News and press releases

CHISINAU, 19 March 2014 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović today urged the Moldovan authorities to put more effort into strengthening media freedom and pluralism of opinions in the country as she ended her three-day visit to Moldova...

BISHKEK, 19 March 2014 – A memorandum of understanding to launch a major regulatory system reform project was signed between the OSCE Centre in Bishkek and Kyrgyzstan’s Ministry of Economy today...

BERN, 18 March 2014- Swiss Foreign Minister and OSCE Chairperson Didier Burkhalter considers the latest steps, taken today by the Russian Federation regarding the status of Crimea a breach of fundamental OSCE commitments and not compatible with international law. These unilateral actions also contradict the Helsinki Final Act, he said. OSCE countries have committed themselves to a security community where each participating State has an equal right to security and none of the OSCE countries should strengthen its security at the expense of the security of other States, Burkhalter went on...

VIENNA, 17 March 2014 – The role of community policing in preventing terrorism and countering violent extremism and radicalization that lead to terrorism is the subject of a new guidebook launched by the OSCE in Vienna today.

On 16 March 2014, Ukraine requested another continuation of the visit by unarmed military and civilian personnel from OSCE participating States. The visit is to cover the south and east of the country and will last until 20 March...

BELGRADE, 17 March 2014 – The 16 March 2014 early parliamentary elections offered voters a genuine choice, were conducted on a sound legal basis, and fundamental freedoms were respected throughout the campaign, international election observers said in a statement issued today. The observers also highlighted the need for some further legal reform and increased media pluralism...

The acting OSCE Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, Ruth Freedom Pojman, at a workshop held in Brussels from 12 to 13 March 2014 urged the Organization’s participating States to work jointly to prevent the exploitation of domestic workers by employers who hold diplomatic immunity...

A week-long study tour to Azerbaijan for trainers at Kyrgyzstan’s Customs Training Centre concluded on 15 March 2014 in Baku. The visit was supported by the OSCE Centre in Bishkek...

Raising awareness among the youth branches of political parties on the importance of democratic values in an election process was the aim of a conference organized by the OSCE Mission to Skopje and the MOST non-governmental organization on 14 to 16 March 2014...

BERN, March 16, 2014 – In the light of the unlawful referendum on the status of Crimea, Swiss Foreign Minister and Chairperson-in-Office of the OSCE, Didier Burkhalter, discussed over the weekend, at the highest political levels, the situation regarding Ukraine and possible solutions.

PRISHTINË/PRIŠTINA, 16 March 2014 – The Head of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, Ambassador Jean-Claude Schlumberger, noted at 22:00 hrs this evening that the collection of votes has concluded in an orderly manner. The operation was designed to enable eligible voters in Kosovo to exercise their right and cast ballots in Serbian parliamentary elections...

The OSCE’s Senior Gender Advisor, Ambassador Miroslava Beham, highlighted the need to actively engage men to achieve gender equality, during the 58th annual session of the Commission on the Status of Women on 10 to 14 March 2014 at the headquarters of the United Nations in New York...

An NGO network aiming to enhance inter-communal relations in the municipality of Struga was launched on 14 March 2014, with the support of the OSCE Mission to Skopje...

DUSHANBE, 14 March 2014 – The first ‘train-the-trainer’ course held for graduates of the OSCE Border Management Staff College drew to a close today in Dushanbe...

ASTANA, 14 March 2014- Trends and challenges in reforming penal legislation in Central Asia were the focus of a regional conference, supported by the OSCE Centre in Astana, held in the capital of Kazakhstan today...

Afghanistan has made much progress in the twelve years and will not pose a threat to other countries in the region, the country’s Minister of Counter Narcotics Mobarez Rashedi told the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna on 13 March 2014, as he highlighted ways to address the remaining challenges, including the fight against the illicit drugs...

Functional school mediation systems to promote constructive interaction between students, teachers and staff in secondary schools are being set up as part of a new project by the OSCE Mission to Skopje officially launched on 13 March 2014.

MOSCOW, 12 March 2014- The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group (Ambassadors Igor Popov of the Russian Federation, Jacques Faure of France, and James Warlick of the United States of America) conducted a series of meetings from February 22 to March 11 in Paris and Moscow with the Foreign Ministers of Armenia, Edward Nalbandian, and Azerbaijan, Elmar Mammadyarov. Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk, the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, also participated in the meetings...

BERN, March 12 2014- OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and Swiss Foreign Minister Didier Burkhalter, discussed the situation regarding Ukraine in a phone conversation with the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin, this afternoon. They talked about possible ways to overcome the current crisis...

BERN, March 11 2014 – In its current form the referendum regarding Crimea scheduled for March 16, 2014, is in contradiction with the Ukrainian Constitution and must be considered illegal, Swiss Foreign Minister and OSCE Chair Didier Burkhalter said...

VIENNA, 11 March 2014 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović today expressed concern about demands that cable operators in Ukraine stop transmitting certain Russian television channels...

A train carrying 490 tonnes of mélange, a toxic rocket fuel component, known as “Melange”, which was being stored in deteriorating containers in Ukraine, safely arrived today at a disposal facility in Russia, marking the successful completion of the removal operation of a project implemented by the OSCE, Ukraine and a Russian contractor.

*** UPDATE as of 13 March, 08:00- Twenty-seven OSCE participating State responded positively to the second request of Ukraine and are sending their personnel: Albania, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Porgutal, Slovenia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom, USA. The total number of personnel is 50 people.*** VIENNA, 11 March 2014, 12:00- A continuation of the visit by unarmed personnel has been requested by Ukraine, this time to cover the south and east of the country...

Effective co-operation between regional players and international organizations and the adequate representation and participation of women are crucial for effective mediation, OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier told a meeting of the Initiative on Mediation in the Mediterranean Region in Brdo, Slovenia, on 11 March 2014...

SKOPJE, 11 March 2014 – “Say No to Violence!”- an OSCE-supported media campaign promoting positive values and non-violent behaviour among school students, is being launched in Skopje today...

VIENNA, 10 March 2014 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović today called for the immediate release of the two Ukrainian journalists who were kidnapped on 9 March...

VIENNA, 10 March 2014 – OSCE media freedom representative Dunja Mijatović today welcomed the release of journalist Tuncay Özkan and urged swift, fair and transparent trials for all imprisoned journalists in Turkey. Mijatović’s office today also presented an updated analysis on imprisoned journalists in Turkey...

From 6 to 8 March 2014, Ambassador Angelo Gnaedinger, OSCE Special Representative for the South Caucasus, held consultations with high-ranking officials of Azerbaijan...

SKOPJE, 10 March 2014 – The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) today formally opened an election observation mission for the 13 April presidential and 27 April early parliamentary elections in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. The mission’s deployment follows an invitation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to observe the presidential election, and in anticipation of an invitation for the early parliamentary elections...

The acting OSCE Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, Ruth Freedom Pojman, noted the progress made and continuing shortfalls in Bosnia and Herzegovina’s (BiH) efforts to fight modern-day slavery, at the conclusion of an official visit from 2-6 March 2014...

VIENNA, 8 March 2014 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović today condemned the continuous closure of television channels and attacks on journalists in Crimea...

COPENHAGEN, 7 March 2014 – OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Ranko Krivokapic today addressed the Standing Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) in Paris, where he called for expanded co-operation between the Assemblies and participated in an exchange of views on the situation in Ukraine.

PRISHTINE/PRISTINA, 7 March 2014 – Ahead of International Women’s Day on 8 March, the Head of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, Ambassador Jean-Claude Schlumberger, appealed to local and central level institutions in Kosovo to raise the number of women in managerial positions...

KYIV, 7 March 2014 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović today warned that the current situation in Ukraine has led to a media freedom crisis as she ended a four-day visit to the country...

A ceremony to mark the 15th anniversary of the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat took place on 5 March 2014...

DUSHANBE, 7 March 2014 – A three-day training course on the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) and its review mechanism concluded today at the OSCE Office in Tajikistan...

AK-BULAK, Kazakhstan, 6 March 2014 – An OSCE-supported two-day roundtable discussion on the ongoing reform of the Criminal Procedure Code of Kazakhstan and major areas of criminal justice modernization began today at Ak-Bulak near Almaty...

KYIV, 6 March 2014- The Personal Envoy of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Ambassador Tim Guldimann, briefing media in Kyiv today, commended the Ukrainian authorities for their efforts to de-escalate the situation on Crimea, adding that “the situation is calm, but very tense.”

KYIV, 6 March 2014 – OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities Astrid Thors is alarmed about the situation in Crimea...

NGO representatives and officials from the Ombudsman’s Office in Osh increased their knowledge of trial-monitoring techniques and fair trial rights at a training workshop conducted by the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), in Osh, Kyrgyzstan, on 5 and 6 March 2014.

Empowerment of women and girls is essential to ensuring gender equality and combatting gender-based and domestic violence, Albania’s Minister for Social Welfare and Youth Erion Veliaj told the OSCE Permanent Council on 6 March 2014, ahead of International Women’s Day on 8 March...

PARIS, 5 March 2014 – OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and Swiss Foreign Minister, Didier Burkhalter, took part in a meeting on the Ukrainian crisis in Paris today. On the invitation of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, key actors focused in their discussions on the possibility of the creation of a contact group for Ukraine...

BUDAPEST, 5 March 2014 – The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) today held the opening press conference of its limited election observation mission for the 6 April parliamentary elections in Hungary...

COPENHAGEN, 5 March 2014 – OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Ranko Krivokapic today completed a two-day visit to the Czech Republic, where the crisis in Ukraine and the role the OSCE can play in helping to resolve it featured in talks with government leaders and lawmakers.

ALMATY, Kazakhstan, 5 March 2014 – A three-day training seminar on drug-crime detection and prosecution, with a special focus on controlled delivery and purchase, began today in Almaty...

VIENNA, 5 March 2014 – Eighteen OSCE participating States decided to send 35 unarmed military and civilian personnel to Ukraine in response to its request. The matter was discussed at a joint meeting of the Permanent Council and the Forum for Security Co-operation (FSC) in Vienna on 4 March 2014...

BERN, 4 March 2014 – Swiss Chairperson-in-Office Didier Burkhalter today discussed the Ukrainian crisis with German Minister of Foreign Affairs Frank-Walter Steinmeier. They emphasized the capacity of the OSCE in helping to overcome the crisis...

The 15 December 2013 parliamentary elections in Turkmenistan took place in a strictly controlled political environment characterized by a lack of respect for fundamental freedoms central to democratic elections, says the final report from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) released on 3 March 2014.

COPENHAGEN, 4 March 2014 – Isabel Santos (MP, Portugal), Chair of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly's Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions, today criticized Russia for “violating several key provisions of the Helsinki Final Act” in its recent actions with respect to Ukraine and called on OSCE officials to consider the implications. In an address before the OSCE Human Dimension Committee in Vienna, Santos said: “When I observe this 19th century act in the 21st century, I wonder if Russia’s de facto invasion of Ukraine means its de facto withdrawal from our Organization and its key commitments to Eurasian security.”

The OSCE Mission to Skopje is calling on municipalities, students, teachers, parents and schools to apply for grants for organizing activities that bring together students from different communities and different languages of instruction. The deadline for applications are 1 May, and 1 October 2014...