News and press releases

The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (Mission) urges Republika Srpska to uphold the rule of law and abide by the final and binding decisions of the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Mission further condemns the glorification of war criminals and all demonstrations of

HELSINKI/VIENNA, 1 January 2025 – Today, Finland takes over the OSCE Chairpersonship with a focus on upholding OSCE principles, supporting Ukraine, and strengthening the Organization’s resilience in order to address complex security challenges.

Statement of the OSCE Mission to BiH following the femicide in Ključ

Statement of the OSCE Mission to BiH following the Republika Srpska National Assembly conclusions adopted at the 16th special session

WARSAW, 20 December 2024 – In its final report on the observation of the 26 October parliamentary elections in Georgia, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) reiterates its earlier findings and conclusions. The elections took place amidst serious concerns about the impact of recently adopted legislation on fundamental freedoms and civil society, steps to diminish the independence of institutions involved in the election process, and pressure on voters, which combined with election day practices compromised the ability of some voters to cast their vote without fear of retribution. In its assessment of post-election developments and complaints, ODIHR found that cases were not considered sufficiently, limiting legal remedies, and the forcible suppression of protests and numerous arrests caused grave concerns about compliance with international commitments to freedom of peaceful assembly.

On 17 and 18 December, the OSCE Transnational Threats Department and the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities hosted the Tenth Annual General Meeting of the Permanent Conference of Organized Crime Prosecutors (PCOCP) at the Hofburg in Vienna. The event brought together senior prosecutors, judges, legal experts, and representatives from 14 participating States from across Europe and South-Eastern Europe to enhance informal and formal international collaboration against transnational organized crime.

On 6-7 December 2024, the 10th Annual Conference of the Kyrgyz Association of Women Judges took place in Aral village, Chui Province, Kyrgyzstan. Themed “Strengthening Legal Justice: Access to Free Legal Aid, Support for Women in the Judiciary, and Prevention of Gender-Based Violence”, the conference convened legal professionals and experts from Central Asia to address pressing issues related to justice reform and gender equality.