News and press releases

BANJA LUKA, 28 October 2025 – The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) today opened an observation mission for the 23 November early election of the president of Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina, following an invitation from the national authorities.

A five-day national simulation-based training on combating trafficking in persons kicked off on 27 October 2025 in Safed-Dara, Tajikistan. The event is co-organized by the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) under its EU funded PROTECT initiative within the framework of GLO.ACT programme, and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Mission in Tajikistan under the project “Improved Prosecution of Trafficking in Persons and Victim Support Phase II.”

On 21-22 October, the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan, together with the National Center for Human Rights and Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan, held a two-day training course in Tashkent titled “Combating Violence Against Women through Intervention with Domestic

From 20–24 October 2025, a study visit to Türkiye, organized by the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe, marked a significant step in enhancing cross-border co-operation between Tajikistan and Türkiye. A delegation of five border security officials from Tajikistan visited Istanbul and Ankara to observe best practices and innovative approaches employed by Turkish border agencies.

Two parallel training courses on firefighting and first aid were organized for members of the Armed Forces of Montenegro, focusing on fire suppression techniques, the use of specialized vehicles and modern equipment, and the provision of first aid. The courses were supported by the OSCE Mission to Montenegro and the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB).

Energy experts and decision-makers from South-Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean met in Vienna on 15-16 October for an OSCE Regional Workshop on “Building Energy Systems Resilience: Science-based Decisions to Face Future Risks and Extreme Weather”. The event equipped participants with detailed

The Head of the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ambassador Rick Holtzapple, conducted a two-day visit to Canton 10 and Una-Sana Canton, meeting with various political leaders, local government officials, civil society actors, and community representatives. The visit reinforced the Mission’s commitment to supporting good governance, democratic processes, the rule of law, human rights, and trust-building efforts across Bosnia and Herzegovina.