News and press releases

WARSAW, 21 February 2024 – The human rights situation in Belarus continues to deteriorate as those who voice dissent or stand up for the human rights of others are subject to investigation, persecution, and frequently prosecution, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) said in a statement today.

Election experts from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) presented the final reports and recommendations of the observation missions to the 2023 early parliamentary elections as well as the presidential election in Montenegro during a visit to Podgorica from 6 to 9 February 2024.

On 19 February, the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities (OCEEA) launched the Central Asian Women’s Entrepreneurship Programme titled “Strengthening the Digital Skills of Women Entrepreneurs”. The programme, initiated as part of the project on open data and digitalization, will serve as an online platform for exchange, learning, and dialogue for 21 women-led businesses from Central Asia. Through a series of workshops, women entrepreneurs will be empowered to scale their businesses through the effective use of digital technology.

On 19 February 2024, the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe had an honor to host a visit for the esteemed representatives of Japanese delegation, Ms. Hisako Ishizaki, First Secretary of the Embassy of Japan in Austria; Ms. Tina Kapica, Advisor on International Organizations Affairs of the Embassy of Japan in Austria; Ms. Kozue Araki, Second Secretary of the Embassy of Japan in Tajikistan, and Mr. Hiroshi Takizawa, Consul/Second Secretary of the Embassy of Japan in Tajikistan within the framework of the Integrated Co-operation on Explosive Hazards (ICExH) Programme.

MUNICH/VALLETTA, 19 February 2024 — The Chair-in-Office of the OSCE, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs and Trade of Malta Ian Borg, participated in this year’s edition of the Munich Security Conference. The Munich Security Conference brings together global leaders, policymakers, and experts to discuss pressing international security challenges.

WARSAW, 16 February 2024 – The reported death of Alexei Navalny while serving a lengthy prison sentence is a tragedy that follows years of unjust imprisonment and the denial of his rights, including to a fair trial, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) said today.

Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic – A three-day Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Workshop, focused on the National Action Plan for the implementation of the Programme of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic on Countering Extremism and Terrorism for 2023-2027 (the Programme), concluded on 15 February, 2024 in Bishkek.

The OSCE Mission in Kosovo today published its latest focused report on the imposition of detention measures on defendants with mental health needs.

Driven by the importance of enhancing the safety, resilience, and sustainability of supply chains between Asia and Europe, the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities conducted a two-day field visit to the Port of Valencia for seaport experts from Azerbaijan (port of Baku), Georgia (port of Batumi), Kazakhstan (ports of Aktau and Kuryk), and Turkmenistan (port of Turkmenbashi). The visit took place from 14 to 15 February.

The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina welcomes the adoption of the Law on Preventing Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing, a piece of legislation vital for the ability of authorities and institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina to more effectively fight organized crime, corruption and terrorism.

On 15 February 2024, the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe (POiD) had the immense privilege of hosting Ms. Rachel Schiller, the U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary for Programs and Operations in the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs and Mr. Rodney A. Robideau, the U.S. Conventional Weapons Destruction Program Manager from the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement at the Regional Explosive Hazards Training Centre (REHTC) of the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Tajikistan.

ERGNETI, 13 February 2024 – The 117th Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM) took place in Ergneti today under the co-facilitation of the Acting Head of the EU Monitoring Mission in Georgia (EUMM), Tibor Kozma, and the Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office for the South Caucasus, Viorel Moşanu.

The OSCE Gender Issues Programme and the Global Network of Women Peacebuilders (GNWP) held the second “Women’s Networks WIN Together” regional conference on networks across women peacebuilders and mediators from Eastern Europe, South Caucasus and Central Asia on 5-7 February in Vienna.

It is with immense sadness that the Bureau and the members of the Court have learned that Robert Badinter, former Minister of Justice of France and a founding father of the OSCE Court of Conciliation and Arbitration, has passed away.

PRISHTINË/PRIŠTINA, 9 February 2024- The OSCE Mission in Kosovo today published its latest report on the effects of the 2022 mass resignation of Kosovo Serb judges, prosecutors, and administrative staff working in the justice system in the Mitrovicë/Mitrovica region.

From 5 to 9 February, the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities organized a workshop in Warsaw, Poland for Ukrainian supervisory agencies and regulators on addressing the most common risks associated with money laundering and supervisory processes governing Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASPs).

OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities (HCNM) Kairat Abdrakhmanov visited Valletta on 7 February 2024 to discuss issues of mutual interest, in light of Malta’s Chairpersonship of the OSCE. The High Commissioner met with Ian Borg, Minister for Foreign and European Affairs and Trade of Malta

BAKU, 8 February 2024 – This was the first election to be held throughout the internationally recognized territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan, an issue that dominated the campaign and was echoed in public sentiment. While preparations for the election were efficient and professional, it lacked genuine pluralism and critical voices were continuously stifled. Longstanding restrictions on freedoms of association and expression were reinforced by recent legal amendments and resulted in legislation not in line with international democratic standards, international observers said in a statement today.

Thirty representatives from state institutions and civil society organizations engaged in the first hackathon against trafficking in human beings in Albania – a learning-by-doing training where they worked together to detect online human trafficking and child sexual exploitation, on 6 and 7

WARSAW/VIENNA, 7 February 2024 – The decision of Kyrgyzstan’s parliament, the Jogorku Kenesh, to proceed towards the adoption of the so-called “foreign representatives” bill is of great concern, the Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) Matteo Mecacci and OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media (RFoM) Teresa Ribeiro said today.

Ten minibuses equipped to act as mobile police reception units were donated on 7 February 2024 to Tajikistan's Ministry of Interior by the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe under the project on Mobile Police Stations, part of the OSCE’s police reform programme for the country.

In a meeting on 7 February 2024, Tajikistan’s Deputy Minister of Interior, Major General Nasimzoda Akbar Ghiyos met with the Officer-in-Charge of the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe, Jukka Tuononen.

On 7 February 2024, the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe donated two specialized boats to the country's Committee of Emergency Situations and Civil Defence to bolster Tajikistan's emergency response capabilities.

From 30 January to 1 February, the OSCE Programme Office in Astana conducted a three-day workshop on digital rights and dialogue facilitation between State officials and civil society organizations.

With the support of the OSCE Mission to Montenegro, the Ballistic Laboratory of the Forensic Centre has been officially accredited in line with international standards – ISO 17025, enhancing the credibility and reliability of forensic analysis.

KYIV, 3 February 2024- The OSCE Chair-in-Office, Minister for Foreign and European Affairs and Trade of Malta Ian Borg, completed his visit to Ukraine.

Together with the Association of Journalists (AJM) and our other partners, the OSCE Mission to Skopje remains steadfast in its commitment to supporting high-quality journalism.

VIENNA/BELGRADE, 2 February 2024 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Teresa Ribeiro, and the Head of the OSCE Mission to Serbia, Jan Braathu, expressed their dismay over today’s verdict of the Belgrade Appellate Court. In this verdict, all defendants were acquitted, leaving the 1999 murder of Serbian journalist Slavko Ćuruvija unresolved. This latest verdict significantly deviates from the two previous first-instance court decisions, which had resulted in extensive prison sentences for the defendants.

Ten representatives from civil society organizations, Local Safety Councils, Ministry of Interior and Albanian State Police were on a visit to Zagreb, Croatia, on 30 and 31 January 2024, to exchange best practices and strategies when designing and implementing local and national awareness raising

THE HAGUE, 2 February 2024 – OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities Kairat Abdrakhmanov today launched a call for nominations for the 2024 Max van der Stoel Award. The award of 50,000 euros recognizes extraordinary and outstanding achievements in improving the position of national minorities in the OSCE participating States. The deadline for nominations is 31 March 2024.

From 26 to 28 January, IT enthusiasts gathered at the New Uzbekistan University in Tashkent for the sixth edition of the “Open Data Challenge” hackathon.

From 29 to 31 January 2024, 25 graduate students from Central Asia, Afghanistan and Mongolia participated in a training programme dedicated to organized crime and the often-overlooked role of women in criminal networks. This event was held in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan by the OSCE Academy in Bishkek and OSCE Transnational Threats Department.

Environment and law enforcement officials from Albania conducted a study visit to Slovakia focused on environmental inspection and investigation of environmental crimes, on 30 and 31 January 2024. The OSCE Presence in Albania organized the visit as part of its efforts to increase national

WARSAW/COPENHAGEN, 29 January 2024 – The decision of the Russian Federation not to invite OSCE observers to the upcoming presidential election is deeply regrettable, leaders of the OSCE’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA) said today.

VALLETTA/WARSAW/WASHINGTON, 27 January 2024 – On today’s International Holocaust Remembrance Day, the OSCE honours the victims of Nazi persecution, reflecting on the painful lessons from one of the darkest chapters of human history and seeking to learn from them, both for the present and future. The immense suffering and anguish endured by six million Jews, as well as millions of other innocent people, cannot be overstated or much worse forgotten.

On International Holocaust Remembrance Day, the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina pauses to reflect on the millions of people who were persecuted and murdered by the Nazi regime and its collaborators. The unimaginable suffering of Jews, Slavs, Roma and Sinti, individuals with disabilities, sexual and religious minorities, and many others during one of the darkest chapters in human history serves as a stark but necessary reminder that we must prevent the recurrence of such inhumanity.

To increase awareness and discuss regional co-operation on climate change and security, the OSCE gathered more than 40 representatives from its field operations to meet in Istanbul for a workshop on 13 and 14 December 2023. Emphasizing that the effects of climate change can exacerbate economic challenges and environmental degradation, which may negatively affect prosperity, stability and security in the OSCE area, the OSCE provides a platform for political dialogue on a wide range of issues associated with climate related security risks. These conversations form the basis for the implementation of activities on the ground.

On 26 January 2024, the Deputy Head of the OSCE Programme Office in Astana, Mr. Yuri Fenopetov, met with the Chairman of the Asset Recovery Committee of the Prosecutor General's Office, Mr. Nurdaulet Suindikov, to discuss collaborative efforts in combatting illicit financial activities in Kazakhstan.

Op-Ed by Ambassador Brian Aggeler, Head of the OSCE Mission to BiH on the air pollution in Bosnia and Herzegovina

VIENNA, 25 January 2024 – The OSCE Chair-in-Office, Minister for Foreign and European Affairs and Trade of Malta Ian Borg, presented the country’s vision for its 2024 Chairpersonship at the inaugural session of the OSCE Permanent Council today.

SARAJEVO, 24 January 2024- The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (Mission) commends the Una-Sana Cantonal (USC) Assembly for yesterday’s adoption of the Law on Peaceful Assembly. Following a legislative process initiated in 2022, this represents an important step forward in aligning USC freedom of assembly laws with international human rights standards. The Mission is committed to assisting all authorities across BiH in improving their legislative protections of fundamental rights, including freedom of assembly. The Mission further recognizes the dedicated efforts and collaboration of the USC Ministry of Interior in the development and adoption of this law and remains available to support all relevant authorities in the proper implementation of this legislation.

Children and youth are particularly vulnerable to getting drawn into criminal and corrupt activities. Practitioners and institutions can play a crucial role in the early identification and prevention of delinquent behavior among young people. To foster their knowledge and expertise on this topic,

WARSAW, 23 January 2024 – The initiative of the Albanian authorities to resume the country’s electoral reform ahead of the 2025 parliamentary elections is an important and positive development in a process that has already served as an example of good practice for the region and beyond, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) said today.

SARAJEVO, 23 January 2024- As yet unidentified parties have been conducting cyber-attacks against BUKA's website for the past two weeks, affecting everyday operations and their ability to provide timely information to the public. To safeguard media freedom, the OSCE Mission to BiH calls on authorities to respond swiftly, per their respective mandates, to counter these escalating threats.

In congratulating journalists in Montenegro, Dominique Waag, Head of OSCE Mission to Montenegro noted that 23 January reminds us of the vital part journalists play as fact-checkers and guardians of verified information in democratic societies.

SARAJEVO, 19 January 2024- The OSCE Mission to BiH (Mission) condemns the 12 January attack on the journalist and editor of Times.ba, Mirza Dervišević, in Brčko District of BiH (BD). The Mission commends the prompt reaction by the BD authorities in identifying and detaining a suspected perpetrator and expects the proper further processing of this incident. The Mission reiterates that all media professionals must be guaranteed a safe working environment, in which all fundamental rights and freedoms are fully protected and respected.

A joint op-ed by Bojana Urumova, Head of Council of Europe Office in Sarajevo; Johann Sattler, Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brian Aggeler, Head of the OSCE Mission to BiH, and Ingrid Macdonald, United Nations Resident Coordinator in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Half of the respondents report that they are informed about the work of the State Prosecutor’s Office, while in 2022 less than a quarter reported the same. 41 per cent of respondents believe that the State Prosecutor’s Office is accessible and open to the public, which represents an increase of 11%

OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities (HCNM) Kairat Abdrakhmanov dedicated a bench to the city of The Hague on 18 January 2024 in gratitude for hosting the office of the HCNM for 30 years. High Commissioner Abdrakhmanov thanked the Mayor of The Hague, Jan van Zanen, for the city’s long-term

VIENNA, 17 January 2024 – Today marked the opening session of the OSCE Forum for Security Co-operation (FSC) under the Chairpersonship of Cyprus, during which Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr. Constantinos Kombos outlined the country’s priorities for its Chairpersonship.