Central Europe

WASHINGTON D.C., 29 September 2022 – The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) today opened an election observation mission for the 8 November midterm congressional elections in the United States, following an invitation from the national authorities.

As one of the OSCE’s 57 participating States, the United States has committed itself to holding elections in line with OSCE standards and inviting international election observers, and ODIHR has assessed elections in the country since 2002. This Election Observation Mission is led by Tana de Zulueta Owtram and consists of 17 international experts based in Washington D.C. and 40 long-term observers, who will be deployed throughout the country. ODIHR has also requested 400 short-term observers, to arrive in the country some days before election day. 

The mission will assess the elections for their compliance with OSCE commitments and other international obligations and standards for democratic elections, as well as with national legislation.

Observers will closely monitor all aspects of the elections, including pre- and post-election developments. Specific areas of focus include the legal framework, the election administration, which also covers voter registration and voter identification, alternative voting mechanisms and measures to ensure secrecy of the vote, constituency delimitation and the mechanisms for delimitation, new voting technologies, the campaign environment, campaign finance, and coverage of these elections by the media, including online.

Meetings with representatives of state authorities, political parties and candidates, civil society, the media and the international community form an integral part of the observation.

On election day, the ODIHR mission will join efforts with a delegation from the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly to observe the opening of polling stations, voting, the counting of ballots and the tabulation of results.

An interim report will be published some two weeks prior to the elections to update the public and the media on the observation mission’s activities. The day after the elections, the mission’s preliminary findings and conclusions will be presented at a press conference. A final report with an assessment of the entire election process and containing recommendations will be published some months after the elections.

Media contacts:

Ivan Godarsky, Mission Media Analyst: ivan.godarsky@odihr.us or +1 771 210 9548

Katya Andrusz, ODIHR spokesperson: Katya.Andrusz@odihr.pl or +48 609 522 266

527012 Event participants (left to right): Denis Shedov, civil society activist, Anete Erdmane, ODIHR Human Rights Adviser, and Clément Voule, UN Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association. Warsaw, 28 September 2022. Public Affairs Unit, OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights Katya Andrusz

Challenges and good practices in ensuring the right to freedom of peaceful assembly, including at times of pandemic, were discussed at an event organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) on 28 September 2022 on the margins of the Warsaw Human Dimension Conference.

“Crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic should not be used by governments as a pretext to unduly restrict fundamental freedoms,” said Clément Voule, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association. “It’s more important than ever for states to respect and facilitate the right to freedom of assembly in difficult times, as it provides an important avenue for people to participate and share their concerns and views on effective responses to the crisis. With the inclusion of civil society and communities’ voices, we can achieve a human rights-oriented and sustainable recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.” 

Among the 40 participants were representatives of OSCE participating States’ delegations, civil society organizations and academia. Following the presentation of ODIHR’s new report on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the right to freedom of peaceful assembly, speakers and participants reflected on the developments over the last two years, noting the restrictions on assembly rights, as well as proportionality of the state response. Speakers also identified positive practices where states found innovative ways to facilitate the right to assembly peacefully, despite the challenging circumstances.

ODIHR report findings highlighted at the event include bans on public assemblies, limitations on the number of participants and use of COVID-19 measures to restrict some assemblies such as those carrying anti-government messages. Also discussed was the unjustified and excessive use of force, arrests and prosecution against organizers and peaceful participants of gatherings held during the pandemic in some OSCE participating States.

Participants also learned more about ODIHR’s peaceful assembly monitoring work and reflected on their monitoring experiences across the OSCE region during the height of the pandemic.

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Mauerbach, 25 September 2022

The 8th OSCE Dialogue Academy for Young Women, co-organized by the Mission in Kosovo and the Mission to Serbia, concluded on 25 September in Mauerbach, Austria. Twenty-four participants from Prishtinë/Priština and Belgrade attended the Academy.

The intensive 10-day leadership development programme focused on confidence building and networking among young women, and enhanced dialogue and exchanges. It aimed at strengthening participants’ capacities in key areas, such as gender equality, politics, negotiation and mediation, via thought-provoking discussions with distinguished lecturers and guests, which further strengthened the learning process.

Speakers and guests of the programme came from different fields, ranging from politics, civil society, activism and diplomacy, to business and media, from both Prishtinë/Priština and Belgrade, but also from the Western Balkans region and beyond.

Participants had the opportunity to exchange with the Deputy Secretary General of the OSCE and Director of the Conflict Prevention Centre (CPC), Ambassador Tuula Yrjölä. She discussed with participants about  the role of the CPC and its work in the OSCE region and emphasized the importance of including women at all levels and in all stages of mediation and dialogue processes in order to secure sustainable and lasting stability.

Ambassador Yrjölä also highlighted the importance of the OSCE’s work with and for young people, especially young women, and of developing and maintaining solidarity and trust across communities and societies for jointly overcoming present and future challenges.

Participants also visited the OSCE Secretariat and Hofburg, where they met with Ambassador Igor Djundev, Permanent Representative of North Macedonia to the OSCE, and the Permanent Representatives of Germany, Norway and EU, to learn about priorities, opportunities and challenges of the incoming Chair and about gender equality and diplomacy.

“My experience at the Dialogue Academy was eye-opening. I got to learn and grow in many different ways and I made lifelong friendships with women who truly inspire me,” said Leontina Gačić, a participant from Belgrade.

Dea Fetiu from Prishtinë/Priština shared her impressions from the programme: “The Dialogue Academy surpassed all of my expectations. I got to interact with fantastic people who will always hold a special place in my heart and I learned so much from the incredibly motivating women who were a part of it.”

During the programme, participants identified ideas of common interest, to be shaped and implemented under the scope of the Dialogue Academy Alumnae Network, supporting the role of young women in promoting peace-building and dialogue between and within both societies.

As a follow-up, participants will meet in November for an alumnae exchange visit to further develop their ideas and activities within the Dialogue Academy Alumnae Network, which now counts more than 180 members.

The Academy is organized annually under the auspices of the ‘Follow Us’ Initiative of prominent women from Belgrade and Prishtinë/Priština. The initiative has been supported by the OSCE Mission in Kosovo and the OSCE Mission to Serbia since 2012, as part of their work to enhance women's participation in dialogue, conflict resolution and decision-making processes.

526976 International roundtable on the topic 'The Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Agenda and its relationship with human rights.', 26-27 September, 2022.

Between 26 and 27 September, an international roundtable was held in Bukhara, Uzbekistan, on the topic: "The Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Agenda and its relationship with human rights."

The event was organized by the OSCE Project Coordinator in Uzbekistan  jointly with the National Human Rights Centre of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the Commission for Ensuring Gender Equality of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the Senate Committee of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan on Women and Gender Equality, and in close collaboration with the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe.

This was an opportunity for Representatives from the Parliament, judiciary, law enforcement, and civil society organizations to discuss ways to improve the status of women in the security sector and shared good practices at the national and regional levels.

"It is impossible to achieve sustainable development without ensuring respect for human rights, gender issues, and maintaining peace and security and Uzbekistan fully supports this statement," said Akmal Saidov, Director of the National Human Rights Centre and the first deputy speaker of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

Acting Head of the OSCE Project Co-ordinator Office in Uzbekistan, Hans-Ullrich Ihm, stressed the importance the OSCE has played in advancing the "Women, Peace, and Security" Agenda by supporting the implementation of the United Nations Resolution 1325 and sharing international experience in the field of its implementation, monitoring and evaluation.

The roundtable continued in four plenary sessions focused on: ensuring access of women, including victims of gender-based violence to justice; enhancing the role of women in the security sector; and participation of Civil Society organizations in the Implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1325.

As a result, the participants presented recommendations for establishing a regional platform to exchange best practices and knowledge about the promotion of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 at the regional level.

VIENNA, 28 September 2022 – The role of women in peace and security was the focus of today’s Forum for Security Co-operation meeting hosted by Belgium. Delivering remarks to the Forum, Belgian Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib emphasised the importance of this issue.

Since the adoption of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women Peace and Security in 2000, 103 countries enacted national action plans on women and peace and security, including 43 OSCE participating States. At the OSCE, this information is exchanged voluntarily among participating States. Belgium is at the forefront of this issue. In February, the country adopted a fourth national action plan on "Women, peace and security" (2022-2026).

“While the Women, Peace and Security Agenda will soon celebrate its 22nd anniversary, it remains as relevant as ever and much more needs to be done,” said Lahbib. “Despite all our efforts, we, the international community, are still far from achieving the goals we set out for ourselves over two decades ago, at the expense of women and girls in conflict situations.”

Lahbib also drew attention to the continuing effect that the ongoing war against Ukraine has on women and girls, and how this must be addressed.

“It is important to recognize that armed conflict has a different impact on women and girls than on men and boys. They are more often victims of gender-based and conflict related sexual violence, as horrifying testimonies from Ukraine illustrate. This is the case both for women and girls fleeing the war, as for those staying behind” she added.

The Minister emphasised the continued importance for the OSCE to incorporate Women, Peace and Security into its comprehensive approach to security. “The Women, Peace and Security Agenda is a priority for Belgium, and one of the many topics which must also be discussed in the Forum for Security Co-operation. Without the full, equal and meaningful participation of women in all FSC-related issues, no real comprehensive security can be achieved,” she said.

WASHINGTON D.C., 28 September 2020 – Observers from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) will hold a press conference on the opening of the observation mission to the US midterm congressional elections on Thursday, 29 September.

What: 

• An introduction to the role of the ODIHR election observation mission and its planned activities

Who: 

• Cayetana de Zulueta Owtram, Head of the ODIHR observation mission

When: 

• 14:00 ET (GMT -4) on 29 September 2022

Where:

• The press conference will be held online via Zoom

Registration:

• Please register by 11:00 local time on 29 September using the following link

For further information on all ODIHR’s election observation activities in the United States of America, please visit: http://www.osce.org/odihr/elections/usa

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Croatia’s vast experience in the investigation and adjudication of cases of enforced disappearances can be useful to Albania’s authorities in advancing with the issue of identification and recovery of remains of missing persons from the Communist past.

With this aim, from 21 to 23 September 2022, the OSCE Presence in Albania organized a study visit to Croatia of representatives of key relevant institutions, such as the General Prosecutor’s Office, the Authority for Information on Former State Security Documents, the Forensics Institute and the Scientific Police.

The programme included a visit to the Ministry of Veterans’ Affairs and the Croatian Institute of Forensic Medicine and Criminology. Addressing the meeting at the Ministry, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Veterans’ Affairs of Croatia, Tomo Medved, offered his institution’s unreserved support to the Albanian authorities in their efforts to make progress with the identification and recovery of missing persons’ remains. Officials of the Ministry informed the Albanian delegation of the Croatian model for the search of the missing persons, whereas representatives of the Croatian Ministry of Interior, Zagreb County Prosecutor’s Office and the Croatian State Archives informed of their roles in the searching process. The visit also served the Albanian experts, including the ones from the Forensics Institute and the Scientific Police, to liaise with their Croatian counterparts for future co-operation in the issue of search for the missing persons.

The visit was financed by Konrad Adenauer Foundation, and was organized by the OSCE Presence in Albania in collaboration with the Croatian Ministry of Veterans’ Affairs, KAS and the International Commission on Missing Persons.

SARAJEVO, 27 September 2022 – A series of workshops on the effective investigation and prosecution of criminal acts threatening the integrity of elections concluded today in Mostar.

These OSCE-organized workshops provided a valuable platform for exchange of experiences on prosecution practices between Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH CEC) officials, over 70 prosecutors and over 80 representatives of law enforcement agencies from across BiH. The ensuing discussions yielded recommendations on how to improve the investigation and prosecution of election fraud cases.

“Trust in elections is a cornerstone of democracy, yet in the current system, there is too much space for mistakes, irregularities and abuse. As a result, there is broad public distrust in the electoral process, both in the run up to and after the elections,” said Dr. Susan Penksa, Acting Head of the OSCE Mission to BiH. “Trust cannot be regained without accountability, whether for political subjects, election administration bodies, or the judiciary. Looking ahead to the upcoming elections and beyond, BiH will need the strong commitment and resolute determination of judiciary and law enforcement agencies to prevent and prosecute different types of election fraud,” she added.

“The Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina is permanently committed to preventing all abuses related to the election process. In order to achieve better inter-institutional co-operation, it is necessary to organize as many joint workshops, conferences and meetings as possible and exchange experiences and data, as well as to share information that can be used for the prevention of criminal acts in the electoral process”, said Suad Arnautović, President of the BiH CEC.

"The public's perception is that the electoral process is not legal, regular and fair and that it is marked by electoral fraud. The prosecution and police agencies are obliged to contribute to the regularity and fairness of the electoral process by ensuring that those who commit electoral fraud will be detected, prosecuted and convicted. Good results in this area will strengthen citizens' trust in the election process, and at the same time strengthen the public reputation of prosecutor's offices and police agencies”, said Zekerija Mujkanović, the Brčko District Chief Prosecutor.  

The OSCE Mission to BiH will continue to support the BiH CEC to implement improvements in the administration of elections with the aim of increasing their integrity and transparency, ultimately restoring the trust of citizens in the process.

CHISINAU, 30 September 2022 – Head of the OSCE Mission to Moldova, Dr. Claus Neukirch completes his mandate as Head of Mission and OSCE mediator in the Transdniestrian Settlement Process today.

“Keeping peace and stability on both banks of the Dniester/Nistru River is what will count in the days, weeks and months to come, and I am confident that the Mission will continue providing its remarkable contribution to this process. I wish my successor, the Sides and people on both banks of the Dniester/Nistru River every possible success in the most important endeavor in these times: to maintain peace and stability,” said Neukirch.

“I am truly grateful to my colleagues in the OSCE Mission, all counterparts and participants of the negotiation process, partners and all the delegations for the tremendous support, active co-operation and interest they showed towards the Mission throughout all these years. No mediation efforts would have been successful without their extraordinary support and co-operation," he emphasized.

The key priority of the OSCE Mission to Moldova is to help achieve a lasting, comprehensive political settlement of the Transdniestrian conflict based on the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Republic of Moldova within its internationally recognized borders, with a special status for Transdniestria.

The mandate of the OSCE Mission to Moldova is endorsed and renewed every year by all 57 OSCE participating States, including the Republic of Moldova.

Read Dr. Neukirch’s blog sharing his experience on challenges, achievements and lessons learned during his four years as the Head of Mission.

WARSAW, 26 September 2022 – The Warsaw Human Dimension Conference started today, bringing together international organizations, governments and civil society for a 10-day event to discuss the condition of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the OSCE region.

During the opening session, speakers highlighted the crucial position of the human dimension in the OSCE’s comprehensive security approach and the importance of creating opportunities for stakeholders to exchange views on this wide-ranging subject.

“Human rights are inalienable, and their articulation and defence are among the greatest achievements of humanity. Denying human rights to anyone, especially the vulnerable and weak, is to take away their dignity and their sense of freedom and security. Such willful disregard for individual freedom and choice is a basic characteristic of a totalitarian regime,” said OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Foreign Minister of Poland, Zbigniew Rau. “This totalitarian ideology bears the name today of Russkij mir,”  he added.

“We are facing a number of global crises today that are making it even more demanding to uphold democratic principles and human rights – not only in the newer or more fragile democracies, but in all our countries,” said ODIHR Director Matteo Mecacci. “The OSCE remains in a unique position to offer solutions to these complex challenges, and ODIHR will continue to fulfil its mandate to promote the rights and freedoms of each individual across our region, placing civil society voices at the centre of our collective response,” he concluded.

“Sustainable security cannot be achieved without human rights, democracy and rule of law. That is why the OSCE integrates issues in the human dimension into all that we do,” OSCE Secretary General Helga Maria Schmid said. “We do it in close co-operation with civil society, a key partner for facing the unprecedented challenges across the OSCE region. When we – the OSCE, our participating States, civil society, and other partners – combine efforts, we can improve security, rights, freedoms, and opportunities today and for generations to come.”

“Human rights depend upon a rule-based order regarding borders. For using force to change borders perforce leads to violence, the violation of human rights,” said the special guest of the Conference, Toomas Hendrik Ilves, former President of Estonia from 2006 until 2016. “It’s no surprise then, that all OSCE participating States have agreed that lasting security cannot be achieved without respect for human rights and functioning democratic institutions. They have committed themselves to a comprehensive catalogue of human rights and democracy norms,” he underlined.

In the upcoming days, the more than 1,500 participants will engage in plenary sessions devoted to fundamental freedoms, democratic institutions, tolerance and non-discrimination, rule of law and humanitarian issues. Furthermore, there are almost 100 side events hosted by OSCE participating States, civil society organizations and OSCE institutions, designed to address broad aspects of the human dimension commitments.

The Warsaw Human Dimension Conference continues until 7 October. More information on the Conference is available here. Follow #WarsawHDC on Twitter.

NEW YORK CITY, 23 September 2022 – OSCE Secretary General Helga Maria Schmid concluded her visit to New York City today, where she attended the high-level meeting and the general debate of the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly.

Throughout the week, she met with senior officials from the United Nations and OSCE participating States in order to strengthen co-operation in the face of security challenges across the OSCE region – not least Russia’s war against Ukraine. Enhanced co-operation to address challenges to regional and global security was at the center of her meeting with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.  

Secretary General Schmid reiterated the OSCE’s commitment to strengthening the long-standing and fruitful cooperation with the UN to address the complex security challenges facing our region and the world.

“It is so important that we work with the UN and its agencies to co-ordinate our efforts. We each bring unique strengths and expertise, and this co-operation ensures that we can work efficiently and effectively for the benefit of all affected by security challenges – whether traditional conflict or terrorism, climate change, human trafficking, or sexual violence. Security means putting people first,” said Schmid.

Secretary General Schmid also met with Ministers from participating States and officials from other international and regional organizations to discuss how best to tackle a broad range of challenges to security, including Russia’s war against Ukraine, border disputes, terrorism, climate change and environmental degradation, human trafficking, sexual violence, and more.

Schmid also participated in side-events on sexual violence in conflict, avoiding humanitarian crises through mediation, and human trafficking and sexual exploitation in the context of the war against Ukraine.

ERGNETI, 23 September 2022 - The 108th Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM) was held today in Ergneti, under the co-facilitation of Ambassador Marek Szczygieł, Head of the EU Monitoring Mission in Georgia (EUMM) and Ambassador Viorel Moşanu, Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office for the South Caucasus.

The EUMM and OSCE representatives commended the commitment of the participants to the IPRM. The co-facilitators welcomed the temporary openings of crossing points during the Lomisoba religious celebrations in June and in late August. They also assessed as a positive step the announcements that temporary openings of two crossing points would continue during the last ten days of each month until December 2022, reiterating their calls for the full resumption of freedom of movement across the administrative boundary line (ABL) for the benefit of local communities. The co-facilitators took note of the participants’ readiness to consider further steps in this regard. They pointed to the situation of the conflict-affected population, highlighting how women, children and elderly were facing particular challenges.

Ambassadors Szczygieł and Moşanu commended the recent release of detainees and urged a humanitarian approach towards resolution of existing detention cases.

IPRM participants discussed additional issues that negatively impact the lives and livelihoods of the population living along the ABL, including access to education, continued ‘borderisation’ activities, as well as access to irrigation and drinking water, a problem aggravated by the dry summer season. In this regard, the co-facilitators stressed the importance of the EUMM-managed Hotline to facilitate the exchange of information on irrigation and maintain regular communication.

The co-facilitators encouraged all participants to commit to a non-confrontational behaviour with regard to any security developments along the ABL, while highlighting the need for continuation of the effective use of the Hotline to defuse tensions and build confidence among the IPRM participants.

The participants agreed to convene the next regular meeting on 10 November 2022.

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On 23 September 2022, the Second International Tashkent Anti-Corruption Forum was organized by the Anti-Corruption Agency of the Republic of Uzbekistan in co-operation with the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan (PCUz) and the Prosecutor General’s Office of Uzbekistan.

More than 140 participants (35% women and 65% men), including experts from 12 countries and 14 international organizations discussed in the capital of Uzbekistan the openness and transparency as an effective mechanism for fighting corruption, the formation of an effective assessment of corruption risks, and the role of education in fight against corruption.

The participants touched upon the essence and features of anti-corruption reforms on the example of different countries and best practices. The host parties brought to the attention of the international community the results of reforms carried out in the Republic of Uzbekistan in the field of combating corruption.

Expected result of the event is to draft proposals and recommendations for the development of an anti-corruption policy and new anti-corruption tools based on international best practices.

In order to use open data towards state efforts on combating corruption, the PCUz within its activities to promote preventing and combating corruption through digitalization and increased transparency collaborated with the International Open Data Charter (ODC) to conduct an open-data mapping exercise and issue recommendations for anti-corruption open data policies and practices implementation based on the exercise. This includes the evaluation of the status of anti-corruption data via the mapping exercise to produce a set of recommendations for datasets to be opened. These recommendations were developed for the Anti-Corruption Agency of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

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On 23 September 2022, the Office of the Co-ordinator of the OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities (OCEEA) participated in the Second Tashkent Anti-Corruption Forum, organized by the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) of the Republic of Uzbekistan, jointly with international partner organizations. The event gathered more than 100 participants representing national and foreign anti-corruption authorities, civil-society organizations and other stakeholders to discuss transparency and integrity measures in the public sector, assessing anti-corruption risks, as well as anti-corruption education.

OCEEA representatives briefed participants on the support provided by the Office to anti-corruption reforms in the country, including in legislation on public sector transparency and integrity and capacity building of civil servants on open data. OCEEA presented the Open Data E-learning Platform, an important milestone in training civil servants on the use and analysis of open data in support of anti-corruption work. The Platform, developed through OSCE support and launched this week, allows the continuous training of civil servants responsible for data management in public administration.

"The government data once opened to the public and civil society organizations for re-use and re-publication becomes an important tool for the efficient public oversight of governmental activities. Publicly available government data also brings additional benefits to the country’s economy by stimulating businesses that use the data to develop their digital products and contribute to improving the business climate. Taking into account all these factors, this creates a win-win situation for governments, businesses and society as a whole,” said Igli Hasani, the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities in his remarks at the plenary session of the Forum.

The project activities and the development of the E-learning Platform were in line with the implementation of a Memorandum of Understanding between OCEEA and the ACA, which was signed in November 2021, and organized in the framework of the extra-budgetary project "Promoting good governance and a positive business climate in the OSCE region through digitalization and the use of open data" funded by the United States and Poland. 

NEW YORK, 23 September 2022 - OSCE Chairman-in-Office and Foreign Minister of Poland Zbigniew Rau, Foreign Minister of Sweden Ann Linde, and Foreign Minister of North Macedonia Bujar Osmani, representing the OSCE Troika and the Organization’s Secretary General Helga Maria Schmid met on the margins of the 77th session of UN General Assembly.

During the meeting, they discussed Russia’s ongoing aggression against Ukraine. Expressing their unwavering support for Ukraine, the Ministers and Secretary General Schmid reviewed details of the support for Ukraine announced in August, which is meant to help address the immediate threats and risks posed by the war as well as to support Ukrainian institutions and civil society organizations in developing Ukraine’s long-term democratic and social resilience.

In the face of further threats from the Russian Federation, the Ministers and Secretary General Schmid reiterated their call for the Russian Federation to end aggression, withdraw its forces from Ukraine, and comply with OSCE principles, including respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders and refraining from the use or threat of force. They deplored the appalling violence against civilians and stressed that those responsible must be brought to justice.

They further discussed the impact of the war across the OSCE region, including the economic, environmental, and humanitarian challenges posed not only in the immediate neighborhood but in Central Asia, Southeastern Europe, and beyond.

The recent escalation of hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan was also a focus of the meeting. The Troika Ministers and Secretary General discussed possibilities for stronger OSCE involvement in the area. They agreed on the relevance of the peace talks facilitated by the EU and recalled the experience and tools of the OSCE in the region.

The Ministers and Secretary General Schmid addressed the recent armed clashes at the border between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, urging the parties to respect the ceasefire and stabilize the situation through diplomatic solutions. They stressed that the OSCE remains ready to assist if requested.

Bearing in mind the important work of the Organization in supporting and advancing comprehensive security, the Troika Ministers and Secretary General underlined the need for adoption of the OSCE’s budget. They welcomed the priorities of the incoming OSCE Chairmanship of North Macedonia, which are focused on safeguarding OSCE principles and commitments. The Ministers and Secretary General also discussed the preparations for the OSCE Ministerial Council to be held in the city of Łódź, Poland on 1-2 December.

Željka Šulc

OSCE Mission publishes public opinion survey results on BiH citizens’ perception of elections and electoral processes

The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) published its survey findings today following a state-wide survey on citizens’ perception of elections in BiH.

The survey aimed to identify how citizens experience and understand the electoral process, their views on the importance of voting and their voting patterns, to what degree they participate in politics, and generally how citizens perceive election integrity in BiH.

The survey reveals a low-level of public trust in the integrity and fairness of election processes and institutions, as well as a high number of voters who have directly experienced electoral fraud.

Over half of respondents reported that they voted in most elections, while every fourth person reported voting “sometimes”. Every fourth respondent was offered money to vote for a party or a candidate and over a fifth of respondents experienced someone telling them who to vote for at the polling station. Only 23 per cent of respondents felt that elections in BiH are conducted in a fair or mostly fair manner.

“Unfortunately, the expressed lack of citizen trust in the BiH electoral process is not a surprise. Recent amendments to the BiH Election Law will improve election integrity, as will the Mission’s broader efforts to assist the CEC and advocate for further reforms. Most importantly, the people of this country have the power to improve the process by exercising their right to vote and demanding change” said Dr. Susan Penksa, Acting Head of the OSCE Mission to BiH.

The survey indicated that further changes to relevant laws and regulations are necessary to improve citizens’ trust in the electoral process, as over 60 per cent of respondents are in favor of changes to the BiH Election Law.

The OSCE Mission to BiH, in co-operation with the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR), will continue to support relevant institutions, particularly the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH and the BiH Central Election Commission, in their efforts to improve the electoral legislation and practices in accordance with international standards and in the best interest of citizens and democracy in BiH.

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The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina supported a “National Cyber Incident Classification” workshop for South-East and Eastern Europe in Banja Luka on 22 and 23 September 2022. The workshop was organized by the OSCE’s Transnational Threats Department (TNTD), in co-operation with the Republika Srpska Ministry of Scientific and Technological Development and the Higher Education and Information Society.

The workshop gathered experts in the cyber/ICT security field from South-East and Eastern Europe, and included policymakers, security officials and ICT experts. Discussions aimed to raise awareness on the importance of national cyber incident classification and enable an exchange of good practices in national cyber incident classification systems across the OSCE area.

Ambassador Tadeusz Chomicki, responsible for Cyber and Tech Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Poland and representing the 2022 OSCE Chairmanship pointed out that “threats to critical infrastructure are often trans-border, therefore, developing and implementing national cybersecurity incident classification systems are an important element for international co-operation, to achieve comparable situational awareness and assessment of how serious the threat is and how many countries it may effect.”

Mr. Jiri Rous, Head of the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Banja Luka Field Office recalled that “it is high time for BiH to operationalize the computer emergency response teams (CERTs) for BiH and FBiH institutions, and to initiate collaborative development of a cybersecurity framework strategy for BiH”.

"Cyber incidents are becoming more frequent and represent a growing threat to security and stability," said Assistant Minister of Security of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mladen Mrkaja.

"We at the Ministry of Security are working on certain systematic solutions, primarily on the establishment of a computer security incident response team for BiH institutions. The biggest challenge we face is the provision of adequate personnel trained to combat cyber incidents and infrastructure protection. For this reason, it is necessary to make additional efforts to build these capacities", added Mrkaja.

"Due to the increasingly frequent hacker attacks that are occurring, it is necessary to establish a metric system for the classification of cyber incidents in order to adequately respond to these threats," said the Minister for Science and Technology Development, Higher Education and Information Society of Republika Srpska, Srđan Rajčević. "The three basic postulates of cyber security are the availability, integrity and confidentiality of data. When one of those principles is violated, then we have something called a cyber incident, which now occurs on a daily basis," added Minister Rajčević.

Communication and Media Relations Section

The OSCE Moscow Mechanism rapporteur Professor Angelika Nussberger presented findings collected in the ‘Report on Russia’s Legal and Administrative Practice in Light of its OSCE Human Dimension Commitments’ to the OSCE Permanent Council on 22 September 2022.

The rapporteur was appointed by 38 participating States when the Mechanism was invoked  on 28 July to, “establish a mission of experts to look into and report on the ongoing concerns we have identified as particularly serious threats to the fulfilment of the provisions of the OSCE human dimension by the Russian Federation, to assess Russia’s legal and administrative practice in light of its OSCE commitments, to establish the facts, and to provide recommendations and advice.”

The Mechanism, agreed by all OSCE participating States, allows for an investigation to be launched without consensus and independently of the OSCE Chairmanship, institutions and decision-making bodies if one State, supported by at least nine others, “considers that a particularly serious threat to the fulfilment of the provisions of the [OSCE] human dimension has arisen in another participating State.”

The Permanent Council is one of the OSCE’s main decision-making bodies, and convenes each week in Vienna to discuss developments in the OSCE area and make decisions on future activities.

The observations of the mission of experts are available here.

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As part of its ongoing multi-year program to combat the illicit trafficking of cultural property, from 12 to 14 September in Edinburgh, Scotland, the OSCE Transnational Threats Department led a workshop comprised of subject matter experts to develop a first of its kind interactive training program for OSCE participating States’ law enforcement and border security personnel.

The scenario based training program will assist the OSCE participating States to more effectively confront this emerging transnational threat, with its close linkages to transnational organized crime, money laundering, and terrorist financing.

The group was comprised of experts from several countries in the OSCE Area representing border security and law enforcement agencies, museums, and international organizations including the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, UN Office of Counter Terrorism, International Council of Museums, Cranfield University Forensic Institute, British Museum, and Blue Shield International.  

During the three-day workshop, the experts exchanged views and experiences as they worked to develop the specialized training program that will include case study analysis, crime scene investigation, cross border co-operation, international legal instruments and legislation, and undercover operations.

The interactive and scenario based training program will be used in upcoming workshops to be held in Helsinki, Finland, and Sofia, Bulgaria.

VIENNA, 22 September 2022 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Teresa Ribeiro, today again strongly denounced the continued infringement on the right to freedom of expression and media freedom by the Russian authorities.

The Representative’s comment follows the statement issued by media regulatory agency in Russia, Roskomnadzor (Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Media) on 21 September, in which it urged that all media outlets have to use only information from Russian official sources when reporting on mobilization measures to army. The regulator said that the dissemination of “false information” would entail administrative liability and online blockings.

“The pressure exerted on freedom of expression and media freedom has reached another disappointing point in Russia. With an information infrastructure completely under control of the government and no room for other news than the state controlled one, the authorities continue moving towards isolation of its citizens from any form of independent information, therefore depriving them from one of their most fundamental rights: freedom to seek and receive information of all kinds,” Ribeiro said.

“I reiterate my call on the authorities to fulfill their relevant OSCE principles and commitments and ensure an enabling environment for media to freely report on matters of public interest without undue interference, threats and intimidation,” the Representative concluded.

The Representative also expressed concern regarding reports that several media workers were obstructed or detained by law enforcement officials, while fulfilling their professional activities and covering public protests related to announcement of mobilization to army, in different cities of the country.

The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media observes media developments in all 57 OSCE participating States. She provides early warning on violations of freedom of expression and media freedom and promotes full compliance with OSCE media freedom commitments. Learn more at www.osce.org/fom, Twitter: @OSCE_RFoM and on www.facebook.com/osce.rfom.