A seminar on conducting trans-boundary impact assessments focusing on the Neman River, organized by the OSCE Office in Minsk and Belarus's Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection, opened in Minsk today. The discussions focused on the necessary consultations and exchange of information foreseen under the Espoo convention on environmental impact assessment. Belarus and Lithuania are parties to the Convention, and will assess the impact of the construction of a Belarusian hydro-electric station on the Neman River in Hrodna Voblast, near the Lithuanian border.
Prior to the 28 September parliamentary elections in the Republic of Belarus, the authorities gave a number of clear signals of their interest to improve the election process. There were some minor improvements, which could indicate a step forward. But these elections ultimately fell short of OSCE commitments for democratic elections. Promises made by the authorities to ensure the transparency of the vote count were not properly implemented by election commissions.
MINSK, 29 September 2008 - Despite some minor improvements, the 28 September parliamentary elections in Belarus ultimately fell short of OSCE commitments for democratic elections, international observers from the OSCE concluded in a preliminary statement issued today.
The election campaign officially commenced following the registration of candidates (concluded on 28 August) and is unfolding in a strictly regulated environment. This applies specifically to media coverage, to the printing and distribution of campaign materials, the venues for meetings with the voters and the financing of campaigns. OSCE/ODIHR EOM observers continue to report that the campaign is being conducted in an extremely low key manner throughout Belarus, and few candidate meetings have taken place thus far. Locations for posting campaign materials have been allocated and locations where candidates can meet with voters have been designated by DECs.
Elections to the Chamber of Representatives (lower chamber of the National Assembly)1 are scheduled to take place on 28 September 2008. The elections were called by the President of Belarus, Alyaksandr Lukashenka, on 24 June 2008. As required by law, the elections were announced four months prior to the expiry of the mandate of the outgoing parliament. The OSCE/ODIHR was invited to observe the upcoming elections on 9 July by the Belarusian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sergei Martynau. The invitation was timely and has permitted the OSCE/ODIHR to properly organize the deployment of the Election Observation Mission (EOM).
The OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Finnish Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb, welcomed the Belarusian authorities' release of prisoners Aleksandr Kozulin, Andrey Kim, and Sergei Parsyukevich.
VIENNA, 27 June 2008 - The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Miklos Haraszti, today called on the upper chamber of Belarus's parliament not to adopt a draft law that would further restrict media freedom in the country.
Having analysed the draft Law of the Republic of Belarus on the Mass Media (hereinafter referred to asthe Draft Law) in the context of the Constitution and existing legislation of the Republic of Belarus, aswell as international norms on freedom of information, the expert commissioned by the Office of theRepresentative on Freedom of the Media of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe(OSCE) has come to the following conclusion.
MINSK, 8 April 2008 - The OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Human Trafficking, Eva Biaudet, encouraged the Belarus Government today to support NGOs working on protecting and assisting child victims of trafficking.
OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Miklos Haraszti. (OSCE/Mikhail Evstafiev)
VIENNA, 18 February 2008 - The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Miklos Haraszti, today condemned the three-year high-security prison sentence handed down to Alexander Zdvizhkov, ex-deputy editor of the Zhoda newspaper, for reprinting controversial cartoons featuring the Prophet Mohammad originally published in a Danish newspaper.
The European Commission has issued a call for proposals for new regional investment and trade facilitation project EAST-INVEST for Eastern Partnership countries.
A seminar on conducting trans-boundary impact assessments focusing on the Neman River, organized by the OSCE Office in Minsk and Belarus's Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection, opened in Minsk today. The discussions focused on the necessary consultations and exchange of information foreseen under the Espoo convention on environmental impact assessment. Belarus and Lithuania are parties to the Convention, and will assess the impact of the construction of a Belarusian hydro-electric station on the Neman River in Hrodna Voblast, near the Lithuanian border.
MINSK, 8 April 2008 - The OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Human Trafficking, Eva Biaudet, encouraged the Belarus Government today to support NGOs working on protecting and assisting child victims of trafficking.
