TNTD briefing identifies strategic priorities for policing in the digital age

On 15 June, representatives from OSCE participating States and institutions gathered in Vienna for the launch of a new policy brief by the OSCE Transnational Threats Department (TNTD), ‘Making Law Enforcement Fit for the Future: Strategic Priorities for Policing in the Digital Age’.

The policy brief sets out key implications regarding the use of new technologies in different aspects of policing. It shows that realizing their potential to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of policing requires much more than deploying new tools. It requires strategic vision, institutional adaptation and cultural change as well as sustained investment in people and skills, and robust governance frameworks that ensure respect for human rights and the rule of law. 

The paper also outlines potential activities and initiatives through which the OSCE could support its participating States in this domain. It is intended to serve as a policy-oriented resource for decision-makers, practitioners and international partners seeking to advance the responsible adoption of new and emerging technologies in law enforcement.

“The digital transformation of law enforcement is not a question of if, but of how well we manage it,” said Ambassador Alena Kupchyna, OSCE Co-ordinator of Activities to Address Transnational Threats. “The OSCE can help participating States to navigate this process by supporting the development of policy guidance, delivering targeted capacity-building, facilitating knowledge exchange and promoting shared approaches that are grounded in respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms.”

“This work speaks to the OSCE's distinctive added value. Over the past year, TNTD convened a series of expert roundtables — precisely the kind of cross-cutting dialogue the OSCE is uniquely positioned to facilitate. The policy brief is the tangible result of that process: it distils the substance of these exchanges into a product that is useful for learning, for further deliberation among participating States, and as a foundation for future capacity-building and co-operation,” said Leila Rais, Head of the Politico-Military Dimension of the 2026 Swiss OSCE Chairpersonship.

The policy brief sets out the key findings, shared challenges and common opportunities identified across a series of four expert discussions organized by the Transnational Threats Department between October 2024 and October 2025. The events brought together law enforcement practitioners, policymakers, academics, private sector representatives, civil society and international experts to explore how the potential of new technologies can be harnessed in four important areas of policing: crime analysis, criminal investigations, community engagement and organizational processes.