News and press releases

On 15 December 2021, a meeting dedicated to the 10th anniversary of Mobile Police Receptions (MPR) entitled "Activities of MPR units and social partnership with the population" took place at the Academy of the Ministry of the Interior of the Kyrgyz Republic.

WARSAW, 17 December 2021- As the world nears the end of a second year marked by the Covid-19 pandemic, we see clearly that its impact has hit the most vulnerable hardest, with many migrants who were already facing challenges to access their basic rights now having greater difficulty in accessing employment, education, housing, and even the right to international protection, said the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights on the eve of International Migrants Day.

A three-day online training course on “Strengthening Capacities of the Service on Countering Illicit Drug Trafficking of the Ministry of Interior of the Kyrgyz Republic in Combating the Spread of Illicit Drugs Facilitated by the Internet” concluded on 15 December 2021 in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.

Four OSCE diplomats received the OSCE’s White Ribbon award for their work promoting gender equality. The awards went to Annika Söder (Sweden), Marina Wyss (Switzerland), Fiel Vanthemsche (Belgium) and Sebastian Gahnström (Finland). The winners were announced in Vienna on 9 December and the awards were handed over at the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna on 16 December 2021.

The OSCE Centre in Ashgabat conducted an online lecture series to support the education of future diplomats in Turkmenistan, which concluded today in Ashgabat.

Forensic science plays an increasingly larger role in criminal investigations. Joint forensic work on projects and cases with a regional character are crucial in combating organized crime. This was the conclusion of the sixth annual regional meeting of forensic centres, held in hybrid format, in Podgorica on 9 and 10 December 2021.

WASHINGTON/ANKARA/VIENNA,10 DECEMBER 2021- As we mark International Human Rights Day, much of the world is still reeling from the COVID-19 pandemic. A new variant and increased cases have led many OSCE participating States to reimpose restrictions reminiscent of the conditions under which we commemorated this important anniversary a year ago. The pandemic has exacerbated our task of preserving and defending human rights around the world. It has further widened the political and partisan divides and fueled conspiracy theories that target minorities and persons in vulnerable situations. Some nations, while citing the necessity of measures to control the spread of the virus, have used it as a pretext for disproportionate security responses and repressive measures that undermine human rights, including the freedom of religion or belief.