News and press releases

An OSCE Programme Office in Astana-supported seminar, co-organized with NGO Legal Media Centre, on the protection of freedom of expression and policies to counter hate speech on the Internet took place on 12 June 2018 in Kostanay, Kazakhstan...

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, compared with the previous 24 hours. The Mission observed damage caused by shelling in and near residential areas of Donetskyi as well as nearby positions. The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske; it recorded ceasefire violations inside the Zolote and Petrivske disengagement areas. The SMM observed a newly extended trench north of the Petrivske disengagement area and again observed military-type hardware and positions inside the disengagement area. The Mission’s access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas and was also restricted near Izvaryne and Sievernyi at the border with the Russian Federation, as well as in Krasnolutskyi. The SMM observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines on both sides of the contact line. The Mission continued to facilitate the access of Voda Donbassa water company employees to the Donetsk Filtration Station and to monitor the security situation around the station. It continued to monitor and facilitate repairs to the Petrivske pumping station near Artema...

TASHKENT, 12 June, 2018- Raising awareness and formulating policy recommendations on the need to engage and empower youth in preventing violent extremism and radicalization that lead to terrorism (VERLT) was the focus of a two-day international conference that ended today. The event, organized by the OSCE in co-operation with the upper house of the parliament, the Senate of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan, and the United Nations, was held in Tashkent and Samarkand, respectively.

Kamensk-Shakhtinskiy, Russian Federation. The Observer Mission (OM) continues to operate 24/7 at both Border Crossing Points (BCPs)...

BELGRADE, 12 June 2018 – Improvements in the accommodation of migrants and refugees in Serbia have been welcomed by a delegation led by the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s Nahima Lanjri (MP, Belgium), with parliamentarians noting that other OSCE countries can learn from these positive developments. They pointed out however that Serbia’s capacity needs to be expanded and adapted to fully meet the needs of unaccompanied minors...

SKOPJE, 12 June 2018 – Improving the safety of journalists during critical events was the focus of an OSCE-supported workshop today in Skopje, which brought together some 20 journalists and police officers...

Ukraine’s challenges in modernizing its chemical regulatory system to meet international standard were discussed at an OSCE Project Co-ordinator-hosted workshop on 12 and 13 June in Kyiv...