News and press releases

A training course aimed to protect members of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM) against environmental risks and strengthen their environmental emergency preparedness was held from 1 to 5 July 2019 in Vienna...

High Tatras, Slovakia, 9 July 2019- OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic Miroslav Lajčák, successfully wrapped up the Informal Ministerial Gathering today. The informal meeting organized by the Slovak Chairmanship aimed at bringing together decision-makers in a relaxed, informal setting to discuss issues of relevance to the OSCE in a way that is conducive to real dialogue and exchange.

Compared with the previous 24 hours, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Civilians were injured due to shelling in Novhorodske and Pikuzy. The SMM saw fresh craters near Naberezhne and Lozove. A mini-UAV was lost near Bohdanivka after experiencing signal interference. The SMM saw anti-tank mines near Veselohorivka and unexploded ordnance between Popasna and Pervomaisk as well as near Orlivka. The Mission facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to facilitate repairs and the operations of critical civilian infrastructure. Restrictions of the SMM’s access continued, including in non-government-controlled Novoazovsk and Zaichenko.

Kamensk-Shakhtinskiy, Russian Federation. The Observer Mission (OM) continues to operate 24/7 at both Border Crossing Points (BCPs). The overall number of border crossings by persons increased at both BCPs compared to the previous week.

Compared with the previous reporting period, between the evenings of 5 and 6 July, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and fewer in Luhansk region. Between the evenings of 6 and 7 July, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions compared with the previous 24 hours. A woman was injured by small-arms fire at a checkpoint near Horlivka and a woman suffered a concussion from shelling in Nova Marivka. The SMM saw fresh damage from small-arms fire to apartments in Zolote-5/Mykhailivka and to houses and infrastructure in both Dokuchaievsk and Pervomaisk. It also saw damage from shelling to houses in Yasne, and a burnt church and damage from shelling to a house in Pikuzy. Inside the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area, an SMM mini-UAV spotted members of the State Emergency Service conducting demining activities. The Mission recorded ceasefire violations inside the Zolote disengagement area. It saw weapons in violation of withdrawal lines in non-government-controlled areas of Luhansk region. The Mission facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to facilitate repairs and the operations of critical civilian infrastructure. Restrictions of the SMM’s access continued, including in non-government-controlled Shevchenko, Hryhorivka, Yuzhna Lomuvatka, Oleksandrivske, and Novoazovsk.

LUXEMBOURG, 8 July 2019 – The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly re-elected George Tsereteli (Georgia) as President today along with three Vice-Presidents and a new Treasurer. Victor Paul Dobre (Romania) and Azay Guliyev (Azerbaijan) were both re-elected as Vice-Presidents, and Nilza de Sena (Portugal), previously Chair of the economic and environmental committee, was newly elected Vice-President. The Assembly elected Peter Juel Jensen, the Head of the OSCE PA’s Danish Delegation, as Treasurer...

PODGORICA, 8 July 2019 – The OSCE Mission in Montenegro and the OSCE Gender Section presented today the results of an OSCE survey that shows that social norms and attitudes contribute to gender inequality and violence against women, in the premises of the parliament during the 35th session of the Gender Equality Committee. The survey also showed that there is a sound legal framework for combating violence against women in Montenegro, but that it needs to be updated and fully implemented.