News and press releases

Experts from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) visited Vienna on 12 and 13 September 2018 to present ODIHR’s  final report on the 15 October 2017 early parliamentary elections in Austria. The report’s findings and recommendations were presented at an expert

Good practices for promoting tolerance and non-discrimination and the challenges that civil society may face in this work were the subject of an event held on 13 September 2018 by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) on the margins of the Human Dimension

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, compared with the previous reporting period. The Mission recorded ceasefire violations near the Zolote and Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement areas. It observed multiple launch rocket systems in violation of agreed withdrawal lines near Khrustalnyi. The Mission’s access remained restricted in the disengagement areas, as well as again near Verkhnoshyrokivske.* The SMM continued to facilitate the process of restarting operations at the Donetsk Filtration Station, following a power outage. The SMM continued to monitor repairs and maintenance work to water infrastructure in Stanytsia Luhanska and near Zolote, Artema and Krasnyi Lyman. In Kyiv, the SMM monitored a trial hearing of five former “Berkut” members accused of murder related to events at Maidan in 2014.

NICOSIA, 13 September 2018 – OSCE Acting Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings Valiant Richey conducted an official visit to Cyprus this week, praised Cyprus for its progress in combating human trafficking and encouraged more multi-agency co-ordination...

Existing regional processes to control the trade of equipment that was designed or can be used for torture or other ill-treatment was the focus of an event organized by the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the Omega Research Foundation on 12 September 2018, during the

YEREVAN, 13 September 2018 – Concluding a two-day visit to Armenia, OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President George Tsereteli (MP, Georgia) welcomed the ongoing efforts to implement electoral reforms in the country, urging broad political consensus for any changes to the electoral system. He reiterated the OSCE and the Parliamentary Assembly’s commitment to supporting Armenia’s continued democratic development...

The 10th annual OSCE regional workshop on explosive hazards reduction and response in Central Asia concluded in Astana on 13 September 2018. This year, the event focused on the emerging threat posed by Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and best practices in countering them...