News and press releases

The SMM’s operations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions remained restricted following the incident of 23 April near Pryshyb, which affected its observations, including of ceasefire violations. The Mission recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region but fewer in Luhansk region, compared with the previous reporting period. The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske. Its access remained restricted at all three and elsewhere.* The Mission continued to monitor the withdrawal of weapons. The SMM facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to essential infrastructure in Luhansk region. The Mission continued to monitor the situation of civilians at entry-exit checkpoints along the contact line. The SMM visited a border area currently not under government control near Voznesenivka...

WARSAW, 28 April 2017 – Michael Georg Link, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR), today condemned last night’s attack on the Assembly members in Skopje and called for urgent steps to resolve the situation peacefully...

Improving the ability to record, investigate and prosecute hate crimes was the focus of two training-of-trainers events for police officers and prosecutors, respectively, organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), in Reykjavik this week. The events were part

An OSCE-supported roundtable discussion on media legislation in Kazakhstan took place in Astana on 28 April 2017...

Today, we met to discuss yesterday's very serious incidents at the Parliament and review the security situation.

VIENNA, 28 April 2017- The OSCE Permanent Council issued in Vienna yesterday a declaration of support for the Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine following the tragic incident in eastern Ukraine on 23 April in which an SMM patrol member was killed in the line of duty by an explosion...

VIENNA, 27 April 2017 – OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz and OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier firmly condemn tonight’s attack on the Parliament building in Skopje. Violence can not substitute for political solutions. Such solutions must be found within the democratic processes in a responsible manner...