News and press releases

Between the evenings of 16 and 17 November, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more in Luhansk region, compared with the previous reporting period. Between the evenings of 17 and 18 November, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in both regions, compared with the previous 24 hours. The SMM saw recent damage caused by shelling to civilian properties in Zolote-5 and Kruta Balka. The SMM observed heavy weapons in violation of the withdrawal lines in non-government-controlled areas of Luhansk region. The SMM recorded a ceasefire violation inside the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area. The SMM continued to facilitate the operation of the Donetsk Filtration Station. In Kyiv, the Mission monitored a gathering in relation to attacks against civil activists, including Kateryna Handziuk. It also monitored a pre-announced gathering in support of transgender rights and saw two female participants being treated for pepper spray irritation. The SMM’s access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas as well as near Bezimenne, Novolaspa and Dovzhanske, an area close to the border with the Russian Federation.*

ASTANA, 19 November 2018 – OSCE PA President George Tsereteli (MP, Georgia) commended today Kazakhstan’s strong support of the OSCE and its active participation in the Parliamentary Assembly as a sign of the country’s commitment to the success of the Organization.

Modernizing the system to select judges and activities of the High Judicial Council in Kazakhstan were the topic of an OSCE-supported international roundtable discussion held in Astana on 16 November 2018

The Second International Conference on Islam in a Contemporary Secular State took place in Bishkek on 15 and 16 November 2018. The Conference was opened by the President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sooronbai Jeenbekov and brought together representatives of government agencies, academics and independent experts working on religious issues from 20 countries across Asia and the Middle East, as well as representatives of embassies and international organizations based in Bishkek.

A group of Ukrainian civil society representatives improved their human rights monitoring skills, as well as their capacity to take measures to increase their own safety and security during a training course organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, from 12 to 17 November 2018.

The sixth meeting of the Working Group on environmental protection under the Secretariat of the Intergovernmental Chu-Talas Water Commission took place on 16 November 2018 in Bishkek. The meeting was organized by the OSCE Programme Office in Astana and the OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek in close co-operation with the Secretariat of the Intergovernmental Chu-Talas Water Commission...

With the aim to strengthen Parliament’s administrative capacities, in particular in the area of research, documentation and outreach, the OSCE Mission to Montenegro organized a working visit to the Italian Senate for six officials of the Parliament of Montenegro on 12-13 November 2018...