News and press releases

Artfest, a three-day arts and human rights festival for young people, organized by the NGO Social Space for Deconstruction (SSD) and supported by the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, concluded on 30 July 2023 in Mitrovicë/Mitrovica South. The festival, supported by the OSCE Mission for the third year in a

WARSAW, 2 August 2023 – Remembering the persecution and murder of the Roma by the Nazi regime is also a reminder of the ongoing need to combat the discrimination that Roma and Sinti communities face today, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) said on today’s Roma Genocide Remembrance Day.

As the war displaced millions of Ukrainians or pushed them to the verge by destroying homes and businesses, the World Day against Trafficking in Persons, marked on 30 July each year, provided yet another occasion for the OSCE Secretariat Extra-Budgetary Support Programme for Ukraine (SPU) to join efforts of state agencies, civil society and international organizations in campaigning to warn people about growing risks to fall victim of human trafficking.

SKOPJE/VIENNA/WARSAW, 28 July 2023 – Ahead of World Day Against Trafficking in Persons on 30 July, the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Minister of Foreign Affairs of North Macedonia Bujar Osmani, OSCE Secretary General Helga Maria Schmid, and Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights Matteo Mecacci called for renewed efforts across the OSCE region to combat human trafficking and prevent exploitation.

From 24 to 28 of July 2023, the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe (Office) conducted a five-day exchange visit to Ashgabat, Turkmenistan for Tajik border agencies on good practices in cross-border co-operation.

The April 2023 early parliamentary elections in Bulgaria were competitive and well managed by the election administration, and fundamental freedoms were respected. The legal framework was adequate for the conduct of democratic elections, however, frequent changes eroded trust, undercut efficiency and complicated timely preparations.

The OSCE Programme Office (Office) in Dushanbe conducted a three-day workshop on project proposal writing with regard to water governance and management from 19 to 21 July in Dushanbe.