Deputy Ambassador James Ford reaffirms the UK’s commitment to human rights, democratic institutions and media freedom, condemns Russia’s violations in Ukraine, and pledges continued support for civil society and the OSCE’s autonomous institutions.
Chair,
The UK strongly supports the OSCE’s comprehensive approach to security, and the central place of the human dimension within it. Democracy, human rights, fundamental freedoms and the rule of law are essential to our collective security – and as the UK Foreign Secretary has made clear, defending these values is the only real route to peace and prosperity across our continent.
That is why the UK remains strongly committed to supporting the OSCE’s autonomous institutions, including ODIHR. Its work on election observation, democratic governance and human rights supports participating States and strengthens public confidence in democratic processes.
At a time of growing hybrid threats and attempts to undermine democratic elections, ODIHR’s role remains as vital as ever. We have seen the value of its independent election observation in recent elections this year, notably in Armenia and Hungary.
As 2026 co-chair of the Media Freedom Coalition, the UK will continue to champion independent and pluralistic media. We firmly support the mandate of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, whose work remains indispensable as journalists face intimidation, harassment, censorship and violence in parts of the OSCE region. Minister Elmore, the UK Foreign Office Minister for Human Rights, will focus on this issue when he visits Warsaw to attend this conference next week.
Supporting Ukraine remains the UK’s priority number one at the OSCE. ODIHR and other international reporting documents Russia’s continuing, widespread and systematic violations of international humanitarian and human rights law, such as arbitrary detention and enforced disappearances in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.
The UK condemns Russia’s illegal war of aggression, including its attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, its repression in temporarily occupied territories, and its wider assault on Ukraine’s sovereignty.
Russian air attacks intensified significantly this summer. Russia’s increased use of ballistic missiles and jet drones in urban areas has caused extensive harm to civilians.
Russia’s illegitimate attempts to organise Duma elections in Crimea, Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia are instruments of occupation, not democracy. These regions are part of Ukraine, and sham elections cannot change that.
Russia must stop these violations, withdraw from Ukraine, and respect its OSCE commitments. The UK remains resolute in supporting Ukraine and holding Russia to account.
Likewise, we commend ODIHR and other OSCE institutions for supporting Ukraine now, and for helping its institutions prepare for future democratic processes when conditions allow.
The human dimension is at the heart of the OSCE’s purpose, and this conference is an opportunity to demonstrate our shared commitment to human rights and fundamental freedoms.
The UK will continue to raise concerns where these commitments are not met, and support participating States, civil society and independent institutions working to uphold OSCE principles.
Thank you.