News and press releases

The process of drafting and preparing legislation in the Kyrgyz Republic should be more transparent and participatory, said a preliminary assessment presented by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) in Bishkek on 2 June 2014. The presentation was held for representatives of the country’s parliament, the Jogorku Kenesh, and of the government, the presidential administration and civil society.

The meeting, organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), brought together participants from Roma and Sinti civil society organizations and from academia to discuss experiences and good practices within the OSCE area on teaching about the Roma and Sinti genocide during World War II.

The OSCE Centre in Bishkek donated equipment worth 50,000 Euros to the Ilbirs Special Forces under the General Staff of the Kyrgyz Republic on 29 May 2014. The official handover ceremony took place in Osh city and was incorporated into national Armed Forces Day events...

The overall security situation in Donetsk region remains very volatile, with sporadic infighting between various groups. Public security and safety is of the highest concern. The situation in Luhansk region is volatile. Other parts of Ukraine remained calm. SMM has not reestablished contact with the 4 monitors from Donetsk Team, nor with the 4 monitors and interpreter from Luhansk Team with whom it lost contact on 26 May and 29 May respectively.

The unique experiences and challenges confronting women of African descent in the OSCE region was the focus of a two-day workshop organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) in Warsaw on 29-30 May 2014. Twenty-one women from 15 OSCE participating States detailed the issues that women of African descent face on a daily basis, notably the dual challenges of racial and gender discrimination.

The situation in Luhansk and Donetsk remained volatile. Other parts of Ukraine remained calm...

VIENNA, 30 May 2014 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović warned of new acts of violence, detentions, switching-off the channels and refusal of access in Ukraine...