News and press releases

The OSCE Programme Office in Nur-Sultan handed over 200 devices for verifying travel document authenticity to the Border Service of the Committee for the National Security of Kazakhstan. The signing of the donation agreement was held on 13 December 2021 in Nur-Sultan. The Border Service will use the devices to identify forged travel documents during border control procedures in border crossing points across the country.

The OSCE Programme Office in Nur-Sultan, in co-operation with the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the Hertie School of Governance in Berlin, organised a Young Policy Advisers Course (PolAd) from 22 to 26 November 2021 in Nur-Sultan.

An OSCE-supported online public discussion on "Analysis of the problem of gender inequality in Kazakhstan" was conducted online on 2 December 2021. The event was organized by the OSCE Programme Office in Nur-Sultan as a part of the international campaign “16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence” in co-operation with the MediaNet International Centre for Journalism.

Committed to advancing participation of youth in crime prevention efforts, the OSCE Transnational Threats Department and the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities — together with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) — launched the project “Enhancing Youth Crime and Drug Use Prevention through Education on Legality and Awareness Campaigns Addressing Threats of Organized Crime and Corruption” on 13 December 2021.

Despite the challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Governing Board of the Regional Youth Cooperation Office (RYCO), under Montenegro’s presidency, delivered their programme for youth in the region in 2021. As it prepares for 2022, RYCO will continue to build up its effectiveness and visibility to provide more opportunities for youth.

The 1st International Forum of Business Ombudspersons “Strengthening Interregional Cooperation and Integrity in Business Sphere” was held in Tashkent on December 14, 2021. The Forum was organized by the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan jointly with the Commissioner under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan for the protection of the rights and legitimate interests of business entities (Business Ombudsman).

A high-level conference on raising awareness on gender inequalities and corruption took place on 10 December 2021, in hybrid format in Tirana. Organized by the OSCE Presence in Albania, the event marked the end of Integrity Week in Albania, which raised awareness of the opportunities that gender-specific approaches to fighting corruption offer to boost socio-economic growth, security, and to consolidate democracy.