News and press releases

The Head of the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ambassador Rick Holtzapple, conducted a two-day visit to Canton 10 and Una-Sana Canton, meeting with various political leaders, local government officials, civil society actors, and community representatives. The visit reinforced the Mission’s commitment to supporting good governance, democratic processes, the rule of law, human rights, and trust-building efforts across Bosnia and Herzegovina.

As civil society space shrinks and attacks against activists increase in many places, a growing number of human rights defenders are being forced into exile as they seek a safe environment to continue their work freely and securely. This was the focus of an event organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), Araminta, and the World Organisation Against Torture at the Warsaw Human Dimension Conference today.

National human rights institutions (NHRIs) are vital to protect rights and uphold democratic standards, serving as independent watchdogs and a bridge between governments and civil society said the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the European Network of National Human Rights Institutions (ENNHRI) at a Warsaw Human Dimension Conference side event today.

Greater efforts are needed to counter the growing hostility toward migrants and refugees, increasingly fuelled by disinformation and anti-migrant rhetoric, which is weakening solidarity and respect for human rights across the OSCE region, said participants at a side event of the Warsaw Human Dimension Conference organised by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR).

FOČA/GORAŽDE, 14 October 2025 – The Head of the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ambassador Rick Holtzapple, visited Goražde and Foča today to engage with key political and institutional stakeholders. The visit underscored the continued support of the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina

Foča, 13 October 2025 – Today in Foča, dedicated professionals from the police, judiciary, prosecution, and social welfare sectors, as well as psychologists and members of civil society from across eastern Republika Srpska (RS), joined the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (Mission) to address

Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) has conducted over 600 interviews to document alleged violations of human rights and humanitarian law through its Ukraine Monitoring Initiative (UMI).