News and press releases

The first meeting of the OSCE-supported Working Group on developing an Anti-Money Laundering/Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) certification programme for the financial sector was held on 10 March 2015 in Almaty, Kazakhstan...

ULAANBAATAR, 10 March 2015 – A three-day conference, organized by the OSCE Conflict Prevention Centre, on the role of armed and security forces in democratic societies got underway today in the Mongolian capital, bringing together representatives from Central Asia and the OSCE’s Asian Partners for Co-operation...

The SMM monitored the implementation of the “Package of measures for the Implementation of the Minsk agreements”. The SMM, based on its monitoring – which was restricted by third parties and by security considerations* – assessed the situation in the Luhansk region to be calm, but in the Donetsk region the SMM monitored fighting in and around the Donetsk airport and to the east of Mariupol. The SMM also monitored the movements of Ukrainian Armed Forces, “Donetsk People’s Republic” (“DPR”) and “Lugansk People’s Republic” (“LPR”) heavy weapons...

On 9 March 2015, the SMM facilitated the demining of the village of Kominternove (88km south-east of Donetsk) by the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Kominternove is located in between territory controlled by the government and areas controlled by “Donetsk People’s Republic” (“DPR”) and as a result has been subject to constant shelling since the beginning of the conflict. Many unexploded tank and mortar shells, rocket-propelled grenades (RPG), 220mm rockets and burned tanks can be found throughout the village, including the yard of a local school and kindergarten. Previously, the SMM had seen children playing near the unexploded ordnance (UXO), and had informed Ukrainian authorities (see SMM Daily Report 29 December)...

COPENHAGEN, 9 March 2015 – OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Ilkka Kanerva (MP, Finland) has appointed U.S. Senator Benjamin Cardin to serve as the PA’s first Special Representative on Anti-Semitism, Racism and Intolerance...

TIRANA, 6 March 2015- On the occasion of the upcoming International Women’s Day on 8 March, the Head of the OSCE Presence in Albania, Ambassador Florian Raunig, stressed the need for a significantly increased representation of women in the Albanian politics as key to the further development of democracy.

BELGRADE, 8 March 2015 – Women, who make up half of the population, should be actively involved in any changes and solutions that shape and affect their society, including conflict prevention and resolution, said OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Serbia’s Foreign Minister Ivica Dačić, today on the ocassion of International Women’s Day...