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The Council of Europe through its Cybercrime Programme Office in Bucharest (C-PROC) supports the functioning of the 24/7 Network established according to Article 35 of the Budapest Convention and facilitates capacity building support to the new members or countries interested to join the Network, on the establishment of contact points and their role and responsibilities.

CyberSouth project delivered the first Judicial Training of Trainers (ToT) on cybercrime and electronic evidence for judges and prosecutors of Tunisia on 22, 23 and 25 of November 2021.

The CyberSouth project supported the organization of the Judicial Training of Trainers (ToT) on cybercrime and electronic evidence for Jordanian magistrates. The event took place in Amman, in cooperation with the Judicial Institute of Jordan, from the 29th of November to the 2nd of December 2021.

The EU4Monitoring Drugs (EU4MD) project advisory committee held its third meeting today to take stock of results achieved to date and outline its next steps. The EU-funded project was launched in January 2019 for an initial period of three years and, following an extension of six months, will run until 30 June 2022.

Just before the summer break, the College adopted a new Anti-Money laundering package, consisting of three Regulations and one directive. This legal initiative signifies important changes to the current AML/CFT policy and delivers on the Commission’s Action Plan on AML/CFT of May 2020 as well as on the Security Union Strategy of 2020.

*EU humanitarian projects in Türkiye were set up under the Facility for Refugees in Turkey, but as Facility funding for these projects has ended, their continuation is ensured by the EU’s humanitarian budget.

Türkiye hosts one of the biggest refugee populations in the world, including more than 3.1 million Syrian refugees and almost 300 000 refugees and asylum seekers of other nationalities. In 2016, the EU set up the Facility for Refugees in Turkey to address the needs of the refugees and host communities in the country. Facility projects focus on humanitarian assistance, education, migration management, health, municipal infrastructure, and socio-economic support. The full budget of the Facility, €6 billion, has been programmed and contracted, with over €5.4 billion disbursed. To ensure the continuation of initiatives started under the Facility, the EU allocated a further €3.5 billion to refugees and host communities in Türkiye in 2020-2023: out of this €3 billion has been contracted and over €1.7 billion disbursed.

Türkiye hosts one of the biggest refugee populations in the world, including more than 3.1 million Syrian refugees and almost 300 000 refugees and asylum seekers of other nationalities. In 2016, the EU set up the Facility for Refugees in Turkey to address the needs of the refugees and host communities in the country. Facility projects focus on humanitarian assistance, education, migration management, health, municipal infrastructure, and socio-economic support. The full budget of the Facility, €6 billion, has been programmed and contracted, with over €5.4 billion disbursed. To ensure the continuation of initiatives started under the Facility, the EU allocated a further €3.5 billion to refugees and host communities in Türkiye in 2020-2023: out of this €3 billion has been contracted and over €1.7 billion disbursed.

Starting on World Refugee Day on 20 June 2021, the Facility for Refugees in Turkey hosted a one-week online film festival, which featured films highlighting the lives of refugees. The selection featured award-winning titles, and included documentaries and live action productions, as well as short, -medium and full-length entries. The films were available to stream throughout Belgium from 20-26 June.

On the occasion of the publication of the Strategic Mid-term Evaluation of the Facility for Refugees, an online dissemination event was held on 7July, to present its findings and recommendations. This independent evaluation found that the Facility for Refugees in Turkey made a significant contribution to the welfare of Syrians and others fleeing conflict in the region in areas such as health, education, protection and socio-economic support. The Facility has been a symbol of solidarity and support for Turkey that has generously hosted the highest number of refugees in the world, and provided assistance at an unprecedented scale and reach, according to the evaluation. The Mid-term Evaluation report can be found on the Facility for Refugees website.

Staying home during the Coronavirus pandemic has been challenging for most of us. While physical distancing helps curb the spread of the virus, prolonged isolation can have a serious impact on mental health and wellbeing. Amani, a Syrian refugee in Turkey, tells us how online sessions funded under the Facility have helped her through these difficult times.

Rayan, a 19-year-old high school student in Turkey, first discovered her passion for cooking when a strict lockdown was introduced to battle the COVID-19 pandemic. Rayan is one of 1.8 million refugees in Turkey receiving cash assistance. Thanks to the cash support they receive each month via a debit card, her family can decide for themselves how to cover essential needs like rent, transport, medicine, or the ingredients to prepare healthy meals. The ESSN programme was set up under the Facility for Refugees in Turkey to ensure the refugees can meet their basic needs.

This is the story of Riham, Jordanian, and Zeinab, Syrian, who met during a cooking training and immediately formed a strong bond of friendship. The two women decided to become business partners and they set shop in Riham’s kitchen, which was expanded thanks to EU help. Despite all the changes this past year, Riham losing her husband, Zeinab moving away and the business slowing down due to the pandemic, these women will always be there for each other as their friendship has helped them get through many difficulties and heartaches.

This is the story of Hana, a 28-year-old Yezidi woman from Sinjar. She has been the head of a mine and explosive action team, Team 108, for 4 years, clearing unexploded devices left behind by Daesh. Like many Yezidis, Hana and her family had to flee their homes, after the invasion, and leave their lives behind to find shelter and safety. 4 years into the project a big area in the North of Sinjar has been cleared but their work is far from over yet.

This is the story of Riham, Jordanian, and Zeinab, Syrian, who met during a cooking training and immediately formed a strong bond of friendship. The two women decided to become business partners and they set shop in Riham’s kitchen, which was expanded thanks to EU help. Despite all the changes this past year, Riham losing her husband, Zeinab moving away and the business slowing down due to the pandemic, these women will always be there for each other as their friendship has helped them get through many difficulties and heartaches.

The story of Huthayfa, a 16-year-old Palestinian boy from Yarmouk camp in Syria. He lives with his family in Lebanon in the Shatila camp where he goes to school. His family fled war-torn Syria when he was 8 years old and they had to adapt to the difficult living conditions in the camp. Playing chess was a way for him to cope and adapt to his new reality and it became a passion he shared with his father. Huthayfa was able to enrol in an UNRWA school, supported by the EU via the Trust Fund, and after some initial difficulties, he proved to be a brilliant student. Huthayfa’s dream is to become a doctor.

A podcast series consisting of 7 episodes, in Arabic, has been launched in Jordan. Each episode was aired on four local radios, and made available on iTunes, Spotify, CastBox, Google Podcast, Soundcloud, Stitcher as well as on the EUTF website.

The European Union and the United Nations co-chaired the fifth Brussels Conference on “Supporting the future of Syria and the region” on 29 and 30 March 2021.

Six years into its creation and with €2.365 billion of adopted actions, the EU Trust Fund has proven its added value beyond its economy of scale and the pooling of contributions from 21 EU Member States, Turkey, and the United Kingdom. It offers a reinforced approach in Europe’s response to the Syrian crisis, improving coordination and coherence while addressing the longer-term needs of both refugees and local communities.

Regardless of all the limitations linked to the current COVID-19 pandemic, the Trust Fund’s implementing partners have continued to address the needs of the most vulnerable populations in the countries affected by the Syrian refugee crisis. Read some of their latest stories here.