News and press releases
News and press releases from the OSCE's global activities.
OSCE human rights chief voices concern about possible referendum on extension of Kazakh president’s term of office
Publishing date: 13 January 2011
WARSAW, 14 January 2011 – The director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), Ambassador Janez Lenarcic, today expressed concern about reports indicating that Kazakhstan’s parliament decided to open the way for holding a referendum on the extension of the term of office of President Nursultan Nazarbayev...
Press release issued by the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly
Publishing date: 11 January 2011
VIENNA, 11 January 2011- The following is a press release issued by the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly today. The views expressed in this press release do not necessarily reflect those of the OSCE Chairmanship, nor of all OSCE participating States.
Hungarian media law further endangers media freedom, says OSCE media freedom representative
Publishing date: 21 December 2010
VIENNA, 22 December 2010 – Hungary's new media law violates OSCE media freedom standards and endangers editorial independence and media pluralism, Dunja Mijatovic, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, said today...
Belarus still has considerable way to go in meeting OSCE commitments, despite certain improvements, election observers say
Publishing date: 19 December 2010
MINSK, 20 December 2010- Yesterday's presidential election showed that Belarus still has a considerable way to go in meeting its OSCE commitments, although some specific improvements were made, concluded the international observers from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA)...
Ahead of Human Rights Day, OSCE human rights chief, UN Special Rapporteur call for removing undue restrictions on religious freedom
Publishing date: 8 December 2010
VIENNA, 9 December 2010- Janez Lenarcic, the Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), and Heiner Bielefeldt, the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief, today called on states to remove undue restrictions on the fundamental freedom of religion or belief...
Astana declaration adopted at OSCE Summit charts way forward
Publishing date: 2 December 2010
ASTANA, 2 December 2010- The first OSCE Summit in 11 years concluded today with Kazakhstan's President Nursultan Nazarbayev welcoming the work of Heads of State and Government from the 56 OSCE participating States, saying their adoption...
OSCE heads of institutions emphasize importance of rights in discussions on Euro-Atlantic and Eurasian security
Publishing date: 30 November 2010
ASTANA, 1 December 2010- Respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms must underpin sustainable security in the Euro-Atlantic and Eurasian area, emphasized the heads of OSCE institutions on human rights and democratic institutions, media freedom and national minorities at the OSCE Summit which began in Astana today...