News and press releases

From 17 to 28 February 2025, the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe organized a comprehensive two-week training course for the heads of border outposts serving along the Tajikistan-Afghanistan border. The training, held at a border detachment training center in Panj district, brought together 20 officers from the Tajik Border Troops, primarily from outposts in the Khatlon region.

The OSCE Transnational Threats Department held a national workshop for 15 senior representatives of Kyrgyz law enforcement agencies in Bishkek on 27 and 28 February. The event aimed at building the agencies’ capacities to provide systematic and sustainable professional training and development on investigating cybercrimes and other crimes involving electronic evidence.

The children’s ombudsmen of Uzbekistan and Finland shared experiences and discussed possible further co-operation on child-protection issues during an online meeting on 28 February that was organized by the Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan (PCUz). During the session, Surayyo Rakhmonova, the

On 27 February 2025, the Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan (PCUz) joined international organizations in marking the 30th anniversary of the country’s Ombudsman institution by supporting its annual conference in Tashkent, this year devoted to human rights and the environment. The event was

Fifteen Tajik Border Troops officers participated in the theoretical session of a Training for Trainers course on "Authenticity Verification of Security Documents," held in Dushanbe from 24 to 28 February 2025. Organized by the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe, the training included two experienced international experts from Belarus who provided in-depth knowledge on security document authentication.

Uzbekistan's 2024 parliamentary elections were technically well prepared, but the political environment limited genuine voter choice. While there have been some positive developments in the electoral framework, these elections faced significant challenges in meeting international standards for democratic elections. All five registered political parties campaigned under equal conditions, but their campaigns were low key and avoided challenging the ruling party's policies or each other. Media restrictions further constrained voters' access to diverse viewpoints. Election day was calm and orderly, but it was marked by numerous violations and procedural problems.

Brussels, Belgium, 14 February 2025 – As part of ongoing efforts to strengthen international co-operation in Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) practices, a group of Central Asian EOD specialists, including two Border Service officers, successfully completed a Regional Programme Exchange visit to Belgium from 10 to 14 February 2025. The visit was co-organized by the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe, the OSCE Programme Office in Astana, the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan, and the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat.

The OSCE Transnational Threat Department and the Gender Issues Programme, with the support of the OSCE Mission to Skopje, organized a study visit to Skopje, North Macedonia, for participants from Ukraine’s State Border Guard Service, the State Emergency Service and the National Police on 25 and 26 February.

SARAJEVO, 27 February 2025- The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (Mission) reaffirms its full support for the Dayton Peace Agreement and the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina. A peaceful and prosperous future for everyone in Bosnia and Herzegovina requires respect for the rule of law and

With the support of the OSCE Mission to Montenegro, a new educational initiative to raise awareness of violence against women and girls among pupils in Montenegro was launched this month. Working in partnership with the Ministry of Social Welfare, Family Care, and Demography and the NGO Women’s Safe House, the programme is designed for grade 7 to 9 students in six towns: Podgorica, Nikšić, Berane, Bijelo Polje, Bar, and Herceg Novi.

CHISINAU/VIENNA, 27 February 2025 — The OSCE Secretary General, Feridun H. Sinirlioğlu, concluded his visit to the Republic of Moldova today.

From 25-27 February 2025, the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe supported the Ministry of Interior in organizing a working group meeting to review the draft Law on Police. The discussions took place in Hissor district on 25 February and continued in Dushanbe on 26-27 February.

Sarajevo, 26 February 2025- We are deeply shocked by the recent allegations of human trafficking in Brčko District of BiH. Trafficking in human beings is a serious and complex crime, often referred to as a modern form of slavery. It constitutes a grave violation of fundamental human rights and

To improve working conditions for social welfare professionals, the Ministry of Labour, Social Policy, Displaced Persons, and Refugees of Sarajevo Canton, in co-operation with the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (Mission), organized a presentation of the Rulebook on Supervision in Social

KYIV/VIENNA, 25 February 2025 — The OSCE Secretary General, Feridun H. Sinirlioğlu, concluded his two-day official visit to Ukraine.

WARSAW, 24 February 2025 – As we mark the third year since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, efforts to uphold justice and achieve accountability remain crucial for a just and lasting peace, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) said today.

HELSINKI/VALLETTA/BERN, 24 February 2025 – Today, the OSCE Troika – Chairperson-in-Office of the OSCE and Foreign Minister of Finland Elina Valtonen, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tourism of Malta Ian Borg, and Federal Councillor and Head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of Switzerland Ignazio Cassis – made the following statement:

Sarajevo, 21 February 2025 – From 17 to 21 February 2025, the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (Mission) organized an advanced training for anti-trafficking practitioners, engaging them in real-time simulated scenarios to identify and investigate human trafficking cases and assist trafficked

Protecting soft targets, such as public events, from terrorist attacks was the focus of an OSCE workshop held in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, from 18 to 20 February. The event, bringing together 30 government officials, was organized by the OSCE Transnational Threats Department and the OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek.

The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina reiterates the obligation of all elected and appointed authorities at all levels to respect independence and impartiality of the judiciary and reminds that interference in judicial matters, including political threats, are unacceptable and amount to a criminal offence.

Bishkek, 31 January 2025 – The OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek has implemented a specialized Train-the-Trainer (ToT) programme aimed at strengthening the medical response capabilities of the Border Service of the State Committee for National Security of the Kyrgyz Republic. From 27 to 31 January 2025, nine selected lecturers, instructors, and medical professionals participated in the training at the Border Service Training Centre in Osh. The training developed by Lazarus Ltd, a UK-based company, was designed in line with International Mine Action Standards (IMAS) “Basic Care Provider” requirements and tailored to local conditions.

Kari Johnstone, OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, and OSCE anti-trafficking experts concluded their four-day visit to Madrid on Friday, February 14.

An OSCE-organized training of trainers (ToT) course for canine border guards opened on 17 February 2025 in the Farap etrap (district) of the Lebap velayat (region) of Turkmenistan. The five-day course brought together twenty-four canine officers, veterinarians and dog breeders and is the last of

CHISINAU, 14 February 2025 – The Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office for the Transdniestrian Settlement Process, Ambassador Thomas Lenk, concluded his first official visit to Moldova. During the visit, he assessed the current state of the Transdniestrian settlement process and engaged in discussions aimed at advancing dialogue and confidence-building measures.

ERGNETI, 14 February 2025 – The 123rd Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM) took place in Ergneti today under the co-facilitation of the Head of the EU Monitoring Mission in Georgia (EUMM), Bettina Patricia Boughani, and Christoph Späti, the newly appointed Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office for the South Caucasus.

Experts from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan recently concluded a valuable exchange visit to Belgium focused on enhancing their Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) capabilities. The visit, which took place from 10 to 14 February 2025, was facilitated and supported by the OSCE field operations in Central Asia and hosted by the Kingdom of Belgium, with participation from the United States.

With the support of the OSCE Mission to Skopje, the Parliament is making tangible progress toward equality between women and men, introducing new policies, strengthening oversight and advancing structural reforms. On 11 February, the Parliamentary Committee on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men

Bishkek, 31 January 2025 – 31 experts from the Border Service of the State Committee for National Security of the Kyrgyz Republic enhanced their skills and knowledge to handle explosive ordnance at a specialized training on Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) conducted by the OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek, in collaboration with the U.S. Embassy. The training enhanced the operational capacity of EOD teams enabling them to perform their duties safely and effectively in accordance with international best practices.

The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (Mission) expresses its deepest condolences to the family and friends of Inela Selimović and her son, who were killed last night in Kalesija.

HELSINKI, 10 February 2025 – Governments, civil society, representatives of Jewish and other faith communities, as well as experts from across the OSCE region meet this week to take stock of current efforts to counter anti-Semitism and other forms of intolerance and find new ways forward to tackle this deep-rooted hatred at the annual Conference on Addressing Anti-Semitism in the OSCE Region, which opened today in Helsinki.

The OSCE Transnational Threats Department, in co-operation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, organized a study visit from 2 to 6 February for policy and technical points of contact from Eastern Europe, South-Eastern Europe and South Caucasus, who are a part of the OSCE’s network created in line with confidence-building measure number 8 (CBM 8), one of the OSCE’s 16 cyber/ICT security confidence-building measures.

From 3 to 7 February, the OSCE organized a training course in Chisinau, Moldova for aviation security managers from the General Inspectorate of Border Police (GIBP) and Airport Administration of the Republic of Moldova. The course, organized in co-operation with the Permanent Mission of Romania to the OSCE, was conducted by Romanian aviation security experts.

On 6 February 2025, the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe, which is currently chairing the Development Coordination Council Working Group on Macro, Private, and Financial Sector Development and Regional Trade Facilitation, hosted its first quarterly meeting.

In its continuous efforts to improve digital efficiency, transparency, and integrity of the election management in Kosovo, the OSCE Mission, alongside the German Embassy, handed over three servers to the Central Election Commission (CEC) today. The servers follow last year’s handover of the

Spain has led it’s second meeting as Chair of the OSCE Forum for Security Co-operation (FSC) on 5 February, reaffirming the country’s strong commitment to the Organization and its principles. Spain aims to strengthen dialogue and co-operation on security-related issues, recognizing that multilateral engagement remains key to addressing conflicts and challenges across the OSCE region.

The public perception survey, indicates an improvement in the public perception of the State Prosecutor's Office, but also identifies potential challenges and opportunities for improvement.

WARSAW, 4 February 2025 – The lack of assurance by the authorities of Tajikistan that international observers will be accredited has regrettably made it necessary to cancel the observation of the country’s forthcoming parliamentary elections, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) said today.

Between August 2024 and January 2025, the OSCE Mission to Moldova removed 111 tons of dangerous chemicals from the right bank of the Dniester/Nistru River. Our implementing partner Geocoma Sp. z o.o. safely collected and repackaged chemicals (PCB oils) stored at the State Enterprise Hydroelectric

From 27 to 31 January, the OSCE’s Transnational Threats Department held a training-of-trainers course for the Moldova Border Police and the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine (SBGS) in Chișinău, Moldova. The event focused on developing the instructional skills of the seven participating border officers so that they may conduct future training within their national services on identifying forged documents and imposters at border crossing points. This is the first joint training-of-trainers course on this topic for the neighbouring participating States.

The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (Mission) welcomes the adoption of the Law on Border Control by the BiH Parliamentary Assembly.

OSLO, 31 January 2025- During a two-day visit to Oslo on 30 and 31 January, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Ambassador Jan Braathu, met with high-level representatives of the Norwegian government, state institutions, and journalism and media support organizations.

The OSCE Transnational Threats Department (TNTD) organized a workshop on cyber incident classification for 15 cyber security policy and technical experts from Ukraine, including two women and 13 men. The workshop, held on 29 January, focused on the development and implementation of a national cyber incident classification system, a common scheme for understanding and defining what a cyber incident is, that ensures consistency in crisis management tools and plans.

For over 10 years, the Austrian Armed Forces International Centre (AUTINT) has trained OSCE staff before they deployed for high-risk operations across the region under an agreement between the Organization and Austria’s Federal Minister of Defence and Sports in 2014.

The OSCE Transnational Threats Department and the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities, in co-operation with the OSCE Presence in Albania, organized a workshop on asset recovery and extended confiscation on 28 and 29 January 2025 in Tirana.

From 24 to 26 January, IT enthusiasts gathered at the New Uzbekistan University in Tashkent for the seventh edition of the “Open Data Challenge” hackathon. This annual competition was organized by the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan (PCUz) together with IT-Park Uzbekistan and the Statistics

HELSINKI/WARSAW, 27 January 2025 – This year we mark the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau. As the living memory of the Holocaust fades, we have a profound responsibility to commemorate the victims of this atrocity and to understand its ongoing meaning and consequences, the OSCE said on today’s International Holocaust Remembrance Day.

Ambassador Brian Aggeler, Head of the OSCE Mission to BiH (Mission) welcomes efforts by authorities in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH) to improve the legal framework governing gender-based violence in FBiH, including efforts to strengthen the FBiH Law on Domestic Violence and Violence against Women (Law). The adoption of this law by the House of Representatives of the Parliament of FBiH on 28 January in its expected form, would constitute a decisive step forward in ensuring and promoting zero tolerance to domestic violence and violence against women in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

VIENNA, 23 January 2025 — Upholding OSCE principles and supporting Ukraine were core messages from OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Finland’s Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen at the inauguration of the 2025 Finnish Chairpersonship during the OSCE Permanent Council meeting in Vienna today.

DUSHANBE, 22 January 2025- The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) today opened an election observation mission for the 2 March parliamentary elections in Tajikistan, following an official invitation from the national authorities.

From 21 to 24 January, the OSCE conducted two workshops in Yerevan focused on addressing the complexities of virtual assets in today’s financial landscape. The first workshop aimed at enhancing capacities of relevant practitioners in investigating crypto-related financial crimes, while the second workshop focused on regulating virtual assets and Virtual Asset Service Providers.