News and press releases

SARAJEVO, 14 May 2016 – Challenges in investigating, prosecuting and adjudicating war crimes in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) as well as potential solutions to these obstacles was the focus of a conference which concluded today in Sarajevo, having brought together more than 40 members of the judiciary, international law experts, government and diplomatic representatives...

WARSAW, 14 May 2016 Michael Georg Link, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), today welcomed Thursday’s rejection on third reading by the Jogorku Kenesh, Kyrgyzstan’s parliament, of draft legislation that would have imposed unnecessarily cumbersome reporting requirements for non-governmental organizations (NGOs)...

ISTANBUL, Turkey, 13 May 2016 – Concluding a one-week official visit to Turkey today, OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, Madina Jarbussynova, commended recent changes to the legislative framework that will improve victim protection and identification...

Strengthening women’s lobbying in public and political life in the OSCE region was the focus of a panel discussion in Warsaw on 13 May 2016, organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) in co-operation with the Polish Congress of Women. The event was organized as part of the 8th Annual Congress of Women, which brought together some 5,000 women from Poland and across Europe.

In Donetsk region, the SMM noted an increase in the number of recorded ceasefire violations compared with the previous day. In Luhansk region it continued to note a low level of ceasefire violations. The SMM continued to facilitate and monitor adherence to the ceasefire to enable repair to essential infrastructure, and at one occasion “DPR” members prevented it from doing so. The Mission monitored the situation affecting civilians in areas near the contact line. It monitored an area close to the border not under government control. The Mission observed a protest in Kyiv...

CALAIS, 11 May 2016 – The refugee and migrant crisis is impacting all of Europe with implications in humanitarian, economic and security dimensions, and therefore requires a continent-wide, multidimensional response, said parliamentarians at the conclusion of a field visit to Calais today...

OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities Astrid Thors visited Croatia from 9 to 10 May 2016. During her visit, Thors focused on promoting the effective implementation of the Constitutional Act on the Rights of National Minorities, in particular the provisions regarding languages and scripts;