News and press releases

OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities Astrid Thors visited Kyrgyzstan from 7 to 10 October 2014, where she discussed issues of mutual interest with the authorities and explored how her office can support efforts to address minority concerns...

The OSCE Mission to Montenegro in partnership with the Ministry of Sustainable Development and Tourism and the Ozone NGO, on 10 October 2014 in Podgorica, supported the second panel discussion of the Ecological Activism School. The focus of this regional discussion was the role of civil society in creating and implementing public policy on climate change...

The SMM observed the situation in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, focusing on the implementation of the Minsk Protocol/Memorandum. The Mission continued to receive reports, and directly observed, shelling occurrences in a number of areas. In Kyiv civil society representatives expressed concern for the fate of those held captive by illegally armed groups in Donbas...

SARAJEVO, 13 October 2014 – While the 12 October general elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina were held in a competitive environment, the inter-ethnic divide was a key factor. The lack of a shared vision in the country’s future and of co-operation among the three constituent peoples continues to hinder the reforms necessary to fully ensure democratic elections, and a growing mistrust in the functioning of democratic institutions endangers stability, international observers said in a statement today. At the same time, candidates were able to campaign freely and fundamental freedoms of expression, association and assembly were respected...

Ambassador Andrey Sorokin, Head of the OSCE Office in Yerevan, donated equipment on behalf of the Office to Armenia’s Ministry of Emergency Situations on 13 October 2014 to support the Ministry’s efforts in raising its capacities to protect people and the environment...

A three-week advanced training course on the use of detection dogs began on 13 October 2014 in Almaty, Kazakhstan, with the aim of helping law enforcement officers deepen their knowledge and enhance their skills in the effective use of dogs in security-related operations...

The OSCE Office in Yerevan, in co-operation with non-governmental organization the Helsinki Committee of Armenia, held a workshop on 11 to 12 October 2014 in Tsakhkadzor, in Armenia’s Kotayq region, on the principles of ethical reporting about the penal system...