The UK has reaffirmed its strong support for the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe's (OSCE) comprehensive approach to security, emphasising the central role of the human dimension. Deputy Ambassador James Ford stated that democracy, human rights, fundamental freedoms, and the rule of law are crucial for collective security.
The UK remains committed to supporting the OSCE's autonomous institutions, including the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), for its work on election observation, democratic governance, and human rights. The UK also highlighted its role as co-chair of the Media Freedom Coalition in 2026, pledging to champion independent and pluralistic media.
Supporting Ukraine is the UK's top priority at the OSCE. The UK condemned Russia's illegal war of aggression, including attacks on civilians and infrastructure, repression in temporarily occupied territories, and its wider assault on Ukraine's sovereignty. ODIHR and other international reports document Russia's ongoing violations of international humanitarian and human rights law, such as arbitrary detention and enforced disappearances in Ukraine's temporarily occupied territories.
The UK also criticised Russia's attempts to organise Duma elections in Crimea, Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia, calling them instruments of occupation. Minister Elmore, the UK Foreign Office Minister for Human Rights, is scheduled to visit Warsaw next week to attend the conference and focus on media freedom.