News and press releases

The regional conference on Promoting Women's Participation in Law Enforcement in Central Asia, held on 14 and 15 September 2023 in Astana, Kazakhstan, marked a significant milestone in the ongoing efforts to empower women in the region's law enforcement agencies. It brought together representatives of national authorities, including the Ministry of Interior, Police Academies, Prosecutor Offices, Policewomen Associations, and other relevant law enforcement agencies, alongside OSCE structures and field operations, civil society organizations, academic institutions, and international organizations.

WARSAW, 15 September 2023 – To make our societies and institutions more resilient and strengthen our commitment to democratic values, it is vital to ensure the full participation of all groups in society and include their opinions and needs when decisions are taken that affect all our futures, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) said on today’s International Day of Democracy.

SKOPJE/WARSAW/COPENHAGEN, 7 September 2023- The OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Minister of Foreign Affairs of North Macedonia Bujar Osmani, OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Pia Kauma and the Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights Matteo Mecacci, condemn the Russian Federation’s holding of so-called “elections” in Ukraine’s temporarily occupied territories.

WARSAW, 4 September 2023 – The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) today opened a limited election observation mission for the 15 October 2023 parliamentary elections in Poland, following an invitation from the national authorities.

The March 2023 parliamentary elections in Estonia were competitive and pluralistic and the election process, including internet voting, was administered efficiently, with minor technical difficulties. While trust in the internet vote remains high, some parties publicly questioned its integrity,

WARSAW, 22 August 2023 – Interfaith and interreligious dialogue is vital to promote the right to freedom of religion or belief and combat religious intolerance and violence, not just against people but also against homes, property, schools, religious sites, or places of worship, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) said on the International Day Commemorating the Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion.

WARSAW, 2 August 2023 – Remembering the persecution and murder of the Roma by the Nazi regime is also a reminder of the ongoing need to combat the discrimination that Roma and Sinti communities face today, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) said on today’s Roma Genocide Remembrance Day.