OSCE (Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe) is the coordinator of the project entitled, “Strengthening the fight against transnational organized crime in South-Eastern Europe through improved regional cooperation in asset seizure, confiscation, management, and re-use”, in which Libera is an implementing partner. The project focuses on consolidating regional cooperation in the social reuse of goods confiscated from organized crime groups in five Balkan countries – Albania, Bosnia Herzegovina, the Republic of North Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia – with the involvement of other various international partners. 

The goal of the project is to incentivize and improve seizure, confiscation, and management practices of confiscated goods through stronger regional cooperation and an exchange of efficient practices amongst regions. By adopting a far-reaching approach, the project provides support to the entire cycle of criminal good confiscation, dividing its actions into three areas of intervention: (1) investigation, seizure, and confiscation of goods; (2) management of confiscated goods; (3) reuse of confiscated goods.

Libera’s Role

Libera is OSCE’s executive partner particularly within the third area of intervention: promoting the social reuse of confiscated goods on a national and regional level through the integration and participation of civil society organizations – key tools in the prevention and fight against organized crime. In this goal, Libera has organized three formative workshops for the use of associations, managers of confiscated goods, and national agencies that manage confiscated goods in the five Balkan countries involved in the project. The first workshop took place on April 28 and 29, 2021, with a focus on training associations and Albanian management groups; the second workshop took place on May 17 and 18, 2021, with a focus on training North Macedonian civil society organizations; the third workshop took place on June 8 and 9, 2021, with the participation of all five Balkan countries while also involving national agencies, civil society organizations, and management groups. 

Project Activities

The project’s activities in which Libera is directly involved are the following:

• organizing three formative workshops for the promotion of the social reuse of confiscated goods; 
• participating as a trainer in the regional workshops organized by OSCE;

disseminating the project’s results through the promotion of materials targeted towards civil society organizations.