News and press releases

VIENNA, 7 December 2017- On the occasion of the OSCE Ministerial Council Meeting in Vienna, we the Heads of Delegation of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair countries-- Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation Sergei Lavrov, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, and French Permanent Representative Véronique Roger-Lacan-- remain united in our commitment to mediating a peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict on the basis of the core principles of the Helsinki Final Act, including the non-use of force or threat of force, territorial integrity, and the equal rights and self-determination of peoples. We reiterate our joint commitment to negotiating a peaceful resolution to this conflict as the only way to bring real reconciliation to the peoples of the region...

Effective methods, tools and skills for communicating about human rights issues in the digital age were the focus of a capacity-building event for human rights defenders from across the OSCE region, which took place in Budapest from 5 to 7 December 2017. The event was organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), in partnership with the Central European University.

VIENNA, 7 December 2017 – Addressing foreign ministers at the OSCE’s 24th Ministerial Council in Vienna today, Parliamentary Assembly President George Tsereteli (MP, Georgia) noted the value and potential of the OSCE, stressing that governments should ensure that the organization is fully equipped to handle challenges facing the region.

Representatives of law-enforcement bodies and prison officials involved in providing psychological support to inmates discussed the main principles of their work and learned from international experts about relevant practices in the OSCE region at an OSCE-organized seminar that concluded in Ashgabat on 7 December 2017.

VIENNA, 7 December 2017 – The OSCE and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) agreed today in Vienna to deepen their co-operation and establish a strategic partnership to promote good governance, connectivity and economic development...

VIENNA, 7 December 2017- The OSCE, now more than ever, is indispensable for security in Europe, said OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and Austria’s Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz at the opening of the 24th Ministerial Council today in Vienna. He reminded the foreign ministers, state secretaries and high-level officials from the OSCE’s 57 participating States and 11 Partners for Co-operation that the security challenges facing the region can only be solved by consensus and overcoming the current crisis in confidence between states...

An OSCE-supported training seminar on gender mainstreaming the work of local governments concluded in Taldykorgan, Kazakhstan, on 5 December 2017.