News and press releases

WARSAW, 27 January 2014 – The OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Swiss Foreign Minister Didier Burkhalter, today met the Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), Ambassador Janez Lenarčič, to discuss the situation surrounding anti-government protests in Ukraine, the need for greater efforts to protect human rights defenders, and the Swiss Chairmanship’s priorities in the areas of human rights, democracy and the rule of law...

WARSAW, 27 January 2014- Speaking on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Swiss Foreign Minister Didier Burkhalter, who is currently on a state visit to Poland, urged OSCE participating States to step up their efforts to combat anti-Semitism and other forms of intolerance, and to raise awareness of the tragedy of the Holocaust, especially among young people.

VIENNA / DAVOS, 24 January 2014- OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Swiss Foreign Minister Didier Burkhalter and Ukraine Prime Minister Mykola Azarov have today discussed ways the Organization could help to resolve the crisis in Ukraine...

BERN / VIENNA, 22 January 2014 – OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Swiss Foreign Minister Didier Burkhalter today expressed his deep concern about the situation in Ukraine, appealing to all parties to refrain from violence and engage in peaceful dialogue as a necessary first step towards resolving the ongoing crisis...

ERGNETI, 21 January 2014 – Today the 41st meeting under the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM) took place in Ergneti, co-facilitated by Toivo Klaar, the Head of the EU Monitoring Mission in Georgia (EUMM), and Ambassador Angelo Gnaedinger, who participated for the first time in his capacity of Special Representative of the Swiss OSCE Chairmanship...

VIENNA, 17 January 2014- Didier Burkhalter, Swiss Foreign Minister and OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, has expressed concern at recent legal measures taken in Ukraine which contain provisions which recriminalize libel and could impose serious restrictions on fundamental rights such as freedom of expression and freedom of assembly...

VIENNA, 16 January 2014 – Swiss Foreign Minister Didier Burkhalter today pledged to seize the opportunities offered by the OSCE as he outlined priorities for the Swiss Chairmanship of the Organization at the first Permanent Council in Vienna...