News and press releases
News and press releases from the OSCE's global activities.
Education is key to avoiding the mistakes of the past, say OSCE and UN human rights representatives on Roma Genocide Remembrance Day
Publishing date: 2 August 2019
WARSAW/BRUSSELS, 2 August 2019 – In order to acknowledge the suffering of victims and work towards greater tolerance, more efforts are needed to educate young people about the horror of the Roma genocide that took place during the Second World War, said the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the United Nations Human Rights Office for Europe in a joint statement on Roma Genocide Remembrance Day...
Impunity for anti-Roma hatred must end, ODIHR Director says on International Roma Day
Publishing date: 8 April 2019
WARSAW, 8 April 2018 – Governments and political leaders must do more to end the impunity of violent perpetrators who attack Roma and Sinti, said Ingibjörg Sólrún Gísladóttir, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), on the occasion of International Roma Day...
Progress and challenges in implementing OSCE Action Plan on Roma and Sinti focus of ODIHR report presented in Vienna
Publishing date: 11 December 2018
OSCE participating States should act more decisively to enhance the participation of Roma and Sinti in public and political life, participants said at an event in Vienna on 11 December 2018. The event was organized to present a report by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) assessing the status of implementation of the Action Plan on Improving the Situation of Roma and Sinti within the OSCE Area.
Equal, effective access to civil registration documents key for enjoyment of human rights by Roma in Georgia, say participants in OSCE/ODIHR roundtable discussion
Publishing date: 5 December 2018
Understanding the challenges impeding the full access of Roma in Georgia to identity and civil registration documents, as well as the way forward to address this issue, was the focus of a roundtable event organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) on 4
OSCE/ODIHR supports building capacity of trainers in effective and human rights-compliant policing in Roma communities in Slovakia
Publishing date: 30 November 2018
Building the capacity of teaching staff to provide training on effective and human rights-compliant policing in Roma communities was the focus of a course organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) in Košice, Slovakia, from 27 to 30 November 2018.
Promoting the participation of under-represented groups vital in truly democratic societies, says OSCE/ODIHR Director ahead of International Day of Democracy
Publishing date: 14 September 2018
WARSAW, 13 September 2018 – More must be done to promote the participation of under-represented groups in political decision making if we are to ensure effective, truly democratic governance and societies, Ingibjörg Sólrún Gísladóttir, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), said today, ahead of tomorrow’s International Day of Democracy.
Greater efforts to protect Roma from violence and punish perpetrators key to ensuring Roma security and inclusion, say participants at Warsaw event
Publishing date: 14 September 2018
The very limited progress in implementing government strategies and policies for Roma inclusion remains a major obstacle to their inclusion, participants said at an event in Warsaw on 14 September 2018. The lack of progress is coupled with negative public and political discourse, persistent discrimination and growing manifestations of intolerance and racially motivated violence against Roma and Sinti in the OSCE area.