News and press releases

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more in Luhansk region, compared with the previous reporting period. The SMM recorded ceasefire violations inside the Petrivske disengagement area. Its access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas. The Mission facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable an assessment of a water pipeline near Popasna. It continued to facilitate the operation of the Donetsk Filtration Station. In Kyiv, the SMM monitored a protest at a shopping mall reportedly owned by a Russian businessman. It also monitored a public gathering in Mariupol on the developments at sea near the Kerch Strait...

Some 120 criminal justice experts from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Mongolia, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan gathered in Bishkek from 27 to 29 November 2018 for the Seventh Expert Forum on Criminal Justice for Central Asia. The event was organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions

TBILISI, 29 November 2018 – The second round of Georgia’s presidential election was competitive and candidates were able to campaign freely; however one side enjoyed an undue advantage and the negative character of the campaign on both sides undermined the process, the international observers concluded in a preliminary statement released today. While the election was well administered, the absence of regulations for key aspects of election run-offs led to a lack of legal certainty, the statement says...

Integrated domestic waste management was the focus of a workshop hosted by the State Committee of Uzbekistan on Ecology and Environmental Protection in co-operation with the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan (PCUz) and with the support of several private companies from 27 to 29 November in Tashkent...

Strengthening preparedness and protection against terrorist attacks aimed at critical energy infrastructure was the focus of a risk-assessment and crisis management exercise held in Kazakhstan’s capital on 28 and 29 November 2018, organized by the OSCE Transnational Threats Department and the OSCE Programme Office in Astana...

On 28 November 2018 Ukraine’s Central Election Commission (CEC) installed equipment and software provided by the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine for ensuring comprehensive technical protection of the State Voter Register, as part of efforts aimed at enhancing security of election administration systems from digital threats. This is an important step in the implementation of the CEC’s plans to enhance the cybersecurity of election administration during the 2019 votes.

Compared with the previous reporting period, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and fewer in Luhansk region. The Mission observed towed howitzers in violation of the withdrawal lines near Mykhailivka. The SMM recorded ceasefire violations near the Zolote and the Petrivske disengagement areas. The Mission continued to facilitate the operation of the Donetsk Filtration Station. In Kyiv, the SMM monitored a protest against Russian businesses in Ukraine. It observed a calm situation in front of the Embassy and the Consulate of the Russian Federation. The Mission observed a calm situation at the crossing point in Chonhar and at a Ukrainian Border Guard Service position in Valok in the south-eastern part of Kherson region. The access for the SMM remained restricted in all three disengagement areas as well as near Markyne, an area close to the border with the Russian Federation, and near Zaichenko...