News and press releases

ANKARA, 20 February 2023 – The OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Minister of Foreign Affairs of North Macedonia Bujar Osmani, and Secretary General Helga Maria Schmid visited Ankara to express their condolences to all those affected by the terrible earthquake that struck Türkiye and Syria on 6th February. They announced OSCE support to address immediate needs, as well as to provide longer term assistance.

BISHKEK, 17 February 2023 – Valiant Richey, OSCE Special Representative for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, concluded his three-day visit to Kyrgyzstan today. He highlighted the country’s comprehensive legal and policy framework including a dedicated anti-trafficking law, regional coordination councils and a National Rapporteur established under the Parliament. He also called for the proactive identification of victims, increased prosecutions of trafficking offenders and improvement of the mandate of labour inspectors to identify human trafficking.

The OSCE Transnational Threats Department, in co-operation with the Netherlands and Cyber Law International, organized an executive course on the international law of cyber operations. This course took place between 13 and 17 February 2023 in Skopje, North Macedonia.

The efforts of the Office of the OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings to advance the dialogue on combating the misuse of technology by traffickers to exploit victims are being complemented by OSCE field operations. In this view, the OSCE Programme Office in Astana in partnership with the Office of the OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, and the Law Enforcement Academy under the Prosecutor General’s Office of Kazakhstan organized a regional roundtable on combatting tech-facilitated trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation.

From 30 January to 3 February, the OSCE Transnational Threats Department, in co-operation with the OSCE Programme Office in Astana, organized a training course for first responders on handling digital evidence at the Almaty Academy of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

From 31 January to 2 February, 20 women human rights activists from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Ukraine, and renowned international experts, gathered in Vienna to provide concrete recommendations for enhancing protection and response to violence against women and girls in conflict and post-conflict settings.

SOFIA, 31 January 2023- OSCE Special Representative Valiant Richey and the Executive Secretary to the Council of Europe Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA) Petya Nestorova called on Bulgaria to take urgent measures to strengthen its prevention and response to trafficking in human beings.