News and press releases

VIENNA, 3 October 2023 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Teresa Ribeiro, issued today a communiqué underscoring the pivotal role of media freedom during elections. She urged authorities of all OSCE participating States and electoral contenders to uphold their democratic duty by respecting and safeguarding the crucial democratic role of the media, especially during election periods.

WARSAW, 2 October 2023 – Building on strong partnerships and returning to genuine dialogue are key to overcoming challenges to human rights and democracy. This was the main message from OSCE leaders today at the opening of a major human rights conference to discuss the condition of human rights and freedoms across the 57 states of the region.

Fifteen officials from the Ministry of Interior are equipped with the knowledge and skills to create and upload training content to the police e-learning platform, developed with the support of the OSCE Mission to Montenegro. This was the outcome of two training cycles the Mission organized this year- from 3 to 7 July and from 25 to 29 September.

WARSAW, 30 September 2023 – Following 14 months of monitoring the evaluation of candidates to the body responsible for the appointment and discipline of judges in Moldova (pre-vetting), the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) found that the procedure is generally objective, fair and professional, and in line with international human rights and rule of law principles. However, the transparency and legal certainty of the evaluation process could be further improved, ODIHR said in a new report.

The May 2023 local elections in Albania were generally well-administered, competitive and held with the participation of the key political forces, but the process was characterized by continued polarization between the main political parties and deep division within the opposition. Contestants

Türkiye’s 2023 general elections offered voters a choice between genuine political alternatives and voter participation was high, but the incumbent president and the ruling parties enjoyed an unjustified advantage, including through biased media coverage. The continued restrictions on fundamental

From 25 to 29 September, the OSCE’s Transnational Threats Department, the Mobile Training Team and the OSCE Presence in Albania, conducted an intensive training programme in Tirana, Albania, focusing on behavioural analysis, interviewing techniques, and crisis management. It benefited twenty border and counter-terrorism officers, as well as representatives from the Security and Investigation Academy of the Albanian State Police.