News and press releases

The OSCE Presence in Albania and the Central Election Commission (CEC) organized a series of activities centered around young voters, with the aim to boost their participation in elections on the occasion of Global Elections Day, on 4 February 2021.

Tajikistan presidential election 2020 The 2020 presidential election in Tajikistan was conducted in a peaceful manner but it took place in a tightly controlled environment, with long-standing restrictions on fundamental rights and freedoms. Moreover, there was no space for pluralistic political

Ukraine local elections 2020 The 2020 Ukraine local elections were effectively organized amid the COVID-19 pandemic and proved more inclusive, but further improvements are required to strengthen the capacity of the election administration and oversight of campaign rules, including related to

COPENHAGEN, 27 January 2021 – With more than 130 participants, including former OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Presidents, OSCE Chairs, Secretaries General, current and former leaders of OSCE institutions, as well as members of OSCE PA Delegations, an online roundtable was held today under the theme, “Toward Helsinki +50: Reaffirming a Common Purpose.” Featuring keynote addresses from Christian Strohal, who served as Director of the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights from 2003 to 2008, and Douglas Wake, Senior Expert at the OSCE Office of the Secretary General, the event followed up on the “OSCE Call for Action: Reaffirming a Common Purpose” with a view towards the 50th anniversary of the Helsinki Final Act in 2025...

STOCKHOLM/WARSAW/WASHINGTON, 27 January 2021 – “Co-operation and an ongoing conversation about the changing face of anti-Semitism are crucial to ensure that we do not only commemorate the horrors of the Holocaust but also learn from it for the future,” leading OSCE officials said on International Holocaust Remembrance Day.

COPENHAGEN, 26 January 2021 – OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Peter Lord Bowness (United Kingdom) and OSCE Secretary General Helga Schmid were among the speakers at today’s meeting of the Assembly leadership, held in an online format. OSCE PA Secretary General Roberto Montella also addressed the meeting, providing an overview of upcoming Assembly activities and ongoing work...

SARAJEVO, 25 January 2021- In light of the dire situation facing migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (Mission) calls upon authorities at all levels of government to develop and agree upon sustainable and human rights-compliant solutions to the growing humanitarian crisis.