News and press releases

More than 30 human rights defenders took part in a workshop on human rights monitoring for civil society in Ukraine concluding a series of similar training and capacity building events carried out in the country since 2015 by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR). The workshop took place in Chernihiv from 22 to 24 November 2016.

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more in Luhansk region compared with the previous reporting period. The Mission recorded multiple rockets in flight in the Avdiivka-Yasynuvata-Donetsk airport area. It continued to monitor the disengagement process in Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske and was restricted in its movement on three occasions.* The SMM’s freedom of movement was restricted on a further five instances. The SMM monitored three border areas not controlled by the Government. The SMM facilitated and monitored repair works on both sides of the contact line...

The OSCE Mission to Montenegro and its international partners organized a two-day workshop on Lessons Learned after the 2016 Parliamentary Elections, for staff of the State Election Commission (SEC) and of the Municipal Election Commissions (MEC) on 21-22 November 2016 in Budva. The event was followed by three-day training on International Standards in Election Administration...

MINSK, 23 November 2016 – The Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office in Ukraine and in the Trilateral Contact Group (TCG) Martin Sajdik made the following press statement after the meeting of the TCG and its Working Groups in Minsk on 23 November 2016:

VIENNA, 23 November 2016 – On the 5th anniversary of the death of Azerbaijani writer and newspaper columnist Rafiq Tagi, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović reitirated her call to Azerbaijan and all other OSCE participating States to ensure journalists’ safety and end impunity for crimes against them...

VIENNA, 23 November 2016 – The need to gender mainstream operational responses by the security sector in countering violent extremism and radicalization that lead to terrorism (VERLT) was highlighted during a two-day technical expert meeting of more than 80 law enforcement and government officials from across the OSCE region, which concluded today in Vienna...

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations both in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, compared with the previous reporting period. In Donetsk region most ceasefire violations concentrated in the Avdiivka-Yasynuvata area and areas north-east and east of Mariupol. The SMM continued to monitor the disengagement process in Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske, and faced restrictions of its freedom of movement in all three areas.* The SMM’s freedom of movement was further restricted on seven occasions (three in government-controlled areas and four in areas not under government control). In Marinka the SMM saw school children and staff moving from classrooms to a shelter after they had heard explosions; during its observation in the school the SMM also heard explosions in close proximity. The SMM monitored two border areas currently not under government control. On the evening of 21 November in Kyiv, the Mission continued to monitor a public gathering, where incidents were registered...