News and press releases

VIENNA, 17 April 2019 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, today called on the authorities in Uzbekistan to end the blocking of media outlets, in order to ensure that important news and current affairs resources be made accessible to the public...

Compared with the previous reporting period, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions. The SMM saw fresh damage caused by gunfire to houses in Zolote-5/Mykhailivka. The Mission recorded ceasefire violations inside the Zolote and Petrivske disengagement areas. The SMM observed weapons in violation of the withdrawal lines near Khrustalnyi, in a non-government-controlled area of Luhansk region. The Mission facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to and the operation of essential civilian infrastructure in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Restrictions of the Mission’s access continued in all three disengagement areas and elsewhere. The Mission was also restricted at a checkpoint near Verkhnoshyrokivske in a non-government-controlled area of southern Donetsk region, as well as at a railway station in Voznesenivka and at a border crossing point near Voznesenivka in non-government-controlled areas of Luhansk region...

Compared with the previous 24 hours, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions. The SMM saw fresh damage caused by gunfire to two apartments in Dokuchaievsk. The Mission recorded ceasefire violations near the Zolote disengagement area and again saw mines inside the Petrivske disengagement area. The SMM observed weapons in violation of the withdrawal lines on both side of the contact line. The Mission saw upgrades at the entry-exit checkpoints in Hnutove and Maiorsk. The SMM facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to essential civilian infrastructure in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, including close to the pumping station near Vasylivka, which reportedly resumed its operations. Restrictions of the Mission’s access continued in all three disengagement areas. The Mission was also restricted at checkpoints in non-government-controlled Zaichenko, Lukove, Tavrycheske and Bezimenne, as well as at a railway station in and a border crossing point outside government control near Voznesenivka.

Compared with the previous reporting period, between the evenings of 12 and 13 April, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more in Luhansk region. Compared with the previous 24 hours, between the evenings of 13 and 14 April, the Mission recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more in Luhansk region. The Mission followed up on reports of a man injured by the explosion of a damaged cartridge in Dmytrivka. It saw fresh damage caused by gunfire in a residential area of Chermalyk. Small-arms fire was directed at SMM mini-unmanned aerial vehicles near Prymorske, Vershyna and Heivka.* The SMM recorded ceasefire violations inside the Zolote disengagement area. The Mission observed weapons in violation of the withdrawal lines near Vynohradne. The SMM facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to essential civilian infrastructure in Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Restrictions of the SMM’s access continued in all three disengagement areas. In addition, the Mission was denied access at a heavy weapons holding area in a government-controlled area of Donetsk region and at a checkpoint near non-government-controlled Starolaspa.

Compared with the previous reporting period, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions. The SMM followed up on reports of a woman injured due to shelling in Staromykhailivka on 8 April and the death of a member of State Emergency Services near Maiorsk on 9 April. The Mission saw fresh damage from shelling in Zolote-3/Stakhanovets and fresh impact craters near populated areas in Orlivka. Shots were fired close to the Mission near a compound of the armed formations in Smile on 11 April. The SMM recorded a ceasefire violation inside the Zolote disengagement area. The Mission saw weapons in violation of withdrawal lines in non-government-controlled areas near Zernove, Michurine, Smile and Starolaspa. The SMM facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to essential civilian infrastructure on both sides of the contact line. It heard ceasefire violations while monitoring adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to a water pipe near Kruta Balka. Restrictions of the SMM’s access continued in all three disengagement areas and elsewhere. The Mission was also denied access at two heavy weapons holding areas in non-government areas of Donetsk region, at a compound near Smile and near Izvaryne close to the border with the Russian Federation...

Compared with the previous reporting period, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and fewer in Luhansk region. The Mission saw gunfire damage and a crater at a functioning school in Zolote-5/Mykhailivka. The SMM recorded ceasefire violations near the Zolote disengagement area. The Mission saw weapons in violation of withdrawal lines in non-government controlled areas. It saw unexploded ordnance near Debaltseve and the Donetsk Filtration Station and mines in Trokhizbenka. The SMM saw mine hazard signs in Krasnyi Lyman and Pryshyb and demining activities in Volnovakha. The SMM facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to essential civilian infrastructure on both sides of the contact line. Restrictions of the SMM’s access continued in all three disengagement areas. It was also restricted at a checkpoint near Zaichenko...

Some 70 experts and practitioners involved in multilingual education shared their experiences at a conference on “Multilingual education in the OSCE region: experiences and perspectives for Moldova” on 11 April 2019 in Chisinau. The conference was organized by the office of the OSCE High