News and press releases
News and press releases from the OSCE's global activities.
OSCE Chairman-in-Office and Secretary General call for immediate release of detained OSCE staff in Donetsk and Luhansk
Publishing date: 19 July 2022
19 July 2022- OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Foreign Minister of Poland, Zbigniew Rau, and OSCE Secretary General, Helga Maria Schmid, today reiterated their call for the unconditional and immediate release of three national Mission members of the OSCE’s Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), detained in Donetsk and Luhansk for more than three months.
Greater efforts needed to protect the human trafficking victims struggling to access their rights, OSCE leaders say
Publishing date: 18 July 2022
VIENNA/WARSAW, 18 July 2022 – Protecting the human rights of trafficking victims must be placed at the heart of all responses to this global crime that particularly targets women and girls, who are even more at risk in situations of armed conflict, OSCE leaders said at the opening of a two-day conference today.
Moscow Mechanism experts present findings to OSCE Permanent Council on Ukraine
Publishing date: 14 July 2022
The OSCE Moscow Mechanism mission of experts undertaken by Professor Veronika Bílková, Professor Laura Guercio and Professor Vasilka Sancin presented their findings to the OSCE Permanent Council on 14 July 2022, collected in the report entitled ‘Report on Violations of International Humanitarian and Human Rights Law, War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity Committed in Ukraine (1 April – 25 June 2022)’.
OSCE Special Representative on Youth and Security and Senior Gender Adviser visit Polish-Ukrainian border to assess situation of women and children fleeing war in Ukraine
Publishing date: 8 July 2022
Special Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office on Youth and Security Maria Raczynska and OSCE Senior Adviser on Gender Issues Lara Scarpitta visited the Polish-Ukrainian border on 4 and 5 July 2022 where they gathered information on the situation of refugees from Ukraine, as 1.2 million (94 % of whom are women and children), are officially registered, with access to health care, education and employment.
With ongoing war in Ukraine, parliamentarians adopt Birmingham Declaration with recommendations to build peace and security in the OSCE area
Publishing date: 6 July 2022
BIRMINGHAM, 6 July 2022 – In Birmingham, OSCE parliamentarians today voted to condemn in the strongest terms the Russian Federation’s war of aggression against Ukraine, demanding an immediate ceasefire and the full withdrawal of Russian troops. Containing three general committee resolutions, plus ten supplementary items dealing with a wide range of topics, the Birmingham Declaration was approved with overwhelming support. It was adopted at the close of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s 29th Annual Session, which took place 2-6 July in Birmingham, United Kingdom.
OSCE PA Annual Session closes in Birmingham with re-election of President Cederfelt and other leaders chosen for coming year
Publishing date: 6 July 2022
BIRMINGHAM, 6 July 2022 – OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Margareta Cederfelt (Sweden) was re-elected in Birmingham today along with Vice-Presidents and Committee Officers. The new Vice-Presidents include Irene Charalambides (Cyprus), Rt. Hon. Mark Pritchard (United Kingdom), Pere Joan Pons (Spain), and Michael Georg Link (Germany).
OSCE Chairman-in-Office and Secretary General announce upcoming closure of Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine
Publishing date: 30 June 2022
WARSAW/VIENNA, 30 June – OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Foreign Minister of Poland, Zbigniew Rau and OSCE Secretary General, Helga Maria Schmid, have announced that the OSCE has initiated steps to close the office of the Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine.