News and press releases

BISHKEK, 23 March 2024- Youth of Kyrgyzstan planted more than 1000 seedlings of Virginia juniper and 555 seedlings of rose hips in the Batken region, thereby launching the traditional Youth Tree Planting campaign across the country.

THE HAGUE, 22 March 2024 –The deadline for receiving nominations for the 2024 Max van der Stoel Award has been extended to 6 May 2024. The award of 50,000 euros recognizes extraordinary and outstanding achievements in improving the position of national minorities in the OSCE participating States.

A study tour to Georgia for five representatives of Tajikistan’s Committee on Environmental Protection was organized by the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe from 17 to 22 March 2024.

VIENNA, 22 March 2024 – Teresa Ribeiro, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media (RFoM), concluded a two-day visit to Italy where she discussed with her interlocutors the importance of ensuring the safety of journalists, the independence of public service media, and the crucial nexus between media freedom and security.

SKOPJE, 21 March 2024 – The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) today opened an election observation mission to North Macedonia for the 24 April presidential election and the 8 May parliamentary elections, following an invitation from the national authorities.

ERGNETI, 21 March 2024 – The 118th Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM) took place in Ergneti yesterday under the co-facilitation of the EU Monitoring Mission in Georgia (EUMM) and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).

Acting Head of the OSCE Presence in Albania, Clarisse Pasztory and Speaker of the Assembly of Albania Lindita Nikolla signed a Memorandum of Understanding today to renew and strengthen the partnership between the two institutions. The Memorandum creates a general framework and sets guidelines for

Moldova’s 2023 local elections were peaceful and managed efficiently, but interference from abroad and restrictions on freedom of expression due to national security concerns had a negative impact. The influx of illicit and foreign funds and the monetary incentives used to influence voters’ choice

On 13 March 2024, the OSCE Gender Issues Programme WIN Project, co-hosted together with Italy and Ireland, a side event titled "No Woman’s Land: Unpacking the Nexus and Finding Solutions on Gender, Corruption and Access to Natural Resources" at the margins of the 68th Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68) in New York.

There is nearly unanimous consensus among citizens of Montenegro (92 per cent) that media literacy is of great importance. However, 62 per cent of respondents rate the media literacy of Montenegrin citizens as poor, and understanding the internet and social networks appear to be at an insufficient level. Education is widely recognized as a key measure to improve media literacy. These are some of the key findings of public opinion research...

SKOPJE, 18 March 2024 –The introduction of a new system for the management of deactivated firearms, made possible by donations from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the OSCE Mission to Skopje, will help prevent weapons misuse and improve safety throughout North Macedonia.

On 14 March 2024, the OSCE’s Transnational Threats Department and the Office of the Representative on the Freedom of the Media (RFoM) held an expert meeting to discuss challenges and opportunities affiliated with the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and preventing and countering violent extremism and radicalization that lead to terrorism (P/CVERLT). The meeting, which took place in Тhe Hague, the Netherlands, was organized in close co-operation with the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism (ICCT).

On 29 February 2024 and following consultation with Ukraine, 45 OSCE participating States invoked the Moscow Mechanism in order to “ address arbitrary deprivation of liberty of Ukrainian civilians by the Russian Federation ”. More specifically, the tasks of the mission of experts will include those

The OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe completed a capacity-building training course on avalanche safety for representatives of Tajikistan’s Committee of Emergency Situations and Civil Defence (CoESCD) on 15 March 2024 in the Varzob district, outskirts of Dushanbe.

The OSCE gathered 18 participants from the State Revenue Committee and the Central Bank of the Republic of Armenia to dive into virtual asset taxation during a workshop organized by the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities (OCEEA) on 14-15 March in Yerevan.

On 14-15 March 2024, women judges from Kazakhstan and around the world convened for a two-day hybrid workshop in Astana entitled “Women judges: professional exchange of experience and international co-operation” in Astana.

Identifying forged documents and impostors at border crossing points was the focus of a two-week training course held from 4 to 15 March 2024 by the OSCE Transnational Threats Department. This course, which included both an introductory and an advanced component, took place in Krakow Poland in close co-operation with the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine.

VALLETTA/WARSAW/ANKARA, 15 March 2024 – Amidst an increase in prejudice and violence against Muslims in a growing number of countries, greater efforts are needed to build dialogue and counter anti-Muslim hatred, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe said in a statement on today’s International Day to Combat Islamophobia.

On 15 March 2024, the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe’s Integrated Co-operation on Explosive Hazards (ICExH) programme organized the 1st Online International Training Board meeting for the respective governmental structures of Central Asia and the OSCE field operations in Central Asia.

Promoting the responsible use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) by OSCE participating States was the focus of a two-day training event held in Belgrade, Serbia on 13 and 14 March. With the continued digitalization of societies, states are increasingly using ICTs to pursue their objectives. However, in a borderless domain such as cyberspace, this can lead to misperception and a lack of transparency.

From 11 to 13 March 2024, the OSCE Presence in Albania trained over 40 police officers, prosecutors, environmental inspectors and experts on the identification, investigation and prosecution of environmental crimes. The participants – from Vlora, Gjirokastra, Fier, Durrës, Tirana and Dibra regions

VIENNA, 13 March 2024 – Today, the closing session of the Forum for Security Co-operation (FSC) under the Chairpersonship of Cyprus was held in the presence of the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Cyprus, Mr Andreas Louka.

An introductory workshop on virtual asset regulation and enforcement took place in Yerevan, Armenia from 11 to 13 March. The event, organized by the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities (OCEEA), brought together 23 participants representing various state agencies to learn more about crucial aspects of virtual asset management and combatting financial crimes associated with cryptocurrencies.

In a bid to enhance Georgian law enforcement’s capacity to tackle crypto-related crimes, the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities (OCEEA), in collaboration with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), brought together 25 representatives from various law enforcement agencies for a specialized training session on crypto-asset investigations from 11 to 13 March.

About 70 members of Youth Councils and local authorities from the municipalities of Elbasan, Shkodra and Roskovec actively engaged in a comprehensive training seminar on improving air quality in their communities. The main objective of the workshops that took place from 5 to 12 March 2024 was to

On 11 March 2024, the OSCE Transnational Threats Department co-organized a side event with the OSCE Chairpersonship of Malta on "Empowering Women for Justice: Advancing Gender Equality in Organized Crime Prevention and Exit Strategies," on the margins of the 68th Commission on the Status of Women. The event was hosted by the Permanent Mission of Malta and co-sponsored by the Permanent Missions of Albania, Canada, Italy, Sweden and the Republic of Tajikistan to the United Nations. 

VIENNA, 8 March 2024 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Teresa Ribeiro, has condemned the imprisonment of Roman Ivanov, a journalist with RusNews, an online media outlet, and expressed concern regarding other setbacks related to freedom of expression and media freedom in the Russian Federation.

OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities Kairat Abdrakhmanov visited Bosnia and Herzegovina from 4 to 6 March 2024 to attend the Regional Conference on Co-operation on matters related to National Minorities in Sarajevo. The Conference gathered representatives of national minorities and

WARSAW, 8 March 2024 – Targeted campaigns of arrest and prosecution as well as imprisonment of many of those who express dissent continues to intensify, raising fears for the safety of those imprisoned and growing concerns for the democratic future of the Russian Federation, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) said in a statement today.

The OSCE Mission to BiH organized a two-day workshop gathering more than 40 representatives from prosecutor’s offices, law enforcement agencies as well as institutions across the country in Trebinje, titled "Instituting and Facilitating Regular Inter-Agency Meetings and Briefings Between Agencies and Prosecution," concluding today.

BRUSSELS, 8 March 2024 – Teresa Ribeiro, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media (RFoM), concluded a three-day visit to Brussels. Her itinerary included high-level meetings with Commissioners of the European Union (EU), the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the EU, the European External Actions Service (EEAS), NATO and representatives from civil society.

The OSCE Transnational Threats Department and the OSCE Presence in Albania provided the Albanian State Police with additional crime analysis software licences and conducted an advanced training programme in Tirana, Albania, from 26 February to 8 March 2024. Building on the previous introductory training programme held in December 2023, this initiative was tailored for 40 junior analysts from the Intelligence and Criminal Archives Directorate of the Albanian State Police.

VIENNA, 7 March 2024 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Teresa Ribeiro, has expressed grave concern after the detention of 14 staff members from the independent online media outlet, Toplum TV, yesterday.

Engaging civil society and the Ukrainian government in a constructive dialogue to tackle the issues reported by Roma over the past two years of war was the focus of discussions hosted this week in Warsaw by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR). Following a workshop

SKOPJE, 7 March 2024 – Gender and security will take centre stage at a conference hosted by the OSCE Mission to Skopje and the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) in Skopje on 7 and 8 March. The conference brings together law enforcement agencies from the region to exchange experiences and best practices in achieving gender equality within law enforcement.

Addressing the need for women’s empowerment in the water sector, the “Women in Water Diplomacy Global Network Forum” took place in Vienna from 4 to 7 March. The event, which gathered more than 80 water management experts and networks from across the globe, provided a platform for exchange on best practices and experiences on gender mainstreaming and addressing strategic challenges related to water management and security among women water professionals from around the world.

STRASBOURG, 6 March 2024- The Chair-in-Office of the Organization for Co-operation and Security in Europe (OSCE), Minister of Foreign and European Affairs and Trade of Malta, Ian Borg, concluded a productive visit to the Council of Europe (CoE) today. He called both the OSCE and the CoE “beacons of stability and hope”. The visit allowed him to provide an overview of Malta’s key priorities during its Chairpersonship of the OSCE for the year 2024.

From 3 to 6 March 2024, the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) organized a study visit for representatives of the BiH Central Election Commission to the Central Election Commission of Albania. This visit provides insights into the application of election technologies and electoral processes. Albania has successfully integrated new election technologies into its systems for number of years.

TIRANA, 5 March 2023 – While the willingness of the Albanian authorities to renew their commitment to electoral reforms ahead of next year’s parliamentary elections is to be welcomed, the national authorities need to make use of the current opportunities to finalise and implement them, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) said today.

Central Asia, with its untapped renewable energy potential, can make a major contribution to the green energy revolution. To meet this potential, Central Asian countries have prioritized the need to invest in an enabled workforce. Against this background, the OSCE has launched an E-learning course

The OSCE Mission in Kosovo organized two training courses for women-led NGOs and women from rural areas in Prizren region on how to recognize and respond to potential cases of violent extremism and radicalization leading to terrorism (VERLT).  

From February 26 to March 1, 2024, a training course on “Combatting Illicit Trafficking of Small Arms and Light Weapons, Ammunition and Explosives at the border” took place in Osh, Kyrgyz Republic, aiming to address the adverse impact of illicit trafficking on safety and security in the OSCE region.

On 28 and 29 February 2024, the OSCE Presence in Albania organized the second regional expert meeting on advancing the regulatory framework of police canine units. This event, held for the second year in a row in Albania, brought together representatives of police canine units from Tirana,

The OSCE Mission in Kosovo published today its latest thematic report “School Dropout: Behind the Numbers of Dropouts from Compulsory Education in the Kosovo System 2020-2023.”

Open government data boost good governance, digital innovation and economic development. To promote the use and benefits of open data, the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities (OCEEA) conducted two training courses for national and regional Ukrainian government

Enhancing airport security through behaviour detection was the focus of a training session held from 27 to 29 February in Chisinau by the OSCE Transnational Threats Department and the Airport Police Network (AIRPOL). Bringing together 15 officers from the Moldovan Border Police, Customs Service, and Airport Administration, the interactive session equipped Moldovan border and law enforcement officers with advanced techniques and methods of effective behaviour detection at airports.

Slovakia’s 2023 early parliamentary elections were competitive and pluralistic, with fundamental rights and freedoms respected, but while the contestants enjoyed equitable campaign conditions, they competed in an environment characterized by high polarization. The elections were managed

Creating models to establish social enterprises and diversify sources of income to ensure sustainability were among the skills learned by twelve women at a training course for 26 representatives of OSCE-supported Women’s Resource Centres (WRCs).

Although technically well-administered and offering voters a choice of political alternatives, Serbia’s 2023 early parliamentary elections were dominated by the decisive involvement of the President, which, together with the ruling party’s systemic advantages, created unjust conditions for

Alongside many opportunities, cryptocurrencies and other virtual assets bring about a plethora of risks, such as money laundering, terrorist financing, fraud and more. To strengthen Moldova’s crypto-related crime investigations, the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental