News and press releases
News and press releases from the OSCE's global activities.
Values threatened by hate speech must be reinforced, say Heads of European human rights institutions on International Day for Elimination of Racial Discrimination
Publishing date: 20 March 2015
STRASBOURG/VIENNA/WARSAW – 20 March 2015 – The most effective way to counter hate speech is to reinforce the values of democracy and human rights that it threatens, the heads of three intergovernmental human rights institutions said today in a joint statement on the eve of the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination...
U.S. Senator Cardin appointed OSCE PA Special Representative on Anti-Semitism, Racism and Intolerance
Publishing date: 9 March 2015
COPENHAGEN, 9 March 2015 – OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Ilkka Kanerva (MP, Finland) has appointed U.S. Senator Benjamin Cardin to serve as the PA’s first Special Representative on Anti-Semitism, Racism and Intolerance...
Civil society and government authorities must work together to accurately record hate crime in Europe, say conference participants
Publishing date: 4 March 2015
Co-operation among police and civil society in monitoring and recording hate crimes was the focus of the conference “Facing Facts Forward”, organized by CEJI – A Jewish Contribution to an Inclusive Europe, in collaboration with the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) and the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI), in Brussels on 3 and 4 March 2015.
OSCE Secretary General addresses White House Summit on Countering Violent Extremism
Publishing date: 20 February 2015
The OSCE’s comprehensive approach to security, which embraces human rights and democracy, economics and environment as well as politico-military security, offers a powerful antidote to violent extremism, OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier told high-level officials from around the world at the Ministerial Meeting of the White House Countering Violent Extremism Summit in Washington, DC, on 19 February 2015...
OSCE/ODIHR Director Link condemns terrorist attacks in Copenhagen, calls for greater efforts by governments to meet security needs of Jewish communities and protect freedom of speech
Publishing date: 16 February 2015
WARSAW, 16 February 2015 – Michael Georg Link, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), today condemned attacks that killed a security guard at a synagogue and a participant in a freedom of speech event in Copenhagen on Saturday...
OSCE Chairperson-in-Office strongly condemns Copenhagen attacks, calls for stepped-up efforts to protect tolerance and democracy
Publishing date: 16 February 2015
BELGRADE, 16 February 2015- The OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Serbia's Foreign Minister Ivica Dačić, on Sunday strongly condemned the attacks on participants of the event “Art, freedom of speech and blasphemy” and on a synagogue in Copenhagen, that resulted in a death of two civilians and injury of five policemen, and offered his condolences to the families of the victims.
In Copenhagen, OSCE PA Secretary General deplores weekend’s terror attacks
Publishing date: 15 February 2015
COPENHAGEN, 15 February 2015 – OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Secretary General Spencer Oliver issued the following statement today on the weekend's dual terror attacks in Copenhagen...