News and press releases
News and press releases from the OSCE's global activities.
OSCE CiO urges parliamentarians to stand up for democracy
Publishing date: 20 February 2003
VIENNA, 20 February 2003- The OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Netherlands Foreign Minister Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, urged parliamentarians on Thursday to use their influence to help reinforce democratic structures and institutions throughout the OSCE...
Kosovo needs greater protection for vulnerable persons in society, says OSCE report
Publishing date: 20 February 2003
PRISTINA, 20 February 2003- The state of social welfare and the protection of vulnerable persons does not come easily and cheap to Kosovo, but standards are improving, states a new report from the OSCE Mission in Kosovo. The observations...
OSCE, Council of Europe and UN discuss terrorism, trafficking
Publishing date: 18 February 2003
VIENNA, 18 February 2003- High-level officials from the Council of Europe, the OSCE and the United Nations discussed co-operation in the fight against terrorism and trafficking in human beings at their annual "tripartite"...
OSCE seminar in Greece focuses on trafficking in human beings
Publishing date: 17 February 2003
IOANNINA, Greece, 17 February 2003- "Slaves of the 21st Century." That is how Marcin Swiecicki, Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities, described victims of the trafficking of human beings for cheap labour and for the sex...
Judges and public prosecutors in Kosovo receive training on code of ethics
Publishing date: 17 February 2003
PRISTINA, 17 February 2003- The OSCE-established Kosovo Judicial Institute (KJI) today started two training sessions for judges and prosecutors on the Code of Ethics for Judges and Public Prosecutors and the work of the Kosovo...
Conference on local government reform in Kosovo
Publishing date: 17 February 2003
PRISTINA, 17 February 2003- The second of three conferences on decentralisation and reform of local government in Kosovo started in Pristina today. The event, organized by the OSCE Mission in Kosovo and the Kosovar Institute for...
Ambassador Heyken: Belarus and OSCE to make fresh start
Publishing date: 17 February 2003
MINSK, 17 February 2003- Belarus and the OSCE are to "open a new page" in their relations, the Head of the OSCE Office in Minsk, Ambassador Eberhard Heyken, said on Monday. "My endeavour will be to establish an atmosphere of trust and mutual...
International fact-finding mission looks into alleged assassination attempt on Turkmen President
Publishing date: 14 February 2003
WARSAW, 14 February 2003- An international fact-finding mission established to examine the investigations by the Turkmen authorities of the 25 November assassination attempt on President Saparmurat Niyazov began its work this week. In view...
Head of Belgrade Mission unveils plan of action to assist Serbia and Montenegro
Publishing date: 13 February 2003
BELGRADE, 13 February 2003- Ambassador Maurizio Massari, Head of the OSCE Mission to Serbia and Montenegro, today made his first address to the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna and unveiled the Mission's plan of action to assist the State Union...
Ballot boxes arrive on time for Armenian election with help of OSCE
Publishing date: 12 February 2003
YEREVAN, 12 February 2003- Some 2,000 transparent ballot boxes, ordered with the help of the OSCE Office in Yerevan, have arrived safely in Armenia for use in this year's presidential election. The Head of the Office, Ambassador Roy Reeve, showed...