News and press releases

SARAJEVO, 7 June 2018 – Members of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s Ad Hoc Committee on Countering Terrorism (CCT) today concluded a visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), where they learned more about local and regional challenges in countering terrorism and violent extremism. In Sarajevo on Wednesday, members met with colleagues from the BiH Parliamentary Assembly, the OSCE Mission to BiH, civil society, government ministries, and law enforcement officers to exchange best practices and promote the role of parliamentarians in the field of counter-terrorism...

A high-level meeting to discuss key findings of an OSCE-conducted needs assessment on combating illicit trafficking in weapons, ammunition and explosive (WAE) in and across Ukraine’s borders and determine potential areas for subsequent project co-operation took place on 7 June in Kyiv.

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more in Luhansk region, compared with the previous reporting period. The Mission heard small arms fired near its position, assessed as directed at its SMM mini-unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) flying near Novoselivka Druha. An SMM long-range UAV was jammed near Debaltseve and Sofiivka. The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske; it recorded ceasefire violations near the Zolote disengagement area. The Mission’s access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas and was also restricted near Izvaryne at the border with the Russian Federation. The SMM observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines on both sides of the contact line. The Mission continued to monitor the security situation around the Donetsk Filtration Station and again heard ceasefire violations in the area, despite security guarantees. It continued to monitor and facilitate repairs to the Petrivske pumping station near Artema...

Strengthening co-operation in the field of environmental and sustainable development in Central Asia was the focus of the 2018 OSCE International Business Forum on Green Technologies, organized by the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan in co-operation with the State Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan on Ecology and Environmental Protection and ITECA Exhibitions, on 5 and 6 June in Tashkent.

The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) facilitated the signing of an inter-agency protocol on addressing hate crime at an event on 6 June 2018 in Athens. It was organized in co-operation with the Ministry of Justice, Transparency and Human Rights of Greece. The

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and fewer in Luhansk region, compared with the previous reporting period. Small arms were fired in the direction of an SMM mini-unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) near Zaitseve and an SMM long-range UAV was jammed near Horlivka. The SMM followed up on reports of two civilian casualties, in Vozdvyzhenka and in an area close to the contact line. The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske; it recorded ceasefire violations near all three disengagement areas. The Mission’s access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas and was also restricted near Siedove, an area in Donetsk region near the border with the Russian Federation. The SMM monitored the security situation and successfully facilitated the access of Voda Donbassa water company employees to and from the Donetsk Filtration Station (DFS), as well as of repair works to the DFS and demining activities around the station. Due to ceasefire violations registered in the area and the presence of explosive devices near the DFS, the Mission decided to suspend and review its facilitation of the physical access of DFS employees through enhanced SMM presence. It continued to monitor and facilitate repairs to the Petrivske pumping station in Artema.

VIENNA, 6 June 2018- The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, today condemned the killing of journalist and videographer (or vlogger) Zachary Stoner, who was fatally shot on 30 May in Chicago, United States. Stoner published videos on his YouTube page called “zacktv1”, which has 170,000 videos and more than 180,000 subscribers. Stoner’s videos focused on the realities of life in his community and hip hop artists in Chicago.