News and press releases

WARSAW, 2 October 2023 – Building on strong partnerships and returning to genuine dialogue are key to overcoming challenges to human rights and democracy. This was the main message from OSCE leaders today at the opening of a major human rights conference to discuss the condition of human rights and freedoms across the 57 states of the region.

WARSAW, 30 September 2023 – Following 14 months of monitoring the evaluation of candidates to the body responsible for the appointment and discipline of judges in Moldova (pre-vetting), the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) found that the procedure is generally objective, fair and professional, and in line with international human rights and rule of law principles. However, the transparency and legal certainty of the evaluation process could be further improved, ODIHR said in a new report.

The May 2023 local elections in Albania were generally well-administered, competitive and held with the participation of the key political forces, but the process was characterized by continued polarization between the main political parties and deep division within the opposition. Contestants

Türkiye’s 2023 general elections offered voters a choice between genuine political alternatives and voter participation was high, but the incumbent president and the ruling parties enjoyed an unjustified advantage, including through biased media coverage. The continued restrictions on fundamental

Fourteen members of the Albanian State Police (ASP) participated in a training programme titled “Synthetic Drugs Trafficking- A Global Growing Threat” from 27 to 29 September 2023. The training was organized by the OSCE Presence in Albania with the support of the US Justice Department International

From 18 to 29 September, the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe (the Office) conducted a two-week-long training on information analysis and the use of IT technologies in border security. Twenty officers of the analytical units of Tajik Border Troops took part in the training, which was held at the “Poytakht” training centre in Rudaki district.

From 25 to 29 September, the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe (the Office) organized a five-day training course for lawyers from the OSCE-supported Women’s Resource Centres (WRCs) and local authorities. The event was held in Dushanbe and brought together a total of 23 lawyers from the Sughd, Khatlon, Rasht Valley regions, and the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region of Tajikistan. The course aimed to train participants on how to provide legal advice and legal assistance to victims of domestic violence and people at risk of experiencing domestic violence.