News and press releases

COPENHAGEN, 17 October 2014 – Kent Harstedt, the OSCE Special Co-ordinator and leader of the short-term OSCE observer mission for Ukraine’s parliamentary elections, has completed a week-long preparatory visit to Kyiv, Kharkiv and Luhansk oblasts...

MOSCOW, 17 October 2014 – In their first joint country visit to the Russian Federation, the OSCE Chairperson’s Personal Representatives on combatting discrimination and promoting tolerance met representatives of the government and civil society in Moscow from 15 to 16 October 2014 to discuss good practices and gaps in policy, activities and legislation, as well as areas where the OSCE can provide further support...

The SMM continued to monitor the situation in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions focusing on the implementation of the provisions of the Minsk Protocol/Memorandum. The SMM visited a number of border crossing points between Ukraine and the Russian Federation. Rallies and marches were organized in a number of cities throughout the country on 14 October to mark the 72nd anniversary of the creation of the “Ukrainian Insurgent Army” (“UPA”).

YEREVAN, 16 October 2014 – An OSCE-supported report detailing Armenia’s switchover from analogue to digital broadcasting was presented today in Yerevan. The report notes that while the technical preparations are going to schedule, not enough effort has been invested in raising public awareness and that the criteria for distributing decoders to vulnerable families is not clear...

BISHKEK, 16 October 2014 – The role of women in law enforcement agencies and their contribution to peace and security is being explored at a one-day international conference organized by the OSCE Centre in Bishkek and Kyrgyzstan’s Interior Ministry in Bishkek today. The conference brings together representatives of law enforcement agencies from Central Asia, Afghanistan, Armenia, Sweden, the United States and Canada...

DUSHANBE, 16 October 2014 –Tajik border troops and Afghan border police officers completed a joint five-week training course on patrolling and leadership organized by the OSCE Office in Tajikistan...

VIENNA/SKOPJE, 16 October 2014 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović today submitted a two-year strategy including action points to the newly-established Council of Media Ethics (CMEM)...