News and press releases

Participants in two training courses organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights in Almaty, Kazakhstan, gained a deeper understanding this week of how to advance freedom of religion or belief for all while ensuring security. Eleven state officials took part in the

An expert roundtable meeting on good practices in migrant integration at the local level in line with OSCE commitments and other international standards took place in Warsaw on 26 October 2017. The event, organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), brought

An SMM patrol comprising two armoured vehicles and six members were stopped by armed men at a checkpoint near “DPR”-controlled Verkhnoshyrokivske (formerly Oktiabr, 29km north-east of Mariupol) at 09:57.

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations both in Donetsk and Luhansk regions compared with the previous reporting period. The Mission followed up on reports of a man in Donetsk city injured by the explosion of an explosive device while handling it. The SMM continued monitoring all three disengagement areas and recorded ceasefire violations near the Zolote disengagement area. Its access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas and elsewhere, including near Khrustalnyi. The SMM saw weapons in violation of withdrawal lines in Kostiantynivka and Tsukuryne. The Mission facilitated and monitored repairs and maintenance to the thermal power plant in Shchastia, a water pumping station near Artema and a water pipeline between Olenivka and Dokuchaievsk. In Kyiv, the SMM monitored the security situation at a court and an ongoing gathering in front of the national Parliament building.

ROME, 25 October 2017 – Senior members of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly are in Italy this week exploring challenges, exchanging experiences and assessing strategies related to developing a comprehensive response to large movements of migrants and refugees in the Mediterranean.

Kamensk-Shakhtinskiy, Russian Federation. The Observer Mission (OM) continues to operate 24/7 at both Border Crossing Points (BCPs). The overall number of border crossings by persons increased at both BCPs compared to the previous week.

VIENNA, 25 October 2017 –The physical attacks by riot police officers on three journalists who were covering protests in and outside a court house in Kyiv yesterday, were condemned by the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Désir.