News and press releases

A three-day practical workshop on anti-corruption screening of legal acts for government experts concluded on 25 May 2018 at the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe...

MINSK, 31 May 2018 – The Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office in Ukraine and in the Trilateral Contact Group (TCG), Ambassador Martin Sajdik, made the following statement to the press after the meeting of the TCG and its Working Groups in Minsk on 30 May 2018:...

At 10:22 on 30 May, an SMM patrol consisting of six members and two armoured vehicles arrived at the SMM camera site just outside the disengagement area near Petrivske (41km south of Donetsk). At 10:58 the patrol members were stationary in two vehicles with the doors open when they all heard a whistling sound followed by an explosion, and saw dark grey smoke coming from behind an abandoned brick farm building, 200-300m south-south-west, assessed as outside the disengagement area. The SMM assessed that the explosion was caused by an impacting mortar round (82mm). The patrol left the area immediately and returned safely to its base in Donetsk city.

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and fewer ceasefire violations in Luhansk region compared with the previous reporting period. The Mission heard and saw an explosion about 200m away near Nelipivka. The SMM followed up on reports of a civilian casualty in Zaitseve. The Mission observed fresh damage caused by shelling in a residential area in Chermalyk. The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske and recorded ceasefire violations near the Zolote disengagement area. The Mission’s access remained restricted in all three areas and elsewhere, including near Izvaryne at the border with the Russian Federation and at a heavy weapons holding area in a non-government-controlled part of Donetsk region. The SMM observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines near Boikivske, Miusynsk, Myrne, Donetskyi and Sentianivka. It continued to facilitate the access of Voda Donbassa water company employees to the Donetsk Filtration Station and monitor the security situation as well as facilitate repair works and demining activities in order to keep the station operational; it heard ceasefire violations in the area, despite security guarantees. The SMM continued to monitor and facilitate repairs to high-voltage power lines near Yuzhna-Lomuvatka and the Petrivske pumping station near Artema.

The OSCE Office in Dushanbe’s Water Management and Energy Security Unit delivered a training seminar on Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) to students of the Master’s programme in Economic Governance and Development at the OSCE Academy in Bishkek from May 14 to 23.

The OSCE Mission, in cooperation with the Press Council and the Radio Television of Kosovo, is starting this evening a series of eight TV programs on media and information literacy titled “EduMedia.”

Thirteen representatives from six NGOs, working in different regions of Belarus, received practical training and exchanged experiences with Serbian experts on women’s empowerment during a workshop from 28 to 30 May 2018 in Belgrade. The main focus of the training was to provide hands-on tools and approaches to establish mentor networks for women, in order to enhance their economic participation. The event was organized by the OSCE Gender Section.