Newsroom
News and press releases
News and press releases from the OSCE's global activities.
OSCE leaders demand immediate end to Russia’s war against Ukraine
Publishing date: 24 February 2024
Content type: Press statement
Where we are: OSCE Chairpersonship, OSCE Secretary General
VIENNA, 24 February – Today, as we mark the second year of Russia’s full scale war against Ukraine, the OSCE Troika- Chair-in-Office of the OSCE and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs and Trade of Malta Ian Borg, Minister of Foreign Affairs of North Macedonia Bujar Osmani and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Finland Elina Valtonen- and OSCE Secretary General Helga Maria Schmid call on Russia to immediately stop its war against Ukraine and to respect the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders.
After two years of war, continuing violence inflicted on civilians in Ukraine is of grave concern, says international human rights office ODIHR
Publishing date: 23 February 2024
Content type: Press statement
Where we are: OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights
What we do: Human rights
WARSAW, 23 February 2024 – As the war in Ukraine following Russia’s military attack enters its third year, the suffering of Ukrainian civilians is worsening as indiscriminate military strikes continue together with cases of torture, arbitrary detention, and other serious human rights violations, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) said in a statement today.
Fostering Georgia’s virtual asset supervision: officials expand their skills during OSCE-led study visit
Publishing date: 23 February 2024
Content type: News
To foster Georgia’s regulatory framework against the increasing security risks revolving around virtual assets, the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities organized a study visit for officials from the National Bank of Georgia and the Financial Monitoring Service of Georgia to Riga, Latvia, for an exchange with regulators, supervisors, and representatives from non-profit organizations and the private sector from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
Training-of-trainers course in Vienna fosters strategies for disrupting financing of terrorism
Publishing date: 23 February 2024
Content type: News
Where we are: Transnational Threats Department, OSCE Secretariat
What we do: Countering terrorism
Obstructing terrorists’ access to financing channels, funds and property is key to diminish their activities. To help foster effective strategies for this goal, a training-of-trainers course to improve experts’ skills in disrupting terrorist groups through financial tools concluded on 22 February in Vienna. The course was organized by the OSCE’s Transnational Threats Department (TNTD), in co-operation with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and with the support of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo.
OSCE concludes Explosive Ordnance Disposal Level 3 course for specialists from Central Asia and Serbia
Publishing date: 23 February 2024
On 23 February 2024, eighteen mine action specialists and practitioners from the military, law enforcement, security services, and humanitarian agencies of Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Serbia completed a three-week regional Explosive Ordnance Disposal course (EOD Level 3) at the Regional Explosive Hazards Training Centre of Tajikistan’s Ministry of Defense in Chimteppa.
OSCE Presence, Albanian Directorate of Free Legal Aid sign memorandum of understanding to increase justice access for all
Publishing date: 22 February 2024
Acting Head of the OSCE Presence in Albania Clarisse Pasztory and Free Legal Aid Director Ergys Qirici signed a memorandum of understanding, on 22 February 2024, aimed at outlining areas of mutual interest and strengthening co-operation between the two institutions. The mission of the Free Legal
ODIHR presents recommendations from 2023 election observation findings in Estonia
Publishing date: 22 February 2024
Content type: News
Where we are: OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights
What we do: Elections
Experts from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) presented the final report of the Election Expert Team deployed to Estonia for the March 2023 parliamentary elections from 19 to 22 February in Tallinn.
OSCE presented results of public survey and concept of reformed community police in Armenia
Publishing date: 22 February 2024
Content type: News
Where we are: Transnational Threats Department, OSCE Secretariat
On 20 February, the OSCE’s Transnational Threats Department presented the concept of the reformed community policing and the results of the Public Survey on Perceptions of the Police and Police Reforms in Yerevan, Armenia. The high-level meeting was attended by the Minister of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Armenia, the Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs, and the Chairman of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Defense and Security.
On the Search for Weapons: Introducing the First Woman Police Dog Handler
Publishing date: 22 February 2024
Alongside her eager K9 partner, the 5-month-old Belgian Shepherd (Malinois) named Ada, Kristina Shikova will be out in the field on detection duties by this summer. Kristina is training to become a police dog handler, making her the first woman in North Macedonia to hold this role. While Ada knows
Constitutional Court, OSCE Presence in Albania launch first guide on Constitutional Court case law
Publishing date: 21 February 2024
The Constitutional Court, in co-operation with the OSCE Presence in Albania, presented the first Guide on Constitutional Court Case Law, on 21 February 2024. Representatives from justice institutions, advocates, academics, legal community and international partners participated in the launching