News and press releases

SKOPJE, 23 October 2021 — OSCE Secretary General Helga Maria Schmid concluded her two-day visit to North Macedonia today. She congratulated the country on its 2023 OSCE Chairpersonship and offered full support in preparing for and exercising this important responsibility.

Summary In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded 169 ceasefire violations, including 70 explosions. In the previous reporting period, it recorded 120 ceasefire violations in the region. In Luhansk region, the Mission recorded 71 ceasefire violations, including 39 explosions. In the previous reporting

On 20 and 21 October 2021, the OSCE convened the first meeting of the Multi-Agency Committee in Montenegro established as part of its project, Enhancing Criminal Justice Capacities for Combating Gender-based Violence in South-Eastern Europe, which is run by the OSCE’s Strategic Police Matters Unit.

BELGRADE, 22 October 2021 – A regional expert conference on achievements and challenges in improving victims’ rights, organized by the OSCE Mission to Serbia with the support of the European Union, took place today, in Belgrade.

ATHENS, 22 October 2021 – Speaking today at the European Conference of Presidents of Parliament in Athens, OSCE Parliamentary President Margareta Cederfelt (Sweden) called for greater attention to the OSCE from national parliaments and governments. She highlighted next month’s UN Climate Change Conference as an example of how countries need to work closely together to meet global problems, and stressed that despite recent setbacks and challenges in the international arena, there is a need for more solidarity and co-operation, not a retreat to unilateralism.

Beneficial ownership information is one of the most important tools in combating corruption, enhancing transparency, and strengthening accountability. On 22 October 2021, the OSCE, the Open Government Partnership (OGP) and the German Corporation for International Cooperation (GIZ) held a virtual workshop focused on strengthening mechanisms to enhance beneficial ownership transparency and ensuring that beneficial ownership data in South-Eastern Europe is accurate, reliable and up to date.

International best practices in developing strategies and promoting energy diplomacy in the oil and gas sector were the focus of an OSCE-organized online seminar held on 21 and 22 October 2021.