News and press releases

An OSCE-organized five-week training course on human rights-compliant arrest and self-defensive techniques for 36 officers of Kosovo Police Rapid Reaction Teams from Mitrovica/Mitrovicë North concluded in Vushtrri/Vučitrn on 19 August 2016...

The SMM observed an increase in the number of ceasefire violations and the number of explosions recorded in Donetsk region, particularly in the area between Yasynuvata, Avdiivka and the northern outskirts of Donetsk city, as well as the south-western outskirts of Donetsk city. In Luhansk region all ceasefire violations recorded by the SMM were assessed as being part of a live-fire training exercise. The SMM carried out crater analysis and observed the results of shelling on both sides of the contract line in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions. It continued to monitor the withdrawal of weapons, and observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines on both sides of the contact line. It also observed the presence of unexploded ordnance. The Mission monitored three border areas not controlled by the Government and observed a helicopter flying in a border area on two occasions while positioned in government-controlled areas. The SMM continued to assess the situation as calm along the administrative boundary line with Crimea. The SMM faced seven freedom-of-movement restrictions, six of them in areas not controlled by the Government...

A three-day training course organized by the OSCE Office in Tajikistan on the importance of religious dialogue and the role of religious leaders in efforts to prevent and counter violent extremism and radicalization that lead to terrorism (VERLT), promoting peace and building trust between various parties, commenced on 9 August 2016 in Dushanbe...

A two-day OSCE-supported mock election exercise for some 40 participants from the State Elections Commission (SEC) and Municipal Election Commissions (MEC) concluded on 5 August 2016 in Podgorica...

Representatives of relevant ministries and other state agencies of Belarus, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan responsible for implementing provisions of UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1540 on preventing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction met at an OSCE-supported peer review meeting in Minsk from 2 and 5 August 2016, to discuss progress in their work...

The OSCE Programme Office in Astana concluded a series of two-day training seminars for some 100 members of the National Preventive Mechanism (NPM) against Torture on 2 August 2016 in Aktobe, Western Kazakhstan...

VIENNA, 1 August 2016 – At the end of the siege of police headquarters in Yerevan, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović today sought reassurance from the foreign minister of Armenia that journalists’ rights and safety during times of civil unrest would be protected...