News and press releases

VIENNA, 19 June 2022 – Today, on the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict, OSCE Secretary General Helga Maria Schmid called for an urgent end to the use of rape and other sexual crimes as a tactic of war in Ukraine and elsewhere in the OSCE region and beyond.

Data and analysis on nearly 5000 incidents of war-related damages in Ukraine show that 92 industrial facilities in the high or very high environmental risk category were affected.  

Warsaw, 15 June 2022 – Following the death sentences handed down to three soldiers reported to be members of the Ukrainian armed forces, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) strongly condemns both their prosecution and sentencing, which have taken place in violation of international humanitarian law.

Ukraine appoints three experts to be part of a mission under the OSCE’s Moscow Mechanism On 2 June 2022 and following consultation with Ukraine, 45 OSCE participating States invoked the Moscow Mechanism in order to “ consider, follow up and build upon the findings of the Moscow Mechanism report

VIENNA/WARSAW, 25 May 2022- OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Foreign Minister of Poland Zbigniew Rau and OSCE Secretary General Helga Maria Schmid today reiterated their condemnation of persistent allegations against the Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM) and called for the immediate release of four national Mission members detained in Donetsk and Luhansk.

WARSAW, 20 May 2022 – As the precarious security situation in Ukraine continues, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) is stepping up its monitoring of the impact of the conflict on civilians and prisoners of war for violations of international human rights and humanitarian law, following Russia’s military attack in Ukraine almost three months ago.

WARSAW/VIENNA, 28 April 2022 –OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Foreign Minister of Poland Zbigniew Rau and OSCE Secretary General Helga Maria Schmid have today announced that the OSCE would take immediate steps to implement the closure of the Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine.