News and press releases

The first meeting of the Interagency Steering Committee to Counter Cybercrimes (hereinafter, Steering Committee) marked a significant milestone in Kazakhstan’s efforts to enhance the prevention and investigation of cybercrime. Hosted by the OSCE Programme Office in Astana, in close co-operation with the Ministry of Interior of Kazakhstan, the event gathered over 40 representatives from law enforcement and government agencies on 14-15 March in Astana to discuss strategies and plans for bolstering collaborative efforts to combat cybercrime in Kazakhstan.

From 16 to 19 April 2024, the OSCE Project Co-ordinator (PCUz) is organizing three events on promoting open gender data. These seminars are organized in collaboration with the Statistics Agency under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Senate Committee on Women and Gender Equality

On 15 and 16 April, the OSCE Mission to Montenegro supported participation of Montenegrin delegation in 24th high-level Conference of the Alliance against Trafficking in Persons, attended by more than 800 participants from the OSCE region and beyond in Vienna.

During a three-day outreach and awareness workshop on Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW), held from 15 to 17 April in Tarčin, the OSCE Mission to BiH presented guidelines to improve communication and co-operation among law enforcement agencies, media, and the public regarding SALW. The Guidelines for Enhancement of Inter-institutional Communication and Outreach on SALW and Monitoring and Evaluation Framework represent an important step towards increasing role awareness and SALW-associated risks among both institutions and citizens. The workshop, which concluded today, was attended by representatives of law enforcement agencies as well as media outlets.

WASHINGTON, 17 April 2024- OSCE Chair-in-Office, Malta's Minister for Foreign and European Affairs and Trade Ian Borg, addressed the United States’ Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (U.S. Helsinki Commission), underlining Malta's vision and priorities during its 2024 OSCE Chairpersonship.

On 17 April 2024, the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe in collaboration with Tajikistan’s Ministry of Energy and Water Resources conducted a half-day event dedicated to the Kafirnighan River Basin Council’s 4th meeting.

VIENNA, 16 April 2024 – At the 24th Conference of the Alliance against Trafficking in Persons, OSCE leaders and anti-trafficking experts called on the 57 OSCE participating States to move beyond awareness-raising campaigns, underscoring the urgent need to re-evaluate prevention efforts in the face of evolving trafficking tactics.

Reiterating OSCE commitments to advance gender equality and promote the inclusion of youth in the peace and security agenda, the OSCE Gender Issues Programme with the financial support of the European Union and in close co-operation with the OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek and the OSCE Academy launched the Young Women for Peace Initiative for Central Asia.

The OSCE Mission today published its latest focused report on sentencing practices in cases involving illegal possession of weapons.

Best practices of the OSCE participating States in establishing business ombudsperson institutions and protecting the rights and legitimate interests of business entities were shared during an OSCE-organized seminar that took place on 15 April 2024 in Ashgabat. The event brought together

SARAJEVO, 15 April 2024- The OSCE Mission to BiH (Mission) urges relevant authorities not to proceed with a proposed Municipal Council decision regarding the renaming of streets in Srebrenica.

CHISINAU/VALLETTA, 13 April 2024 – Chair-in-Office of the OSCE, Maltese Minister for Foreign and European Affairs Ian Borg concluded his first visit to Moldova. Minister Borg underscored the OSCE's commitment to actively continue its engagement in Moldova, focusing on advancing the Transdniestrian Settlement Process and strengthening the Organization's work on the ground.

Nine journalists from the main media outlets in Albania and two media relations officials from the Ministry of Interior and State Police participated in an exchange visit to Stockholm, Sweden, organized by the OSCE Presence in Albania as part of its small arms and light weapons (SALW) project, from

PRISHTINË/PRIŠTINA, 12 April 2024 – OSCE Chair-in-Office, Malta’s Minister for Foreign and European Affairs and Trade, Ian Borg, concluded his one-day visit in Kosovo, emphasizing the OSCE’s key role in promoting dialogue, strengthening democratic institutions and rule of law.

In a world where open data plays a crucial role in fostering transparency and accountability, the OSCE continues its commitment to supporting open data initiatives in Ukraine. As part of this endeavor, the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities (OCEEA) concluded two two-day training courses aimed at empowering representatives from civil society, journalism, research, and the private sector with specialized knowledge of open data tools and digital tools in Ukraine.

Implementation of methane emission regulating system was in focus of an OSCE-organized seminar that took place on 11 and 12 April 2024. The OSCE Centre in Ashgabat organized the two-day event to share OSCE best practices and international experiences in carbon credit trading and present state

The Office of the Coordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities (OCEEA) presented a communication strategy which it developed for the Ministry of Economic Development of Montenegro to support women’s entrepreneurship in the country. The strategy, along with a study, was launched at an event in Podgorica on “Challenging Stereotypes and Changing Narratives to Women’s Entrepreneurship in Montenegro”.

The OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek provided support to the Ministry of Economy and Commerce of the Kyrgyz Republic by developing a comprehensive methodology aimed at enhancing the monitoring and evaluation (M&E) practices of projects funded by the Local Development Funds (LDFs).

BELGRADE, 10 April 2024 — OSCE Chair-in-Office and Malta’s Minister of Foreign and European Affairs and Trade, Ian Borg, concluded his visit to Serbia, reaffirming the OSCE’s steadfast commitment to the region and its continued partnership with Serbia.

Research examining public confidence in elections in Montenegro has shown that in 2023 58 per cent of people thought elections were free and fair as compared to 47 per cent in 2022. 32 per cent of citizens believe that electoral reform in Montenegro is needed, while almost a half of them (46%) is of the opinion that electoral reform needs to be implemented urgently. These are some of the findings of the survey...

Marking two decades since the historic 2004 Berlin Declaration, the 2024 Conference on Anti-Semitism in the OSCE region reviewed the advancements in countering anti-Semitism and discussed how persisting challenges can be effectively addressed. This Conference is a follow-up to the yearly OSCE Chairs-in-Office conferences and meetings dedicated to addressing anti-Semitism.

WARSAW, 8 April 2024 – With the political participation of Roma and Sinti remaining marginal in many places and elections taking place in almost half the countries of the OSCE area this year, it is more important than ever that Roma and Sinti are empowered to participate and thereby help shape their societies for the better, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) said on International Roma Day.

GENEVA, 5 April 2024 –   The 60th round of the Geneva International Discussions (GID) took place on 4-5 April 2024 in accordance with the six-point agreement of 12 August 2008 and implementing measures of 8 September 2008.

The sixth edition of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo Media Fellowship Programme, an annual initiative designed to enhance skills of young journalists in a rapidly evolving media landscape and establish a network of fellow journalists from diverse communities, started on 4 April in Prishtinë/Priština.

On 3 April, OSCE Project Co-Ordinator in Uzbekistan, Ambassador Antti Karttunen, held an introductory meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Bakhtiyor Saidov. Ambassador Karttunen stated that he was thrilled to assume his new role as a Head of PCUz. Ambassador

Systemic change requires meaningful and proactive engagement by those decision-makers and institutions across all levels of governance mandated to respond to domestic violence and gender-based violence, including violence against women. Today’s joint session of the parliamentary committees of the Parliament of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) on the Institutional Response to Domestic Violence and Violence against Women was an important step in making those changes.

OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities Kairat Abdrakhmanov visited Mongolia from 1 to 3 April 2024 where he discussed co-operation and issues of mutual interest with the authorities, signed a new Memorandum of Co-operation and organized a roundtable. During his meeting with Foreign Minister

On 1 and 2 April 2024, representatives of the Agency for Regulation and Development of the Financial Market of Kazakhstan (the Agency) and commercial banks gathered in Almaty for a two-day intensive practical workshop focusing on tackling money laundering networks and detecting schemes involving "money mules".

In view of the 2025 parliamentary elections in Albania, the OSCE Presence and the Central Election Commission (CEC) organized a technical workshop on findings and recommendations regarding voter education, on 3 April 2024. Opening the event, Acting Head of OSCE Presence in Albania Clarisse Pasztory

The OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan, in co-operation with the Committee on Innovative Development, Information Policy and Information Technology of the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Centre for Retraining of Journalists of Uzbekistan, organized

National experts from the Government of Kazakhstan convened at the Law Enforcement Academy under the Prosecutor General’s Office near Astana on 27 and 28 March 2024 for an interactive national workshop on the protection of vulnerable targets from terrorist attacks.

SARAJEVO, 01 April 2024- The OSCE Mission to BiH strongly condemns the attack on Stari Grad Municipality Mayor Irfan Čengić. We appreciate the swift investigation by the FBiH and Sarajevo Canton law enforcement agencies and expect the perpetrators to be brought to justice as a matter of priority.

From 27 to 29 March, the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities (OCEEA) organized a 3-day study visit for representatives of the National Bank of Moldova to Tbilisi, Georgia. The visit aimed to promote the exchange of insights and experiences between representatives of the National Bank of Moldova and its Georgian counterpart, the National Bank of Georgia.

From 25 to 29 March, the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities (OCEEA) conducted a workshop aimed at strengthening the Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASPs) regulatory framework of the National Bank of Georgia. Held in Tbilisi and hosted by the National Bank of Georgia, the workshop aimed to enhance the National Bank of Georgia's capacity to regulate VASPs operating within the country.

On 28 March, the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan (PCUz), in co-operation with the Public Fund to Support and Develop National Media in Uzbekistan, convened a roundtable discussion on the topic of “Media Ethics and Self-Regulation of Media”. The roundtable was opened by Ambassador Antti

Effective border control is a key element in the fight against international organized crime, including human trafficking, which is why the OSCE Mission to Montenegro from 25 to 29 March organized two training sessions in Budva in Kolašin for border police officers from across the country on how to interview a victim of human trafficking.

In 2023, the OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek (the Programme Office) collaborated with the Service on Countering Illicit Drug Trafficking (SCIDT) of the Kyrgyz Ministry of Internal Affairs to develop a new national draft law on illicit drug trafficking. This initiative aimed to address the limitations of the existing legal framework, which encountered difficulties in tackling the increasing complexities of national, regional, and global drug trafficking challenges.

Election experts from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) presented the final reports on Uzbekistan’s 2023 constitutional referendum and early presidential election during a visit to Tashkent that took place from 26 to 28 March 2024. “The interest shown in our

From 26 to 29 March 2024, the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) organized a study visit to the Central Election Commission of Georgia for representatives of the BiH Central Election Commission (CEC), the BiH Agency for the Protection of Personal Data, the BiH Agency for Identification Documents, the Records and Data Exchange as well as the BiH Parliamentary Assembly.

The 2023 parliamentary elections in Poland were competitive and voters had a wide choice of political alternatives, but the ruling party was given a clear advantage through its undue influence over the use of state resources and the public media. Contestants campaigned freely, but intolerant,

On 26 and 27 March, the OSCE’s Transnational Threats Department and the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities, in co-operation with the Judicial Training Centre of Montenegro organized a two-day training course for judges and prosecutors in Podgorica, Montenegro.

SARAJEVO, 27 March 2024- The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina welcomes the initiative "Streets for Peace Project" by the youth of Srebrenica suggesting to rename streets with neutral, inclusive names. This approach to renaming transcends political divides and sets a powerful example of reconciliation, co-operation and understanding, paving the way for a better future for all residents of Srebrenica. The Mission stands ready to assist relevant authorities in Srebrenica in ensuring citizen inclusion and transparency in approaching the issue of renaming streets.

Strengthening the capacities of municipal youth administrators to organize local youth services and identify the needs and priorities of youth in their communities is a focus of a three-day training course organized by the OSCE Mission to Montenegro and the Ministry of Sports and Youth, which began on 27 March in Budva.

The office of the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities (HCNM) and the Department of National Minorities under the Government of the Republic of Lithuania organized an expert roundtable on the Recommendations on the Effective Participation of National Minorities in Social and Economic Life

OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities Kairat Abdrakhmanov highlighted his open and constructive dialogue with the authorities in Latvia and representatives of national minorities, as well as civil society, during his first visit to the country from 18 to 21 March 2024.

The OSCE Mission to BiH donated a tailored package of specialized equipment and software to bolster the police’s technical capabilities in conducting criminal intelligence analysis, ease police co-operation, and facilitate information exchange in light of combating serious and organized crime as well as other security threats.

The presentation of the findings and recommendations from the Hate Crimes Underreporting Survey by the OSCE Mission to BiH in Sarajevo today highlights the critical factors contributing to the widespread underreporting of hate crimes: fear of reprisal, lack of trust in the justice system, and inadequate mechanisms for reporting and recording.

The Guidelines for the Management of Small Arms and Light Weapons in Police Organizations in BiH (Guidelines), presented today in Konjic by the OSCE Mission to BiH to representatives of law enforcement agencies, represent an important step towards fostering a consistent and effective approach for police officers in ensuring the safe storage and handling of weapons, in line with relevant laws and regulations.

In 2023, over 67 per cent of citizens had a positive view of the police, while 42.4 per cent noticed improvements in police work, an increase compared to 2022. Over 60 per cent of respondents believe that the police are the most efficient in the field of protection of citizens’ safety, followed by traffic safety (54.4 per cent) and border management and security (48.5 per cent). Overwhelmingly (81 percent) of respondents agree that women and men are equally capable of carrying out police duty, a result almost identical to 2022. These are some of the key findings..

Disseminating good practices and enhancing knowledge of new technologies in detecting forged documents and imposters at border crossing points was the focus of a three-day study visit organized by the OSCE Transnational Threats Department from 20 to 22 March 2024. This study visit included both an instructional component on chip technology in passports and a working visit to Amsterdam Schiphol Airport and took place in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. This visit was held in close co-operation with the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee and the Identity Fraud and Documents Centre of Expertise (ECID) for border police representatives from Bosnia-Herzegovina.