News and press releases

The OSCE Transnational Threats Department held a two-week training course on detecting forged documents and impostors at border crossing points for the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine (SBGS) in Krakow, Poland, from 24 February to 7 March. The course enhanced the knowledge of 28 Ukrainian border guards on international document standards, security features, printing techniques, and emerging trends in the forgery of travel documents.

On 28 February 2025, the International Round Table “Improving the Effectiveness of the Justice System in Kazakhstan: Achievements and Initiatives” took place in Astana. The event was organized under the extrabudgetary project “Improving the Effectiveness of the Justice System in Kazakhstan”, funded by Poland, Norway, and the U.S., in close co-operation with Kazakhstan’s judicial system and co-organized by the Supreme Court and Court Administration of Kazakhstan. The round table gathered over 100 participants, including high-level representatives from the judiciary, government bodies, international organizations, and academia, to discuss key developments and future initiatives in the justice sector.

The Concept Paper outlines a phased plan for establishing a UAV Training Center in Lenger, Kazakhstan (Lenger UAV Center of Excellence). The development of this center is a key initiative to modernize border control operations and improve the efficiency of Kazakhstan’s Border Service. The project builds on previous technical assessments and capacity-building activities supported by the OSCE.

Bosnia and Herzegovina’s 2024 local elections were competitive and efficiently managed, but took place in an environment lacking social and political cohesion. Extensive legal reforms increased the integrity of the process, but the scope of the changes, combined with time pressure and inadequate resources, made its implementation challenging.

The 63rd round of the Geneva International Discussions (GID) took place on 4 and 5 March 2025 in Palais des Nations in accordance with the six-point agreement of 12 August 2008 and implementing measures of 8 September 2008.

Azerbaijan’s 2024 early presidential and early parliamentary elections took place in a restrictive environment marred by the absence of genuine political alternatives and a lack of political will to bring the country’s elections closer in line with international standards and OSCE commitments.

An OSCE-organized regional workshop on the management of border crossing points located along transit corridors in Central Asia, held in a blended format, took place from 4 to 6 March 2025 in Ashgabat. The workshop brought together, online and in-person, officials from the five Central Asian