- OSCE/ODIHR observers to present findings on Kyrgyzstan’s constitutional referendum at press conference on Monday

BISHKEK, 23 June 2010 - The limited observation mission deployed by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) to monitor the 27 June constitutional referendum in Kyrgyzstan will present its preliminary statement at a news conference on Monday.

The preliminary statement will be delivered by Ambassador Boris Frlec, head of the observation mission.

The mission has been in Kyrgyzstan since 21 May and consists of 13 election experts based in Bishkek and 12 long-term observers deployed across the country. Due to the current security situation, the mission will not be supplemented by short-term observers.

Journalists are invited to attend the news conference at 13:00 on Monday, 28 June at the Hyatt Hotel in Bishkek.

For further information contact:

Jens-Hagen Eschenbächer, OSCE/ODIHR, +48 603 683 122 or +996 778 808979 jens.eschenbaecher@odihr.pl

Direct link to the press release

- OSCE Chairperson welcomes Turkmenistan’s role in promoting stability in Central Asia

ASHGABAT, 23 June 2010 - The OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Kazakhstan’s Secretary of State and Foreign Minister Kanat Saudabayev, in his meetings today with the President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov, and Speaker of the Parliament Akdja Nurberdiyeva, commended the Government of Turkmenistan for promoting stability in Central Asia and the whole OSCE area.

They discussed the situation in Kyrgyzstan, environmental security, engagement with Afghanistan and ways to work together in all three dimensions of security, the politico-military aspects, the economic and environmental and the human aspects.

Following the meetings Saudabayev said: "The Kazakh OSCE Chairmanship is committed to preventing escalation of tensions in Kyrgyzstan, and is ready to help the country with post-conflict rehabilitation. The OSCE is working together with the international community to help Kyrgyzstan."

Energy security is an issue which concerns all Central Asian countries and Turkmenistan has taken an important role in advancing the OSCE dialogue on energy security, hosting a conference on this subject in Ashgabat in May 2010.

Engagement with Afghanistan and a stronger OSCE role in stabilizing this country is an initiative of Kazakhstan’s Chairmanship. "I welcome Turkmenistan’s support and constructive co-operation between Turkmenistan and the OSCE to improve border security between Afghanistan and Turkmenistan and foster cross border co-operation." said Saudabayev.

Saudabayev thanked Turkmenistan’s side for their support for Kazakhstan’s priorities during its Chairmanship, especially holding an OSCE Summit this year. He also thanked them for fruitful co-operation with the OSCE Centre and offered to work together on new proposals for expanding this co-operation.

Tomorrow, Saudabayev will address a high-level international conference on disarmament in Central Asia and the Caspian region, discussing the international legal framework for disarmament, the role of international organizations in addressing disarmament issues in global and regional dimensions.

These issues will continue to be high on the agenda of the OSCE and Central Asian countries and will be part of the informal meeting of OSCE Foreign Ministers in Almaty on 16 and 17 July. "Kazakhstan will continue to play an active role furthering OSCE’s contribution to ensuring stability and security in our region, and Kazakhstan’s President Nursultan Nazarbayev proposal to hold an OSCE Summit this year is an important initiative in this regard," concluded Saudabayev.

The OSCE, with its Centre in Ashgabat, which has been working in the country since 1999, is committed to working with Turkmenistan on all aspects of the security spectrum.

Direct link to the press release

- Regional OSCE/ODIHR expert meeting discusses challenges to judicial independence

KYIV, 23 June 2010 - Experts from the OSCE region are discussing challenges to judicial independence in Eastern Europe, South Caucasus and Central Asia at an OSCE-organized workshop that started in Kyiv today.

The three-day meeting will serve to identify lessons learned and good practices from participating States and recommend concrete actions both for States and the OSCE on how to further advance judicial independence.

The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) organized the workshop together with the Heidelberg-based Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law with support from the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine. Participants include prominent law professors and experts from the Council of Europe, including its Venice Commission.

"Judicial independence is a centerpiece of the OSCE’s rule of law commitments," said Carsten Weber, Chief of ODIHR’s Rule of Law Unit, adding that participating States have repeatedly committed themselves to establishing and maintaining independent judiciaries.

"It is time to take stock of achievements and discuss with the expert community how participating States and the OSCE should move forward."

Meeting topics include the role of judicial councils responsible for selecting judges and overseeing disciplinary proceedings in decreasing executive influence over judiciaries. Representation of other branches of government in the councils to preserve democratic legitimacy will also be discussed.

Criteria and procedures for the selection of judges will also be discussed, as will the balance between the need for judges’ independence in decision-making and the need to hold them accountable in cases of professional misconduct.

Anja Seibert-Fohr, the Head of the Minerva Research Group on Judicial Independence of the Max Planck Institute, said: "Despite existing national differences in how to guarantee judicial independence, the OSCE offers a unique platform for those involved in rule-of-law reforms to exchange experiences and to consider new avenues for implementation."

The recommendations emerging from the workshop will be shared with participating States to serve as a basis for further reform efforts.

Direct link to the press release