News and press releases

From September 25 to 27, fifteen participants from various OSCE participating States met in in Gdansk, Poland, for training session on adult education techniques. The objective was to equip participants with the necessary skills to educate others in their countries and across the OSCE region on topics such as virtual asset regulation, compliance, co-operation, and investigations. The event, organized by the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities (OCEEA), brought together participants from diverse backgrounds to build their capacity as future trainers. It was hosted by University of Gdansk, and facilitated by General Inspector of Financial Information of Poland.

Strengthening the capacity of local self-government officials to develop youth action plans that support youth participation in local communities is the focus of a training session organized by the OSCE Mission to Montenegro and the Ministry of Sports and Youth in Kolašin from 25 to 27 September.

On 25 September 2024, the OSCE Presence in Albania started a two-day training for the Albanian State Police on environmental enforcement and investigation techniques. The training brought together 17 police officers from all 12 regional directorate of police across Albania which cover criminal

From 18 to 24 September, the OSCE’s Transnational Threats Department held a training course on gender-responsive policing of violence against women and girls in Idrizovo, North Macedonia.

TASHKENT, 25 September 2024- The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) today opened an election observation mission for the 27 October parliamentary elections in Uzbekistan, following an official invitation from the national authorities.

The equipment will increase the weapons and explosives detection capacities of various agencies across BiH, including the BiH Border Police, the State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA), the Police of Brčko District BiH, the Republika Srpska Ministry of Interior, the Federal Police Administration, as well as the Ministries of Interior of the Tuzla Canton, Una-Sana Canton, and Zenica-Doboj Canton.

North Macedonia’s 2024 presidential and early parliamentary elections were competitive, and voters had the opportunity to make informed choices. However, while the legal framework provides the basis for democratic elections, it lacks sufficient regulation for a presidential contest, and recent changes introduced without sufficient transparency and public consultation. Election day was assessed positively overall, with voting procedures largely respected, although some election boards did not fully follow procedures during the count. Rules creating a direct link between public financing of campaigns and media opportunities for candidates disproportionately favoured the major political parties.