News and press releases

VIENNA, 8 December 2021 — The winners of the OSCE–Institute for Peace Research and Security Policy at the University of Hamburg (IFSH) Essay Competition: Conventional Arms Control and Confidence- and Security-Building Measures (CSBM) in Europe were announced today at a virtual award ceremony held during an OSCE Forum for Security Co-operation (FSC) meeting organized by the Austrian FSC Chairmanship.

Summary In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded 442 ceasefire violations, including 44 explosions. In the previous 24 hours, it recorded 71 ceasefire violations in the region. In Luhansk region, the Mission recorded 178 ceasefire violations, including 78 explosions. In the previous 24 hours, it

WASHINGTON/MOSCOW/PARIS, 7 December 2021- U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov, and French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Yves Le Drian, representing the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair countries, express support for the resumption of direct dialogue between Armenia and Azerbaijan under the auspices of the Minsk Group Co-Chairs.  The Co-Chair countries call on the sides to continue the dialogue between the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan begun at meetings held in New York in September and Paris in November, as well as to continue contacts at the leadership level to promote a lasting and sustainable peace in the region.   

On the morning of 7 December, the armed formations in Luhansk region denied the SMM passage to government-controlled areas twice and once delayed its passage. These SMM patrols were travelling from non-government-controlled areas...

VIENNA, 7 December 2021 – OSCE Secretary General Helga Maria Schmid launched the OSCE Networking Platform on Women Leaders including Peacebuilders and Mediators. Around 50 women leaders participated in the online event.

The Prosecutor’s Office of Bulgaria is the new host of the Secretariat of the Permanent Conference of Organized Crime Prosecutors. The decision was reached on 6 December at the seventh network meeting, organized with the support of the OSCE.

The OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe organized a roundtable discussion on the analysis of strategic documents concerning the media sector in Tajikistan. The discussion was organized jointly with Public Organization Khoma and took place in Dushanbe on 2 December 2021.