News and press releases

From 22 to 24 May 2023, six prominent Ukrainian women peacebuilders, civil society representatives and mediators gathered in Vienna to discuss actions required to support women's leadership and participation in all decision-making processes. After two online meetings, this was the first in-person gathering of the group, organized by the Gender Issues Program in the Office of the Secretary General within the framework of the WIN-supported OSCE Networking Platform of Women Peace Leaders, including Peacebuilders and Mediators launched by Secretary General Helga Maria Schmid in December 2021.

SARAJEVO, 26 May 2023 – In response to the recent passing of the draft amendments to the Criminal Code of Republika Srpska, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHIR) raised concerns about their compatibility with the right to freedom of expression.

A five-day train-the-trainers course (ToT) for twelve staff members (seven women and five men) of the Women’s Resource Centres (WRC) concluded on 19 May 2023 in Dushanbe. The ToT provided the participants with skills and knowledge on how to promote harmony within vulnerable families and help reduce violence through a combination of gender norms, behavioural change and income-generating activities. The OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe organized the ToT with the financial support of the United States of America, Finland, Norway Germany and Andorra.

What procedures need to be followed in drafting primary legislation and what steps Parliament should take in considering proposed legislation – were the topics discussed at the workshop on practices of democratic law making and Parliament’s oversight role, organized by the OSCE Mission to Montenegro on 24 and 25 May in Podgorica.

On 25 May 2023, the OSCE Transnational Threats Department and the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities, in co-operation with implementing partner Terre des Hommes Moldova, held a multi-stakeholder event in Chisinau, Moldova to present and discuss the findings of the OSCE needs assessment on youth crime prevention in the country.

Twenty specialists and practitioners of the military, law enforcement, and security services from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan completed a five-day Regional Explosive Hazards Awareness and Reduction course in Tashkent on 19 May 2023.

On 22 – 24 May 2023, the OSCE Secretariat’s Transnational Threats Department conducted a national table-top exercise in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan on countering the use of the internet for terrorist purposes while respecting human rights. The exercise was organized together with the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat.