News and press releases
News and press releases from the OSCE's global activities.
OSCE Mission to Moldova trains law students to raise awareness about free legal aid
Publishing date: 30 June 2017
The OSCE Mission to Moldova held a training event on raising awareness about free legal aid for 21 law students from Balti, Cahul and Chisinau on 26 and 27 June 2017. As a result of the event, held at Vadul-lui-Vodă, participants will go on to organize a series of public events in rural areas addressing the most widespread legal issues facing vulnerable members of the community...
OSCE/ODIHR and Polish Foreign Ministry sign host country agreement
Publishing date: 28 June 2017
WARSAW, 28 June 2017 – Witold Waszczykowski, Poland’s Minster of Foreign Affairs, and Michael Georg Link, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), signed an agreement today establishing relations with the OSCE within Poland, including the legal basis for ODIHR’s operations in the country...
EU Commissioner Hahn, ODIHR Director Link launch project supporting democratic elections in Western Balkans
Publishing date: 27 June 2017
Brussels, 27 June 2017 − Today, the EU Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn and the Director of OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) Michael Georg Link launched a new project to support democratic elections in the Western Balkans...
Contestants campaigned freely, fundamental freedoms respected in Albania elections, but politicized election administration reduced trust in process, international observers say
Publishing date: 26 June 2017
TIRANA, 26 June 2017 – The 25 June parliamentary elections in Albania took place following a political agreement between the leaders of the Socialist Party (SP) and Democratic Party (DP) that secured the participation of the opposition. Electoral contestants were able to campaign freely and fundamental freedoms of assembly and expression were respected. The implementation of the political agreement, however, created challenges for the election administration and resulted in a selective and inconsistent application of the law, international observers concluded in a statement today.
Ensuring freedom of religion or belief and tolerance and non-discrimination for all is vital to security, say participants at OSCE meeting in Vienna
Publishing date: 22 June 2017
VIENNA, 22 June 2017 – Freedom of religion or belief, and tolerance and non-discrimination are essential to ensuring peace and security in the OSCE region, participants said today at the opening of a two-day OSCE Supplementary Human Dimension Meeting in Vienna...
OSCE/ODIHR final report on Turkey’s constitutional referendum recommends reviewing legal framework to secure fundamental rights and freedoms
Publishing date: 22 June 2017
The final report by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) on Turkey’s 16 April 2017 constitutional referendum, published on 22 June 2017, recommends reviewing the legal framework to guarantee respect for fundamental rights and freedoms. Free and equal participation of
Press Statement of Special Representative of OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Sajdik after meeting of Trilateral Contact Group on 21 June 2017
Publishing date: 22 June 2017
MINSK, 22 June 2017 – The Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office in Ukraine and in the Trilateral Contact Group (TCG), Ambassador Martin Sajdik, made the following statement to the press after the meeting of the TCG and its working groups in Minsk on 21 June 2017...