News and press releases

The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) organized a two-day roundtable on religious rites and practices and freedom of religion or belief in Amsterdam on 4 and 5 July with representatives from Jewish and Muslim communities and other interested stakeholders.

Hosted by the Office of the OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, a meeting of National Anti-Trafficking Co-ordinators and Rapporteurs from across the OSCE regional framework concluded on 30 June 2017 at the Hofburg, Vienna...

The OSCE Mission to Serbia in partnership with the European Union twinning project “Strengthening Capacities of the High Judicial Council and the State Prosecutorial Council” organized a conference on the relationship between the judiciary and other branches of government in Serbia, on 5 July 2017 in Belgrade...

MOSCOW / WASHINGTON D.C. / PARIS, 5 July 2017- The OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs – Ambassador Igor Popov of the Russian Federation, Ambassador Stephane Visconti of France, and Ambassador Richard Hoagland of the United States– have received information of renewed violence late in the evening on 4 July at Alkhanli village of Fizuli region that resulted in casualties, including civilians...

Good practices to advance the Women, Peace and Security agenda were shared and actively discussed at a regional workshop on 4 July 2017 in Tirana, organized by the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the OSCE Presence in Albania. The aim of the workshop was to share

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more in Luhansk region compared with the previous 24 hours. The Mission followed up on reports of a civilian casualty in Marinka and observed damage to civilian properties due to shelling in Uzhivka. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas; it recorded ceasefire violations near Stanytsia Luhanska area. The SMM’s access remained restricted there and elsewhere, including again to a border area not controlled by the Government in Novoazovsk.* The Mission monitored weapons on both sides of the contact line. It continued to follow up on the water and gas supply situation in Avdiivka and Yasynuvata and to facilitate and monitor repairs to the Mykhailivka-Almazna high-voltage power lines. The SMM visited one border area not under government control in Luhansk region...

Elections experts from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) met with electoral stakeholders in Tashkent on 3 and 4 July 2017 to present recommendations from ODIHR’s final report  on the 4 December 2016 early presidential election in Uzbekistan. The report’s findings