News and press releases
News and press releases from the OSCE's global activities.
OSCE Mission in Kosovo trains former ‘Civil Protection’ members
Publishing date: 8 February 2016
VUSHTRRI/VUČITRN, 8 February 2016 – The OSCE Mission today started a basic training course for 378 former members of the ‘Civilian Protection’ from northern Kosovo on the institutional and legal framework in Kosovo, including community rights...
Crisis of migrants and refugees in focus as OSCE PA committee leaders visit Czech Republic
Publishing date: 3 February 2016
PRAGUE, 3 February 2016 – The leadership of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions visited the Czech Republic on 1 and 2 February to consider the country’s role in responding to the crisis of migrants and refugees currently affecting the OSCE area...
OSCE PA, Parliament of Georgia sign agreement on 2016 Annual Session
Publishing date: 27 January 2016
TBILISI, 27 January 2016 – OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Secretary General Roberto Montella and Chairman of the Parliament of Georgia David Usupashvili today signed an official agreement on Georgia’s hosting of the Assembly’s 2016 Annual Session, to be held in Tbilisi this summer...
In Azerbaijan, OSCE PA leaders meet President Aliyev, senior officials
Publishing date: 25 January 2016
BAKU, 25 January 2016 – OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Vice-President George Tsereteli (MP, Georgia) today led a high-level parliamentary delegation to Baku for meetings with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Parliament Speaker Ogtay Asadov, Prime Minister Artur Rasizade, Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov and other leaders on a wide range of domestic and regional issues...
OSCE PA humanitarian Chair calls on Danish MPs to reject law enabling seizure of refugees’ valuables
Publishing date: 22 January 2016
COPENHAGEN, 22 January 2016 – The Chairperson of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions Committee, Isabel Santos (MP, Portugal), today expressed concern about legislation proposed by the Danish government that would allow the authorities to seize the valuables of asylum-seekers to help cover the cost of their stay in the country. She called on Denmark's parliamentarians to reject the proposed amendments...
OSCE/ODIHR trains Ukraine’s law enforcement officers on countering hate crime
Publishing date: 21 January 2016
To strengthen their response to hate crime, 46 trainers and law enforcement officers from Ukraine took part in a training-of-trainers event, organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) on 19-21 January 2016 in Odesa.
OSCE/ODIHR Director Link joins with UN officials in calling for closure of detention facility at Guantanamo
Publishing date: 11 January 2016
WARSAW, 11 January 2016 – In an open letter published today, marking 14 years since the opening of the Guantanamo Bay detention facility, Michael Georg Link, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), joined with four UN independent human rights experts in calling on the United States government to close the facility and hold accountable those responsible for human rights violations against detainees, both present and past...