News and press releases

From 24 to 26 October 2024, the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe (POiD), in collaboration with the Ministry of Energy and Water Resources Management (MEWR), organized a three-day training session designed to enhance regional water co-operation and to deepen understanding of national and international water law.

From 22 to 26 October, in the Khovaling district, the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe assisted the Ministry of Internal Affairs in conducting a working group meeting to review and revise the draft Law on Police.

The OSCE hosted a high-level meeting in Vienna on 25 October, focusing on the strategic advancement of police canine capabilities for the prevention and detection of illicit trafficking of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) in South-Eastern Europe.

On 15 October, the OSCE Transnational Threats Department and the Office of the Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings held a side event on the margins of Twelfth Session of the Conference of Parties to the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime.

The OSCE Officer-in-Charge/Acting Secretary-General Ms. Kate Fearon visited Tajikistan and the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe on 24-25 October 2024 to join the celebrations of the 30th anniversary of the OSCE's presence in Tajikistan.

With the aim to empower aspiring women in cybersecurity, the OSCE Presence in Albania, in partnership with the National Cybersecurity Authority, organized a workshop featuring testimonies and panel discussions from successful female leaders in the field, on 24 October 2024.

Bishkek, 23 October 2024 – Over 500 participants from Central Asia gathered at the Green Economic Forum 2024 to set priorities for advancing sustainable development across the region. The event brought together government officials, international experts, and business leaders to explore strategies for green economic growth, environmental sustainability, and regional co-operation.

Interagency co-operation and co-ordination in corruption risk assessment and implementation of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption’s (UNCAC) were addressed at an OSCE-organized seminar that took place in Ashgabat on 23 and 24 October 2024. The seminar presented best practices of OSCE

On 23 October, the OSCE Mission’s Donors’ Forum united nearly 90 civil society organizations (CSOs) from both banks of the Dniester/Nistru River and over 30 donors and development partners. Civil society shared positive experiences, achievements and challenges. One highlight was that organizations

On 22-23 October 2024, the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe (POiD) facilitated a two-day meeting in Khujand for five Aarhus Centres (ACs).

Representatives from local media, public institutions, academics, and civil society gathered at the OSCE Presence in Albania's 10th annual Media Development Forum, a key event focused on the future of media freedom and integrity in the country.

From 21 to 22 October 2024, government officials and experts gathered in Skopje for an interactive workshop on protecting critical infrastructure and soft targets from terrorist attacks. The workshop was organized by the OSCE Transnational Threats Department and the OSCE Mission to Skopje.

From 21 to 23 October 2024, the OSCE Presence in Albania conducted a comprehensive three-day training course focused on Informant Management, specifically designed for the Albanian State Police Informant Management Unit. This initiative also welcomed participation from representatives of the

On 11-12 and 22-23 October 2024, the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe supported two two-day training sessions focused on integrity and anti-corruption for 38 representatives from the education and health sectors, including from relevant ministries and departments.

From 22 to 24 October, the OSCE hosted the second workshop on cryptocurrency investigations in Astana, Kazakhstan. The intermediary workshop gathered more than thirty practitioners from the Asset Recovery Committee, the Financial Monitoring Agency, the Anti-Corruption Agency and the Prosecutor’s General Office of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

As part of the 2nd edition of the OSCE-GWNET Empowering Central Asian Women in Renewable Energy Mentoring Programme, the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities (OCEEA) organized a study tour in Vienna for female energy experts to gain hands-on experience in the

As part of the continuous support to the Ministry of Interior to improve its learning opportunities for police officials, in May and October 2024 the OSCE Mission to Montenegro organized three training cycles for 29 Ministry officials to create, maintain and manage the e-learning platform, developed with the Mission’s support.

On 17 and 18 October 2024, the OSCE hosted the second in-person meeting of women professionals from Central Asia and South-Eastern Europe working on preventing and countering violent extremism and radicalization that lead to terrorism (P/CVERLT). Established in February 2023 by the OSCE Secretariat’s Gender Issues Programme WIN Project, in collaboration with the OSCE Secretariat's Transnational Threats Department, the two regional networks comprise 68 women professionals from diverse sectors including government agencies, civil society, academia, media and OSCE field operations.

On 18 October, the Office for Human Rights and Rights of National Minorities of Croatia, the OSCE Office of the Special Representative and Co-operation for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, and the UN Global Compact Network Croatia marked EU Anti-Trafficking Day with a pivotal roundtable discussion in Zagreb on supply chains and human rights. The event, titled 'Sustainable Supply Chains: Promoting Human Rights and Social Responsibility', was a landmark occasion that brought together the public and private sectors to discuss human rights in global supply chains, with a particular focus on combating human trafficking for labour exploitation in the context of the new EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD).

The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (Mission), in co-operation with the Cantonal Prosecutor’s Office of Hercegovina Neretva Canton (HNC), organized a training for the police officials of the HNC Ministry of Interior on “Good and Proactive Investigations”. The training aimed to enhance the quality of criminal investigations and foster stronger co-operation, co-ordination, and communication between police officials and prosecutors.

CHISINAU, 21 October 2024 – Moldova’s 20 October presidential election and constitutional referendum were well-managed, and contestants campaigned freely in an environment characterized by concerns over illicit foreign interference and active disinformation efforts. While this affected the integrity of the process, additionally, campaign conditions did not allow for a level playing field among contestants, international observers said in a preliminary statement released today.

\ On 21 October 2024, the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat hosted a conference dedicated to the 25th anniversary since Turkmenistan acceded to the Aarhus Convention, a key UN document on access to environmental information, public participation in decision-making and access to justice in environmental

The OSCE Mission to Montenegro and the Ministry for Culture and Media commissioned the Damar Institute to conduct research into self-regulation in Montenegro. The research showed that as many as 74% of respondents were not familiar with self-regulation of the media. On the other hand...

From 15 to 17 October 2024, the OSCE Transnational Threats Department’s Action against Terrorism Unit organized a training course for officials from Montenegro on how to use financial intelligence to effectively cut off terrorism financing channels in Bar, Montenegro. The event was organized with the support of the OSCE Mission to Montenegro and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.

With the outbreak of the full-scale war, the judicial system in Ukraine faced unprecedented challenges, especially in communities adjacent to a frontline where courts ceased to operate. In response, an ad hoc procedure was introduced for the duration of the war which stipulates the suspension of periodic judicial reviews of detention legality and its automatic prolongation.

Representatives from the Aarhus Centres, pioneers in promoting environmental democracy, good governance, transparency and inclusivity, gathered for their annual meeting on 15 and 16 October to exchange experiences and ideas. This year, the event took place in Belgrade, Serbia and online.

From 15 to 18 October 2024, 24 university students from Uzbekistan had the chance to learn about the OSCE and experience diplomatic negotiations first-hand as they simulated meetings of the OSCE Permanent Council as part of the 2024 Model OSCE. The 4-day event, held in the PCUz office in Tashkent,

From 14 to 17 October 2024, a delegation from Albania’s Central Election Commission (CEC), including representatives from the Regulatory Commission and the technical staff, conducted a study visit to Sarajevo, focused on the administration of the out-of-country voting.

From 14 to 18 October, the OSCE’s Transnational Threats Department, in partnership with experts from Greece’s Hellenic Police, conducted an intensive five-day advanced training course in Sofia, Bulgaria on identifying forged documents and impostors at border crossing points. Fifteen officers from

The OSCE Transnational Threats Department, with the support of the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan, organized a customized workshop on 17 October that focused on building a national cyber incident classification system, which is used to classify different types of cyber incidents.

On 15 and 16 October, the OSCE Secretariat with the support of the OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek and other OSCE Field Operations in Central Asia organized an international seminar that initiated the establishment of the Association of Women in Border and Law Enforcement Agencies in Central Asia. The international seminar, held in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, builds on OSCE’s ongoing efforts to empower women officers and strengthen regional security.

The critical role of men in supporting gender equality was discussed at an event organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) CHANGE project and OSCE Gender Issues Programme’s WIN project during this year’s Warsaw Human Dimension Conference.

Greater efforts are required to address inequalities and the needs of Ukrainian Roma impacted by the war in Ukraine, agreed participants at an event organized this week by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) during the Warsaw Human Dimension Conference.

VIENNA, 15 October 2024 – Deepening co-operation to ensure sustainable, strengthened security among the OSCE’s 57 participating States and the Asian Partners Co-operation Group is the focus of the 2024 Asian Conference taking place in Vienna on 15 and 16 October.

More tailored support is needed for Roma women’s civil society organizations and activists, participants said at an event organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) during the Warsaw Human Dimension Conference last week.

The OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek is supporting a series of joint inter- and intra-agency exercises designed to enhance collaboration between the Border Service and law enforcement agencies in combating the illicit trafficking of small arms and light weapons, conventional ammunition, and explosives in southern Kyrgyzstan. These scenario-based exercises are vital in reinforcing co-operation between the Border Service’s internal structures and units, while also fostering stronger partnerships with law enforcement agencies. By working together, participants will become familiar with each other’s operational procedures, improving their ability to respond swiftly and effectively to security threats.

20- 22 September, Kyrgyzstan – Bishkek hosts the Organic Expo 2024- a significant milestone in Central Asia’s agricultural development. This regional event aimed to promote sustainable practices, organic farming, and preservation of biodiversity in mountainous areas.

From 30 September to 11 October, the OSCE Programme Office in Astana (Office) organized an advanced Training of Trainers, for a group of ten new Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (hereinafter – UAV) instructors of Kazakhstan’s National Security Committee Border Service in Lenger, Turkistan province. With the Office’s support, the Border Service established a Centre of Excellence for UAV operations in Lenger, where future capacity-building activities are planned to be held with the OSCE’s support.

The pressing challenge of managing energy systems with wise foresight and balancing immediate energy security concerns with long term climate and energy goals was at the core of this year’s edition of the Vienna Energy Security Dialogue. Titled “Energy security in the long run: managing energy systems with wise foresight”, the event took place on 8 October in partnership with the World Energy Council (WEC) Austria, the Federation of Austrian Industries, and Ernst and Young Austria.

In the last decade, a pronounced form of environmental crime has been present in Montenegro and the region, including illegal activities in forestry, land, stone, riverbeds and sand exploitation, destruction of nature’s biodiversity, as well as illegal construction, which poses a significant threat to natural resources and public health. In the fight against environmental crime, a holistic approach, co-operation and data exchange amongst institutions is of key importance. This was conclusion of the regional workshop “Fighting Environmental Crime in Montenegro and the Balkans region”...

Recommitting to advance gender equality in politics was the topic of discussion at the annual Women’s Power Breakfast organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) at the margins of the Warsaw Human Dimension Conference this week. ODIHR also presented the latest gender-responsive governance toolkit.

From October 9 to 11, the OSCE hosted the "Virtual Asset Service Providers regulation support framework" workshop, bringing together various practitioners from Ukraine, Moldova, and Armenia. The event, held in Vienna, was built around strengthening knowledge and best practices on the regulation of Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASPs). Organized by the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities (OCEEA), the event aimed to enhance the participants’ ability to mitigate money laundering and terrorism financing risks within the evolving digital asset ecosystem.

The first Mediterranean regional simulation-based training exercise for anti-trafficking practitioners from OSCE participating States and Partners for Co-operation concluded today in Vicenza, Italy, at the premises of the Centre of Excellence for Stability Police Units (CoESPU).

On 11 October 2024, North Macedonia, as Chair of the Asian Partners for Co-operation Group, organized the fourth OSCE Asian Partners for Co-operation Group meeting in collaboration with Australia. This meeting centered on the theme "Global Economic Engagement in the Indo-Pacific for Peace, Prosperity, and Security."

Twenty-eight border and customs officers participated in a training course held from 7 to 11 October in Astana, Kazakhstan. The training course was organized by the OSCE Transnational Threats Department in close co-operation with the OSCE Programme Office in Astana, and with the support of the Permanent Mission of Kazakhstan to the OSCE.

In Montenegro, the majority of people with disabilities think that election management bodies do not offer enough support, which makes voters with disabilities feel left out. 54 per cent of them said they faced barriers while voting in the 2023 elections. A further 45 per cent of voters thought polling station staff did not know how to approach and communicate with them.

Dialogue and partnership across religious or belief communities play an invaluable role in strengthening human rights and security, participants agreed at the launch of a new guide entitled Belief, Dialogue and Security by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) during the Warsaw Human Dimension Conference this week.

The OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe conducted a three-day practical training course entitled "Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) and Online Investigations: Introductory Level" from 8 to 10 October 2024 in Dushanbe. The training was designed for 20 officers from the Drug Control Agency (DCA) of Tajikistan and was led by an international expert.

On 10 and 11 October 2024, the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe will organize a two-day roundtable discussion dedicated to the United Nations' International Day of the Girl Child. The event aims to bring together around 150 young men and women, along with representatives from civil society organizations, government institutions, and international partners

A new report by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) on the right to monitor assemblies was discussed during a side event at the Warsaw Human Dimension Conference this week.