News and press releases
News and press releases from the OSCE's global activities.
Voters in Georgia’s presidential election had a genuine choice and candidates campaigned freely, but on an unlevel playing field, international observers say
Publishing date: 29 October 2018
TBILISI, 29 October 2018 – Georgia’s 28 October presidential election was competitive and professionally administered. Candidates were able to campaign freely and voters had a genuine choice, although there were instances of the misuse of state resources, and the involvement of senior state officials from the ruling party in campaigning was not always in line with the law, the international observers concluded in a preliminary statement released today. A substantial imbalance in donations and excessively high spending limits further contributed to an unlevel playing field, the statement says...
OSCE concludes training seminar in Kazakhstan on countering cybercrime
Publishing date: 29 October 2018
An OSCE-supported five-day training seminar on countering cybercrime for representatives of Kazakhstan’s governmental institutions and law-enforcement agencies concluded on 26 October 2018 in Astana...
Combatting illicit trafficking in cultural property focus of OSCE-organized Turkmen-Afghan workshop in Turkmenistan
Publishing date: 29 October 2018
An OSCE-organized joint Turkmen-Afghan workshop on combating illicit trafficking in cultural property concluded on 25 October 2018 in Ashgabat.
OSCE organizes intensive training course in Madrid on border management for its Mediterranean Points of Contact Network
Publishing date: 29 October 2018
Members of the OSCE Mediterranean Points of Contact Network on border security and management completed an intensive and interactive five-day training course on various topics related to migration and border security. The course was held from 22 to 26 October 2018 at the premises of the International Co-operation Division of the Spanish National Police in Madrid...
OSCE/ODIHR Director condemns deadly attack on Pittsburgh synagogue, calls on all political leaders to speak out against anti-Semitism and all forms of intolerance and discrimination
Publishing date: 28 October 2018
WARSAW, 28 October 2018 – Ingibjörg Sólrún Gísladóttir, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), today joined United States and international leaders in condemning Saturday’s attack on a Pittsburg synagogue and offering condolences to the families of 11 people killed in the shooting.
Media freedom Representative welcomes Irish referendum result on blasphemy law, urges decriminalization across OSCE region
Publishing date: 28 October 2018
VIENNA, 28 October 2018 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Désir today welcomed the results of yesterday’s referendum in Ireland calling for a removal of blasphemy provisions from the national Constitution.
Spot report by the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM): SMM long-range unmanned aerial vehicle goes missing over non-government-controlled area in Donetsk region
Publishing date: 27 October 2018
At 01:18 on 27 October, while flying over an area near Kalynove (non-government-controlled, 72km east of Donetsk), an SMM long-range unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) spotted a surface-to-air missile system (9K33 Osa) and a fuel truck east of Nyzhnokrynske (non-government-controlled, 66km east of Donetsk).