News and press releases
News and press releases from the OSCE's global activities.
OSCE Chairperson-in-Office expresses gratitude to outgoing ODIHR Director Lenarčič
Publishing date: 30 June 2014
BERN, 30 June 2014- OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Swiss Foreign Minister Didier Burkhalter, today expressed his gratitude to Ambassador Janez Lenarčič of Slovenia, the outgoing Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), for his work over the last six years...
Chairman-in-Office relieved about release of Luhansk-based SMM team, says OSCE ready to support implementation of peace plan to the extent security situation permits
Publishing date: 28 June 2014
Collections: Donetsk and Luhansk-based teams of OSCE monitors released , Swiss Chairmanship takes lead in OSCE Ukraine efforts
Bern, 28 June, 2014- The OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Swiss Foreign Minister Didier Burkhalter, relieved to hear that the four members of the Luhansk-based team of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission were set free, commended the tireless work of the SMM towards the release of the team members who were in captivity since May 29, 2014.
OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, at the Annual Session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, takes stock of implementation of Swiss priorities at half time
Publishing date: 28 June 2014
BAKU, 28 June 2014 – Swiss Foreign Minister and OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Didier Burkhalter, took part today in the Inaugural Plenary Session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s 23rd annual session in Baku...
Azerbaijan’s President, OSCE Chair-in-Office open OSCE PA Annual Session
Publishing date: 28 June 2014
BAKU, 28 June 2014 – The 23rd OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Annual Session has begun in Baku, with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Swiss President and OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Didier Burkhalter addressing nearly 300 parliamentarians from more than 50 nations...
OSCE Chairperson-in-Office grateful for support in release of four monitors from Donetsk-based SMM team, calls for setting free the other team of four without delay
Publishing date: 27 June 2014
Collections: Donetsk and Luhansk-based teams of OSCE monitors released , Swiss Chairmanship takes lead in OSCE Ukraine efforts
Bern, 27 June 2014 – While expressing his gratitude to all who helped in setting four of the eight monitors of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission free, OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and Swiss Foreign Minister, Didier Burkhalter, he emphasized the leading role of the SMM in the efforts for the release of the four monitors from the Donetsk-based SMM team to whom contact was lost on 26 May; he thanked all participating States for their support in this regard.
Swiss Chair discusses next steps in implementing peace plan and calls for reconsolidating European security during visit in Vienna
Publishing date: 24 June 2014
Bern, June 24, 2014- Chairperson-in-Office and Swiss Minister of Foreign Affairs, Didier Burkhalter, held several bilateral talks regarding the situation in Ukraine at the margins of the OSCE Annual Security Review Conference today in Vienna.
Ukraine crisis tops agenda of OSCE annual conference in Vienna
Publishing date: 24 June 2014
VIENNA, 24 June 2014 – Strengthening the OSCE’s role in existing conflicts – particularly Ukraine – tops the agenda at the Organization’s annual security review conference starting in Vienna today, with discussions also covering military stability and transparency, transnational threats and Afghanistan...