WARSAW, 24 September 2012 – Addressing the OSCE Office for Democratic Institution and Human Rights' annual Human Dimension Implementation Meeting (HDIM) today, OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Riccardo Migliori called for a renewed focus on human rights in the organization. "In 1975," he said, "the Helsinki Process ensured that human rights were forever linked to comprehensive security. We called it the 'third dimension' or 'third basket,'

President Riccardo Migliori addresses European Conference of Presidents of Parliaments on 21 September 2012. STRASBOURG, France, 21 September 2012 – In an address to presidents of parliament from across Europe, OSCE PA President Riccardo Migliori said today that it is critical that parliamentarians, governments and international organizations work together to restore faith in representative democracy around the world. Speaking at the European

Special Co-ordinator Matteo Mecacci opens the short-term observer briefing in Minsk, 21 September 2012. MINSK, 21 September 2012 – More than 70 election observers from the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly began their election observation mission today in Belarus. Matteo Mecacci, the special co-ordinator to lead the OSCE short-term observer mission, opened the briefing today in Minsk after having a meeting in the morning with the foreign minister.

MINSK, 21 September 2012 - The international observers monitoring the parliamentary elections in Belarus will present their preliminary post-election statement at a news conference on Monday, 24 September, in Minsk. The international observation is a common endeavour involving the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR) and the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA). The statement will be delivered by Matteo

ROME, 20 September 2012 – OSCE PA President Riccardo Migliori today issued the following statement regarding the news of prisoner abuse that has emerged in Georgia: "The images of prisoner abuse in Georgia are enough to shock the conscience. I am appalled by the conduct on display in prison number 8 and I expect full prosecutions of those who carried out the abuse as well as those responsible in high positions who allowed it to happen – both to

MINSK, Belarus, 19 September 2012 – Matteo Mecacci (MP, Italy), the special co-ordinator to lead the OSCE short-term election observation in Belarus, today issued the following statement upon learning that two parliamentarians from Germany and Lithuania, who planned to observe the elections, were told they would be denied visas by the Belarus Ministry of Foreign Affairs: "I am disappointed to hear that two members of our delegation were not