News and press releases

KYIV, 3 June 2019- The Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office in Ukraine and in the Trilateral Contact Group (TCG), Ambassador Martin Sajdik, today made the following statement:...

KYIV, 3 June 2019 – Margareta Kiener Nellen and Kyriakos Hadjiyianni, the Chair and Rapporteur of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s human rights committee, respectively, today wrapped up a five-day mission to Ukraine, which included visits to the contact line in the east of the country, a centre for internally displaced persons, and medical facilities. Following the visit, which was supported by the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM), the PA delegation stressed that renewed conflict resolution efforts, freedom of movement for civilians, and concrete humanitarian measures are urgently needed in Ukraine...

BRATISLAVA, 3 June 2019 – OSCE PA President George Tsereteli (MP, Georgia) spoke today at the Spring Session of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, calling on both organizations to reinforce their partnership to achieve a safe and secure Europe without divisions.

A specialized training course on appropriate and effective responses to gender-based violence for Romanian police and prosecutors, organized by the OSCE’s Transnational Threats Department/Strategic Police Matters Unit, was held from 27 to 31 May 2019 in Poiana Brasov, Romania...

Compared with the previous reporting period, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and fewer in Luhansk region. A man sustained shrapnel injuries in Donetskyi. The Mission saw fresh damage caused by gunfire to civilian properties in Vesele. The SMM observed for the first time anti-tank mines near Krasnohorivka and Staromykhailivka. The SMM facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to critical civilian infrastructure in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, as well as to enable the recovery and transfer of the body of deceased Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel from non-government- to government-controlled areas in Luhansk region. Restrictions of the SMM’s access continued in all three disengagement areas and elsewhere. The Mission’s freedom of movement was also restricted at a checkpoint near non-government-controlled Zaichenko...

VIENNA, 31 May 2019 – The Informal Working Group on Scales of Contribution under the leadership of Lukáš Parízek, Slovak State Secretary and Special Representative for the Slovak OSCE Chairmanship, today discussed new opportunities to finding a durable solution to the question of OSCE scales of contribution...

Compared with the previous reporting period, the SMM recorded a similar number of ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more in Luhansk region. The Mission saw fresh damage from shelling to civilian properties in non-government-controlled Sentianivka. Small-arms fire was directed at an SMM mini-unmanned aerial vehicle near non-government-controlled Pervomaisk. The Mission observed trench extensions in and near the Petrivske disengagement area. The SMM facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to and the operation of critical civilian infrastructure in Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Restrictions of the SMM’s access continued in all three disengagement areas. The Mission’s freedom of movement was also restricted at checkpoints near non-government-controlled Zaichenko and Verkhnoshyrokivske...