News and press releases

BISHKEK, 29 November 2021 – Kyrgyzstan’s parliamentary elections were competitive, but they lacked meaningful voter engagement due to a stifled campaign, constitutional changes weakening parliament and extensive legislative changes to key aspects of the election. Generally adequate election legislation was undermined by limitations on civil and political rights as well as diminished separation of powers and the independence of the judiciary. Voters had a wide range of political options to choose from. Election preparations were handled efficiently by the election administration, and election day was peaceful, international observers said in a statement today.

OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities Kairat Abdrakhmanov participated in the Third Moscow International Conference on Combating Xenophobia, Antisemitism and Racism — Protecting the Future on 22 and 23 November in Moscow. In his opening remarks, the High Commissioner highlighted that: “We

Summary In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded 609 ceasefire violations, including 108 explosions. In the previous reporting period, it recorded 813 ceasefire violations in the region. In Luhansk region, the Mission recorded 60 ceasefire violations, including 39 explosions. In the previous reporting

As many as 89.9% of Montenegrin citizens believe that the functioning of the State Election Commission (SEC) affects the democracy of electoral processes and the trust that citizens have in the elections in Montenegro. This is one of key findings from a Survey on Public Perceptions and Confidence in Election Management Bodies in Montenegro, commissioned by the OSCE Mission to Montenegro and conducted by the Damar agency. In this regard, the Mission considers the appointment of a new SEC Chair as a matter of urgency.

A two-day national seminar on a whole-of-society approach to preventing and countering violent extremism and radicalization that lead to terrorism (P/CVERLT) concluded on 26 November 2021 in Belgrade, Serbia.

On 25 and 26 November 2021, the OSCE Center in Ashgabat organized an online seminar on developing and introducing training courses focused on preventing and responding to domestic violence for the institutions and academies of the law enforcement bodies of Turkmenistan.

On 23 November 2021, the OSCE convened the first meeting of the Multi-Agency Committee in North Macedonia, established as part of its project Enhancing Criminal Justice Capacities for Combating Gender-based Violence in South-Eastern Europe.