News and press releases

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.

Following an invitation to observe local government elections in Albania scheduled for 8 May 2011, ODIHR will send a needs assessment mission to the country from 17 to 21 January.

Following an invitation to observe the parliamentary elections in Estonia scheduled for 6 March 2011, ODIHR will send a needs assessment mission to the country on 10-13 January.

VIENNA, 5 January 2011 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Dunja Mijatovic, called today for an end to the attacks on independent media in Belarus and urged authorities to immediately release imprisoned journalists...

The OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Audronius Ažubalis, reiterated in a meeting on 5 January 2010 in Vilnius that he considers it crucial that the Organization be able to continue operating a field operation in Belarus.