News and press releases

Bosnia and Herzegovina’s 2024 local elections were competitive and efficiently managed, but took place in an environment lacking social and political cohesion. Extensive legal reforms increased the integrity of the process, but the scope of the changes, combined with time pressure and inadequate resources, made its implementation challenging.

Azerbaijan’s 2024 early presidential and early parliamentary elections took place in a restrictive environment marred by the absence of genuine political alternatives and a lack of political will to bring the country’s elections closer in line with international standards and OSCE commitments.

WARSAW, 28 February 2025 – The Law on the Special Registry and Publicity of the Work of Non-Profit Organizations adopted last night by the parliament of Republika Srpska does not meet international human rights standards or the commitments of Bosnia and Herzegovina as an OSCE participating State, the Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) Maria Telalian and OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media (RFoM) Jan Braathu said today.

Uzbekistan's 2024 parliamentary elections were technically well prepared, but the political environment limited genuine voter choice. While there have been some positive developments in the electoral framework, these elections faced significant challenges in meeting international standards for democratic elections. All five registered political parties campaigned under equal conditions, but their campaigns were low key and avoided challenging the ruling party's policies or each other. Media restrictions further constrained voters' access to diverse viewpoints. Election day was calm and orderly, but it was marked by numerous violations and procedural problems.

WARSAW, 24 February 2025 – As we mark the third year since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, efforts to uphold justice and achieve accountability remain crucial for a just and lasting peace, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) said today.

HELSINKI/VALLETTA/BERN, 24 February 2025 – Today, the OSCE Troika – Chairperson-in-Office of the OSCE and Foreign Minister of Finland Elina Valtonen, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tourism of Malta Ian Borg, and Federal Councillor and Head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of Switzerland Ignazio Cassis – made the following statement:

With the support of the OSCE Mission to Skopje, the Parliament is making tangible progress toward equality between women and men, introducing new policies, strengthening oversight and advancing structural reforms. On 11 February, the Parliamentary Committee on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men