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This report provides an overview of the conclusions and recommendations of the Nineth Expert Forum on Criminal Justice for Central Asia, organized by ODIHR in Astana on 20-21 November 2024 with the support of the United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime in Central Asia (UNDOC), United Nations Development Programme Regional Hub for Europe and Central Asia (UNDP), United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Regional Office for Central Asia, The Legal Policy Research Center (LPRC), Kadyr-kassiyet (Dignity), OSCE Programme Office in Astana and other OSCE Field Offices in Central Asia. The Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Kazakhstan has funded projects implemented by the UNODC and the LPRC.

In this opinion, ODIHR makes recommendations to further enhance the Draft Law on Amending the Electoral Code.

This Note primarily addresses the topic of the suspension of limitation periods for criminal acts and disciplinary offenses that may have been committed by judges and prosecutors – or carried out at their direction – that may not have been pursued due to “political reasons”.

In this document, ODIHR makes recommendations on how to further enhance the Draft Code on the Organization and Functioning of the Parliament of Moldova (Aspects Related to the Representative Functions of the Parliament)

In this document, ODIHR makes recommendations on how to further enhance the Draft Code on the Organization and Functioning of the Parliament of Moldova (Regarding the Procedure for Declaring a State of Emergency, Siege or War, Chapter V).

In this document, ODIHR makes recommendations to further enhance the compliance of the Draft Law with applicable regional and international human rights standards and OSCE commitments.

The Opinion concludes that the new provisions unduly impact the exercise of several fundamental rights, including the rights to freedom of expression and access to information, to education, and to equality and non-discrimination. The bans introduced by the Act fail to meet the three-part test under international human rights law – legality, legitimacy, and necessity in a democratic society – and are inherently discriminatory.

The main purpose of this Opinion is to analyze the Draft Act on the Registration of Foreign Agents (Draft Act) in Bulgaria, which although rejected by the Parliament on 5 February 2025, may be reintroduced in its existing or similar form. The present analysis aims to provide an overview of the key human rights concerns stemming from this draft legislation from the perspective of international human rights standards and OSCE human dimension commitments, primarily the rights to freedom of association and freedom of expression, but also other rights, including the right to respect for private life, the right to participate in public affairs, and the right to non-discrimination.

Throughout 2024, representatives of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the Head of the Committee on Legal Affairs, Appointments and Immunities of the Parliament of Moldova have been discussing ways to support parliamentary reform, more enhanced democratic governance and inclusive political participation in the Republic of Moldova. During a country visit of ODIHR representatives to Moldova in September 2024, the Head of the above-mentioned Committee reiterated interest in requesting ODIHR to review the Draft Code on the Organization and Functioning of the Parliament of Moldova (hereinafter “the Draft Code”).