News and press releases

DUSHANBE, 2 March 2016 – An OSCE-supported seminar focusing on the use of a technologically advanced passport verification system, the International Civil Aviation Organization’ Public Key Directory (ICAO PKD), concluded today in Dushanbe...

The SMM observed a significantly higher number of ceasefire violations in Donetsk region than the previous day, and mostly training-related ones in Luhansk region. It continued to monitor the withdrawal of weapons. The Mission facilitated and monitored repair work on both sides of the contact line. The SMM encountered three freedom-of-movement restrictions, both in areas of Donetsk region not controlled by the Government.* The SMM noted reduced waiting times for crossing points on the contact line. It monitored public gatherings in Kyiv and Odessa...

Good practices and the challenges in developing and implementing ethics reform were the focus of discussions during an event co-organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) on 1 March 2016 in Brussels as part of Ukraine Week in the European Parliament. Organized

Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko on 26 February 2016 approved a new national strategy for the development of civil society for 2016-2020, a document which was drafted with the support of the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine in partnership with the Presidential Administration of Ukraine...

The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) joined with other global and regional intergovernmental human rights organizations and experts in issuing a statement of appreciation for the work of Poland’s national human rights institution, the Commissioner for Human Rights,

NEW YORK 29 February 2016 – OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier briefed today the United Nations (UN) Security Council on the priorities of the German 2016 Chairmanship.

The SMM noted a lower number of ceasefire violations recorded compared to previous days in most areas of Donetsk region. It observed craters and damage to houses caused by recent shelling in Donetsk and Luhansk regions. The Mission noted a number of weapons missing from permanent storage sites and holding areas in both government- and non-government-controlled areas. The SMM was restricted in its freedom of movement in areas not controlled by the Government*. It facilitated and monitored repair works on both sides of the contact line and observed the handover of remains of a soldier. The SMM followed up on media reports on the blockade of Russian Federation-registered trucks at a border crossing point...