News and press releases

On 11-14 September 2024, a seminar aimed at supporting the development of Kazakhstan’s court administration strategy for 2025-2029 commenced in Astana as part of the OSCE Programme Office in Astana’s Extrabudgetary project on “Improving the Effectiveness of the Justice System in Kazakhstan”. The seminar took place in two phases, first in Astana and later in Burabay.

Improving international co-operation, exchanging experiences and best practices, and adopting a collaborative approach are essential for effectively addressing online child sexual abuse and exploitation. This was one of the key conclusions of the workshop at the “Cryptocurrency and Online Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation”, organized by the Southeast Europe Police Chiefs Association (SEPCA) at the Western Balkans Cyber Capacity Centre (WB3C), from 11 to 13 September in Podgorica.

As part of a comprehensive initiative to bolster counter-terrorism efforts in Montenegro, the OSCE concluded a three-day training-of-trainers course on Analysis in Countering the Financing of Terrorism (CFT) on 12 September 2024 in Vienna, Austria.

Representatives of state institutions and civil society organizations participated in an OSCE-organized workshop on gender-based violence (GBV) that took place on 12 and 13 September in Ashgabat. The OSCE Centre in Ashgabat organized the two-day event to discuss with national stakeholders the

VIENNA/PRAGUE, 13 September 2024 – The 2024 OSCE Economic and Environmental Forum (EEF) in Prague focused on addressing risks and harnessing technological advancements in the context of climate and digitalization challenges.

WARSAW, 13 September 2024 – The principles of inclusivity and respect for human rights and the rule of law on which our democracies are based can help us find a way forward in times of polarisation and conflict to strengthen our freedom and our security, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) said ahead of the International Day of Democracy on 15 September.

CHIŞINĂU, 13 September 2024- The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) opened today an observation mission for the 20 October presidential election and constitutional referendum in Moldova, following an invitation from the national authorities.

On 12-13 September 2024, the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe supported the Association of Women’s Councils in the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) to organize a roundtable discussion in Romit, near Dushanbe.

On 12-13 September 2024, the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan (PCUz) in co-operation with the National Human Rights Centre (NHRC), conducted a roundtable on “Strengthening the Role of Women in Peace and Security Issues” in Termez (Surkhandarya region). The aim of the event was to support the

VIENNA, 12 September 2024- Measures to enhance national and regional anti-trafficking responses and strengthen their impact were the focus of the largest annual meeting of the National Anti-trafficking Co-ordinators and Rapporteurs, which kicked off today at OSCE headquarters in Vienna, Austria.

ERGNETI, 12 September 2024 – The Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office for the South Caucasus, Viorel Moşanu, and the Head of the EU Monitoring Mission in Georgia (EUMM), Bettina Patricia Boughani, co-facilitated the 121st Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM) today in Ergneti.

The factors that make people belonging to minorities more vulnerable to human trafficking and ensuring respect for the rights of victims were discussed at the launch of a new joint publication by the OSCE’s Office of the Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings (CTHB) and the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) on 11 September 2024.

Central Asia's high mountains are critical to the well-being of communities throughout the region and beyond. At the same time, the area is already facing significant climate-related security risks with impacts on the livelihoods of rural mountain and downstream communities that are dependent on agriculture, pastures, and forests. As these risks are shared across the region, they also provide entry points for co-operation to improve livelihoods, stability and resilience in the context of a changing climate.

Tbilisi, 12 September 2024- The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) today opened an election observation mission for the 26 October parliamentary elections in Georgia, following an official invitation from the national authorities.

Introduction of non-custodial sentences as an alternative to prison and widening possibilities for rehabilitation and parole were discussed at an OSCE-organized seminar that took place on 10 and 11 September 2024 in Ashgabat. The seminar introduced participants to the United Nations Standard

The government of Montenegro has appointed its conciliator and arbitrator to the OSCE Court of Conciliation and Arbitration (CCA) for a new mandate of six years, in accordance with articles 3 and 4 of the Convention on Conciliation and Arbitration within the OSCE.

On 6 September, the tenth group of Ukrainian civil servants and local self-government officials completed an in-person training session on conflict management. The course was developed by the National Agency of Ukraine on Civil Service and the High School of Public Governance with the support of the OSCE Secretariat Extra-Budgetary Support Programme for Ukraine.

The OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe (POiD), in collaboration with Tajikistan's Border Troops, recently conducted two sessions of its Survival Swimming and Small Boat Operations Course (SaSBOC).

From September 4 to 6, the OSCE and the Bank of Latvia co-hosted a workshop on "Navigating the Virtual Asset Landscape". Bringing together regulators and experts from Latvia, Armenia, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine, the workshop addressed the challenges of regulating virtual assets and blockchain technologies.

The OSCE, in co-operation with the General Inspectorate of the Romanian Police, hosted a training on enhancing the K9 capabilities of the Moldovan General Police on 3 and 4 September 2024, at the National Center for Chinology "Dr. Aurel Greblea" in Sibiu, Romania. Over the two-day event,

Bulgaria’s 2024 early parliamentary elections were competitive, with fundamental freedoms respected and legislation providing an adequate framework to hold democratic elections. Preparations for election day were smooth, but various malpractices limited voters’ access to the electoral process and

On 3 and 4 of September 2024, the OSCE Presence in Albania organized a two-day workshop on illicit firearms trafficking, involving members of the Trafficking Investigation Sectors of the Albanian State Police (ASP) at both the central and local levels, prosecutors from the General Prosecution

The OSCE Mission to Skopje is pleased to announce the launch of a call for participants for the Youth Engagement and Empowerment to Counter Radicalization and Violent Extremism Training. This program, to be held from 7 to 10 October 2024 at Hotel Romantique in Veles, is an initiative aimed at

Bosnia and Herzegovina prosecutors and other criminal justice professionals concluded the XVII Annual Prosecutorial Symposium, convened from 1 to 4 September in Neum. The Symposium serves as a platform for training, debating criminal justice issues, and the exchange of best practices.

On 2 September, the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities inaugurated the second edition of the OSCE Scholarship Master’s Program for Young Women in Renewable Energy at the Kazakh-German University (DKU) in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

VALLETTA/VIENNA 03 September 2024 – Today, the OSCE Chair-in-Office, Malta's Minister for Foreign and European Affairs and Trade Ian Borg, informed the 57 participating States that, in the absence of a consensus on the appointment of a new OSCE leadership, he has taken immediate action to ensure the uninterrupted functioning of the Organization during this transitional period.

In the southern border areas of Tajikistan – as in many rural communities worldwide – access to modern energy is a major challenge, with far-reaching consequences on people's lives, socio-economic development, and overall security.

Statement of Ambassador Brian Aggeler, Head of the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina, on the beginning of the 2024/2025 school year

Skopje, September 2024- The OSCE Mission to Skopje has published a comprehensive research on “Youth and Security: Perceptions, Views, and Challenges of Young People in North Macedonia," shedding light on the concerns, perceptions, challenges and expectations of the country’s youth in relation

BAKU, 2 September 2024 – Azerbaijan’s early parliamentary elections did not offer voters genuine political alternatives and took place within a legal framework overly restrictive of fundamental freedoms and the media, although they were efficiently prepared, international observers said in a statement today.

VIENNA, 2 September 2024- In a new communiqué on Fostering Media Freedom Literacy (MFL) issued today, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Teresa Ribeiro recommended that all OSCE participating States adopt a series of multi-stakeholder actions to create an environment that helps people recognize, access, and use different media, as well as understand the importance of a free media as an essential component of democracy and security.

Serbia’s 2024 local elections were well run and freedom of expression and assembly were respected, but the dominance of the ruling party as well as the fragmentation of the opposition reduced their competitiveness, and concerns remained about pressure on public sector employees and misuse of public

HELSINKI, 30 August 2024 – Dr. Kari Johnstone, OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, concluded her five-day visit to Helsinki today. She praised Finland's active involvement in anti-trafficking efforts led by strong structures including a proactive National Anti-Trafficking Coordinator and an independent National Rapporteur.

SARAJEVO, 30 August 2024 – The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) today opened an election observation mission for the 6 October local elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina, following an official invitation from the national authorities and a needs assessment mission conducted in May this year.

BAKU, 29 August 2024 – International election observers will hold a press conference to present their findings following the early parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan.

With climate change intensifying, water scarcity growing and an increasing unpredictability in the global water supply, this year’s annual World Water Week conference in Stockholm gathered international actors, including OSCE representatives, to identify and forge frameworks that ensure equitable and sustainable water management.

The OSCE-led Regional Medical Training in Support of Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Operations successfully concluded at the Kazakhstan Peacekeeping Operations Centre on 28 August 2024 in Almaty.

On 26 August, 2024, the OSCE Programme Office in Astana (the Office), in collaboration with the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and the International Water Assessment Centre (IWAC), held the 3rd meeting of the Inter-Institutional Working Group (IIWG) on tailings safety and the prevention of accidental water pollution in Kazakhstan.

Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities (OCEEA) Ambassador Bakyt Dzhusupov concluded his first visit to Mongolia on 28 August. During his visit, he met with officials across the country to discuss opportunities for enhanced co-operation on environmental and economic security.

Issyk-Kul, Kyrgyz Republic The Border Service of the State Committee for National Security, Ministry of Interior, Customs Service under the Ministry of Finance, and the State Service for Execution of Punishment under the Ministry of Justice convened in Issyk-Kul from 26-28 August 2024 for the K-9 Inter-Agency Coordination Meeting.

A joint delegation, comprising Ambassador Willy Kempel, Head of the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe, and Ambassador Raimundas Karoblis, Head of the EU Delegation to Tajikistan, visited two key sites in Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAO), Tajikistan on 20 August 2024, witnessing the positive impact of a project funded by the European Union.

From 19 to 23 August, the OSCE’s Transnational Threats Department held a training-of-trainers course for the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine (SBGS) in Warsaw, Poland. The training focused on identifying forged documents and impostors at border crossing points.

On 23-26 August 2024, the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe (POiD), in collaboration with the Committee for Environmental Protection, organized the Youth Ecological School (Eco-School) in Yos resort, Tajikistan.

On 22-23 August 2024, the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe organized a two-day training workshop on research methods for alternative anti-corruption monitoring.

Today, in a significant step towards modernizing electoral processes in Kosovo, the OSCE Mission in Kosovo presented the Central Election Commission (CEC) with a software to digitalize the vote counting and the tabulation of election results. The newly developed software, a product of close

VIENNA, 22 August 2024- As we observe the International Day Commemorating the Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion or Belief, we once again express our deep concern at the alarming level of hate crime and acts of violence based on religion or belief across the OSCE region.

WARSAW, 22 August 2024 – Safeguarding the right to freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief protects the inherent dignity of every individual and at the same time helps to build more tolerant and inclusive societies, reducing tensions and allowing our diverse communities to exist together, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) said on today’s International Day Commemorating the Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion or Belief.

On August 19-20, 2024, the OSCE Programme Office in Astana, in collaboration with the Financial Monitoring Agency (FMA), held a training seminar in Astana focused on strengthening risk management within the gambling and lottery sectors.

The OSCE enhanced the knowledge and practical skills of 20 criminal analysis officers from the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine (SBGS) by providing a training on the use of specialized analytical software in investigating criminal threats. The event took place from 13 to 15 August in Kyiv.

The OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe organized a five-day training course for lawyers, psychologists from the OSCE-supported Women’s Resource Centres (WRCs), and government representatives on preventing domestic violence and protecting its victims.