News and press releases
News and press releases from the OSCE's global activities.
OSCE human rights head voices serious concerns over continued rights violations in Belarus, offers monitoring
Publishing date: 6 April 2021
WARSAW, 6 April 2021 – The numerous credible reports of criminal charges, administrative detention, intimidation and harassment targeting Belarusian citizens and human rights defenders simply for going about their lives or carrying out their work that have reached the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) in recent months, are of increasing concern amid the ongoing human rights violations in the country.
Weekly Update from the OSCE Observer Mission at Russian Checkpoints Gukovo and Donetsk based on information as of 6 April 2021
Publishing date: 6 April 2021
Kamensk-Shakhtinskiy, Russian Federation. The Observer Mission (OM) continues to operate 24/7 at both Border Crossing Points (BCPs). The overall number of border crossings by persons slightly increased at both BCPs compared to the previous week.
OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan facilitates the promotion of open data through youth engagement
Publishing date: 6 April 2021
On 2 April 2021, the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan (PCUz) held a seminar on the practical relevance and prospects for developing the open data systemin Uzbekistan. The PCUz organized the event in collaboration with the State Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan on Statistics (UZSTAT) and the Technological Park of Software Products and Information Technologies (IT-Park Uzbekistan).
Bulgaria’s competitive parliamentary elections well run, but impacted by media shortcomings and significant ruling-party advantage, international observers say
Publishing date: 5 April 2021
SOFIA, 5 April 2021 –Bulgaria’s parliamentary elections were competitive and efficiently run despite the difficult circumstances caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and fundamental freedoms were respected. However, the massive use of state resources gave the ruling party a significant advantage, and a lack of editorial diversity was of concern, international observers said in a statement today...
OSCE supports awareness raising workshops on Environmental Impact Assessment and Strategic Environmental Assessment in Kazakhstan
Publishing date: 2 April 2021
An OSCE-supported three-day online awareness-raising workshop on effective implementation of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) in line with the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Convention on EIA, also known as Espoo Convention and its Protocol on SEA, concluded on 2 April 2021...
OSCE Chairperson-in-Office welcomes renewal of mandate and approval of budget of OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine
Publishing date: 31 March 2021
Stockholm, 31 March 2021 — The OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sweden, Ann Linde, welcomed today’s OSCE Permanent Council decision to renew the mandate and approve the budget of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM) for another year until 31 March 2022.
OSCE helps Ukraine strengthen capacities in rapid identification of toxic substances in disaster response
Publishing date: 30 March 2021
During a ceremony in Mariupol on 30 March 2021, the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine provided a sophisticated and up-to-date mobile laboratory for radiological and chemical surveillance and monitoring to the State Emergency Service of Ukraine (SESU).