News and press releases
News and press releases from the OSCE's global activities.
Democracy, security and sustainable development high on the agenda of OSCE parliamentarians in Luxembourg
Publishing date: 4 July 2019
LUXEMBOURG, 4 July 2019 – The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s 28th Annual Session opened today with calls for strengthening multilateral institutions to protect democracy, promote security and advance sustainable development. Nearly 300 parliamentarians from across North America, Europe and Central Asia have gathered in Luxembourg for the five-day meeting, being held under the theme “Advancing Sustainable Development to Promote Security: The Role of Parliaments.”...
OSCE PA Secretary General Montella overwhelmingly re-elected by Standing Committee
Publishing date: 4 July 2019
LUXEMBOURG, 4 July 2019 – The OSCE PA Standing Committee, convened in Luxembourg for the 2019 Annual Session, voted this morning by an overwhelming majority (45 in favour, 2 against) for the reappointment of incumbent Secretary General Roberto Montella for a second five-year term in office. The mandate begins on 1 January 2021 and expires 31 December 2025...
Statement on Ukraine election observer mission by leading OSCE observer
Publishing date: 3 July 2019
LUXEMBOURG, 3 July 2019 – Ilkka Kanerva (MP, Finland), who has been nominated to lead the short-term OSCE observer mission for the 21 July early parliamentary elections in Ukraine, today expressed regret that the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe will no longer be able to observe these elections following recent developments...
OSCE PA’s Voridis and Chambers address UN Security Council on parliamentary counter-terrorism efforts
Publishing date: 3 July 2019
NEW YORK, 2 July 2019 – In a briefing on the counter-terrorism work of parliamentarians before the United Nations Security Council’s Counter-Terrorism Committee, the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s Makis Voridis and Lisa Chambers spoke about the role played by the Assembly in this field and ways to further the engagement of parliamentarians in countering terrorism...
OSCE leaders call for utmost restraint in Albania
Publishing date: 28 June 2019
BRATISLAVA/COPENHAGEN/VIENNA, 28 June 2019 – OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and Slovakia’s Foreign and European Affairs Minister Miroslav Lajčák, OSCE Secretary General Thomas Greminger, President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA) George Tsereteli and OSCE PA Secretary General Roberto Montella regret the continuing political tension in Albania and have made the following statement:..
OSCE PA human rights leaders deeply concerned about faltering respect for fundamental freedoms
Publishing date: 13 June 2019
COPENHAGEN, 13 June 2019 – Following mass arrests of peaceful demonstrators in recent days in Moscow, Russia, and several cities in Kazakhstan, the leaders of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s human rights committee call for full respect of fundamental freedoms of assembly and expression...
Robust oversight key to rule of law, stress OSCE parliamentarians in Tbilisi
Publishing date: 6 June 2019
TBILISI, 6 June 2019 – Addressing a conference focused on parliamentary oversight today, OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President George Tsereteli (MP, Georgia) called for continued attention to uphold and strengthen OSCE parliaments’ roles in holding governments accountable.