News and press releases
News and press releases from the OSCE's global activities.
An end to hatred is only possible when we understand the horrors of the past, OSCE says on Holocaust Remembrance Day
Publishing date: 27 January 2025
HELSINKI/WARSAW, 27 January 2025 – This year we mark the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau. As the living memory of the Holocaust fades, we have a profound responsibility to commemorate the victims of this atrocity and to understand its ongoing meaning and consequences, the OSCE said on today’s International Holocaust Remembrance Day.
OSCE Presence, Albanian Central Election Commission organize technical roundtable on improving voting’s secrecy, preventing voters’ intimidation
Publishing date: 11 December 2024
On 11 December, the OSCE Presence in Albania and the Central Election Commission (CEC) held a technical roundtable to discuss ways to enhance voting secrecy and prevent voter intimidation. The event emphasized safeguarding one of the fundamental electoral principles, such as the right to free and
To tackle hate crime and support victims, hate crimes must be prosecuted as such, OSCE human rights office says
Publishing date: 15 November 2024
WARSAW, 15 November 2024 – Making the bias motivation behind all hate crimes visible and ensuring they are prosecuted correctly is essential to protect the rights of victims and at the same time ensure effective policies to prevent and address hate crime, said the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) on launching its annual hate crime report ahead of the 2024 International Day for Tolerance
Dialogue and partnership across religious and belief communities vital to strengthen human rights and security
Publishing date: 10 October 2024
Dialogue and partnership across religious or belief communities play an invaluable role in strengthening human rights and security, participants agreed at the launch of a new guide entitled Belief, Dialogue and Security by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) during the Warsaw Human Dimension Conference this week.
Building capacities of criminal justice actors in Bosnia and Herzegovina to combat trafficking in human beings through victim-centred approaches
Publishing date: 4 September 2024
Bosnia and Herzegovina prosecutors and other criminal justice professionals concluded the XVII Annual Prosecutorial Symposium, convened from 1 to 4 September in Neum. The Symposium serves as a platform for training, debating criminal justice issues, and the exchange of best practices.
Joint Message of OSCE CiO’s Personal Representatives on The Day of Commemorating the Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion or Belief
Publishing date: 22 August 2024
VIENNA, 22 August 2024- As we observe the International Day Commemorating the Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion or Belief, we once again express our deep concern at the alarming level of hate crime and acts of violence based on religion or belief across the OSCE region.
Protecting freedom of religion or belief increases trust and makes our societies safer, OSCE human rights head says
Publishing date: 22 August 2024
WARSAW, 22 August 2024 – Safeguarding the right to freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief protects the inherent dignity of every individual and at the same time helps to build more tolerant and inclusive societies, reducing tensions and allowing our diverse communities to exist together, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) said on today’s International Day Commemorating the Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion or Belief.