News and press releases

As the war displaced millions of Ukrainians or pushed them to the verge by destroying homes and businesses, the World Day against Trafficking in Persons, marked on 30 July each year, provided yet another occasion for the OSCE Secretariat Extra-Budgetary Support Programme for Ukraine (SPU) to join efforts of state agencies, civil society and international organizations in campaigning to warn people about growing risks to fall victim of human trafficking.

SARAJEVO, 20 July 2023- The United Nations, the OSCE Mission, the Council of Europe and the EU Office in Bosnia and Herzegovina are dismayed that the Republika Srpska National Assembly today re-criminalized defamation.

From 18 to 21 July 2023, the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan (PCUz), in close collaboration with the National Center for Human Rights of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights – Regional Office for Central Asia (UN OHCHR ROCA) held a specialized training course titled “Professional Development of State Agencies for the Preparation of the Sixth Periodic Report Of Uzbekistan on the Implementation of the [United Nations] Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment” in the Tashkent region.

The OSCE Mission to Skopje, together with the UNHCR Representation in North Macedonia, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, and the Committee for Political System and Inter-community Relations kicked-off a regional workshop aimed at supporting the country in its efforts to end statelessness.

WARSAW, 17 July 2023 – Allegations of arbitrary imprisonment and enforced disappearances of civilians living in areas under occupation are occurring with alarming frequency, with widespread reports of the use of torture and ill-treatment, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) said today in a new report summarising its ongoing monitoring of violations of international law following Russia’s military attack in Ukraine. According to the many credible testimonies, torture and ill-treatment have been widespread in detention in all Russian-occupied areas.

From 5 to 7 July, the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan in collaboration with the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Association of Disabled People of Uzbekistan organized a training course on enhancing negotiation skills. This marks the first phase of a series of capacity-building training courses for representatives of disability-focused NGOs who aspire to participate in Uzbekistan’s 2024 parliamentary elections.

Sarajevo, 30 June 2023 –  Today, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and the United Nations (UN) in Bosnia and Herzegovina marked 30 years of partnership in the country. Through our collaboration, the UN and the OSCE have supported Bosnia and Herzegovina’s progress from