News and press releases

Copenhagen, 17 May 2017 – OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, Madina Jarbussynova, concluded on Wednesday a three-day official visit to Denmark to discuss the country’s implementation of OSCE anti-trafficking commitments.

The SMM’s operations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions remained restricted following the fatal incident of 23 April near Pryshyb; these restrictions continued to limit the Mission’s observations. The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions compared with the previous reporting period. Near Verkhnoshyrokivske the SMM heard a shot of small-arms fire nearby. The SMM continued to follow up on a report of a civilian casualty in Chermalyk and observed damage to civilian property due to shelling in Sakhanka. It continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske; the Mission’s access remained restricted there and elsewhere.* The SMM continued to monitor the withdrawal of weapons and observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines. It continued to monitor the situation of civilians travelling across the Stanytsia Luhanska bridge. The Mission visited a border area currently not under government control. In Kyiv, the SMM monitored three peaceful gatherings...

The first OSCE-supported forum on Kazakhstan’s National Preventive Mechanism against Torture (NPM), focused on national and international experience in this field, concluded on 17 May 2017 in Astana.

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...

ST JOHANN IM PONGAU, Austria, 17 May 2017 – A new joint action plan between the OSCE Secretariat and INTERPOL will lead to increased collaboration between the two bodies to combat transnational threats, including organized crime and terrorism...

The SMM’s operations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions remained restricted following the fatal incident of 23 April near Pryshyb; these restrictions continued to limit the Mission’s observations. The Mission recorded fewer ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions compared with the previous 24-hour period. The Mission continued to monitor the withdrawal of weapons and observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines.

Sustainable water governance with a focus on advanced education standards in the water sector was the focus of an OSCE-supported roundtable discussion on 16 May 2017 that took place today at Kazakhstan’s Parliament in Astana...