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OSCE reacts to inaccurate reports about detained personnel
VIENNA, 22 May 2013 – A number of inaccuracies have been reported in the media with regard to alleged detention of OSCE personnel in Moldova/Transdniestria. No OSCE staff members have been detained. The OSCE Mission continues to operate in accordance with its mandate on both sides of the Dniester/Nistru River. ()
High-level OSCE conference in Tirana calls for comprehensive approach to combating intolerance and discrimination
TIRANA, 21 May 2013 – A comprehensive approach, including education to promote mutual respect and understanding, is necessary to combat intolerance and discrimination, including hate crime, participants said today at the opening of a two-day OSCE conference in Tirana...
Tracing illicit small arms and light weapons to be discussed at OSCE-supported meeting in Vienna
VIENNA, 21 May 2013 – Ways to trace illicit small arms and light weapons, existing legal framework and practical approaches will be in focus of an OSCE-supported conference to take place from 23 to 24 May in Vienna...
Press Release by the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group and the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan
KRAKOW, Poland, 17 May 2013 - The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group (Ambassadors Igor Popov of the Russian Federation, Jacques Faure of France, and Ian Kelly of the United States of America) met today with the Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan, Elmar Mammadyarov, and the Foreign Minister of Armenia, Edward Nalbandian. The Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk, also participated in the meetings...
OSCE media freedom representative concerned about increasing pressure on media in Azerbaijan following online defamation provisions
WARSAW, 15 May 2013 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Dunja Mijatović, today expressed deep concern about the increasingly hostile situation for the media in Azerbaijan following moves to extend the criminalization of defamation to the Internet...
Azerbaijani Foreign Minister addresses OSCE Permanent Council
VIENNA, 14 May 2013 – The Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan, Elmar Mammadyarov, addressed representatives of the 57 OSCE participating States today in Vienna...
OSCE media freedom representative distressed about U.S. Justice Department seizure of reporters’ phone records
WARSAW, 14 May 2013 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Dunja Mijatović, today said she was distressed over revelations that in 2012 the U.S. Department of Justice secretly seized two months of office, home and cell phone records from up to 20 phone lines assigned to The Associated Press reporters...
Good laws, political leadership necessary for media freedom, says OSCE Permanent Council Chair, in Warsaw
WARSAW, 13 May 2013 –The implementation of good laws and sharing of best practices are essential to fulfilling OSCE commitments on media freedom, the Chair of the OSCE Permanent Council, Ambassador Ihor Prokopchuk of Ukraine, told participants at a human dimension seminar on media freedom legal framework today...
Bulgaria’s elections competitive and well run, but trust in process is lacking, international observers say
SOFIA, 13 May 2013 – Bulgaria’s early parliamentary elections on 12 May were held in a competitive environment, fundamental freedoms were respected, and the administration of elections was well managed, although the campaign was overshadowed by a number of incidents that diminished trust in state institutions and the process was negatively affected by pervasive allegations of vote-buying, international observers said in a statement today...
OSCE/ODIHR opens election observation mission for presidential election in Mongolia
ULAANBAATAR, 13 May 2013 – The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) today opened an election observation mission to monitor the 26 June presidential election in Mongolia...