News and press releases
News and press releases from the OSCE's global activities.
OSCE Troika meets with Ukrainian Foreign Minister, expresses strong support to Ukraine and calls on Russia to immediately stop its military attack
Publishing date: 8 April 2022
RZESZOW, 8 April 2022- The Foreign Ministers of Poland, Sweden, and North Macedonia, representing the OSCE Troika met with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba in Rzeszow, in Poland’s Podkarpacie Region. During a meeting with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, the Foreign Ministers of Sweden, Poland and North Macedonia reiterated their call for the Russian Federation to end hostilities and withdraw its forces from Ukraine and expressed their full support in these challenging times.
Georgia local elections 2021: ODIHR election observation mission final report
Publishing date: 8 April 2022
Georgia’s 2021 local elections were competitive and transparent, but took place in the increasingly polarized atmosphere of a protracted political crisis. Contestants were able to campaign freely, although the environment was marred by widespread allegations of vote-buying, pressure on candidates
Roma must be equally treated and protected, OSCE human rights head says
Publishing date: 8 April 2022
WARSAW, 8 April 2022 – Roma continue to face discrimination and marginalization where support and inclusion should be provided, a fact clearly demonstrated by the situation of Roma currently fleeing Ukraine, said the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) on today’s International Roma Day...
OSCE organizes second youth crime and drug use prevention workshop in Dushanbe
Publishing date: 5 April 2022
On 4 and 5 April 2022, the OSCE Transnational Threats Department and the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities, in co-operation with the OSCE Academy in Bishkek and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), jointly hosted a two-day workshop on youth crime and drug use prevention in Dushanbe.
Threats from explosive ordnance and mines are an expanding aspect of urgent humanitarian needs for Ukraine, says OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine
Publishing date: 4 April 2022
KYIV/VIENNA, 4 April 2022 – International assistance to Ukraine is urgently needed to strengthen the country’s capacity in humanitarian demining and Explosive Ordnance Risk Education. This was the main message by Ambassador Henrik Villadsen, OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine, today as he marked the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action.
Serbia’s elections offered diverse political options, but shortcomings led to an uneven playing field, international observers say
Publishing date: 4 April 2022
BELGRADE, 4 April 2022 – Fundamental freedoms were largely respected in Serbia’s 3 April presidential and early parliamentary elections, and voters were presented diverse political options, but a number of shortcomings resulted in an uneven playing field, favouring the incumbents, international observers said in a statement today. The combined impact of unbalanced access to the media, undue pressure on public sector employees to support the incumbents, significant campaign finance disparities and misuse of state resources resulted in unequal conditions for contestants, the statement says...
Hungary’s parliamentary elections well-run and offered distinct alternatives but undermined by absence of level playing field, international observers say
Publishing date: 4 April 2022
BUDAPEST, 4 April 2022 – Hungary’s parliamentary elections offered voters distinct alternatives and were well run, but while competitive, the process was marred by the pervasive overlapping of government and ruling coalition’s messaging that blurred the line between state and party, as well as by media bias and opaque campaign funding, international observers said in a statement today.