News and press releases

VIENNA / BERLIN, 13 June 2016 – OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier together expressed shock and deep sorrow regarding the deadly attack in Orlando...

COPENHAGEN, 13 June 2016 – In response to this weekend’s deadly shooting in Orlando, Florida, OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Ilkka Kanerva (MP, Finland) issued the following statement...

NEUM, Bosnia and Herzegovina, 12 June 2016 – The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) organized a two-day alumni meeting for over 20 students who attended the OSCE-organized Youth and Security Summer School when it was held for the first time last year. The peace and security studies students of the Universities of Sarajevo, Mostar and Banja Luka discussed current security challenges and ways to promote youth participation in the development of a comprehensive security policy for BiH...

The SMM observed more ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions compared to the previous day. Several explosions occurred in the vicinity of the SMM near Stanytsia Luhanska bridge. The Mission continued to monitor the withdrawal of heavy weapons; it also noted armoured combat vehicles, an anti-aircraft gun and an unmanned aerial vehicle in the security zone. The SMM continued to monitor the humanitarian situation and observed a demonstration against discussions surrounding an armed OSCE presence in Donetsk. It also monitored a series of demonstrations in Dnipro, Odessa and Kyiv. Armed “DPR” members kept the power supply to SMM’s repeater in Donetsk city disconnected and the SMM faced one additional restriction on its freedom of movement, in an area not controlled by the Government...

VIENNA, 11 June 2016 – On the 15th anniversary of the murder of Serbian journalist Milan Pantić, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović called on authorities in Serbia to step up their efforts in investigating this and other journalist killings...

VIENNA, 10 June 2016- On the basis of the holiday ceasefire agreement of 29 April 2016, the Trilateral Contact Group (TCG) and representatives of certain areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine have today conducted a video-conference, in order to discuss recent ceasefire violations along the line of contact...

The SMM observed fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region compared with the previous day and some ceasefire violations in Luhansk region compared with none the previous day. Whilst at Stanytsia Luhanska bridge, incoming fire impacted about 100 metres from SMM’s position. The SMM observed craters and damage caused by shelling in Donetsk city and other areas. The Mission continued to monitor the withdrawal of weapons, and noted heavy weapons in violation of the withdrawal lines; it also noted armoured combat vehicles and anti-aircraft weapons in the security zone. Armed “DPR” members continued to keep the power supply to SMM’s repeater in Donetsk city disconnected; and the SMM faced four additional restrictions of its freedom of movement, mainly in areas not controlled by the Government. The Mission observed in Lviv civic activists demanding the dismissal of the mayor...