News and press releases

An OSCE-supported two-day seminar on enhancing media awareness on newly adopted amendments to media legislation concluded on 27 April 2018 in Almaty, Kazakhstan...

VIENNA, 26 April 2018 – Six entrepreneurs from Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia were presented today with the OSCE GEMS Award for young green entrepreneurs making social impact in Mediterranean region. Each winner received a €15,000 grant...

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions, compared with the previous reporting period. The SMM observed damage to civilian properties in a residential area of Yasynuvata. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske; it recorded ceasefire violations near the Stanytsia Luhanska and Zolote disengagement areas and spotted new military presence inside the Zolote disengagement area. Its access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas.* The Mission observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines on both sides of the contact line. The SMM saw for the first time anti-tank mines in a non-government-controlled neighbourhood of Zaitseve.

The first in a series of employment fairs organized by the OSCE Mission for some 70 members of Kosovo Roma, Kosovo Ashkali and Kosovo Egyptian communities to enhance their employability concluded on 25 April 2018 in Roma Mahala, Mitrovicë/Mitrovica South.

VIENNA, 26 April 2018 – With the volatile and unpredictable security situation in eastern Ukraine continuing, there is an urgent need to protect civilians living there, said the Chief Monitor of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine, Ertugrul Apakan, in his address to the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna today...

VIENNA, 26 April 2018- While welcoming the acquittal of three Cumhuriyet staff, and the release of CEO Akın Atalay, OSCE media freedom representative Harlem Désir strongly condemned the prison sentences issued by the court in Silivri, Turkey, to the majority of the defendants...

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions compared with the previous reporting period. The SMM followed up on reports of a civilian casualty in Vrubivskyi. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske; it recorded ceasefire violations inside the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska and Petrivske, including shots fired 200m and 700m from a patrol inside the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area. Its access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas and elsewhere, including in Dovhe.* The Mission observed weapons in violation in Lysychansk and Vrubivka. The SMM continued to facilitate and monitor repairs of water pipelines in Maiorsk and electricity lines near Yuzhna-Lomuvatka, as well as to facilitate access to the Donetsk Filtration Station for its employees.