News and press releases

CHIŞINĂU, 15 August 2025 – The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) today opened an observation mission for the 28 September parliamentary elections in Moldova, following an invitation from the national authorities.

Ambassador Rick Holtzapple, a career diplomat with the U.S. Department of State, assumed his duties as the Head of the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina on 14 August 2025.

TRAVNIK, 13 August 2025 – The Deputy Head of the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (Mission), Zahid Movlazada, visited Travnik and Busovača, where he met with Radoje Vidović, the President of HDZ BiH Central Bosnia Canton Board, Tahir Lendo, Prime Minister of Central Bosnia Canton, and Asim

An OSCE pilot ‘train-the-trainers’ initiative is helping freshly trained Ukrainian border guards test their skills as trainers in document security at border crossing points.

ZENICA, 12 August 2025- Zahid Movlazada, Deputy Head of the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina, visited Zenica for meetings with local authorities, religious community representatives, and civil society actors. The visit reaffirms the Mission’s commitment to promote inter-religious dialogue,

The OSCE Mission to Skopje marked International Youth Day by celebrating the power of youth civic engagement at the “Youth Civic Engagement Award” ceremony, held at Suli An in Skopje’s Old Bazaar. Organized by the Ministry of Social Policy, Demography and Youth and the National Youth Council of

The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media and the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina express concern over the legal proceedings recently initiated against investigative journalist Nataša Miljanović Zubac.

OSCE welcomes the August 8 Joint Declaration signed in Washington D.C., congratulate Armenia and Azerbaijan on this development and commend President Donald Trump of the U.S.A. on his role in bringing it about.

Border guards from Ukraine built their skills for training border guards on document fraud detection during a ‘train-the-trainers’ course organized by the OSCE Transnational Threats Department, in co-operation with the Main Forensic Center of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, from 4 to 8 August in Lviv.

With the financial support of the European Union (EU) the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Programme Office in Dushanbe (OSCE POiD) delivered a “Strengthening Medical Capacities” course from 14 July to 8 August 2025.

In a significant step toward enhancing regional security, 19 participants from across Central Asia successfully completed a critical training course on Physical Security and Stockpile Management (PSSM) in Issyk Kul, Kyrgyzstan, from August 4 to 9.

On 4 August 2025, the OSCE Programme Office in Astana, in collaboration with the Asset Recovery Committee under the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Republic of Kazakhstan, organized a training workshop for officers of the Committee. The event focused on the application and enhancement of the civil confiscation mechanism.

GORAŽDE/ FOČA, 7 August 2025 – The Deputy Head of the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (Mission), Zahid Movlazada, visited Goražde and Foča today to engage with key political and institutional stakeholders, emphasizing the Mission’s continued support for good governance, quality education and

The OSCE Mission to BiH (Mission) is concerned by recent public calls made by some senior RS officials urging citizens to gather in front of the private residences of Central Election Commission (CEC) members Vanja Bjelica Prutina and Jovan Kalaba. These actions, taking place in anticipation of a CEC decision on the termination of Milorad Dodik’s mandate, represent an unacceptable attempt to exert pressure on an independent electoral body.

OSCE Secretary General Ambassador Feridun H. Sinirlioğlu concluded his official visit to Helsinki, where he participated in the Helsinki+50 Conference and held a series of high-level bilateral meetings.

WARSAW, 2 August 2025 – Teaching about and commemorating the genocide of the Roma and Sinti is crucial to addressing the prejudice, hate speech, and hate crimes that continue to afflict our societies, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) said on Roma Genocide Remembrance Day.

The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (Mission) notes the 1 August 2025 decision by the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) in the matter concerning Milorad Dodik and Miloš Lukić.

HELSINKI, 1 August 2025- Today, the Finnish OSCE Chairpersonship hosted senior-level government officials and civil society actors for the Helsinki+50 discussions on the future of the OSCE, an initiative launched by the Chairperson-in-Office, Elina Valtonen in January 2025.

As part of its continued support to strengthen Ukraine’s ability to counter explosive threats, the OSCE organized a specialized training course on Zeus robots for Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) officers of the National Police of Ukraine.

As we mark the 50th anniversary of the Helsinki Final Act, the Organization for Security and Co operation in Europe, the world’s largest Regional Security Organization under the UN Charter, proudly reflects on a half century of advancing peace, security and democracy through co-operation for one billion people from Vancouver to Vladivostok.

HELSINKI, 1 August 2025 – To mark the 50th anniversary of the Helsinki Final Act, Finland organized a high-level conference at Finlandia Hall on 31 July 2025. The conference, hosted by the OSCE Chair-in-Office, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Finland Elina Valtonen, paid tribute to the legacy of the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe (CSCE) held in Helsinki in 1975 and highlighted the role of civil society in advancing the OSCE’s principles and commitments. The Helsinki+50 Fund was launched as part of the Conference to support the OSCE’s operational capacity.

HELSINKI/VALLETTA/BERN, 1 August 2025 – Today, the OSCE Troika – Chairperson-in-Office of the OSCE and Foreign Minister of Finland Elina Valtonen, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tourism of Malta Ian Borg, and Federal Councillor and Head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of Switzerland Ignazio Cassis – made the following statement:

With the financial support of the European Union (EU), the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Programme Office in Dushanbe concluded a “Tactical Field Capacity Building” course for 30 male officers of the Border Troops of the State Committee for National Security of the Republic of Tajikistan.

Election experts from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) presented the final report and recommendations of the observation mission for the Mongolia 2024 parliamentary elections during a visit to Ulaanbaatar on 16-18 June 2025.

The third annual meeting of the Expert Network on the OSCE took place in Helsinki on 30 July. This event was organized by the Finnish Institute of International Affairs and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, with the support of the OSCE Secretariat. The event took place in parallel to the

HELSINKI, 31 July 2025 – The OSCE Chairpersonship Youth Forum took place in Helsinki on 29 and 30 July 2025. The Forum provided young experts and leaders, as well as representatives of selected international organizations, a space to discuss the Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) agenda and the OSCE’s engagement from a holistic perspective.

The OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan, in collaboration with the Open Data Charter (ODC) and in partnership with the National Committee on Statistics, held a two-day workshop on 29–30 July 2025 to promote the use of open and gender data across Uzbekistan’s public sector. The workshop convened

Energy planners from Moldova’s Ministry of Energy got hands-on training with the country’s new national energy system model developed with the OSCE’s support following the model’s unveiling at a workshop organized by the OSCE in Chisinau from 29 to 30 July.

Some thirty-five students from Turkmenistan’s institutions of higher education participated in an OSCE organized workshop entitled “Youth Negotiation on Climate, Security and Co-operation: OSCE Best Practices” that took place in Ashgabat on 29 July 2025. The OSCE Centre in Ashgabat organized this

Understanding what Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan need to ensure they are well-equipped to handle electronic evidence across borders was the goal of four needs assessment missions organized by the OSCE in June and July 2025.

On 18 July 2025, the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat presented a Standard on oil and gas methane developed by an international expert to the State Concerns “Turkmengas” and Turkmenoil” and other counterparts in Turkmenistan. The Standard is designed to assist national institutions in establishing

More than 60 regional journalists, bloggers and court employees enhanced their capacity to report on court and legal proceedings during training courses organized in Fergana and Samarkand cities by the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan (PCUz) and the Supreme Court of Uzbekistan. The two-day

VIENNA, 25 July 2025 – The OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities (HCNM), the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) launched a joint publication today entitled Opening Doors for Children: Prevention of Childhood Statelessness. Good Practices in the OSCE Area.

BELGRADE, 24 July 2025 – Maria Telalian, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), underlined the importance of enabling civil society to contribute fully to democratic life in Serbia and encouraged urgent continued electoral reform during a visit to Belgrade, where she met with Parliamentary Speaker Ana Brnabić, Foreign Minister Marko Đjurić, representatives of opposition parties, and civil society.

Facial comparison techniques at border crossings were the focus of a two-day online training course for the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine organized by the OSCE Transnational Threats Department, in co-operation with the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee — Identity Fraud and Documents Centre of Expertise (ECID) from 23 to 24 July.

In 2025, the OSCE Programme Office in Astana completed a series of three-day training seminars in four regions of Kazakhstan, respectively, in co-operation with the Commission of Human Rights under the President of Kazakhstan, the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) and the EU-funded Border Management Programme in Central Asia (BOMCA). The aim of the events was to raise awareness among representatives of local authorities, law enforcement, social services, civil society, small and medium-sized businesses, and academia about national and international mechanisms for the protection of human rights in both regional centres and rural areas of Kazakhstan.

Issyk-Kul, Kyrgyz Republic | 24 July 2025 — From 14 to 16 July, the OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek (POiB), in co-operation with the Anti-Terrorism Centre of the State Committee for National Security of the Kyrgyz Republic (ATC SCNS) and the OSCE Action against Terrorism Unit (ATU), co-organized a

The Deputy Head of the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Zahid Movlazada, visited Srebrenica today to reaffirm the Mission’s longstanding support for dialogue, reconciliation, and inclusive governance.

The United Nations in Bosnia and Herzegovina (UN in BiH), the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (OSCE Mission to BiH), and the EU Delegation/Office of the EU Special Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina (EU in BiH) welcome efforts by authorities in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Prishtinë / Priština, 23 July 2025 The OSCE Mission hosted today Local Women’s Caucuses (LWCs) from across Kosovo for a concluding conference on their progress in promoting gender equality and inclusive local governance as they conclude their current mandate.

Head of OSCE Mission to Montenegro, Ambassador Jan Haukaas, met today with the co-chairs of the Parliamentary Committee on Comprehensive Electoral Reform, Vasilije Čarapić and Nikola Rakočević.

On 23 July, Estonia chaired the closing session of the OSCE Forum for Security Co-operation (FSC). Since taking up the role in May, Ambassador Kaja Tael, Permanent Representative of Estonia to the OSCE, chaired the weekly plenary sessions in Vienna, in line with the FSC’s mandate to regularly consult and co-operate in the field of security and reduce the risk of conflict in the OSCE region.

The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), in close partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and with the financial support of the European Union (EU), hosted a regional coordination meeting of Aarhus Centres and key stakeholders from Kyrgyzstan,

ERGNETI, 21 July 2025 – The 126th Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM) took place today in Ergneti. The meeting was co-facilitated by Christoph Späti, Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office for the South Caucasus, and Bettina Patricia Boughani, Head of the EU Monitoring Mission in Georgia (EUMM).

Khujand, 18 July 2025 — The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), in close partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and with the financial support of the European Union (EU), hosted a regional coordination meeting of Aarhus Centres and key stakeholders

From e-government to digital public services, Uzbekistan is steadily advancing the digitalization of its core state functions. However, digital transformation is impossible without robust cybersecurity. To support this, from 14 July to 21 August, the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan, in

The OSCE Programme Office in Astana (the Office) facilitated a multi-day visit of international partners to Kazakhstan, aimed at showcasing progress under the extra-budgetary project “Addressing Contemporary Safety and Security Risks in the Republic of Kazakhstan” from 11-14 July 2025.

As part of the third phase of the European Union-funded project “Stabilization of the Southern Border Region of Tajikistan with Afghanistan,” the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe handed over four video surveillance cameras to the Border Troops of the State Committee for National Security of the Republic of Tajikistan in the Panj district.

From 1 to 18 July, the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe organized the first-ever Summer School of Journalism (School) for 20 aspiring journalism students and young media professionals from across Tajikistan. The three-week intensive training aimed to strengthen their foundational reporting skills and prepare the next generation of journalists for a rapidly evolving media environment.

Around 50 representatives from municipalities, law enforcement, judiciary, social services and civil society from Kukës and Dragash/Dragaš gathered in Kukës to strengthen co-operation in addressing domestic and gender-based violence, on 16 July 2025.