News and press releases
News and press releases from the OSCE's global activities.
Lack of hate crime recording means victims and their needs too often remain invisible, OSCE’s human rights office says
Publishing date: 16 November 2020
WARSAW, 16 November 2020 – With the publication of its annual Hate Crime Report on today’s International Day for Tolerance, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) underscores the need for police to record hate crimes in order to ensure that victims are recognized and receive the support they so urgently need...
ODIHR opens special election assessment mission in Romania
Publishing date: 14 November 2020
BUCHAREST, 14 November 2020 – The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) has formally opened a special election assessment mission (SEAM) for the 6 December parliamentary elections in Romania. The deployment follows an official invitation from the Romanian authorities...
Impunity for human rights abuses in Belarus must end, OSCE human rights office says
Publishing date: 13 November 2020
WARSAW, 13 November 2020 – As pervasive violations of OSCE commitments and international human rights obligations in Belarus continue, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) calls on the country’s authorities to end impunity of those responsible for human rights violations, up to and including deaths, and hold them to account...
OSCE leading by example in prevention of human trafficking within supply chains
Publishing date: 13 November 2020
The risks surrounding procuring goods and services produced by trafficked persons were the focus of the OSCE virtually held workshop on 13 November 2020...
OSCE Mission to Montenegro completes two training sessions as part of “LIVE” programme
Publishing date: 10 November 2020
As part of the “Leaders against Intolerance and Violent Extremism – LIVE” programme, the OSCE Mission to Montenegro, together with Forum MNE, conducted two online training workshops for seven young participants from several Montenegrin cities from 7 to 11 September and 2 to 6 November 2020...
Implementation of electoral recommendations in the Western Balkans discussed at OSCE/ODIHR regional conference
Publishing date: 10 November 2020
The follow-up to the recommendations of election observation missions in the Western Balkans topped the agenda of an online conference organized by the OSCE Office Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) on 10 November 2020. The conference focused on the extent and modalities of the
Leaders of election mission to Georgia concerned about recent protests, urge restraint
Publishing date: 9 November 2020
COPENHAGEN, 9 November 2020 – Following reports of protests against the results of the 31 October parliamentary elections and clashes with the police in recent days in Tbilisi, Georgia, OSCE Special Co-ordinator and leader of the short-term OSCE election mission Elona Gjebrea Hoxha (MP, Albania) and Head of the OSCE PA Delegation Pia Kauma (MP, Finland) called on the protesters to refrain from violence and on the authorities to respect the fundamental freedoms of assembly and expression...