News and press releases

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.

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.