News and press releases

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and fewer in Luhansk region compared with the previous reporting period. Most of the explosions were recorded around Svitlodarsk and Horlivka. The Mission corroborated reports of civilian casualties in Pikuzy and Avdiivka. It observed damage to homes on both sides of the contact line in Luhanske, Verkhnotoretske, Pikuzy, Donetskyi and Yasynuvata (where it also observed tracks consistent with a tank). It continued to monitor the disengagement areas but its access remained restricted.* The SMM observed weapons in violation of the withdrawal lines on both sides of the contact line. On two separate occasions, interlocutors dealing with public matters in areas not controlled by the Government refused to speak with the SMM, citing the need for written permission from senior “LPR” members. In Lviv region a local city council member spoke with the SMM about work to conserve historical Jewish sites.

VIENNA, 8 March 2017 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović today condemned an attack on journalist Elvi Fundo in Albania...

The Kyrgyz Association of Women in the Security Sector (KAWSS) was established on 2 March 2017 in Bishkek at a founding conference organized by the OSCE Centre in co-operation with the Kyrgyz Association of Women Police (KAWP), the Presidential Administration, the Parliament, the Defence Council, the Supreme Court, the Government, the Prime Minister’s Office, the Interior Ministry and all state security-providing structures. The aim of the Association is to increase the role of women in the security sector governance field. The conference brought together around 100 delegates representing the above-mentioned national stakeholders, civil society and international organizations...

The OSCE Office in Tajikistan and the OSCE-supported Women’s Resource Centres (WRCs) signed the new implementing partner agreement on 3 March 2017 to launch project implementation for 2017. The signing ceremony was held in the premises of the Balkhi Women Resource Centre, Khatlon region...

The first in a series of OSCE-supported five-day training courses on profiling at the border checkpoints to assist in countering transnational threats concluded in Almaty, Kazakhstan on 3 March 2017...

Some 70 officials from central and local customs authorities in Kazakhstan and members of the Chamber of Commerce and business community were trained on a system which allows entities to temporarily import goods into a country during a workshop supported by the OSCE Programme Office in Astana on 2 and 3 March 2017...

VIENNA, 2 March 2017 – Following today’s decision of the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna, the mandate of the OSCE Office in Tajikistan was extended until 30 June 2017...