OSCE

VIENNA, 6 September 2022 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Teresa Ribeiro, today condemned the shutdown of Novaya Gazeta newspaper and reiterated her call on the Russian authorities to fully respect OSCE media freedom commitments.

On 5 September, the Basmanny district court in Moscow stripped Novaya Gazeta of its print media registration. The case stems from the media regulator Roskomnadzor’s accusation of the publication about failing to provide its editorial statute within a required timeframe.

Today, the same court invalidated the registration of Novaya Rasskaz-Gazeta magazine, which was launched by the editorial office of Novaya Gazeta in July 2022. The decision also refers to the Roskomnadzor’s claim that the media outlet had not been published for more than a year.

On 15 September, the Russian Supreme Court is expected to pass a verdict on whether to terminate the registration of Novaya Gazeta’s website following another lawsuit by Roskomnadzor.

“The chain of recent developments to suppress Novaya Gazeta, one of the most prominent media outlets in the Russian Federation, again clearly adds to the already over-restrictive nature of media environment in the country,” Ribeiro said. “I reiterate my call on the Russian authorities to stop these continued, highly disproportionate, measures against media and journalists and abide by their OSCE principles and commitments on freedom of expression and media freedom.”

The Representative further expressed serious concern about the recent detention of Novaya Gazeta’s journalist Andrei Zayakhin on alleged charges of financing extremist activities, and application of restrictive measures that effectively prevent him from exercising any kind of journalistic activities.

Ribeiro also noted that the authorities continue to hamper journalists’ ability to perform their professional duties through the vicious practice of labelling them as “foreign agents”, which she has spoken out against on many instances in the past. In the latest move, on 3 September, several media workers, including Kirill Martynov from Novaya Gazeta – Europa, journalist and war photographer Sergey Loyko, journalist and documentary writer Ekaterina Gordeyeva, Ukrainian journalist Dmitry Gordon and others, were added to the respective register.

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 facebook.com/osce.rfom.

VIENNA/PRAGUE, 7 September 2022 – The Concluding Meeting of the 30th OSCE Economic and Environmental Forum will be held from 8 to 9 September in Prague. The meeting will be opened by OSCE Chairman-in-Office and Foreign Minister of Poland Zbigniew Rau, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Czech Republic Jan Lipavský, and OSCE Secretary General Helga Maria Schmid. 

The theme for this year’s ongoing Economic and Environmental Forum is “Promoting security and stability in the OSCE area through sustainable economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic”, and this week’s Concluding Meeting will hold a discussion on the two milestones, the 30th Anniversary of the Forum and 25 years since the establishment of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities. 

The debate will also address specific topics such as the promotion of sustainable economic recovery from the pandemic, green growth, innovation for sustainable economic recovery, greening the economy and the role of the energy sector. 

The keynote address will be delivered by Yaroslav Demchenkov, Deputy Minister of Energy of Ukraine.

At the closing session, the Permanent Representative North Macedonia to the OSCE, Ambassador Igor Djundev, will present the priorities of the incoming 2023 OSCE North Macedonia Chairmanship in the Economic and Environmental Dimension 

The opening session of the meeting takes place from 09:30 on 8 September and will be livestreamed on https://www.osce.org/live. 

The Economic and Environmental Forum enables political dialogue among the 57 OSCE participating States on key economic and environmental issues related to security and gathers representatives from governments, state institutions, international organizations, the business sector, civil society and academia. 

For more information visit: https://www.osce.org/chairmanship/518730

Interested media can contact bartosz.kempinski@msz.gov.pl.

525282 Munira Shoinbekova, OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe Farhod Nabiyulloev

Integrating a gender sensitive and gender inclusive approach in border security and management in times of crisis and conflict was the focus of a roundtable discussion organized by the OSCE Border Management Staff College on 2 September 2022 in Vienna.

The participants exchanged ideas on incorporating gender sensitive approaches to improve the effectiveness of border security and management agencies in preventing and detecting a variety of cross-border crimes. The topics of discussion also included combating sexual and gender-based violence, trafficking in human beings and protecting the human rights of those fleeing across borders in times of crisis and conflict.

In her opening remarks, the OSCE Secretary General Helga Maria Schmid emphasized the importance of incorporating gender sensitive approaches in times of crisis, particularly when war is being waged in the OSCE region and millions of civilians consequently fled their homes. She also noted that in times of crises, women and girls are disproportionately impacted, being at great risk of abuse, trafficking and violence.

The Acting Head of the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe Tea Jaliashvili echoed the Secretary General’s remarks. She underlined the fact that the roundtable discussion helped to  review the connections between gender-inclusive and human rights-based border security and effective border managed in line with the OSCE’s comprehensive approach.

During practical exercises, the participants learned about unconscious biases, discrimination towards people in-need of protection and recognition of potential victims of human trafficking at the borders.

The roundtable discussion represented the third in a series of discussions covering various aspects of international cooperation in the context of border security and management.

LJUBLJANA, 6 September 2022 – Today marks the 10th anniversary of the Ljubljana Guidelines on Integration of Diverse Societies, a comprehensive set of guidelines established by the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities (HCNM) to address challenges related to managing integration processes in diverse societies.

To mark the anniversary, the HCNM held a conference today in Ljubljana, bringing together experts, policymakers and practitioners in the field of minority rights and integration together with ambassadors and representatives of the OSCE participating States. They discussed the ongoing relevance of the key principles in the Guidelines, successes and challenges of implementation, lessons learned and ways to better operationalize them to complement continuous efforts of the HCNM to promote integration of diverse societies.

“The key takeaway from the Ljubljana Guidelines comes back to one single point: that society as a whole, not just one specific group, benefits from diversity and integration policies,” said OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities Kairat Abdrakhmanov.

Published in 2012, the Ljubljana Guidelines seek to provide guidance to OSCE participating States on how best to integrate diverse societies. They are based on the experience of the HCNM and the advice from internationally recognized experts. 

Almost exactly 10 years ago, on 7 November 2012, then OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities Knut Vollebaek, presented the Guidelines with the words: “All OSCE participating States are multi ethnic. Living together with people of different cultures, ethnicities and religions is not a matter of choice; it is a fact of life. It is up to us to make the best of it.”

The Ljubljana Guidelines are among the most frequently used guidelines by successive High Commissioners and are as relevant today as when they were published.

Opening the conference, High Commissioner Abdrakhmanov stated, “I hope that today’s event will serve as a catalyst for us not only to reflect on and learn from the past, but also to recognize that respecting and effectively governing diversity within our society is vital for our future.”

The Anniversary Conference is supported by and organized in co-operation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Slovenia.

OSLO, 5 September 2022 – The OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, Valiant Richey, will visit Norway from 6 to 8 September. The visit is organized in co-operation with Norwegian authorities, with a focus on fulfilling the OSCE commitments in the field of anti-trafficking. 

Special Representative Richey will assess the country’s response to trafficking, including the measures taken to address technology-facilitated trafficking and mitigate risks of exploitation facing Ukrainian refugees. Richey will also meet national stakeholders, notably members of the Standing Committee on Justice. 

During the visit, discussions will also focus on the implementation of the new Norwegian Transparency Act. First of its kind, the Act requires companies to ensure the respect for human rights and decent working conditions for employees throughout their supply chains. 

Country visits by the Special Representative provide a unique opportunity to consider the main challenges in a country and to provide recommendations, as well as to learn about promising practices to share with other governments.

For additional information, please contact Lilia Rotoloni, Public Information Officer, e-mail: Lilia.Rotoloni@osce.org.

525228 Marina Živaljević

Participants of a two-day regional conference “Countering online Child Exploitation in Southeast Europe”, organized by the OSCE Mission to Montenegro on 5 and 6 September 2022 in Budva, shared approaches and experiences and committed to improve their regional co-operation in providing an effective response to online sexual exploitation of children.

The conference was organized with the support of the office of the Special Representative and Coordinator for combating trafficking in human beings and the International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children (ICMEC) based in the United States, and in partnership with the Montenegrin Ministry of Interior and the Police Directorate.

Around 50 delegates from police services and cyber-crime units, prosecutors and members of NGOs from Albania, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Hungary, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Slovenia, Turkey and USA presented their countries’ experiences and discussed how to address critical gaps in protection of children against online sexual exploitation, strengthen the regional response and assess training and capacity building needs.

Opening the conference, Head of the OSCE Mission, Dominique Waag, said we must renew our strong commitment to ensure that children everywhere enjoy a safe childhood.

“As the internet’s reach expands, so do the threats and dangers children experience online. Social media platforms can be misused to groom children who may be subjected to sexual exploitation as well as all forms of child trafficking. Sexual exploitation of children can result in serious, lifelong consequences for the physical and psychological development and well-being of a child. An effective response to online exploitation of children requires co-operation amongst the police, judiciary, and prosecutors, as well as with civil society, teachers and parents. It also requires an improved regional co-operation and better ways to share data,” said Ambassador Waag, adding that these crimes involve in many cases organized crime groups.

Tijana Šuković, Head of the Department for Combating Human Trafficking in the Montenegrin Ministry of Interior, said that the Ministry has been clearly committed to fight against all forms of abuse of children, as well as discovering and sanctioning those who threaten their rights. “Most often, the problems related to the misuse of social networks are related to the appearance of child pornography. Bearing in mind that people are trafficked, among other things, for pornographic purposes, it is important to pay due attention to the misuse of technology by human traffickers,” said Šuković.

Guillermo Galarza Abizaid, Vice President of the ICMEC, said that online child sexual exploitation is a global crime affecting millions of children daily. “Law enforcement, the tech industry, NGOs, and others are crucial in the fight against online child sexual exploitation. Developing partnerships with critical stakeholders is essential, and we must continue to address policy, legislation, prevention, awareness and trainings for crucial personnel and all relevant parties,” said Abizaid, adding that regional events are essential to learning from one another. “It takes a network to defeat a network,” concluded Abizaid.

Ivana Popović, senior police officer in the Sector for combatting high-tech crime in the Police Directorate, said that not only in Montenegro, but elsewhere, the age of children who actively use social networks is getting lower. “Children aged eight and older have already entered the virtual world, presenting themselves older than they are. Most of them want to dislocate from the reality, which makes them an easy target for predators. In most cases, parents do not even know that their child has an account on any of the social networks, nor are they aware of the correspondence in which their children participate. It is important that parents talk to their children and report suspicious cases to the police immediately, so that more serious consequences are avoided,” said Popović.

In 2013, the OSCE participating States committed to train law enforcement officials, and other relevant officials regarding the use of the Internet for human trafficking and related crimes, including all forms of child trafficking and sexual exploitation of children.

525225 Albanian journalists exchange views with OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media during their exchange workshop in Vienna.

From 1 to 3 September, the OSCE Presence in Albania supported the organization of an exchange workshop in Vienna for journalists covering parliamentary affairs in Albania. The delegation consisted of nearly a dozen of journalists from different media outlets in Albania plus representatives from the Communications and Media Service of the Albanian Assembly.

During the exchange visit, the group had the opportunity to meet with the OSCE Representative of the Freedom of Media, Teresa Ribeiro, representatives of the Communication Department and News desk from the Austrian Parliament, and participated in an exchange workshop with representatives of the Austrian Presseclub Concordia.

These events offered the Albanian journalists the opportunity to discuss challenges they face in their daily work with their Austrian counterparts. It enabled them to exchange experiences on journalistic practices and parliamentary coverage in the dissemination of information to the public. Moreover, it introduced them to the work of the Representative on the Freedom of Media, whose role is to serve as an early warning function to ensure the safety of journalists and support the OSCE’s participating States abide by their commitments to freedom of expression and a free media.

The delegation rounded out its activities meeting the Albanian Ambassador to the Permanent Mission to the OSCE and other International Organizations in Vienna. Ambassador Eglantina Gjermeni, a former Albanian Assembly Member, shared insights and perspectives on Albania’s role in the peace and security issues of the day and its position within global organizations.

These activities and the exchange of views and best practices will help in strengthening Albania’s ties to its European press and intergovernmental counterparts. In turn, this effort will help promote greater transparency and accountability of the Albanian Assembly through the improved reporting and efforts of journalists covering the proceedings of the legislative body and its committees.

This event was organized under the framework of the “Support to Parliament and Civic Education in Albania” project, supported by the OSCE Presence in Albania and the Swiss Agency for Development and Co-operation (SDC).

525174 Youth Trail on Cultural Heritage, Te Kube, Gjirokastra.

From 24 to 28 August 2022, twenty young activists from the Western Balkans gathered in Tirana and traveled to Gjirokastra to discuss, learn and explore approaches on social interaction and promote democracy, peace and security through inter-generational dialogue.

Since 2017, the OSCE Youth Trail has brought hundreds of young people from the region to create a joint platform on promoting democratic values, co-operation, peace and security. The seventh edition of “Youth Trail” focused on how inter-generational dialogue shapes social interactions, promotes democratic values, nurtures good relations and contributes to the peace and security in local and regional level.

The participants discussed the intergenerational communication gap and its effects while working together, as well as experienced implications and outcomes of teamwork. They were assisted from experts of the field, and were presented with several insights and resources to reflect and act on building new culturally based communication bridges.

During the activity, the participants completed different workshops on themes of storytelling, women role and power dynamics, and intergenerational interaction, with the aim of reflecting on and drawing from good practices, to ultimately understand the impact on stability and sustainability of the communities, and consequently the democratization process.

The participants heard firsthand from local families about the challenges of preserving the old concept of traditional family contrasted with modern life, heard the contributions of historical figures to freedom — such as Musine Kokalari from Gjirokastra, an Albanian woman intellectual — through the words of one of her descendants, and were guests of a carpenter who demonstrated the old craft of woodworking and the challenge of transmitting the tradition to the younger generations.

“What impressed me was the gold painting in the ceilings of old houses in Gjirokastra, so that when the light comes in, the sparkles they create remind us the beauty of the new day to be lived and celebrated for the whole family,” said one of the participants. Another participant noted how, “Preserving cultural heritage, starts from understanding it, the logic behind it, and the history it embodies. When I go back home, I have quite some questions for my grandmother”.

During their stay in Albania, the young participants met the Ambassador of Austria in Tirana, Christian Steiner, the Regional Youth Co-operation Office (RYCO) Secretary General, Albert Hani, the Deputy Mayor of Gjirokastra, Esmeralda Llongo, and the official of the Greek Embassy in Tirana, Panagiotis Anagnostoupoulos, among others.

The OSCE Presence in Albania organized the seventh edition of “Youth Trail” with the support of the Austrian Development Agency, the Embassies of Greece and Italy in Albania, and in co-operation with the Municipality of Tirana, RYCO, and other OSCE field operations in the region.

VIENNA, 1 September 2022 – In times when the OSCE is seriously tested, it is essential to rebuild mutual trust and confidence, and to demonstrate the political will to re-engage in dialogue on widely shared security concerns, said North Macedonia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Bujar Osmani today.

As he presented North Macedonia’s priorities as the incoming 2023 OSCE Chairman-in-Office to the Permanent Council today, Osmani spoke about Russia’s war against Ukraine, stating that “this war erodes the foundations of the OSCE. It runs counter to the principles we have agreed upon and hold dear. It is a far cry from our milestones and the guiding principles governing relations between participating States.”

He underscored that North Macedonia’s Chairmanship will be working closely with OSCE Secretary General Helga Maria Schmid, OSCE structures and the participating States to safeguard the fundamental principles that lie at the heart of the Organization.

Minister Osmani emphasized that the Chairmanship will focus on the OSCE’s mandate by continuing to make a difference on the ground, implementing the commitments made by all participating States, and rebuilding stability by restoring dialogue.

In the political-military dimension of security, conflict prevention and management will remain a high priority. Protracted conflicts, their related by-products and incremental progress towards peace will top the incoming Chairmanship’s agenda. 

“Ukraine will remain our highest priority. However, let us not forget that there are tensions across the OSCE region that are also of great concern. It is important to build upon the existing formats and to provide support for our presence on the ground and other field operations. The Organization should stay dedicated across the OSCE in search of peace,” said Osmani.

Additionally, he listed border management, hybrid and cyber threats, and Women, Peace and Security agenda as first dimension priorities.

In the economic and environmental dimension of security, the Chairmanship will focus on raising further awareness about the nexus between climate change and security. Energy and food security will also be of special importance as both a consequence of the war and potential triggers for conflicts.

“Connectivity and people-to-people contacts have proven beneficial as part of the confidence-building measures. We will build on this. Our focus in 2023 will be also on combating corruption and promoting good governance,” said Minister Osmani.

Underscoring the significance of upholding of human rights, he stated that the human dimension is essential for to the OSCE’s comprehensive approach to security.

“North Macedonia will initiate a broad debate on the necessity of increased engagement related to the respect of fundamental human rights in the light of the today’s complexities, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, wars and conflicts,” said Osmani.

Suggesting that many issues on the OSCE’s agenda are crosscutting, Minister Osmani also highlighted migration and trafficking in human beings as priority targets.

Finally, Minister Osmani underscored the notion of shared responsibility: “We all share the burden of responsibility. We have the tools, we have the knowledge and we have history as our teacher, we should deliver a better future for our people.”

Secretary General Helga Maria Schmid welcomed Foreign Minister Osmani’s comprehensive presentation of the incoming Chair’s priorities, and pledged her full support to North Macedonia’s Chairmanship.

“I welcome the breadth of North Macedonia’s priorities for 2023 – rightly balanced across our three dimensions – and addressing many of the most pertinent contemporary challenges. My team and those of all other OSCE executive structures will stand behind you in delivering on them,” Secretary General Schmid said in her response to Foreign Minister Osmani at the Permanent Council.

“The work awaiting North Macedonia is not easy and its scale and range – enormous. We are all aware that the Russian Federation’s aggression against Ukraine is not only the biggest threat for the European Security from the end of the II World War, but also a serious challenge to the OSCE itself,” Ambassador Adam Hałaciński, Permanent Representative of Poland to the OSCE, Chairperson of the OSCE Permanent Council, said in his response to Foreign Minister Osmani.

SOFIA, 31 August 2022 - The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) today opened an election observation mission for the 2 October early parliamentary elections in Bulgaria, following an official invitation from the national authorities.

The mission is headed by Nina Suomalainen and consists of a core team of 11 international experts based in Sofia and 12 long-term observers, who will be deployed throughout the country from 7 September. ODIHR has also requested 200 short-term observers, to arrive several days before election day. 

The mission will assess the conduct of 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 implementation of the legal framework, candidate registration, the conduct of the campaign including on social networks, as well as the work of the election administration at all levels, election dispute resolution and media coverage. They will also assess the implementation of previous ODIHR election recommendations.

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 Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe to observe the opening of polling stations, voting, counting ballots and tabulation of results.

An interim report will be published two weeks prior to the elections to update the public and 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:

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

Inta Lase, Media Analyst with the Election Observation Mission: inta.lase@odihr.bg or +359 87 941 2689

SOFIA, 30 August 2022 – 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 early parliamentary elections in Bulgaria on Wednesday, 31 August.

The press conference will take place via Zoom only.

What:

• An introduction to the role of the ODIHR election observation mission and its planned activities
• The press conference can be attended via Zoom (registration details below)

Who:

• Nina Suomalainen, Head of the ODIHR observation mission

When:

• 15.00 local time (GMT +3) on 31 August 2022

Registration:

Please register by 12:00 Eastern European time on 31 August by contacting Inta Lase at the following link.

For further information on ODIHR’s election observation activities in Bulgaria, please visit:  https://www.osce.org/odihr/elections/bulgaria.

WARSAW, 24 August 2022 – Six months since the start of the 24 February Russian war against Ukraine, OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Foreign Minister of Poland Zbigniew Rau today renewed his call on the Russian Federation to immediately put an end to the unprovoked violence and stop the tragic suffering and loss of life it continues to cause.

“Over the past six months, the unprovoked war the Russian Federation launched against Ukraine has brought indescribable destruction and suffering. We have seen thousands of innocent people die in the face of indiscriminate attacks all across Ukraine,” Minister Rau said.

“The Russian attacks aimed at critical infrastructure have left millions of civilians without access to vital services and resources. The Russian aggression has displaced millions of people, causing the biggest humanitarian crisis in Europe since World War II. Women and children, in particular, are put at greater risk of trafficking by being forced to flee their homes,” the Chairman said.

He also raised the appalling issue of the so-called filtration operations. Minister Rau condemned widespread detentions and forced deportation of Ukrainian citizens to Russia.  

“The war against Ukraine is unjustifiable and unacceptable.  It is a clear violation of international law and every principle on which our Organization was founded. It must stop immediately,” Chairman Rau said.

OSCE Chairman-in-Office Rau called on the participating States to uphold their commitments to the OSCE’s fundamental principles and work together for peace and security. He also reaffirmed that the OSCE remains committed to supporting Ukraine’s population in these challenging times.

On 2 August, OSCE Chairman-in-Office Rau and Secretary General Schmid announced a new OSCE support programme for Ukraine. The support programme, which sets out the implementation of some 25 projects, will build on the OSCE’s work in Ukraine over the past three decades and will support the country in areas including demining, environmental protections, and humanitarian needs. 

On 22-23 August 2022, the Border Security and Management Unit of the OSCE Transnational Threats Department organized the third online training on “Identification of Impostors at Border Crossing Points” for the respective representatives of border and customs services of Ukraine. The training that brought together 113 participants (54 women, 59 men) was conducted by two experts from the Austrian Federal Ministry of Interior.

“While modern technology is advancing in the field of border security and management with unprecedented speed, it is essential to continue training border security officers in detecting forged documents and impostors who are trying to cross the border illegally. We are excited to see among the participants a fairly equal number of male and female officers, which reinforces the OSCE commitment to advancing gender equality in the security sector," said Dennis Cosgrove, Head of the OSCE Border Security and Management Unit, in his opening remarks.

Impostors represent one of the main current challenges in the field of identity fraud. Despite improved travel document security features, stricter controls on documents’ issuance and strengthened security checks at cross-border checkpoints, identity fraud is on the rise. Criminals have been constantly diversifying forging methods as they look for ways to assume false identities without detection.

The online training course is aimed at enhancing the abilities of front-line officers to identify potential criminals travelling under a false identity.

The training course had a strong interactive component, including memory tests, exercises on facial appearance and comparison, lectures and practical modules on anatomical features, and examination techniques of facial components. In addition, the training course had a specific session on Schengen Visa Security, Schengen Visa features, and related forgery methods.

This training course is a part of a series of activities on the detection of forged travel documents and impostors organized by the Transnational Threat Department’s Border Security and Management Unit in different countries since 2015.

SARAJEVO, 24 August 2022 – The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) today opened an election observation mission for the 2 October general elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina, following an official invitation from the national authorities and a needs assessment mission conducted in June this year.

The mission is headed by Ambassador Peter Tejler and consists of a core team of 13 international experts based in Sarajevo and 24 long-term observers, who will be deployed throughout the country from 31 August. ODIHR also plans to request 300 short-term observers, to arrive several days before election day. 

The mission will assess the conduct of 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 such as voter registration, the conduct of the campaign including on social networks, the work of the election administration at all levels, election-related legislation and its implementation, media coverage, and election dispute resolution. They will also assess the implementation of previous ODIHR election recommendations.

Meetings with representatives of state authorities and political parties, 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 the delegations from the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA), the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), the European Parliament (EP), and the Parliamentary Assembly of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO PA) 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, a statement of 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.

The ODIHR Election Observation Mission and the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina operate independently under their separate mandates. For further information on ODIHR’s election observation activities in the country, please visit: https://www.osce.org/odihr/elections/bih

Media contacts:

Ivan Godarsky, Media Analyst: ivan.godarsky@odihr.ba  or  +387 671300492

Katya Andrusz, ODIHR Spokesperson: +48 609 522 266 (Warsaw mobile), or katya.andrusz@odihr.pl.

VIENNA, 22 August 2022 - As we mark the International Day Commemorating the Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion or Belief , the continued Russian aggression against Ukraine bring more death, new refugees, and the destruction of civilian sites, including houses of worship and religious shrines and memorials. Christians, Muslims, Jews, those of other religious beliefs, and those with no religious belief are among the victims. The religious leaders in Russia willingly or under coercion provide a rationale for this unprovoked war. Those who would speak out or even remain silent do so at their own peril.

With great concern, we observe religious persecution taking place in other parts of the OSCE area and beyond. We mourn the loss of life and the suffering of people due to the innumerable acts of violence based on or justified by religion or belief.

Last year, we noted that the COVID-19 pandemic and physical distancing restrictions led to a proliferation of online intolerance. While those restrictions have now been lifted and life returns to normal, online hate is still growing. Much of it is directed at Jews, Muslims, and communities of believers, especially vulnerable minorities. Many who promote these messages of antisemitism and intolerance are motivated by their own extremist religious ideologies. However, they are not confined to the virtual world. They also serve to encourage and inspire numerous physical attacks.

OSCE participating States are obliged to respect the freedom of thought, conscience, religion, or belief for all without distinction of race, sex, gender, ethnicity, language, or religion, as part of the OSCE’s comprehensive concept of protecting and promoting peace and security. They should strive to promote a climate of tolerance, inclusion, and respect for diversity. Acts of violence, including hate speech and hate crimes based on religion or belief, must be swiftly and loudly condemned. Victims must be supported. Perpetrators must be held accountable and punished.

Participating States should avail themselves of all resources available to meet their commitments. As the Personal Representatives of the Chairperson-in-Office for tolerance issues, we are ready to assist.

Rabbi Andrew Baker, Personal Representative on Combating Anti-Semitism

Ambassador İsmail Hakkı Musa, Personal Representative on Combating Intolerance and Discrimination against Muslims

Professor Regina Polak, Personal Representative on Combating Racism, Xenophobia and Discrimination, also focusing on Intolerance and Discrimination against Christians and Members of Other Religions

WARSAW, 22 August 2022 — Establishing, maintaining, and accessing places and objects of worship or contemplation are crucial to the right to freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief, which applies during conflict and in times of peace, said the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) on the International Day Commemorating the Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion.

“The OSCE region has a rich cultural and religious heritage, but religious buildings and relics are not just objects of the past — they’re profoundly important for living communities today,” said ODIHR Director Matteo Mecacci. “Attacks on places of worship go against both the letter and spirit of the right to freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief. They must be protected to ensure communities know that their past is respected, and their future is safe.”

ODIHR’s most recent hate crime data reveals that 51% of all incidents reported to the Office were anti-religious hate crimes. Most of these crimes targeted property, such as mosques, synagogues, churches, and cemeteries, though it is widely accepted that the vast majority of hate crimes are never reported to the state authorities or to anyone else. UN figures also show that 175 cultural heritage sites in Ukraine have been damaged since 24 February 2022, of which 74 are religious sites.

Hatred and intolerance against people from particular religious communities rarely take place in isolation, but go together with other human rights violations. The overall effect of violence and discrimination is not only negative for the communities concerned, but also for the security situation across the OSCE region.

The harm can also be less obvious, with peaceful religious or belief communities struggling in some OSCE countries to register their religious buildings or facing mandatory registration systems, insurmountable bureaucracy, or arbitrary closure and confiscation of their property. This shows clearly that states have much progress to make in ensuring that freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief is a reality for everyone.

ODIHR continues to assist the countries of the OSCE in living up to their commitments to respect this right as well as to work towards tolerant societies. More information about ODIHR’s work in this area is available here.

SARAJEVO, 22 August 2022 – 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 forthcoming general elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wednesday, 24 August.

What: 

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

Who: 

• Ambassador Peter Tejler, Head of the ODIHR observation mission

When: 

• 10:00 local time (GMT +2) on 24 August 2022

Where:

• Hotel Holiday, Zmaja od Bosne 4, Sarajevo

Registration:

• No registration is necessary, but only questions from journalists will be taken.

For further information on ODIHR’s election observation activities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, please visit: https://www.osce.org/odihr/elections/bih

524376 Public Affairs Unit, OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights Katya Andrusz

The 3 April 2022 presidential and early parliamentary elections in Serbia presented diverse political options, but a number of shortcomings resulted in an uneven playing field favouring the incumbents. Recent legislative amendments adopted after extensive discussions among the ruling parties and the opposition included some welcome improvements, but key aspects of the electoral process require further reform.

These are some main conclusions from the final report on the April elections published today by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR).

Key recommendations include:

• Reviewing the legislation to further address the misuse of administrative resources and access to media and eliminate remaining gaps and inconsistencies well before the next elections;
• Introducing standardized mandatory training for all local electoral commission and polling board members;
• Conducting a full audit of the voter and civil registers as soon as possible;
• Revising the law to provide for a clear separation between the incumbents' official functions and campaigning activities and proactively addressing violations;
• Implementing effective legal and institutional oversight mechanisms to prevent intimidation and pressure on voters, including employees of public and state institutions;
• Introducing regulation of third-party campaigning and provisions on effective, proportionate and dissuasive sanctions for violations and inadequate reporting;
• Strengthening the independence of the Electronic Media Regulatory Authority and explicitly defining its responsibilities during the campaign period by law;
• Publishing clear, consistent and timely instructions and decisions on all election-day procedures that are not sufficiently regulated by the statutory law;
• Taking measures to enhance the effectiveness of dispute resolution including through substantive review of all election day-related complaints.

The ODIHR Election Observation Mission for the 3 April 2022 presidential and early parliamentary elections commenced its work on 22 February 2022 and remained in the country until 15 April.

All 57 participating States across the OSCE region have formally committed to following up promptly on ODIHR’s election assessments and recommendations.

524334

Between 15 and 19 August, the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities (OCEEA) in co-operation with the Drohobych City Institute organized a workshop on the digital transformation of communities and regions of Ukraine and the sustainable development of municipalities.

Around 20 experts and municipal officials from different regions of Ukraine took part in the workshop held in Drohobych.  Participants discussed a wide range of issues related to sustainable municipal development in Ukraine, including practical application of different ISO-based development indicators, and explored how digital tools and data platforms can be used in decision-making processes at the municipal level. 

Participants also shared the experience of their respective municipalities in using data for better planning and administration of local economic development programs and optimization of social infrastructure taking into account the needs of local citizens. 

“Transparency in municipal administration, digitalization of public services, and integrity of civil servants are vital for the sustainable economic development of regions of Ukraine”, said Andrei Muntean, project manager at OCEEA.

“OSCE stands ready to support Ukraine in improving the efficiency of local governance through the use of standardized development indicators and introduction of data-driven and value-based decision-making processes,” he added.

The workshop was part of the extra-budgetary project on “Digital standardization of good municipal governance services in Ukraine” funded by the United States and Germany.

524280 Kunduz Rysbek

From 16 to 18 August, Kyrgyzstan hosts a peer-review exercise on the implementation of the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) in Issyk-Kul.

The peer-review aims to provide a platform to exchange best practices on national approaches to biosafety and biosecurity, define the roadmap on the further development of the legal framework for BWC implementation, including the draft law on biosafety and biosecurity.

More than 45 representatives of the Ministry of Economy and Commerce R, Ministry of Health, State Committee for National Security of Kyrgyzstan, as well as experts on biosafety and biosecurity from Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, the United States, Uzbekistan, European Union (EU) Delegation in Kyrgyzstan, EU Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Risk Mitigation Centres of Excellence, International Science and Technology Center, World Organization for Animal Health, and the Implementation Support Unit (ISU) of the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC)/UN Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA)  participate in the peer-review and contributing to the advancement of a comprehensive national approach to biosafety and biosecurity.

“The peer-review exercise is voluntary in nature, and it serves as an important tool for building confidence in compliance to the BWC. It is also flexible and can be contextualized to the specific situation and circumstances of the country. We are grateful to the Kyrgyz government for being an active participant of the Convention, and co-organizing this event together with the UNODA and the OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek”, - shared Dr. Alex Lampalzer, Deputy Chief of the BWC Implementation Support Unit at the UNODA Geneva Branch.

The peer-review will help the national BWC implementing group to improve the system on prevention and reduction of risks of radiological, chemical, and biological emergencies, and identify opportunities for international co-operation and assistance.

“Securing the biosafety of the population is of utmost importance to the implementation of the BWC by Kyrgyzstan. The peer-review will help us to advance our efforts in implementation of the Convention provisions and adopt the best practices of other countries”, - said Ms. Damira Ashiralieva, Microbiology department lecturer, International High School of Medicine, Kyrgyzstan.

The event is organised by joint efforts of the Ministry of Economy and Commerce of the KR, ISU BWC/UNODA, European Union and OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek under the European Union Council Decision 2019/97 in support of the BWC. The event is part of range of activities within the framework of OSCE’s assistance to the Kyrgyz government in implementation of the UN Security Council Resolution 1540.