News and press releases

Belgrade/Vienna, 14 November 2015 – The OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Serbia’s Foreign Minister Ivica Dačić, and OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier today condemned in the strongest terms the terrorist attacks targeting several locations in the French capital, Paris, that seem to have resulted in killing and injuring dozens. They expressed their deep condolences to the victims, their families and the French government and people, and wished a rapid recovery to the injured, as well as a speedy and safe release of all the hostages.

The SMM monitored the implementation of the “Package of measures for the implementation of the Minsk agreements”, including the Addendum. Its monitoring was restricted by the parties and security considerations*. The SMM heard explosions and small-arms fire in Donetsk and Luhansk regions. “DPR” members stopped the SMM and confiscated a map...

WARSAW, 13 November 2015 – Michael Georg Link, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), welcomed yesterday’s decision by the Baku Court of Appeals to release Azerbaijani human rights activist Arif Yunus from prison. The court ordered the release on the basis of Yunus’ rapidly deteriorating health...

KYIV, 13 November 2015 – OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Ilkka Kanerva (MP, Finland) met today with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin in Kyiv at the conclusion of his three-day visit to the country...

DONETSK OBLAST, Ukraine, 12 November 2015 – OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Ilkka Kanerva (MP, Finland) today visited a range of sites in government-controlled Donetsk oblast, Ukraine, including near the line of contact with separatist-held areas, to survey the security situation and highlight the humanitarian tragedy resulting from the conflict.

The Policy Advisers Course for Eastern Partners, co-organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), the School of Public Policy (SPP) at Central European University, and the Folke Bernadotte Academy (FBA) in Budapest, Hungary, from 11 to 13 November 2015, provided 20 participants an opportunity to discuss promoting youth political participation in the OSCE region...

The emergency situation of refugees in Europe was the focus of an expert panel meeting, organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) on 12 and 13 November 2015 in Warsaw...