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DOJ/OPDAT Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) Programs
Since the fall of communism and the breakup of the former Yugoslavia at the end of the 1980s and beginning of the 1990s and the periods of war and ethnic cleansing that followed in the 1990s, the countries of the Balkans and Southeastern Europe have faced enormous obstacles in developing their criminal justice systems. For over a decade, OPDAT, through programs funded by the State Department, has made significant contributions in helping the countries of the region develop criminal justice systems that respect human rights, individual liberties and the rule of law and that are effective in fighting the many facets of transnational organized crime, the corruption that often accompanies it, and the terrorist activity that may attempt to thrive in its environment. OPDAT soon will add a Resident Legal Advisor (RLA) in Montenegro and currently has 11 RLAs stationed throughout the region: in Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Kosovo, Macedonia, Serbia, and at the Southeast European Cooperative Initiative (SECI) Center for Combating Transborder Crime, a regional center based in Bucharest, Romania. OPDAT’s assistance efforts include capacity building of prosecutors, investigators, and judges; legislative reform and drafting; and task force development.
Capacity Building
Capacity building is tailored to the needs of each country but is uniformly aimed at helping civil service-based law enforcement institutions improve their ability to combat crime in a manner that respects human rights, individual liberties, and the rule of law. Training is conducted in substantive topics such as organized crime, corruption, trafficking in persons, drug trafficking, asset forfeiture and money laundering, financial crimes, intellectual property, cybercrimes, counterterrorism and war crimes – as well as in procedural topics such as witness protection, the adversarial system, criminal procedure codes, plea bargaining, courtroom techniques, and the use of special investigative techniques carried out by efficient police and prosecutor cooperation.
Legislative Reform and Drafting
Modern legislation provides the framework and tools needed by prosecutors and police to fight organized crime in the region. OPDAT assists countries in the region in adopting modern legislation (including regulations and procedures) in the areas discussed above, both substantive and procedural. For example, for a variety of historical reasons, many countries in the region have had severe limitations on the use of special investigative techniques, including informants, controlled deliveries, recording and videotaping conversations and other simple undercover activity used routinely by US prosecutors and agents. Throughout the region, OPDAT has provided advice on reforming laws to allow for expanded use of special investigative techniques. In addition, OPDAT has assisted in the reform of legislation to provide a greater recognition of victims’ rights and a broadening of assistance for victims.
Task Force Development
Although they are taken for granted in the United States, task forces are relatively new concepts in the region. OPDAT has helped develop task forces in the region to assist the countries in the region in fighting crime, including organized crime. Of particular importance is the SECI Center, which is the only multilateral body that provides a forum for regional coordination in law enforcement matters, and has both developmental and operational aspects. In addition, OPDAT assists the Southeast European Prosecutors Advisory Group (“SEEPAG”), bringing together prosecutors in the region to address transborder legal issues and to work together on cases.
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