Dec 12, 2024
Second SEPCA General Assembly Held in Belgrade During Serbian Presidency
On December 12, 2024, in Belgrade, the Second SEPCA General Assembly was held during the Presidency of the Republic of Serbia, co-hosted and financed by the US Embassy in Belgrade – INL Program and the OSCE Mission to Serbia.
The event brought together police chiefs from SEPCA member states, along with delegations from INTERPOL, Europol, Austria, the EU4FAST Project, CEPOL, the US Embassy in Belgrade, the OSCE Mission to Serbia, the Australian Federal Police, and the CyberSEE Project.
The main goal of the event was the exchange of information on serious and organized crime with a cross-border dimension, focusing particularly on new threats and modus operandi in Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling.
During the Second SEPCA General Assembly, the SEPCA Threat Assessment was adopted.
The General Assembly was opened by Serbian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Ivica Dacic, who underscored the ongoing commitment to advancing regional cooperation through SEPCA, strengthening the organization itself, and fostering coordinated efforts with partners at both the European and global levels.
INTERPOL President Ahmed Naser Al Raisi emphasized that migrant smuggling, human trafficking, and cybercrime are major challenges faced by the most vulnerable. He stated that the task of the police is to prevent the operation of such criminal networks and to provide support to the victims.
The assistant police director, Dragan Vasiljevic, who is the chairmen of this Association, stated that this has been an extremely successful year of our chairmanship and all the priorities, set at the beginninig of Serbian presidency of SEPCA, have been acomplished. We have organized over 10 meetings and workshops, attended by over 150 experts from various fields from the SEPCA member countries, building stronger ties between our police forces, sharing best practices, and establishing effective cooperation mechanisms.
The Deputy Head of the OSCE Mission to Serbia, Karolina Hidea, congratulated the Ministry of Interior of Serbia on their successful presidency and all the activities carried out. She praised the cooperation with the Ministry of Interior and SEPCA, particularly highlighting the fight against human trafficking. She concluded that the OSCE remains a committed partner in strengthening cooperation and security in Europe.
In praising Serbia’s successful presidency, the US Embassy INL Coordinator in Serbia, Benjamin Williams, acknowledged the joint efforts aimed at combating criminal activities, especially in today’s world, where, as he stated, global crime knows no borders.
EU4FAST WB Project Manager Antonio Montanaro, thanking Serbia for its exceptional contribution and leadership in the previous year, said, “Through the great dedication of our colleagues in Serbia, we have achieved truly significant results in our joint efforts in the region, enhancing information exchange and conducting investigations. The synergy between SEPCA and the EU4FAST project has been the cornerstone of our success, and together we have managed to achieve some initiatives at the global level that have enhanced the standards of our services.”
At the conclusion of the Assembly, Albania took over the SEPCA Presidency from Serbia, marking the beginning of Albania’s leadership role in advancing the organization’s goals for the upcoming year.
