News and press releases
News and press releases from the OSCE's global activities.
Media freedom lies at the heart of modern democracies, OSCE experts say
Publishing date: 22 June 2020
VIENNA, 22 June 2020 – The COVID-19 pandemic has brought new challenges to the freedoms of expression, information and the media, highlighting the need to find new approaches to digital technologies if we are to safeguard these freedoms that lie at the heart of the OSCE commitments to human rights and democracy. These topics will be discussed intensively during a two-day OSCE meeting starting today.
Improving conditions for refugees from arrival to integration is key to overcoming COVID-19, OSCE human rights head says
Publishing date: 20 June 2020
Warsaw, 20 June 2020 – On World Refugee Day, the uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic continues unabated. Governments need to make greater efforts to guarantee the right to seek asylum is respected and ensure refugees are afforded protection, a vital condition for their integration into the societies of their host countries, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) said today.
Spot Report 32/2020: Members of the armed formations continued to deny SMM patrols passage at checkpoints in Donetsk and Luhansk regions
Publishing date: 19 June 2020
From 13 to 19 June, members of the armed formations again denied SMM attempts to cross into non-government-controlled areas along official crossing routes: four times in Donetsk region and four times in Luhansk region, while further attempts to cross into government-controlled areas were also
Parliamentarians press for more action to help child refugees and prevent human trafficking ahead of World Refugee Day
Publishing date: 19 June 2020
COPENHAGEN/STRASBOURG, 19 June 2020 – On the eve of World Refugee Day, parliamentarians from the OSCE and Council of Europe participated in a high-level discussion organized by the British House of Lords on how to best protect unaccompanied child refugees, enable relocations and prevent human trafficking.
UNODC and OSCE deliver online training course to enhance Turkmenistan’s capacities to analyze existing and emerging risks and threats related to terrorist financing
Publishing date: 19 June 2020
An online training course aimed at strengthening Turkmenistan’s capacity to counter terrorist financing, for 24 experts and practitioners from the Ministry of Finance and Economy of Turkmenistan, its Financial Monitoring Service, the Ministries of Internal Affairs and National Security, and the Prosecutor General’s Office of Turkmenistan was organized from 17 to 19 June 2020...
OSCE Special Representative encourages leaderships in Chisinau and Tiraspol to focus on constructive, forward-looking dialogue
Publishing date: 18 June 2020
CHISINAU, 18 June 2020 – Concluding his visit to the Republic of Moldova, the Special Representative of Albania’s OSCE Chairperson-in-Office for the Transdniestrian Settlement Process, Ambassador Thomas Mayr-Harting encouraged the Sides to focus on maintaining a constructive, results-oriented and forward-looking dialogue...
Multilateral action, diplomacy and international solidarity to combat the COVID-19 Pandemic in Afghanistan
Publishing date: 18 June 2020
A message of solidarity from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe and the Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in Vienna