News and press releases

WARSAW, 10 December 2020 – On Human Rights Day, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) pays tribute to human rights defenders and many organizations across the OSCE region that have protected our rights throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, and will have a key role to play if the global recovery is to put respect for human rights at its core.

BISHKEK, 9 December 2020 – The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) today opened a limited election observation mission (LEOM) for the 10 January early presidential election in Kyrgyzstan, following an invitation from the national authorities...

NUR-SULTAN, 8 December 2020 – The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) today formally opened a limited election observation mission (LEOM) for the 10 January parliamentary elections in Kazakhstan. The mission’s deployment follows an invitation from the country’s authorities...

BUCHAREST, 7 December 2020 – Romania’s parliamentary elections were well run in adverse circumstances amid a surge in COVID-19 cases, but the late adoption of legislative amendments and some important regulations created uncertainty, international observers from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) said in a statement today.

TIRANA/VIENNA, 4 December 2020 — The appointment of four senior OSCE officials and the adoption of new commitments by States to strengthen the fight against organized crime and corruption as well as preventing torture made this one of the “most productive” Ministerial Councils in many years, said OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Prime Minister and Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of Albania, Edi Rama, at the close of the 27th OSCE Ministerial Council.

TIRANA 3 December 2020 – The role of history education in fostering social cohesion in diverse societies was the focus of a side event held via video teleconferencing today on the margins of the 27th OSCE Ministerial Council in Tirana. The event was organized by the Albanian OSCE Chairmanship, the Permanent Mission of Spain to the OSCE, the OSCE Secretariat, the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the office of the High Commissioner on National Minorities (HCNM).

The 2020 parliamentary elections in Kyrgyzstan were conducted under improved legislation, and fundamental rights and freedoms were respected overall. While the campaign was competitive and generally well-managed despite the COVID-19 pandemic, credible allegations of vote buying and questions about