News and press releases

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...

An advanced train-the-trainer course on the identification of potential foreign terrorists fighters (FTFs) at the borders was organized by the Transnational Threats Department’s Border Security and Management Unit with support of the Government of Turkey for six newly selected border officers from Greece, Kyrgyzstan, North Macedonia, Montenegro and Turkey, from 24 to 29 June 2019 in Istanbul...

The SMM continued to monitor activities related to the disengagement process at Stanytsia Luhanska. Inside the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area, the Mission saw that the most forward position of the Ukrainian Armed Forces remained empty; it saw two men in military-type clothing present at the most forward position of the armed formations. The SMM also continued to observe representatives of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine conducting demining activities, as well as members of the armed formations dismantling parts of facilities next to their checkpoint. Compared with the previous reporting period, between the evenings of 28 and 29 June, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Between the evenings of 29 and 30 June, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions, compared with the previous 24 hours. The SMM followed up on reports of a man injured due to shelling in the Trudivski area of Donetsk city’s Petrovskyi district and observed fresh craters there. The SMM saw damage caused by small-arms fire to a residential building in Zolote-5/Mykhailivka. The SMM recorded ceasefire violations inside the Zolote disengagement area. Small-arms fire was assessed as aimed at an SMM mini-unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) flying over the Zolote disengagement area. The Mission saw weapons in violation of withdrawal lines in a government-controlled area of Luhansk region. Restrictions to the SMM’s access continued in the disengagement areas. Its freedom of movement was also denied near non-government-controlled Veselohorivka and Oleksandrivske...

Following Estonia’s parliamentary elections on 3 March 2019, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) has published its final conclusions. The election was run in a professional and efficient manner, with widespread public confidence in most stages of the process.

Profiling and risk assessment for law enforcement and border control officers at aviation checkpoints was the focus of an OSCE-organized practical training course that is taking place from 1 to 5 July 2019.

The office of the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities has gathered a group of international experts, researchers and professionals in the field of multilingual education to develop tools to support multilingual education in Central Asia. The Regional Expert School on Multilingual and

A five-day training course aimed at further strengthening the capacity of Tajikistan to counter terrorist financing was organized from 25 to 29 June 2019 in Khujand, Tajikistan...