News and press releases

An armed man opened fire at and violently attacked the SMM in Yasynuvata. The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions compared with the previous reporting period. The Mission confirmed that one elderly woman had been seriously injured by an explosion in Yasynuvata. The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas; it recorded ceasefire violations near Zolote disengagement area. Its access remained restricted there and elsewhere, including in Pikuzy.* The Mission saw weapons in violation of withdrawal lines. An SMM unmanned aerial vehicle spotted, for the first time, the presence of 13 anti-tank mines near Pikuzy. The SMM observed long queues of civilians travelling across the contact line at Stanytsia Luhanska bridge. It continued to facilitate and monitor repairs to power lines between Almazna and Zolote. The Mission visited one border area not under government control. In Kyiv the SMM continued to observe a protest by supporters of the former Aidar battalion...

VIENNA, 21 June 2017 – Major threats to media freedom and freedom of expression, particularly in those regions affected by conflict and crisis, were the focus of the conference, Media Freedom in Volatile Environments, organized by the Office of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, which concluded in Vienna yesterday...

SARAJEVO, 21 June 2017 – The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) today in Sarajevo presented the third in a series of reports that highlights progress achieved by the country’s justice sector between 2014 and 2016 in tackling cases of sexual violence committed during the 1992-1995 war, as well as recommendations on how to enhance these efforts.

A team of elections experts from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) visited Skopje from 21 to 23 June 2017 to present the final report of the ODIHR election observation mission for the 11 December 2016 early parliamentary elections. The ODIHR experts discussed the

The basic concepts of gender responsive budgeting, its importance and implementation at the municipal level were discussed during an OSCE-supported training course held on 15 and 16 June 2017in Podgorica...

COPENHAGEN, 21 June 2017 – Some 25 OSCE parliamentarians from 15 countries will observe the 26 June presidential election in Mongolia and provide leadership for the OSCE’s short-term observer mission. The election observation mission to Mongolia marks the first time for the OSCE PA observing an election in the country...

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...