News and press releases

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

Between December 2023 and February 2024, the OSCE organized five national round tables in South-Eastern Europe bringing together media, law enforcement government and civil society representatives to discuss how to foster gender-sensitive and victim-centred approaches to media reporting on gender-based violence (GBV).

We urgently call on authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina to act immediately to prevent the collapse of the Public Broadcasting System (PBS).

On 26 and 27 February, 2024, the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan (PCUz), together with the Chamber of Advocates of Uzbekistan, carried out in Nukus (Karakalpakstan) a two-day training course on the international standards of human rights and freedoms. The event gathered 20 defence lawyers

Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic – 27 February 2024- Today, the OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek launches its first round of Consultative Mechanism for the year 2024. This structured platform serves as a pivotal space where all state partners and civil society organizations of the Kyrgyz Republic convene to reflect on the achievements of the OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek, exchange ideas, and provide consultations on future collaboration initiatives.

The 2023 early parliamentary elections in Spain took place in a competitive and pluralistic environment, with fundamental freedoms respected. The elections were managed effectively and the election management bodies enjoyed stakeholders’ trust. Nevertheless, a number of the technical aspects

The OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan along with other international partners like UN Agencies, USAID, and Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Foundation, supported the organization of the Ombudsperson’s Conference " Human Rights – an important factor of the sustainable development of states "

VIENNA, 24 February – Today, as we mark the second year of Russia’s full scale war against Ukraine, the OSCE Troika- Chair-in-Office of the OSCE and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs and Trade of Malta Ian Borg, Minister of Foreign Affairs of North Macedonia Bujar Osmani and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Finland Elina Valtonen- and OSCE Secretary General Helga Maria Schmid call on Russia to immediately stop its war against Ukraine and to respect the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders.

To foster Georgia’s regulatory framework against the increasing security risks revolving around virtual assets, the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities organized a study visit for officials from the National Bank of Georgia and the Financial Monitoring Service of Georgia to Riga, Latvia, for an exchange with regulators, supervisors, and representatives from non-profit organizations and the private sector from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

WARSAW, 23 February 2024 – As the war in Ukraine following Russia’s military attack enters its third year, the suffering of Ukrainian civilians is worsening as indiscriminate military strikes continue together with cases of torture, arbitrary detention, and other serious human rights violations, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) said in a statement today.

Obstructing terrorists’ access to financing channels, funds and property is key to diminish their activities. To help foster effective strategies for this goal, a training-of-trainers course to improve experts’ skills in disrupting terrorist groups through financial tools concluded on 22 February in Vienna. The course was organized by the OSCE’s Transnational Threats Department (TNTD), in co-operation with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and with the support of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo.

On 23 February 2024, eighteen mine action specialists and practitioners from the military, law enforcement, security services, and humanitarian agencies of Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Serbia completed a three-week regional Explosive Ordnance Disposal course (EOD Level 3) at the Regional Explosive Hazards Training Centre of Tajikistan’s Ministry of Defense in Chimteppa.

Acting Head of the OSCE Presence in Albania Clarisse Pasztory and Free Legal Aid Director Ergys Qirici signed a memorandum of understanding, on 22 February 2024, aimed at outlining areas of mutual interest and strengthening co-operation between the two institutions. The mission of the Free Legal

Experts from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) presented the final report of the Election Expert Team deployed to Estonia for the March 2023 parliamentary elections from 19 to 22 February in Tallinn.

On 20 February, the OSCE’s Transnational Threats Department presented the concept of the reformed community policing and the results of the Public Survey on Perceptions of the Police and Police Reforms in Yerevan, Armenia. The high-level meeting was attended by the Minister of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Armenia, the Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs, and the Chairman of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Defense and Security.

Alongside her eager K9 partner, the 5-month-old Belgian Shepherd (Malinois) named Ada, Kristina Shikova will be out in the field on detection duties by this summer. Kristina is training to become a police dog handler, making her the first woman in North Macedonia to hold this role. While Ada knows

The Constitutional Court, in co-operation with the OSCE Presence in Albania, presented the first Guide on Constitutional Court Case Law, on 21 February 2024. Representatives from justice institutions, advocates, academics, legal community and international partners participated in the launching

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).