News and press releases

TIRANA, 9 May 2017 – The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) today formally opened an election observation mission for the 18 June parliamentary elections in Albania. The mission’s deployment follows an official invitation from the Albanian Government...

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. In Donetsk region the Mission recorded a similar number of ceasefire violations on 6 and on 7 May compared with the previous reporting period. In Luhansk region it recorded more ceasefire violations on 6 May compared with the previous reporting period but fewer on 7 May. The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske. Its access remained restricted there and elsewhere. The SMM assessed impact sites and damage to residential areas caused by shelling. It observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines, as well as mines and unexploded ordnance, predominantly in non-government-controlled areas. The SMM facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable the transfer of bodies to government-controlled areas via the Shchastia bridge, as well as repairs to the Donetsk Water Filtration Station. The Mission monitored two border areas currently not under government control...

A series of five workshops held Kosovo-wide for healthcare providers on how to identify, refer and treat victims of domestic violence, organized by the OSCE Mission, concluded on 8 May 2017. The workshops were organized jointly with the Ministry of Health and Kosovo Police, and aimed at strengthening the response of healthcare providers in domestic violence cases...

WARSAW, 8 May 2017- Michael Georg Link, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), following emerging information about a recent execution in Belarus, today once more called on the country’s government to introduce an immediate moratorium on executions, as a step towards complete abolition of the death penalty...

A five-day training course on human rights education concluded on 6 May 2017 at the OSCE Office in Tajikistan...

LEINSWEILER, 8 May 2017 – An OSCE Parliamentary Assembly seminar held this weekend in Leinsweiler, Germany, focused on the question of how the renewed competition for geopolitical spheres of influence is impacting security in the OSCE area. Hosted by the German Delegation to the OSCE PA, the seminar addressed specific themes related to collective security, economic co-operation and the effects of geopolitical competition on the societies of countries involved...

KYIV, 8 May 2017 – The Chief Monitor of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), Ambassador Ertugrul Apakan, condemns the sexual harassment of an SMM patrol member by an armed man in the non-government controlled area of Donetsk region, which took place on 5 May...