Українська правда 22 May 2014 By Joao Soares Менше ніж за дві доби українці прокинуться та побачать сонце, можливо, найважливішого дня у новітній історії країни. Вони отримають шанс на який заслуговують по кількох місяцях складностей – шанс, що матиме вплив на їх майбутнє. Це голосування повинно бути не лише початком змін у політиці, але і початком відновлення стабільності, і, як ми сподіваємось, початком примирення та загоєння ран. Багатьох

Kyiv Post 22 May 2014 By Joao Soares Joao Soares visits Maidan Square in Kiev 27 March 2014. Joao Soares is the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly's special representative for the South Caucasus, chairman of the sub-committee on rules of procedure and member of the ad hoc committee on transparency and reform. OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Didier Burkhalter has designated Mr. Soares as Special Co-ordinator of the OSCE's short-term observation mission for

Foreign Policy 15 May 2014 By Spencer Oliver The OSCE was designed to ensure peace in Europe. Now the conflict in Ukraine is confronting it with perhaps the greatest crisis in its history. Until a few months ago, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) was an obscurity to most Westerners in the post-Cold-War world. Now it's the stuff of headlines and is at the center of high-stakes political deal-making. The reason is

Kyiv Post 29 November 2013 By Christopher Smith In Kyiv this June, I took part in something extraordinary. It was something that will undoubtedly help pull hundreds of vulnerable women, men and children from the jaws of modern-day slavery. With wider, regional implementation, it has the potential to save thousands more. That extraordinary event was a simple training exercise on combating human trafficking that I, as the Special Representative

Independent Balkan News Agency 20 June 2013 By Roberto Battelli Albanian voters could be forgiven for wondering whether Sunday's election is about the future direction of Albanian politics or about the very institutions of democracy. As long-standing differences between the main political forces have again impacted the process of conducting elections, I think it is fair to say that both politics and democracy will both be in focus on Sunday.

Kyiv Post 17 January 2013 By Riccardo Migliori When Ukraine kicks off its chairmanship of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the world’s largest regional security organization, it will be the start of a crucial year and a moment to reset expectations for what the OSCE can be. In Vienna, there will be speeches, applause and when the toasts are done. When Foreign Minister Leonid Kozhara heads back to Kyiv, some in Vienna may