OSCE Press

OSCE Alliance Leads Global Effort Against Forced Criminality

The OSCE Alliance against Trafficking in Persons opened its 26th conference in Vienna on April 20, 2026, addressing forced criminality as a growing security threat. The share of identified trafficking victims compelled into criminal activity has risen from approximately 1 percent in 2018 to 17 percent in 2024 across the OSCE region, with children and young adults under 25 comprising the majority of victims coerced into drug trafficking, theft, fraud, and violent offenses. The conference will continue on April 21 with panels on victim identification and protection practices.

OSCE Forum with Central Asia Border Commanders Addresses Drug Trafficking

The 2026 OSCE Secretary General Forum with Central Asia Border Commanders took place in Istanbul on April 21, 2026, bringing together commanders from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Discussions focused on strengthening border security and management, enhancing regional cooperation to prevent and combat drug trafficking including synthetic drugs, and addressing broader transnational threats such as organized crime and terrorism. The Forum, established in 2023, has become a key platform for strategic regional dialogue and trust-building between Central Asian Border Commanders and the OSCE.

OSCE RFoM Holds National Focal Points Meeting on Journalist Safety in Bern, Switzerland

The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Ambassador Jan Braathu, held the annual National Focal Points meeting on Safety of Journalists in Bern, Switzerland from April 14–18, 2026, with representatives from 22 participating States in attendance. The meeting featured Switzerland's National Action Plan for the Safety of Media Professionals and included presentations on the upcoming RFoM report on Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPP) and the issue of transnational repression targeting journalists.