News and press releases
News and press releases from the OSCE's global activities.
ODIHR opens special election assessment mission in Romania
Publishing date: 14 November 2020
BUCHAREST, 14 November 2020 – The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) has formally opened a special election assessment mission (SEAM) for the 6 December parliamentary elections in Romania. The deployment follows an official invitation from the Romanian authorities...
Impunity for human rights abuses in Belarus must end, OSCE human rights office says
Publishing date: 13 November 2020
WARSAW, 13 November 2020 – As pervasive violations of OSCE commitments and international human rights obligations in Belarus continue, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) calls on the country’s authorities to end impunity of those responsible for human rights violations, up to and including deaths, and hold them to account...
Implementation of electoral recommendations in the Western Balkans discussed at OSCE/ODIHR regional conference
Publishing date: 10 November 2020
The follow-up to the recommendations of election observation missions in the Western Balkans topped the agenda of an online conference organized by the OSCE Office Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) on 10 November 2020. The conference focused on the extent and modalities of the
OSCE conference throws a spotlight on freedom of religion or belief in the digital age
Publishing date: 9 November 2020
VIENNA/WARSAW, 9 November 2020 – As freedom of religion or belief comes increasingly under pressure, the need to take full advantage of the opportunities offered by digital technologies and at the same time minimize the dangers they pose is becoming ever more important. This topic is the focus of the OSCE’s final human rights conference of the year, beginning today...
Highly competitive elections in US tarnished by legal uncertainty and unprecedented attempts to undermine public trust, international observers say
Publishing date: 4 November 2020
WASHINGTON D.C., 4 November 2020 – Yesterday’s vote was hard-fought and competitive with a high degree of engagement by election workers and citizens in the face of great legal uncertainty and a highly polarised political environment fuelled by aggressive campaign rhetoric, international observers to the US general elections said in a statement today.
Pluralistic campaign enabled voters’ choice between competing options but unclear rules remain, say international observers to Moldova election
Publishing date: 2 November 2020
CHISINAU, 2 November 2020 – Moldova’s 1 November presidential election was competitive and conducted within an adequate legal framework, but frequent and late changes to both legislation and administrative rules contributed to legal uncertainty, international observers from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) concluded in a preliminary statement today...
Fundamental freedoms respected in competitive Georgian elections, but allegations of pressure and blurring of line between party and state reduced confidence, international observers say
Publishing date: 1 November 2020
TBILISI, 1 November 2020 – Georgia’s parliamentary elections were competitive and, overall, fundamental freedoms were respected. Nevertheless, pervasive allegations of pressure on voters and blurring of the line between the ruling party and the state reduced public confidence in some aspects of the process, international observers said in a statement today. The elections were conducted under a substantially revised legal framework, following broad public consultations that brought some improvements for the holding of democratic elections, but further efforts to address shortcomings are needed, the statement says...