OSCE workshop in Turkmenistan supports development of national competency framework and training strategy on cybercrime and electronic evidence

The OSCE Transnational Threats Department, in co-operation with the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat, held a workshop in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan on 26 and 27 June to support the country’s law enforcement and criminal justice institutions in developing a national competency framework and training strategy on cybercrime and electronic evidence.

The workshop brought together 24 senior representatives from key law enforcement and criminal justice institutions, including the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of National Security, the Ministry of Justice, the Office of the Prosecutor General, the State Cybersecurity Service and relevant law enforcement educational bodies.

“The development of a training competency framework and a training strategy on cybercrime and electronic evidence is more than just a technical exercise. It is a strategic investment in the people and institutions responsible for upholding the rule of law in the digital age,” said John MacGregor, the Head of OSCE Centre in Ashgabat.

Participants worked on defining core skill sets required for effectively investigating and prosecuting cybercrimes, and handling electronic evidence, which are going to be included in a training competency framework. The proposed framework will then guide the creation of a training strategy aimed at building long-term national capacity in this field, including role-specific training programmes.

“Even with the best software and hardware, law enforcement and criminal justice institutions cannot effectively face the challenges posed by digital technologies if they do not have competent and well-trained staff,” emphasized Bernd Heinze, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Turkmenistan during his opening remarks.

The workshop built on a regional event on the same topic held in Tashkent in December 2024 and is part of the second phase of the OSCE’s regional capacity-building project on combating cybercrime in Central Asia. The project, launched in September 2024, is funded by Germany and the United States.