addition to the exchange of information and good practices, the PCOCP serves as a platform for enhancing regional co-operation in prosecution of organized crime and corruption.

"As globalization and technological advances increase the scope and extent of the threat caused by organized crime, the need for efficient investigations rises, and so does the need for advanced forms of co-operation. Sharing operational tools that improve the work of investigative bodies, and timely alert the institutions of other countries of suspicious activities have become increasingly significant," said Ambassador Jan Braathu, Head of the OSCE Mission to Serbia.

The PCOCP was established in 2016 with the support of the OSCE Mission to Serbia, and is currently supported by the "Strengthening the fight against transnational organized crime in South-Eastern Europe through improved regional co-operation in asset seizure, confiscation, management and re-use" project. The project is jointly implemented by the OSCE Transnational Threats Department and the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities, and is financially supported by the United States, Italy, Germany and the United Kingdom.