News and press releases

THE HAGUE, 2 May 2018 – Internationally renowned experts, ministers, OSCE and UN representatives will gather on 31 May in Oslo, Norway, to debate the tools developed and promoted by the OSCE and its partner organizations on language policy as a means of conflict prevention...

The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) organized a study visit for over 70 secondary school students and teachers from Mostar that concluded on 27 April 2018 in Sarajevo. The students visited the BiH Parliamentary Assembly, Central Election Commission and Sarajevo City Hall.

PODGORICA, 16 April 2018 – Fundamental freedoms were respected in the 15 April Montenegro presidential election, although the governing party candidate held an institutional advantage, the international observers concluded in a preliminary statement today. Candidates campaigned freely, and the media provided the contestants with a platform to present their views, but the lack of analytical reporting and absence of the frontrunner in the televised debates reduced voters’ opportunity to make an informed choice, the statement says...

VIENNA, 13 April 2018 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Désir today expressed his concern about a court’s decision to block the Telegram messaging and social networking application in the Russian Federation...

BAKU, 12 April 2018 – The early presidential election in Azerbaijan took place within a restrictive political environment and under laws that curtail fundamental rights and freedoms, which are prerequisites for genuine democratic elections. Against this backdrop and in the absence of pluralism, including in the media, the election lacked genuine competition. Other candidates refrained from directly challenging or criticizing the incumbent, and distinction was not made between his campaign and his official activities, the international observers concluded in a preliminary statement today. At the same time, the authorities were co-operative and international observers were able to operate freely in the pre-election period, and the election administration was well resourced and prepared the election efficiently...

Strategies to effectively address hate crimes were the focus of a training course for civil society representatives and legal professionals working with hate crime victims, organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) in co-operation with Italy’s Catholic

BUDAPEST, 9 April 2018 – Hungary’s 8 April parliamentary elections were characterized by a pervasive overlap between state and ruling party resources, undermining contestants’ ability to compete on an equal basis, the observers from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) concluded in a preliminary statement today. Voters had a wide range of political options, but intimidating and xenophobic rhetoric, media bias and opaque campaign financing constricted the space for genuine political debate, hindering voters’ ability to make a fully informed choice. The technical administration of the elections was professional and transparent, the observers said...