News and press releases
News and press releases from the OSCE's global activities.
Slovenia’s legal framework provides sound basis for democratic elections, some aspects could benefit from further review, says ODIHR final report
Publishing date: 7 February 2012
Slovenia’s early parliamentary polls in December showed that the legislative framework provided a sound basis for the conduct of democratic elections, although certain aspects could benefit from further review, the ODIHR final report says...
OSCE Special Representative meets Russian journalists to discuss media role in combating human trafficking
Publishing date: 6 February 2012
MOSCOW, 6 February 2012- The OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings Maria Grazia Giammarinaro met prominent Russian journalists in Moscow today to discuss the role of the media in the fight against human trafficking in the OSCE region. The meeting was organized by the Russian Union of Journalists in co-operation with the Office of the Special Representative...
OSCE High Commissioner discusses responsibility to protect and conflict prevention
Publishing date: 6 February 2012
The OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities Knut Vollebaek addressed a conference on “R2P: The Next Decade”, which was held on 18 January 2012 to mark the tenth anniversary of the concept of the responsibility to protect...
ODIHR report says Croatia’s December elections pluralistic and transparent, recommends improvements to legal framework and compilation of voter lists
Publishing date: 3 February 2012
Croatia’s parliamentary elections on 4 December 2011 were pluralistic and administered transparently but further steps should be taken to improve the legal framework and the compilation of voter lists, concludes ODIHR's final report...
OSCE PA human rights chair welcomes release of Zhovtis: Mecacci calls on Kazakhstan to release all political prisoners
Publishing date: 1 February 2012
COPENHAGEN, 1 February 2012 – OSCE Parliamentary Assembly human rights committee chair Matteo Mecacci (Italy) today welcomed the news that Kazakhstani authorities are set to release imprisoned human rights defender Yvgeny Zhovtis under a general amnesty later this month...
OSCE rights chief welcomes decision to release Zhovtis, but expresses concern about clampdown on Kazakh opposition
Publishing date: 1 February 2012
WARSAW, 1 February 2012 – Ambassador Janez Lenarčič, the Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), today welcomed the decision by a court in Ust-Kamenogorsk to release prominent human rights defender Yevgeniy Zhovtis, but expressed concern about the continuing clampdown on opposition activities in Kazakhstan in the wake of December’s violence in Zhanaozen and parliamentary elections held earlier this month...
Serbian translation of manual on police and Roma and Sinti presented in Belgrade
Publishing date: 1 February 2012
The Serbian version of an OSCE manual on good practices in building trust and understanding between police and Roma and Sinti communities was launched on 1 February 2012 in Belgrade. It will be disseminated among staff of Serbian institutions, notably the Interior Ministry, to be used in their work...