News and press releases

Labour inspectors sharpened their skills detecting and responding to cases of forced labour, particularly those involving Ukrainians fleeing the war, at a workshop held in Vienna by the Office of the OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings in

The OSCE Transnational Threats Department, in co-operation with the Border Troops and Customs Committee of Uzbekistan and the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan, held a national training course on identifying suspected foreign terrorist fighters and other criminals at border crossings in Tashkent from 7 to 10 April.

While the general elections in the United States demonstrated the resilience of the country’s democratic institutions, the election process took place in a highly polarized environment. The election was well run, and candidates campaigned freely across the country with the active participation of voters. However, the campaign was marred by disinformation and instances of violence, including harsh and intolerant rhetoric. Repeated, unfounded claims of election fraud negatively impacted public trust. Election day was well managed, with polling peaceful and orderly.

On 8–9 April 2025, the OSCE Programme Office in Astana, in collaboration with the Law Enforcement Academy under the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Republic of Kazakhstan, organized a training workshop “Removing Administrative Barriers Contributing to Corruption” for law enforcement agencies. The training event focused on removing administrative barriers that contribute to corruption and enhancing institutional transparency.

Spain held its closing plenary meeting as Chair of the OSCE’s Forum for Security Co-operation (FSC) on 9 April.

From 8 to 9 April 2025 the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe, in co-operation with the Public Order Protection Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Tajikistan, organized a two-day training for 21 police officers, including the staff of the 19 Gender-Sensitive Police Units (13 women and eight men).

The results of a new OSCE study on financial literacy were presented to 80 international policymakers and criminal justice practitioners at a side event during an OSCE Security Committee meeting in Vienna on 10 April. The study, “From Risk to Resilience: The Role of Financial Literacy in Youth Crime Prevention”, was presented by the OSCE Transnational Threats Department and the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities.