COPENHAGEN, 27 June 2011 – The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe should provide assistance when asked in the fields of democracy and human rights in North Africa, according to a proposed resolution released today by the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly. “With the rapid change we are seeing in our partner countries of Tunisia and Egypt and elsewhere, the time is now for the OSCE to step up and lend its considerable experience to

COPENHAGEN, 24 June 2011 – With an eye toward reforming the world’s largest regional security organization, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly will convene its 20th Annual Session in Belgrade, Serbia on 6 July. More than 250 Members of Parliament from more than 50 countries are expected to meet in Belgrade under the theme of “Strengthening the OSCE’s Effectiveness and Efficiency – A new start after

COPENHAGEN, 21 June 2011 – OSCE PA Secretary General Spencer Oliver today released the following statement regarding the passing of Yelena Bonner, one of Russia's most prominent human rights activists, who died 18 June at the age of 88. "Yelena Bonner was a tireless and courageous advocate for human rights and an inspiration to Helsinki monitors not only in the Soviet Union and Russia, but throughout communist regimes in Eastern Europe," Mr.

President Efthymiou speaks to reporters at an internally displaced persons camp in Georgia (Photo by Tina Schoen, OSCE PA) TBILISI, Georgia, 16 June 2011 – OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Petros Efthymiou today called for the reestablishment of the OSCE Mission to Georgia during a visit to Tbilisi. Offering political support for the OSCE presence, he stressed that the mission would be a mechanism not only of investigation but also for

COPENHAGEN, 14 June 2011 – Members of Parliament from four countries gathered in Copenhagen today to find a common approach to promote greater respect for human rights and rule of law in Belarus, where opponents of the president remain in prison for demonstrating after the December elections. “We call on the authorities in Minsk to release all political prisoners at once,” said Uta Zapf (Germany), chair of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly

Pia Christmas-Moeller, with OSCE PA Senior Counsellor Semyon Dzakhaev, examining a voters list. ANKARA, Turkey, 13 June 2011 – Turkey’s well-managed, democratic elections demonstrated pluralism but also showed a need for improvements on fundamental freedoms, according to international election observers from the Parliamentary Assemblies of the OSCE and Council of Europe. “To fully live up to its democratic commitments, Turkey must do more than