News and press releases

Bishkek, 10 October 2025 — The OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek (POiB) held the second round of the Consultative Mechanism in a hybrid format at the Novotel Hotel and online. The event brought together representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic, government agencies,

Recognizing the importance of introducing gender-responsive budgeting through Parliament and government as an important step in achieving equality and removing barriers to public services, the Mission organized a workshop for staff of parliamentary committees and parliamentary units on this approach on 9 October in Podgorica.

The Head of the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ambassador Rick Holtzapple, completed today a two-day visit to Banja Luka, where he met with political, institutional, and civil society actors to reaffirm the Mission’s commitment to supporting democracy, rule of law, human rights, and inter-institutional dialogue in BiH.

With democratic institutions under pressure across the OSCE region, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) brought together experts and officials at the Warsaw Human Dimension Conference to discuss how democracy can adapt and remain resilient in times of change.

During his first official visit to Tuzla, Vukosavlje and Odžak, the Head of the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (Mission), Ambassador Rick Holtzapple, reaffirmed the Mission’s commitment to supporting regional stability, arms control and effective institutional co-operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The Deputy Head of the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (Mission), Zahid Movlazada, concluded a two-day (Sept. 9-10) visit to Livno, Drvar, and Bihać, engaging with key Mission stakeholders and counterparts across Canton 10 and Una-Sana Canton to advance dialogue on pressing local issues and reinforce co-operation with the Mission.

Regarding the 28 August 2025 Decision of the Central Election Commission (CEC) of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) to call early elections for the President of Republika Srpska (RS), in line with the legal mandate of the CEC BiH, the applicable electoral framework, and the decisions of the Court of BiH and Constitutional Court of BiH, the OSCE Mission to BiH (Mission) underlines once again that upholding the constitutional order and the rule of law is non-negotiable and remains crucial for stability and democracy in BiH.