News and press releases
News and press releases from the OSCE's global activities.
OSCE PA webinar explores challenges faced by minorities and vulnerable populations during COVID-19 pandemic
Publishing date: 23 June 2020
COPENHAGEN, 22 June 2020 – Noting that racism and discrimination against ethnic, linguistic and religious minorities have been on the rise during the COVID-19 crisis, participants at an OSCE Parliamentary Assembly webinar said today that public officials have a duty to speak out against intolerance and to work in favour of social cohesion. The pandemic and related measures, if not carefully managed, have the potential to fuel discrimination, threaten stability and undermine security, they emphasized...
OSCE Permanent Council Chair Hasani and Secretary General Greminger urge sides to ensure security of OSCE SMM to Ukraine personnel and assets
Publishing date: 22 June 2020
VIENNA, 22 June 2020 – The Chair of the OSCE Permanent Council, Ambassador Igli Hasani, and OSCE Secretary General Thomas Greminger expressed their deep concern about a recent serious incident involving threats to the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM) personnel and assets...
OSCE SMM Spot Report 33/2020: SMM camera near Shyrokyne damaged
Publishing date: 22 June 2020
At 08:10 on 22 June, the SMM lost the video feed from its daylight camera located 1km south-west of Shyrokyne (government-controlled, 100km south of Donetsk). The camera is generally directed northwards along the contact line...
ODIHR opens special election assessment mission in North Macedonia
Publishing date: 22 June 2020
SKOPJE, 22 June 2020- The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) today formally opened a special election assessment mission (SEAM) for the 15 July 2020 early parliamentary elections in North Macedonia. The deployment follows an official invitation from the authorities of North Macedonia...
OSCE Head of Mission Kavalec on reforms with Brcko District BiH officials
Publishing date: 22 June 2020
Kathleen Kavalec, Head of the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), had online meetings with Brcko District BiH Mayor, Sinisa Milic and Assembly Speaker, Esed Kadric on 22 June 2020...
OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM) Daily Report 147/2020 issued on 22 June 2020
Publishing date: 22 June 2020
Summary Compared with the previous reporting period, between the evenings of 19 and 20 June, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Compared with the previous 24 hours, between the evenings of 20 and 21 June, the Mission recorded fewer ceasefire violations
Serbian parliamentary elections well run, but ruling party dominance and lack of media diversity limited voters’ choice, international observers say
Publishing date: 22 June 2020
BELGRADE, 22 June 2020 – While contestants in Serbia’s parliamentary elections were able to campaign and fundamental freedoms were respected, voter choice was limited by the governing party’s overwhelming advantage and the promotion of government policies by most major media outlets, international observers from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) concluded in a statement of their preliminary findings and conclusions today...