News and press releases
News and press releases from the OSCE's global activities.
Human trafficking for the purpose of organ removal needs urgent international attention, concludes expert roundtable co-organized by OSCE and partners
Publishing date: 8 July 2020
VIENNA, 8 July 2020 – Despite its high profits and catastrophic harm to victims, trafficking in human beings for the removal of organs is one of the least understood and addressed forms of human trafficking globally and needs urgent attention from the international community, an international group of experts concluded in a two-day online meeting held on 7 July...
OSCE online event on “The rise of artificial intelligence and how it will reshape the future of free speech” concluded, now consultation phase begins
Publishing date: 8 July 2020
VIENNA, 8 July 2020 – The online event on “The rise of artificial intelligence and how it will reshape the future of free speech”, organized by the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media (RFoM), concluded today in Vienna. It was followed by a call for feedback from all stakeholders...
Heads of OSCE parliamentary delegations meet online for discussions on activities during COVID-19, organizational reform and geopolitical challenges
Publishing date: 7 July 2020
COPENHAGEN, 7 July 2020 – Some 40 members of parliament participated in a virtual meeting of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s Standing Committee today, hearing reports from the PA President, Treasurer, Secretary General, and holding debates on international issues in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Comprised of heads of national delegations and the elected members of the Bureau, the Standing Committee meets three times a year to guide the work of the Assembly and would have met in Vancouver this week had the 2020 Annual Session not been cancelled due to the pandemic...
Need to move from political declarations to effective action in fighting corruption, says OSCE Chairperson Rama at high-level conference in Vienna
Publishing date: 7 July 2020
VIENNA/TIRANA, 7 July 2020- Corruption is an issue that touches us all. We need to move from political declarations to effective action, said OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Albania’s Prime Minister and Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Edi Rama, when remotely opening a high-level conference “Good governance and the fight against corruption in the digital era” in Vienna...
Weekly Update from the OSCE Observer Mission at Russian Checkpoints Gukovo and Donetsk based on information as of 7 July 2020
Publishing date: 7 July 2020
The Observer Mission (OM) continues to operate 24/7 at both Border Crossing Points (BCPs). The overall number of border crossings by persons increased at both BCPs compared to the previous week.
In discussions with EU officials, OSCE parliamentarians focus on enhancing migration co-operation during pandemic
Publishing date: 7 July 2020
COPENHAGEN, 6 July 2020 – Meeting virtually with officials of the European Union, members of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s Ad Hoc Committee on Migration have focused in recent days on the situation of vulnerable migrants, new asylum procedures in Europe, and providing assistance to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 amongst migrant and refugee populations.
Spot Report 36/2020: Members of the armed formations continued to deny SMM patrols passage at checkpoints in Donetsk and Luhansk regions
Publishing date: 3 July 2020
From 27 June to 3 July, members of the armed formations again denied the SMM attempts to cross into non-government-controlled areas along official crossing routes: seven times in Donetsk region and three times in Luhansk region, while further attempts to cross into government-controlled areas were also denied – twice in Donetsk region and four times in Luhansk region...