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News and press releases from the OSCE's global activities.

ODIHR deeply saddened by death of human rights defender Azimjan Askarov

Publishing date: 25 July 2020
Content type: Press release
Where we are: OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights
What we do: Human rights
WARSAW, 25 July 2020 – The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) expresses profound sadness following the death of the human rights defender Azimjan Askarov in prison earlier today. Askarov, a long-standing partner of ODIHR, spent many years prior to his arrest in 2010 documenting police abuse and brutality in his native Kyrgyzstan.

Prosecute human traffickers and deliver justice to victims: OSCE Alliance Conference against Trafficking in Persons calls for an end to impunity

Publishing date: 20 July 2020
Content type: Press release
Where we are: OSCE Chairmanship, Office of the Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights
What we do: Combating trafficking in human beings
VIENNA, 20 July 2020 – Identifying effective ways to improve the prosecution of human traffickers is the focus of the 20th high-level OSCE Alliance Conference against Trafficking in Persons, which opened today in Vienna...

OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Edi Rama takes action to ensure operational continuity ahead of imminent vacancies of Secretary General and Heads of Institutions roles

Publishing date: 17 July 2020
Content type: Press release
Where we are: OSCE Chairmanship, OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities, OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, OSCE Secretariat
What we do: Democratization, Human rights, Conflict prevention and resolution, Media freedom and development, National minority issues
TIRANA / VIENNA, 17 July 2020 – In a letter to the OSCE’s 57 participating States today, Albania’s OSCE Chairmanship announced that the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Edi Rama has taken prompt action to ensure the Organization’s operational continuity in light of the imminent vacancies of the OSCE Secretary General and the Heads of Institutions roles...

Impact of emergency measures on human rights and democracy key focus of new OSCE/ODIHR report

Publishing date: 17 July 2020
Content type: Press release
Where we are: OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights
What we do: Democratization, Human rights, Elections, Gender equality, Migration, Roma and Sinti, Tolerance and non-discrimination
WARSAW, 17 July 2020 – The COVID-19 pandemic has been a formative experience for all humanity and a health emergency of global proportions, presenting a huge challenge to national leaders, health systems, and citizens. The findings of a new report by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) shows that it has also been a test to our democracies and the respect for human rights to which countries across the OSCE committed many years ago.

Azerbaijan early parliamentary elections 2020: ODIHR observation mission final report

Publishing date: 17 July 2020
Content type: News
Where we are: OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights
What we do: Elections
ODIHR's recommendations on Azerbaijan 2020 elections ODIHR final report on the 2020 Azerbaijan early parliamentary elections A restrictive legal and political landscape meant that voters in the early parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan were not provided with meaningful choice despite a high

North Macedonia’s early parliamentary elections well managed despite pandemic but legal instability remains a concern, international observers say

Publishing date: 16 July 2020
Content type: Press release
Where we are: OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights
What we do: Elections
SKOPJE, 16 July 2020 – The early parliamentary elections in North Macedonia were generally well run and candidates could campaign freely, but legal stability was undermined by significant revisions to the legal framework and subsequent government decrees, international observers from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) said in a statement today.

ODIHR will not deploy election observation mission to Belarus due to lack of invitation

Publishing date: 15 July 2020
Content type: Press release
Where we are: OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights
What we do: Elections
WARSAW, 15 July 2020 – The Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) has informed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus that the lack of an invitation to observe the upcoming presidential election has precluded ODIHR from observing the ongoing election process.