News and press releases

SARAJEVO, 12 November 2024 — OSCE Chair-in-Office, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign and European Affairs and Trade of Malta Ian Borg, concluded his visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina yesterday, reaffirming the OSCE's unwavering commitment to supporting the country and highlighting the added value of the OSCE’s wide field presence on the ground.

On 30 October 2024, the OSCE Transnational Threats Department and the Office of the Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings hosted a workshop on “Addressing trafficking in persons belonging to minorities through strengthened police-public partnerships.” The event aimed to deepen understanding on specific challenges victims of trafficking belonging to minorities face when accessing protection services, assistance and legal remedies.

Election experts from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) presented the final report and recommendations of the observation mission to the June local elections in Serbia during a visit to Belgrade from 23 to 26 September 2024.

WASHINGTON D.C., 6 November 2024 – Engagement was high across the political spectrum in yesterday’s US elections that underscored the resilience of the country’s democratic institutions. The presidential vote was highly competitive, but the campaign was marked by deep polarization and harsh and confrontational rhetoric, while public trust was undermined by disinformation campaigns and political violence, international observers said in a statement today.

SKOPJE, 5 November 2024 — Organized crime poses an urgent threat in South-Eastern Europe, with illegal arms trafficking and migrant smuggling jeopardizing regional and global security. To confront these issues and drive concerted action across the region, the OSCE Mission to Skopje, in co-operation with EU4FAST, is hosting a High-Level Police and Customs Co-operation Conference in Skopje from 5 to 7 November.

CHISINAU, 4 November 2024 – The 3 November second round of Moldova’s presidential election was administered efficiently and professionally, and offered voters a choice between genuine political alternatives, international observers said in a statement of preliminary findings and conclusions today. Candidates were able to campaign freely, but the quiet, ten-day campaign was marked by an increase in negative rhetoric from across the political spectrum targeting both contestants, often spread through online social networks. The challenges posed by foreign interference and vote-buying continued to reverberate during the run-off campaign, the statement says.

On 1 November 2024, the OSCE Presence hosted an insightful meeting of the International Election Working Group with some main civil society organizations actively working on elections.