News and press releases

An OSCE-supported roundtable discussion on Kazakhstan’s recently adopted 2017–2021 Migration Policy Concept Paper, which relates to regulating external, internal, and ethnic migration in the country, took place on 3 November 2017 in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

The OSCE Mission to Montenegro, in co-operation with the Centre for Mediation, concluded a four-day training course for a new group of 20 mediators in family disputes on 2 November 2017 in Podgorica as part of its activities to support the government in judicial reform.

VIENNA, 2 November 2017 – In their addresses to the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna, the co-chairs of the Geneva International Discussions (GID) expressed satisfaction with the level of engagement by participants in the Discussions. At the same time, they stressed the need to make progress on the issue of the non-use of force and others on the agenda.

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region compared with the previous reporting period. In Luhansk region the Mission recorded a similar number of ceasefire violations – including, however, more explosions – compared with the previous reporting period. It followed up on a report of a civilian casualty in Dmytrivka. The SMM observed damage to houses due to shelling in Uzhivka. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas and, while there, observed calm situations at each one; its access remained restricted in all three areas and elsewhere, including in Novolaspa and Siedove near the border with the Russian Federation. The SMM saw weapons in violation of withdrawal lines in Novoaidar and Lysychansk. The Mission visited four border areas not under government control. In Kyiv, the SMM monitored a gathering in front of the Cabinet of Ministers building and continued to monitor the gathering in front of the national Parliament building...

A team of election experts from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) visited Tirana from 30 October to 2 November to present the  final report by the OSCE/ODIHR election observation mission for the 25 June 2017 parliamentary elections in Albania. The report’s

VIENNA, 2 November 2017 – Representatives of Ukrainian and Russian journalists’ unions today, on the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, called upon their governments to promote a safe and enabling environment for journalists and vigorously counter impunity of crimes against the media...

Best practices and internationally available tools to prevent and counter trafficking in cultural property and antiquities was the focus of a three-day international seminar designed to build the capacity of some 60 participants from different national services, which concluded on 2 November 2017 in Larnaca, Cyprus.