News and press releases

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region between the evenings of 29 and 30 September compared with the previous reporting period. Between the evenings of 30 September and 1 October the Mission recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region compared with the previous 24 hours. In Luhansk region the SMM recorded similar numbers of ceasefire violations between the evenings of 29 and 30 September and between 30 September and 1 October compared with the previous reporting period. While in government-controlled Kriakivka the SMM heard small-arms fire and two explosions nearby and immediately left the area. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske; it recorded ceasefire violations inside the Stanytsia Luhanska and Petrivske disengagement areas. Its access remained restricted in the disengagement areas and elsewhere.* The SMM assessed impact sites in Dokuchaievsk and in the Trudivski area of Donetsk city. The Mission visited two border areas not under government control. The SMM continued to follow up on the incident at an ammunition depot in Kalynivka, Vinnytsia region...

VIENNA, 2 October 2017 – The decision of the Irish government to call a referendum on whether blasphemy should remain an offence in the Irish Constitution was welcomed by the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media (RFoM) Harlem Désir in a letter to Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar today.

The OSCE Mission in Kosovo launched a media literacy initiative with a two-day training for 14 teachers of seven schools in Prishtinë/Priština, Mitrovicë/Mitrovica, Prizren, Pejë/Peć, Ferizaj/Uroševac, Gjilan/Gnjilane and Gjakovë/Đakovica. The training held with the support of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MEST) concluded on 1 October 2017 in Prishtinë/Priština...

VIENNA, 2 October 2017- The Chairperson-in-Office of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz, and OSCE Secretary General Thomas Greminger today expressed concern about recent developments in Spain...

The OSCE Mission to Moldova is supporting two tournaments in order to develop the debating skills of youth belonging to national minorities in September and October.

SARAJEVO, 2 October 2017 – An advanced five-day training course on increasing operational awareness to detect forged documents and imposters for border police officials from Bosnia and Herzegovina started today in Sarajevo...

WARSAW, 2 October 2017- Ingibjörg Sólrún Gísladóttir, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), called on the Spanish authorities to ensure respect for fundamental freedoms of peaceful assembly and expression. Her call came after reports of the dispersal by force of protests and assemblies by Spanish police trying to prevent the holding of a referendum in Catalonia that had been suspended by Spain’s Constitutional Court...