News and press releases

VIENNA, 6 October 2017 – Canada’s new Journalistic Source Protection Act, known as Bill S-231, which was passed on Wednesday 4 October, was today welcomed by the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir. The legislation, which protects the confidentiality of journalistic sources, was adopted with the support of all three political parties. The bill was first introduced by Conservative Senator Claude Carignan in November 2016...

A team of election experts from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) visited The Hague from 4 to 6 October 2017 to present the  final report  of the ODIHR election assessment mission for the 15 March 2017 parliamentary elections in the Netherlands. The report’s

YEREVAN, 6 October 2017 – During his visit to Yerevan, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Désir underlined the need to continue the fruitful co-operation between his office and Armenia to promote the freedom of the media...

On 6 October 2017, the OSCE Mission to Moldova started a series of training sessions in eight districts of central Moldova to improve law enforcement’s capabilities to more effectively combat domestic violence. The prevalent phenomenon has risen to the attention of the European Court of Human Rights that is holding Moldova responsible in several egregious cases.

A two-day training seminar on the prohibition of discrimination against persons with disabilities was organized for some 25 employees of the state administration by the OSCE Mission to Montenegro in co-operation with the Ministry for Human and Minority Rights on 5 and 6 October 2017 in Bečići...

VIENNA, 5 October 2017 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Désir today welcomed the release of Solidzhon Abdurakhmanov, a former correspondent with Uznews.net and the UK-based Institute for War and Peace Reporting...

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions compared with the previous reporting period. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska and Zolote and observed calm situations. Its access remained restricted in the disengagement areas and elsewhere, including near Siedove.* The Mission saw weapons in violation of withdrawal lines near Ternove. It facilitated and monitored the inspection of essential infrastructure in Stanytsia Luhanska. The SMM visited one border area not under government control...