News and press releases

TASHKENT, 12 September 2018 – OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Vice-President Azay Guliyev (Azerbaijan) is in Tashkent where he spoke today at the seminar on the “Role of Parliaments in engaging Afghanistan into Central Asian Cooperation Frameworks through Preventive Diplomacy” by the UN Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia...

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more in Luhansk region compared with the previous 24 hours. The SMM recorded ceasefire violations inside the Petrivske and Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement areas, and noted that trenches in the Petrivske disengagement area had been recently extended. The Mission’s access remained restricted in the disengagement areas as well as, again, near Verkhnoshyrokivske, and near Izvaryne on the border with the Russian Federation.* The SMM continued to monitor repairs to water infrastructure in Stanytsia Luhanska and Pervomaisk.

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 decreased at both BCPs compared to the previous week.

The Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) held a presentation on its use of digital pen technology in observing elections at an event on 11 September 2018, during the annual OSCE Human Dimension Implementation Meeting in Warsaw. The event, held within the context of ODIHR’s

The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and Penal Reform International (PRI) presented their new publication on implementing the revised United Nations rules for the treatment of prisoners at an event in Warsaw on 11 September 2018. The presentation took place on the

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more in Luhansk region between the evenings of 7 and 8 September, compared with the previous reporting period. Between the evenings of 8 and 9 September, the Mission recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk and fewer in Luhansk region, compared with the previous 24 hours. The SMM followed up on reports of fresh damage caused by gunfire in a residential area of Maiorsk. The Mission observed that the entry-exit checkpoint near Stanytsia Luhanska re-opened following construction and repair works and civilians have resumed crossing. The SMM saw multiple launch rocket systems in violation of withdrawal lines near Khrustalnyi. It saw, for the first time, a mine and a hand grenade near Verkhnoshyrokivske. The SMM recorded ceasefire violations inside and near the Zolote disengagement area and near the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area. The Mission’s access remained restricted in the disengagement areas as well as near Verkhnoshyrokivske, Yuzhna-Lomuvatka and Khrustalnyi.* The Mission continued to monitor the situation around the Donetsk Filtration Station, which has been non-operational since 6 September due to a power outage. In Lviv, the SMM monitored a public gathering outside the regional court of appeals. The SMM continued to follow up on reports of hazardous air pollution south-east of Kherson that had reportedly originated from a nearby chemical plant.

WARSAW, 10 September 2018 – The need to address today’s security challenges means the defence and promotion of human rights are more important than ever, speakers said today at the opening of the OSCE Human Dimension Implementation Meeting in Warsaw.