News and press releases

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...

BRUSSELS / VIENNA, 16 October 2018- The World Customs Organization (WCO) and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) agreed to deepen their co-operation in addressing emerging and evolving security threats under a Working Arrangement document signed today by the Organizations’ Secretaries General Kunio Mikuriya and Thomas Greminger, respectively...

Best practices in dealing with violent extremism and radicalization that lead to terrorism (VERLT), particularly the challenge of returning foreign fighters, is the focus of a three-day international conference that opened in Ohrid on 16 October 2018...

A ten-day OSCE regional course for some 30 military and civilian experts entitled Becoming an Intelligent Customer for Safe Demilitarization Operations began on 16 October 2018 in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

KYIV, 15 October 2018- Chief Monitor of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM) Ertugrul Apakan called today for restraint and full adherence to the agreed ceasefire in eastern Ukraine...

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and fewer in Luhansk region between the evenings of 12 and 13 October, compared with the previous reporting period. Between the evenings of 13 and 14 October, the Mission recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, compared with the previous 24 hours. In Zolote-5/Mykhailivka, the SMM followed up on reports of civilian casualties and observed damage caused by shelling. The Mission also observed damage caused by shelling and gunfire in residential areas of Yasynuvata and Chermalyk. It recorded ceasefire violations inside the Zolote disengagement area and near the Stanytsia Luhanska and Petrivske disengagement areas. The SMM’s access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas as well as near Zaichenko, Novoazovsk and Leonove, near the border with the Russian Federation.* The Mission observed weapons in violation of the agreed withdrawal lines on both sides of the contact line. The SMM facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable demining in Zolote 2/Karbonit. The Mission monitored events related to the Defender of Ukraine Day in different cities as well as a march on the occasion of the anniversary of the founding of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army in Kyiv...

A manual designed to assist law enforcement officers in South-East Europe in launching controlled delivery operations to combat the trafficking of illicit drugs and their precursors has been updated by the Strategic Police Matters Unit of the OSCE Transnational Threats Department in co-operation with the Southeast European Law Enforcement Center (SELEC)...