News and press releases
News and press releases from the OSCE's global activities.
OSCE/ODIHR promotes strengthening of Armenia’s judiciary
Publishing date: 12 April 2013
Strengthening the independence, accountability and professionalism of judges was the focus of a two-day roundtable organized by the OSCE Office in Yerevan, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the Council of Europe on 11 and 12 April 2013 in the Armenian capital...
OSCE human rights office calls for greater efforts to ensure security for Roma and Sinti communities
Publishing date: 8 April 2013
CAMBRIDGE, United States, 8 April 2013 – Greater efforts have to be made by states to combat discrimination and violence against Roma and Sinti, as well as to promote the integration of their communities, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights said today, on the occasion of International Roma Day...
Second round of municipal elections well administered and highly competitive, but lack of level playing field persists, observers say
Publishing date: 8 April 2013
SKOPJE, 8 April 2013 – As in the first round of voting, the second round of municipal elections in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia was highly competitive and well administered, but partisan media coverage and a blurring of state and party activities led, again, to the lack of a level playing field, international observers from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) concluded in a statement issued today...
Montenegro election professionally and efficiently administered, but allegations of misuse of state resources persist, observers say
Publishing date: 8 April 2013
PODGORICA, 8 April 2013 – Montenegro’s presidential election on 7 April was professionally and efficiently administered, but allegations of the misuse of state resources and a blurring of the line between state activities and candidate campaigning continued to be at odds with OSCE commitments and Council of Europe standards, international observers said in a statement issued today...
OSCE/ODIHR Election Observation Mission in Skopje to hold press conference on Monday
Publishing date: 5 April 2013
SKOPJE, 5 April 2013 – The Election Observation Mission from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) monitoring the municipal elections in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia will present its preliminary statement for the second round of the elections at a news conference on Monday, 8 April, in Skopje...
Municipal elections efficiently administered and highly competitive, but playing field not always level, observers say
Publishing date: 25 March 2013
SKOPJE, 25 March 2013 – The municipal elections in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia were highly competitive and efficiently administered, but partisan media coverage and a blurring of state and party activities did not always provide a level playing field, international observers from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the Council of Europe's Congress of Local and Regional Authorities concluded in a statement issued today...
Joint Statement on International Day for Elimination of Racial Discrimination
Publishing date: 21 March 2013
VIENNA, WARSAW, STRASBOURG, 21 March 2013 – The social fallout from the ongoing global economic crisis must not become an excuse to allow racism and prejudice to go unchecked, said Morten Kjaerum, Director of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), Ambassador Janez Lenarčič, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), and Eva Smith Asmussen, Chair of the Council of Europe's European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI), in a joint statement to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination...