News and press releases

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and fewer in Luhansk region, compared with the previous 24 hours. It recorded ceasefire violations assessed as inside the Zolote disengagement area and near the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area. The SMM’s access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas as well as near Zaichenko, Bezimenne, Novoazovsk, Lebedynske, Alchevsk and Bohdanivka.* The SMM facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to the Petrivske and Aidar water pumping stations, a gas pipeline near Yasynuvata and the Krasnohorivka gas distribution station, as well as to enable demining in Zolote-2/Karbonit and Nyzhnoteple.

The Observer Mission (OM) continues to operate 24/7 at both Border Crossing Points (BCPs). The overall number of border crossings by persons slightly decreased at both BCPs compared to the previous week...

The last in a series of three OSCE-supported roundtable discussions on the prospects of agricultural development in Kazakhstan with a focus on recently adopted national standards of organic production and certification concluded on 23 October 2018 in Astana.

A delegation of members of Albania’s Parliamentary Committee on Productive Activities, Trade and Environment, consisting of representatives of both the ruling majority and opposition parties, participated in a study visit to Lake Constance from 19 to 23 October 2018 to learn about cross-border co-operation with regards to managing the lake. The visit was organized by the OSCE Presence in Albania as part of a custom-tailored programme highlighting multilateral co-operation between parliaments and parliamentary oversight mechanisms...

ROME, 23 October 2018 – Government officials and representatives of civil society and religious communities discussed good practices for addressing racism, xenophobia and other forms of discrimination, including on the basis of gender, and for countering anti-Semitism and intolerance against Muslims, Christians and members of other religions at an OSCE conference in Rome yesterday...

The OSCE-supported Women’s Resource Centres (WRCs) in Tajikistan together with local authorities celebrated the International Day of the Girl under the theme “Empowering Girls” in rural regions of Tajikistan on 11 October 2018. The campaign was organized around various thematic activities, which included painting contests, fashion design competitions, conferences and sessions bringing together different rural communities. It aimed at raising awareness of girls’ and boys’ equal rights to opportunities in society.

Women’s engagement in conflict prevention and resolution, negotiating and maintaining peace, and addressing humanitarian challenges was the focus of a train-the-trainer course organized by the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe on 19 October 2018 in Dushanbe. The event marked the 18th anniversary of the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on women, peace and security.