News and press releases

OSCE Secretary General Ambassador Feridun H. Sinirlioğlu concluded his official visit to Helsinki, where he participated in the Helsinki+50 Conference and held a series of high-level bilateral meetings.

WARSAW, 2 August 2025 – Teaching about and commemorating the genocide of the Roma and Sinti is crucial to addressing the prejudice, hate speech, and hate crimes that continue to afflict our societies, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) said on Roma Genocide Remembrance Day.

The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (Mission) notes the 1 August 2025 decision by the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) in the matter concerning Milorad Dodik and Miloš Lukić.

HELSINKI, 1 August 2025- Today, the Finnish OSCE Chairpersonship hosted senior-level government officials and civil society actors for the Helsinki+50 discussions on the future of the OSCE, an initiative launched by the Chairperson-in-Office, Elina Valtonen in January 2025.

As part of its continued support to strengthen Ukraine’s ability to counter explosive threats, the OSCE organized a specialized training course on Zeus robots for Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) officers of the National Police of Ukraine.

As we mark the 50th anniversary of the Helsinki Final Act, the Organization for Security and Co operation in Europe, the world’s largest Regional Security Organization under the UN Charter, proudly reflects on a half century of advancing peace, security and democracy through co-operation for one billion people from Vancouver to Vladivostok.

HELSINKI, 1 August 2025 – To mark the 50th anniversary of the Helsinki Final Act, Finland organized a high-level conference at Finlandia Hall on 31 July 2025. The conference, hosted by the OSCE Chair-in-Office, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Finland Elina Valtonen, paid tribute to the legacy of the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe (CSCE) held in Helsinki in 1975 and highlighted the role of civil society in advancing the OSCE’s principles and commitments. The Helsinki+50 Fund was launched as part of the Conference to support the OSCE’s operational capacity.

HELSINKI/VALLETTA/BERN, 1 August 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:

Election experts from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) presented the final report and recommendations of the observation mission for the Mongolia 2024 parliamentary elections during a visit to Ulaanbaatar on 16-18 June 2025.

The third annual meeting of the Expert Network on the OSCE took place in Helsinki on 30 July. This event was organized by the Finnish Institute of International Affairs and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, with the support of the OSCE Secretariat. The event took place in parallel to the

HELSINKI, 31 July 2025 – The OSCE Chairpersonship Youth Forum took place in Helsinki on 29 and 30 July 2025. The Forum provided young experts and leaders, as well as representatives of selected international organizations, a space to discuss the Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) agenda and the OSCE’s engagement from a holistic perspective.

The OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan, in collaboration with the Open Data Charter (ODC) and in partnership with the National Committee on Statistics, held a two-day workshop on 29–30 July 2025 to promote the use of open and gender data across Uzbekistan’s public sector. The workshop convened

Energy planners from Moldova’s Ministry of Energy got hands-on training with the country’s new national energy system model developed with the OSCE’s support following the model’s unveiling at a workshop organized by the OSCE in Chisinau from 29 to 30 July.

Some thirty-five students from Turkmenistan’s institutions of higher education participated in an OSCE organized workshop entitled “Youth Negotiation on Climate, Security and Co-operation: OSCE Best Practices” that took place in Ashgabat on 29 July 2025. The OSCE Centre in Ashgabat organized this

Understanding what Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan need to ensure they are well-equipped to handle electronic evidence across borders was the goal of four needs assessment missions organized by the OSCE in June and July 2025.

On 18 July 2025, the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat presented a Standard on oil and gas methane developed by an international expert to the State Concerns “Turkmengas” and Turkmenoil” and other counterparts in Turkmenistan. The Standard is designed to assist national institutions in establishing

More than 60 regional journalists, bloggers and court employees enhanced their capacity to report on court and legal proceedings during training courses organized in Fergana and Samarkand cities by the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan (PCUz) and the Supreme Court of Uzbekistan. The two-day

VIENNA, 25 July 2025 – The OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities (HCNM), the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) launched a joint publication today entitled Opening Doors for Children: Prevention of Childhood Statelessness. Good Practices in the OSCE Area.

BELGRADE, 24 July 2025 – Maria Telalian, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), underlined the importance of enabling civil society to contribute fully to democratic life in Serbia and encouraged urgent continued electoral reform during a visit to Belgrade, where she met with Parliamentary Speaker Ana Brnabić, Foreign Minister Marko Đjurić, representatives of opposition parties, and civil society.

Facial comparison techniques at border crossings were the focus of a two-day online training course for the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine organized by the OSCE Transnational Threats Department, in co-operation with the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee — Identity Fraud and Documents Centre of Expertise (ECID) from 23 to 24 July.

In 2025, the OSCE Programme Office in Astana completed a series of three-day training seminars in four regions of Kazakhstan, respectively, in co-operation with the Commission of Human Rights under the President of Kazakhstan, the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) and the EU-funded Border Management Programme in Central Asia (BOMCA). The aim of the events was to raise awareness among representatives of local authorities, law enforcement, social services, civil society, small and medium-sized businesses, and academia about national and international mechanisms for the protection of human rights in both regional centres and rural areas of Kazakhstan.

Issyk-Kul, Kyrgyz Republic | 24 July 2025 — From 14 to 16 July, the OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek (POiB), in co-operation with the Anti-Terrorism Centre of the State Committee for National Security of the Kyrgyz Republic (ATC SCNS) and the OSCE Action against Terrorism Unit (ATU), co-organized a

The Deputy Head of the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Zahid Movlazada, visited Srebrenica today to reaffirm the Mission’s longstanding support for dialogue, reconciliation, and inclusive governance.

The United Nations in Bosnia and Herzegovina (UN in BiH), the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (OSCE Mission to BiH), and the EU Delegation/Office of the EU Special Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina (EU in BiH) welcome efforts by authorities in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Prishtinë / Priština, 23 July 2025 The OSCE Mission hosted today Local Women’s Caucuses (LWCs) from across Kosovo for a concluding conference on their progress in promoting gender equality and inclusive local governance as they conclude their current mandate.

Head of OSCE Mission to Montenegro, Ambassador Jan Haukaas, met today with the co-chairs of the Parliamentary Committee on Comprehensive Electoral Reform, Vasilije Čarapić and Nikola Rakočević.

On 23 July, Estonia chaired the closing session of the OSCE Forum for Security Co-operation (FSC). Since taking up the role in May, Ambassador Kaja Tael, Permanent Representative of Estonia to the OSCE, chaired the weekly plenary sessions in Vienna, in line with the FSC’s mandate to regularly consult and co-operate in the field of security and reduce the risk of conflict in the OSCE region.

The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), in close partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and with the financial support of the European Union (EU), hosted a regional coordination meeting of Aarhus Centres and key stakeholders from Kyrgyzstan,

ERGNETI, 21 July 2025 – The 126th Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM) took place today in Ergneti. The meeting was co-facilitated by Christoph Späti, Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office for the South Caucasus, and Bettina Patricia Boughani, Head of the EU Monitoring Mission in Georgia (EUMM).

Khujand, 18 July 2025 — The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), in close partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and with the financial support of the European Union (EU), hosted a regional coordination meeting of Aarhus Centres and key stakeholders

From e-government to digital public services, Uzbekistan is steadily advancing the digitalization of its core state functions. However, digital transformation is impossible without robust cybersecurity. To support this, from 14 July to 21 August, the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan, in

The OSCE Programme Office in Astana (the Office) facilitated a multi-day visit of international partners to Kazakhstan, aimed at showcasing progress under the extra-budgetary project “Addressing Contemporary Safety and Security Risks in the Republic of Kazakhstan” from 11-14 July 2025.

As part of the third phase of the European Union-funded project “Stabilization of the Southern Border Region of Tajikistan with Afghanistan,” the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe handed over four video surveillance cameras to the Border Troops of the State Committee for National Security of the Republic of Tajikistan in the Panj district.

From 1 to 18 July, the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe organized the first-ever Summer School of Journalism (School) for 20 aspiring journalism students and young media professionals from across Tajikistan. The three-week intensive training aimed to strengthen their foundational reporting skills and prepare the next generation of journalists for a rapidly evolving media environment.

Around 50 representatives from municipalities, law enforcement, judiciary, social services and civil society from Kukës and Dragash/Dragaš gathered in Kukës to strengthen co-operation in addressing domestic and gender-based violence, on 16 July 2025.

The Deputy Head of the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), Zahid Movlazada, visited Mostar today to engage with local and international stakeholders and to underscore the Mission’s commitment to supporting constructive political dialogue, democratic governance, and security across the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton.

On 15 July 2025, the OSCE held a side event in Vienna focused on strengthening asset recovery efforts to combat illicit financial flows across the region. The event, organized by the OSCE Transnational Threats Department (TNTD) and the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental

Several participating States have renewed and updated their national appointments to the OSCE Court of Conciliation and Arbitration, following the expiry of previous mandates. Albania, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg and Poland have made new appointments and renewed mandates

WARSAW, 15 July 2025 – Intensified attacks on Ukrainian cities by the Russian Federation continue to result in a sharp increase in civilian casualties, while the systematic torture of Ukrainian civilians and prisoners of war persists and a growing number of Ukrainians are being prosecuted by Russian authorities on fabricated charges, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) said today in a new report.

The OSCE organised a two-day inception workshop between 14 and 15 July in Chisinau, Moldova to officially launch the regional project “Advancing Transboundary Co-operation and Integrated Water Resources Management in the Dniester River Basin through Implementation of the Strategic Action Programme

The OSCE Mission to Serbia, in partnership with the Ministry of Human and Minority Rights and Social Dialogue, is launching recruitment for the 2025- 2026 Professional Practice Programme. Now in its sixth cycle, the Programme will enable young professionals from south and southwest Serbia to work

OSCE Secretary General Feridun H. Sinirlioğlu has concluded his first official visit to Rome, where he participated in the Ukraine Recovery Conference and held a series of high-level bilateral meetings. These included discussions with Antonio Tajani, Vice President of the Council of Ministers and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Italy, as well as Archbishop Paul Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States of the Holy See.

Protection of children in armed conflicts was the focus of the 95th joint OSCE Forum for Security Co-operation (FSC) and OSCE Permanent Council (PC) meeting organized under the Estonian FSC Chairpersonship and the 2025 OSCE Chairpersonship of Finland on 9 July.

On 10 July, the OSCE hosted a youth-focused event at the Hofburg in Vienna titled ‘Pact for the future: a new order of international co-operation that delivers a better present and safeguards the future?’ The event showcased how youth-led research can contribute to ongoing policy discussions on

From 23 June to 11 July 2025, the Regional Explosive Hazards Training Center (REHTC) of the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Tajikistan hosted the third and final phase of the regional Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Level 3 training. The intensive three-week program significantly enhanced the theoretical and practical skills of 16 participants (14 men and 2 women) representing Tajikistan’s Ministry of Defense, Border Troops, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Committee of Emergency Situations and Civil Defense.

Bishkek, 10 July 2025 – The Programme Office in Bishkek (POiB), in close cooperation with the Ministry for Digital Development (MDD), has launched a one-day workshop aimed at strengthening digital leadership and cybersecurity capacity among deputy heads of state agencies. The event, held in

HELSINKI/VIENNA, 11 July 2025 — Today we mark 30 years since the July 1995 genocide in Srebrenica, when more than 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys were brutally killed and buried in mass graves. We honour the memory of the victims and extend our sincere condolences to their families. We continue to stand in solidarity with the survivors.

Economic connectivity for promoting peace and security across the OSCE and the Asian regions was in focus at the OSCE Asian Partners for Co-operation Group Meeting on 7 July in Vienna.

8 July 2025, Ashgabat – Officials from the State Migration Service of Turkmenistan held a two-day online consultation with experts from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), the United Nations Countering Terrorist Travel (‘CT Travel’) Programme, and OSCE participating States to discuss the legal aspects and financial considerations for establishing of an Advance Passenger Information (API) system in Turkmenistan on 7-8 July. The event followed an introductory meeting held on 10 April, which aimed to identify the country’s needs for practical expertise and technical assistance required for implementing and launching the API system.

WARSAW, 7 July 2025 — Legislation increasingly restricting the work of civil society and the detention and prosecution of peaceful protestors in Georgia as well as the recent arrests of political opposition leaders are of growing concern, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) said today.