News and press releases

VIENNA, 27 June 2016 – Improving international co-operation in response to the refugee and migrant crisis was emphasized by a number of OSCE parliamentarians at a meeting of the OSCE’s Informal Working Group Focusing on the Issue of Migration and Refugee Flows today in Vienna...

Noting that Kazakhstan still has a considerable way to go in meeting its OSCE commitments for democratic elections, the final report by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) on the 20 March early parliamentary elections in Kazakhstan recommends that the legal framework be comprehensively reviewed to bring it closer in line with OSCE commitments and other international obligations and standards, as well as to address past and present OSCE/ODIHR electoral assessments and recommendations.

A two-day roundtable discussion organized jointly by the OSCE Centre in Bishkek and the local Aarhus Centre on the role of environmental protection in the sustainable development of tourism in the popular resort region of Issyk-Kul ended on 26 June 2016...

Policy advisors from Central Asian ministries, presidential administrations, parliaments and research institutions completed an OSCE-organized three-day Young Policy Advisers Course on 27 June 2016 in Bishkek, with the aim of improving their professional capacities and enhancing their ability to develop and implement policies in an objective and value-based manner.

As part of a one-year project to support the engagement of national minority youth and civil society in public discussions and public service, a roundtable discussion was held at the OSCE Mission to Moldova on 24 June 2016...

Vienna, 25 June 2016 – The OSCE Security Days event “From Confrontation to Co-operation- Restoring Co-operative Security in Europe”, held in Berlin on 24 June, explored possible ways to use multilateral institutions and confidence-building instruments to keep dialogue and communication channels open, and to foster meaningful co-operation in addressing persistent divisions and mistrust in the OSCE region.

In Donetsk region, the SMM observed fewer ceasefire violations, with nearly 90 explosions during the night of 23 June and four during the day. In Luhansk region, the Mission recorded some ceasefire violations compared with none during the previous day. It conducted crater analysis and observed damage to houses in Kirovskyi district and Kominternove. The SMM continued to observe long queues at entry-exit checkpoints along the contact line, with civilians suffering from high temperatures. It reached the border in an area not controlled by the Government on one occasion. In Kharkiv, the SMM monitored a public gathering related to the status of volunteer participants in the Anti-Terrorism Operation. The SMM’s freedom of movement was restricted on two occasions – once in a government-controlled area and once in an area outside government control...*