News and press releases
News and press releases from the OSCE's global activities.
Combatting illicit trafficking in cultural property focus of OSCE-organized Turkmen-Afghan workshop in Turkmenistan
Publishing date: 29 October 2018
An OSCE-organized joint Turkmen-Afghan workshop on combating illicit trafficking in cultural property concluded on 25 October 2018 in Ashgabat.
OSCE organizes intensive training course in Madrid on border management for its Mediterranean Points of Contact Network
Publishing date: 29 October 2018
Members of the OSCE Mediterranean Points of Contact Network on border security and management completed an intensive and interactive five-day training course on various topics related to migration and border security. The course was held from 22 to 26 October 2018 at the premises of the International Co-operation Division of the Spanish National Police in Madrid...
OSCE/ODIHR Director condemns deadly attack on Pittsburgh synagogue, calls on all political leaders to speak out against anti-Semitism and all forms of intolerance and discrimination
Publishing date: 28 October 2018
WARSAW, 28 October 2018 – Ingibjörg Sólrún Gísladóttir, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), today joined United States and international leaders in condemning Saturday’s attack on a Pittsburg synagogue and offering condolences to the families of 11 people killed in the shooting.
Media freedom Representative welcomes Irish referendum result on blasphemy law, urges decriminalization across OSCE region
Publishing date: 28 October 2018
VIENNA, 28 October 2018 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Désir today welcomed the results of yesterday’s referendum in Ireland calling for a removal of blasphemy provisions from the national Constitution.
Spot report by the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM): SMM long-range unmanned aerial vehicle goes missing over non-government-controlled area in Donetsk region
Publishing date: 27 October 2018
At 01:18 on 27 October, while flying over an area near Kalynove (non-government-controlled, 72km east of Donetsk), an SMM long-range unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) spotted a surface-to-air missile system (9K33 Osa) and a fuel truck east of Nyzhnokrynske (non-government-controlled, 66km east of Donetsk).
Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), based on information received as of 19:30, 26 October 2018
Publishing date: 27 October 2018
The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions, compared with the previous reporting period. The SMM observed damage to a civilian property in the Trudivski area of Donetsk city’s Petrovskyi district. It recorded small-arms fire inside the Zolote disengagement area. The SMM saw weapons in violation of withdrawal lines near Khoroshe. The SMM’s access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas.* The Mission continued to facilitate the operation of the Donetsk Filtration Station. It facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to the Petrivske pumping station near Artema, power lines in Berehove, houses in Marinka, Krasnohorivka and Avdiivka, as well as to enable demining activities near Nyzhnoteple.
High fine threatening closure of online Russian news outlet is detrimental to freedom of media, says OSCE media freedom representative
Publishing date: 27 October 2018
VIENNA, 27 October 2018- Today, following a court decision to impose an extremely high fine on The New Times online news outlet, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, called on authorities of the Russian Federation to protect freedom of the media and preserve pluralism of opinion in the country as an essential element of an open and democratic society.