News and press releases

SARAJEVO, 31 May 2001(OSCE)- Two aerial observation flights were conducted over the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wednesday, 30 May. The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina and the office of the OSCE Personal Representative on Article II...

PRISTINA, 30 May 2001 (OSCE)-- Daan Everts, Head of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, will brief tomorrow the Permanent Council on the on-going preparations for the general elections scheduled for 17 November, and on the operation to update the voters\'...

BELGRADE, 30 May 2001 (OSCE)-- The OSCE Mission to Yugoslavia is currently conducting in Bujanovac the second course for former police officers and reserves of Albanian and Serb origin, as part of an integrated package meant to develop a multi-ethnic...

PRISTINA, 30 May 2001 (OSCE)-- A new regulation establishing Radio Television Kosovo (RTK) as the sole public service broadcaster in the province, has been described by Daan Everts, OSCE Mission Head, as \"crucial\" for the people in Kosovo...

WARSAW, 29 May 2001-- The Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), the OSCE's election watchdog, today called on OSCE countries to redouble their efforts for democratic elections...

TASHKENT, 29 May 2001-- International human rights standards for criminal procedure and their implementation in Uzbekistan were the focus of training sessions co-organized by the OSCE in Bukhara and Tashkent from 21 to 29 May 2001...

VIENNA, 28 May 2001 (OSCE)-- An online archive of images depicting the work of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe in its 21 field operations throughout south-eastern Europe, the Caucasus, Central Asia and Eastern Europe is now...

BUCHAREST, 26 May 2001 (OSCE)-- The OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Romanian Foreign Minister Mircea Geoana, met yesterday with Ambassador Robert Frowick, the Personal Representative of the Chairman-in-Office

VIENNA, 25 May 2001 (OSCE)-- Freimut Duve, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, is very much concerned about a recent attack against the independent daily newspaper \'Avrupa\' in the northern part of Cyprus. As a result of a bomb explosion...

VIENNA, 25 May 2001 (OSCE)-- Freimut Duve, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, addressed the Permanent Council yesterday expressing his great concern about the continuing violence against journalists in Spain...

PRISTINA, 25 May 2001 (OSCE)-- Political entities wishing to contest this year's central elections will have to meet a list of requirements before their applications will be approved by the Central Election Commission...

SKOPJE, 25 May 2001 (OSCE)-- The Head of the OSCE Spillover Monitoring Mission to Skopje, Carlo Ungaro, today sent the following letter to the editors-in-chief of print and electronic media in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia...

BUCHAREST, 25 May 2001 (OSCE)- The Chairman-in-Office of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, Romanian Foreign Minister Mircea Geoana, condemns in the strongest terms the extremist violence in the former Yugoslav Republic of...

ZAGREB, 24 May 2001 (OSCE)-- The OSCE Mission to Croatia refutes the statement of the Croatian Christian Democratic Union (HKDU) on alleged bias during the monitoring of the local elections in Udbina. Croatian state television (HRT) had reported...

PRISTINA, 24 May 2001 (OSCE)-- The OSCE has welcomed the statement made by the Yugoslav President, in which he urged Kosovo\'s Serb community to take part in the upcoming registration campaign...

SKOPJE, 24 May 2001-- In view of the recent events, the Spillover Monitor Mission to Skopje of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe feels it essential to reaffirm the commitment of the OSCE...

SARAJEVO, 24 May 2001 (OSCE)-- The Mission to Bosnia-Herzegovina formally signed a memorandum of understanding with the Central Bosnia Canton yesterday, 23 May 2001, to commence implementation of the OSCE Cantonal Administration Project...

PRISTINA, 24 May 2001 (OSCE)-- The Kosovo Central Election Commission (CEC) has approved the ground rules, which will govern the conduct and campaign activities of those contesting this year's elections to Kosovo's new central assembly...

VIENNA, 23 May 2001 (OSCE)- The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Freimut Duve, issued a call to the new Italian Government and to the European Union States demanding a clear and transparent legal and economic separation between...

SARAJEVO, 23 May 2001 (OSCE)- A high-ranking German Parliamentary delegation, currently on a visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina, was briefed yesterday by the OSCE Mission in Sarajevo on the functioning of the country\'s joint institution and...

TIRANA, 22 May 2001 (OSCE)- The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR) has established an election observation mission in Albania to monitor the upcoming parliamentary elections scheduled for 24 June...

BUCHAREST, 22 May 2001 (OSCE)-- The OSCE Chairman-in-Office called for sustained continued efforts of the OSCE Advisory and Monitoring Group in Belarus (AMG) towards improving the dialogue with the Belarusian authorities, other political forces...

PRISTINA, 22 May 2001 (OSCE)- More transparency and public participation in the work of Kosovo\'s administrative and governing structures were among the recommendations contained in the first 2001 progress report released by

BELGRADE, 22 May 2001 (OSCE)- Yesterday began in Bujanovac the first phase of the multi-ethnic police training organized jointly by the OSCE Mission and the Serbian Ministry of Interior. \"The setting up of a multi-ethnic police-training course...

ZAGREB, 21 May 2001 (OSCE)- Yesterday's local government elections in Croatia were conducted generally in accordance with international standards for democratic elections, concluded the International Election Observation Mission in a statement

SKOPJE, 21 May 2001 (OSCE)- Robert Frowick, the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office on the situation in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, issued the following statement during a press conference in Skopje on Friday, 18 May...

PRISTINA, 21 May 2001 (OSCE)- The OSCE Mission in Kosovo has organized the first \"basic skills\" media training for young Roma journalists. Ten young journalists- either already working at Kosovo radio stations or with an interest to broaden...

YEREVAN, 21 May 2001 (OSCE)- Participants at a high-level two-day conference held in Yerevan discussed last week a new law enforcement project to be implemented in Armenia. The conference, which was co-organized by the OSCE on 17 and 18 May...

PRISTINA, 21 May 2001 (OSCE)- Members of Kosovo\'s municipal Communities Committees are taking part in the first of a series of OSCE-organized training workshops on human rights, which started in Prizren on 18 May.

ZAGREB, 16 May 2001- About 130 international observers will be deployed by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR) Election Observation Mission for the 20 May local government elections in Croatia.

WARSAW, 16 May 2001 (OSCE)- The OSCE is contributing to giving childrens' rights a special international focus during 2001, as the world prepares for the first ever United Nations General Assembly Special Session on Children.

KYIV, 15 May 2001 (OSCE)-- On 14 and 15 May, a seminar on \"Corruption Investigation and Prevention Strategy\" was held in Yalta, Ukraine. It was the first of a series of five regional seminars planned within the framework of co-operation...

YEREVAN, 15 May 2001 (OSCE)-- The second part of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) training programme on human rights monitoring and reporting for NGOs in Armenia will be held in Yerevan from 16 May to 20 May...

BANJA LUKA, 15 May 2001 (OSCE)-- The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina welcomes the offer of the Banja Luka Municipality to rent space from private citizens in order to provide accommodation for evicted families

COPENHAGEN, 14 May 2001-- The President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, Mr. Adrian Severin, and Vice-President Mrs. Rita Süssmuth paid a working visit to Moscow from 9 to 12 May 2001

SARAJEVO, 14 May 2001-- The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina welcomes the formation of the Una Sana Canton Government, which was approved by the Cantonal Assembly on 11 May 2001...

SKOPJE, 12 May 2001-- The following statement regarding the establishment of a new Macedonian coalition government was issued by Ambassador Robert Frowick, Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office

VIENNA, 11 May 2001- The Permanent Council of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), consisting of Representatives of all 55 participating States, has today adopted the following statement...

PRISTINA, 11 May 2001-- The visit to Kosovo by the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Romanian Foreign Minister Mircea Geoana, which was previously scheduled for Sunday, 13 May, has been postponed to a later date to be announced.

SARAJEVO,10 May 2001- High-ranking officials from the permanent missions of OSCE participating States visited the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina this week to observe democratization programmes and activities conducted by the Mission...

PRISTINA, 9 May 2001-- The second meeting with leaders of the Serb communities of Kosovo takes place in Gracanica on Thursday, 10 May 2001. It follows a similar seminar held in Leposavic last month...

BELGRADE, 8 May 2001- The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR) and the OSCE Mission to the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia met with representatives from the Serbian election administration,

YEREVAN, 8 May 2001-- Young teachers, researchers and students will discuss gender issues and gender education in Armenia at a two-day conference on Gender Culture in Modern Armenian Society

BUCHAREST, 7 May 2001- The OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Romanian Foreign Minister Mircea Geoana, strongly condemns the violent riots in the Serb entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina directed against the reconstruction of destroyed mosques...

VIENNA, 7 May 2001-- Freimut Duve, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, appeals to the media in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to refrain from any form of \"hate speech\"...

BUCHAREST, 7 May 2001-- The Chairman in Office of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe welcomes the release from prison of Mr. Ilie Ilascu, after nine years of detention.

SARAJEVO, 7 May 2001- The Acting Head of the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina condemns in the strongest terms today\'s outbreak of violence in Banja Luka...

SARAJEVO, 7 May 2001- The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina, condemns in the strongest possible terms the disturbances in Trebinje on Saturday.

ALMATY, 7 May 2001-- The President of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly, Mr. Adrian Severin, visited Kazakhstan as part of his official visit to three of the Central Asian OSCE participating States.

TASHKENT, 4 May 2001-- Access to information, public participation in decision-making, and access to justice in environmental matters was the topic for discussion during a recent two-day workshop held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.