News and press releases

VALLETTA/WARSAW/WASHINGTON, 27 January 2024 – On today’s International Holocaust Remembrance Day, the OSCE honours the victims of Nazi persecution, reflecting on the painful lessons from one of the darkest chapters of human history and seeking to learn from them, both for the present and future. The immense suffering and anguish endured by six million Jews, as well as millions of other innocent people, cannot be overstated or much worse forgotten.

On International Holocaust Remembrance Day, the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina pauses to reflect on the millions of people who were persecuted and murdered by the Nazi regime and its collaborators. The unimaginable suffering of Jews, Slavs, Roma and Sinti, individuals with disabilities, sexual and religious minorities, and many others during one of the darkest chapters in human history serves as a stark but necessary reminder that we must prevent the recurrence of such inhumanity.

From 14 November to 7 December 2023, the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina organized more than a dozen activities across BiH aiming to address and combat hate-motivated incidents while emphasizing the importance of social cohesion. These events included workshops, roundtables, presentations, and radio shows aimed at addressing and combatting hate-motivated incidents while emphasizing the significance of social cohesion.

On the occasion of Human Rights Day on 10 December, the University of Sarajevo’ s Faculty of Law, with the support of the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina and the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), hosted a conference titled "Freedom of Religion or Belief: Contemporary Challenges and Perspectives” in Sarajevo.

On 27 and 28 November, the OSCE Mission to Montenegro, together with the Ministry of Sports and Youth, gathered 19 young athletes – nine boys and ten girls from eight sports disciplines at the workshop on engaging youth in countering violent extremism and radicalization.

The State Commission for Religious Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic hosted the International Conference "Kyrgyzstan- a Country of Interfaith Peace and Harmony" with the support of the Programme Office in Bishkek. The Conference is dedicated to fostering collaboration on current religious issues and interfaith harmony.

The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) supported the organization of two panel discussions on the processing of cases related to trafficking in human beings and hate crimes.