News and press releases

Young policy advisers from Central Asian ministries, state administrations, parliaments and academic and research institutions completed an OSCE-organized intensive four-day Young Policy Advisers Course on 30 November 2018 in Cholpon-Ata, Issyk-Kul. The course aimed to contribute to a better understanding of the role of policy professionals, while facilitating networking of young officials from Central Asia.

Recent advances in the OSCE’s pioneering preventive work against violent extremism and terrorism (VERLT) was the topic of a side event at the 2018 OSCE Ministerial Council in Milan on Tuesday, 6 December 2018.

Compared with the previous reporting period, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions. The Mission observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines on both sides of the contact line. The SMM facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to water infrastructure on both sides of the contact line, as well as to enable repair works to damaged houses in Marinka. It continued to facilitate the operation of the Donetsk Filtration Station. Restrictions to the Mission’s access continued in all three disengagement areas. The SMM was also restricted in Izvaryne. In Kyiv, the SMM monitored a peaceful protest during which it heard participants expressing views critical of the Russian Federation and calling for banning Russian-owned businesses in Ukraine.

WASHINGTON, 7 December 2018 – Wrapping up a visit to the United States, Chair of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s Ad Hoc Countering Terrorism (CCT) Makis Voridis (MP, Greece) said today that effective counter-terrorism measures require a multifaceted approach, including a robust role for parliamentarians and the OSCE.

MILAN, Italy, 7 December 2018 – Decisions and declarations all across three of the OSCE’s security dimensions – the politico-military, economic and environmental, and human dimensions – were agreed by OSCE participating States at close of the 25th OSCE Ministerial Council in Milan today...

MILAN, 7 December 2018- The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, welcomes today’s adoption of a decision on the safety of journalists by all 57 participating States at the 2018 OSCE Ministerial Council in Milan.

Compared with the previous reporting period, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions. The SMM continued to observe hardships faced by civilians at checkpoints along the contact line and followed up on reports that civilians had remained after closing hours in the area between the checkpoint of the armed formations and the entry-exit checkpoint of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in Maiorsk. It facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to essential civilian infrastructure on both sides of the contact line, as well as to damaged houses in Marinka. The SMM continued to facilitate the operation of the Donetsk Filtration Station. The Mission followed up on reports of vandalism in a Polish Military Cemetery in Lviv. The Mission’s access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas and at a checkpoint near Novolaspa.