News and press releases

Training on human rights and related issues for prison officers in Kyrgyzstan concluded successfully on 26 January 2011 in Bishkek. The series of lectures for prison personnel from the National Penitentiary Service (GSIN) focussed on developing the officers’ understanding of the importance of enforcing basic human rights standards in the penitentiary system...

Weapons of mass destruction present a serious challenge to international peace and security. Stopping their proliferation requires a co-ordinated and comprehensive international response. United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1540 requires all states to contribute to putting in place the necessary structures to prevent the proliferation of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons, including their means of delivery...

The early parliamentary elections in Moldova on 28 November were well administered and offered voters a genuine choice, while the media provided a broad range of political views and election-related information, says the final report released by ODIHR on 26 January...

Serious efforts are needed to create a competitive environment for genuine elections with equal and fair conditions for all candidates, says the final report on the 7 November parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan published by ODIHR on 25 January...

The OSCE Presence in Albania, the U.S. Embassy in Tirana and the Head of Delegation of the European Union in Tirana issued the following statement on 21 January 2011:

A two-day workshop in Warsaw on 18-19 January will examine the role of trade unions in combating forced labour and human trafficking.

Ambassador Janez Lenarčič took part in a conference in St. Petersburg, Russia, on 18 January that focused on the relationship between international election standards and national election systems. The conference was organized by the Inter-parliamentary Assembly of the Commonwealth of Independent States.