News and press releases

The role of the People’s Advocate (Ombudsperson) of the Republic of Moldova in the democratic oversight of the security sector was at the centre of roundtable discussions held in Chisinau on 10 July. Forty participants took part in the event, including representatives of the security sector, government oversight bodies and civil society.

Within the framework of the pilot initiative “Fire Resilient Protected Areas: Shar/Šara Mountains and Korab Massif Area”, the OSCE has donated fire suppression equipment to five park management authorities in the four protected areas of Korab-Koritnik, Mavrovo, Shar Mountain and Sharri/Šara during the period April-June 2024. The donation is part of OSCE initiatives to strengthen regional co-operation in tackling wildfire risks in the shared hotspot Shar/Šara Mountains and Korab Massif Area where forest fires were identified as one of the main climate-related security threats.

Today, OSCE Secretary General Helga Maria Schmid acknowledged the remarkable achievements of OSCE staff in advancing gender equality and empowering women in the Organization at the fifth award ceremony held at the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna.

An OSCE-organized training seminar on establishing press services of state institutions and organizing their work took place on 9 and 10 July 2024 in Ashgabat. The two-day seminar exposed representatives of key government bodies and national media to  best communications practices of state

From 30 June to 5 July, the OSCE`s Transnational Threats Department, in co-operation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Estonia, organized a study visit on Cybersecurity in Estonia for representatives from Eastern Europe and the South Caucasus.

WARSAW/VIENNA, 9 July 2024 – In a new legal analysis of Uzbekistan's draft information code, Matteo Mecacci, the Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and Teresa Ribeiro, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media (RFoM), noted that while the code contains positive elements, it also includes provisions that need improvement to meet international standards and OSCE commitments on freedom of expression and media freedom.

On 4 and 5 July, the OSCE facilitated a training course to enhance the knowledge and skills of criminal justice practitioners from Moldova on investigative techniques in corruption cases. The training course was jointly delivered by practitioners from Guardia di Finanza – Italy’s economic and financial police, the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office of Moldova, and the Romanian National Anti-Corruption Directorate, allowing participants to learn about different models, legal bases and mechanisms in investigating corruption. Special focus was put on Guardia di Finanza’s “follow-the-money” approach, which traces the movement of funds to determine the source and destination of potentially illicit funds.