News and press releases

SARAJEVO, 18 May 2023 – A workshop to explore the cross-cutting subject of freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) and freedom of expression (FoE) as they relate to security was organized by the OSCE Mission to BiH (Mission) in Sarajevo today.

On 16 May 2023, the OSCE and regional partners held a seminar in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan for higher education institutions to present the OSCE-developed "Crime Prevention and Culture of Lawfulness" curriculum.

Tirana, 15 May 2023 – Albania’s 14 May local elections were generally well-administered, competitive and held with the participation of the country’s key political forces, but the process was characterized by continued polarization between the two main political parties in the country and deep divisions among the opposition, the international observers said in a statement today. Contestants could campaign freely, but issues of importance for local communities barely featured in the campaigns. Cases of the misuse of public resources at both the national and local levels, allegations of pressure on voters and public sector workers, in particular, and of vote-buying were of concern, the observers said.

ANKARA, 15 May 2023 – Characterized by a high turnout, Türkiye’s general elections were well-managed and offered voters a choice between genuine political alternatives, but the current president and the ruling parties enjoyed an unjustified advantage. Continued restrictions on fundamental freedoms of assembly, association and expression hindered the participation of some opposition politicians and parties, as well as civil society and independent media, international observers said in a statement today.

SARAJEVO, 14 May 2023 — The OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Minister of Foreign Affairs of North Macedonia, Bujar Osmani, concluded a two-day visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH).

VIENNA, 11 May 2023- The current setbacks in media freedom in the OSCE region are not isolated incidents, but are closely linked to the larger political and social contexts in which they occur stated Representative on Freedom of the Media (RFoM) Teresa Ribeiro today during the presentation of her bi-annual report to the OSCE Permanent Council.

The OSCE Mission in Kosovo held yesterday in Gračanica/Graçanicë the first of six workshops with young members of non-majority communities to inform them about employment opportunities available with the Kosovo Police and to familiarize them with recruitment procedures. The workshops will be