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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
Content type: Press release
Where we are: OSCE Parliamentary Assembly
What we do: National minority issues
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...
Parliamentarians press for more action to help child refugees and prevent human trafficking ahead of World Refugee Day
Publishing date: 19 June 2020
Content type: Press release
Where we are: OSCE Parliamentary Assembly
COPENHAGEN/STRASBOURG, 19 June 2020 – On the eve of World Refugee Day, parliamentarians from the OSCE and Council of Europe participated in a high-level discussion organized by the British House of Lords on how to best protect unaccompanied child refugees, enable relocations and prevent human trafficking.
Including women in decision-making key to effective and gender-sensitive COVID-19 responses, participants say in OSCE Parliamentary Assembly webinar
Publishing date: 16 June 2020
COPENHAGEN, 15 June 2020 – Governments should ensure that the gendered impacts of COVID-19 are prioritized in their responses to the crisis, participants said in a webinar organized by the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly today. To prevent the pandemic from exacerbating inequalities among men and women and reversing many of the gains countries have made regarding gender equality, it was stressed that women must be equally represented in all COVID-19 response planning and decision-making.
Central Asian OSCE PA delegations discuss regional co-operation in fighting COVID-19
Publishing date: 10 June 2020
Content type: Press release
Where we are: OSCE Parliamentary Assembly
COPENHAGEN, 9 June 2020 – In the second of a series of informal meetings to focus on regional aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic, parliamentarians from Central Asian countries met online Tuesday with OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President George Tsereteli (Georgia) and Secretary General Roberto Montella. The OSCE parliamentarians were joined by the representatives of OSCE field operations in Central Asia, as well as regional experts from the OSCE Conflict Prevention Center, OSCE Secretariat, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, and the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities.
OSCE PA statement on electoral reform in Albania
Publishing date: 6 June 2020
COPENHAGEN, 6 June 2020 – Welcoming the agreement on electoral reform in Albania, OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President George Tsereteli, Special Representative on South East Europe Mark Pritchard and Secretary General Roberto Montella issued the following joint statement today...
Parliamentarians, experts and officials from UN and OSCE meet online to discuss counter-terrorism in an era of pandemic
Publishing date: 5 June 2020
Content type: Press release
Where we are: OSCE Parliamentary Assembly
What we do: Countering terrorism
COPENHAGEN, 5 June 2020 – While much of the international community’s attention is currently focused on fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, traditional threats such as terrorism and violent extremism are as relevant as ever and must remain high on the international agenda, participants said at the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s seventh meeting of the Ad Hoc Committee on Countering Terrorism (CCT) today...
OSCE PA human rights leaders call for open campaign in advance of presidential election in Belarus
Publishing date: 2 June 2020
Content type: Press release
Where we are: OSCE Parliamentary Assembly
What we do: Human rights, Elections
COPENHAGEN, 2 June 2020- Following reports of the detention of numerous political activists engaged in activities related to the upcoming presidential election in Belarus, the leaders of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly's human rights committee, Chair Kyriakos Hadjiyianni (Cyprus), Vice-Chair Michael Link (Germany), and Rapporteur and Kari Henriksen (Norway), released the following statement...