News and press releases
News and press releases from the OSCE's global activities.
OSCE/ODIHR opens election observation mission for early presidential election in Ukraine
Publishing date: 20 March 2014
KYIV, 20 March 2014 – The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) today formally opened an election observation mission for the 25 May 2014 early presidential election in Ukraine. The mission’s deployment follows an invitation from the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs...
Early parliamentary elections in Serbia offered voters a genuine choice and respected fundamental freedoms, say international observers
Publishing date: 17 March 2014
BELGRADE, 17 March 2014 – The 16 March 2014 early parliamentary elections offered voters a genuine choice, were conducted on a sound legal basis, and fundamental freedoms were respected throughout the campaign, international election observers said in a statement issued today. The observers also highlighted the need for some further legal reform and increased media pluralism...
OSCE Mission to Skopje promotes democratic values in youth party branches ahead of elections
Publishing date: 17 March 2014
Raising awareness among the youth branches of political parties on the importance of democratic values in an election process was the aim of a conference organized by the OSCE Mission to Skopje and the MOST non-governmental organization on 14 to 16 March 2014...
OSCE Mission head welcomes orderly completion of vote collection operation in Kosovo
Publishing date: 16 March 2014
PRISHTINË/PRIŠTINA, 16 March 2014 – The Head of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, Ambassador Jean-Claude Schlumberger, noted at 22:00 hrs this evening that the collection of votes has concluded in an orderly manner. The operation was designed to enable eligible voters in Kosovo to exercise their right and cast ballots in Serbian parliamentary elections...
Post-2014 Afghanistan will be no threat to other countries, Afghan Minister of Counter Narcotics tells OSCE
Publishing date: 13 March 2014
Afghanistan has made much progress in the twelve years and will not pose a threat to other countries in the region, the country’s Minister of Counter Narcotics Mobarez Rashedi told the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna on 13 March 2014, as he highlighted ways to address the remaining challenges, including the fight against the illicit drugs...
OSCE Chair says Crimean referendum in its current form is illegal and calls for alternative ways to address the Crimean issue
Publishing date: 11 March 2014
BERN, March 11 2014 – In its current form the referendum regarding Crimea scheduled for March 16, 2014, is in contradiction with the Ukrainian Constitution and must be considered illegal, Swiss Foreign Minister and OSCE Chair Didier Burkhalter said...
OSCE/ODIHR opens election observation mission for presidential and early parliamentary elections in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
Publishing date: 10 March 2014
SKOPJE, 10 March 2014 – The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) today formally opened an election observation mission for the 13 April presidential and 27 April early parliamentary elections in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. The mission’s deployment follows an invitation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to observe the presidential election, and in anticipation of an invitation for the early parliamentary elections...