News and press releases

OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities (HCNM) Astrid Thors visited Ukraine from 2 to 6 November 2015, including trips to Kyiv as well as Mariupol, where she assessed the inter-ethnic situation in south-eastern Ukraine. In Kyiv, Thors discussed the status of modernizing the institutional

COPENHAGEN, 5 November 2015 – OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Ilkka Kanerva (MP, Finland) today expressed concern about the recent uptick in violence in eastern Ukraine and called on all parties to the conflict to do their utmost to promote conditions conducive to a political settlement...

The role of dialogue in enhancing the security of religious and belief communities was the focus of a regional roundtable discussion, organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) in Odessa, Ukraine on 3 November 2015.

The SMM recorded much fewer explosions in Donetsk region as compared with previous days. The situation in Luhansk region remained relatively calm. An explosion at the home of the mayor of Lviv is being investigated as an act of terrorism.

KYIV, 26 October 2015 – Ukraine’s local elections were competitive and well organized overall, and the campaign generally showed respect for the democratic process, international observers concluded in a statement issued today. Nevertheless, the complexity of the legal framework, the dominance of powerful economic groups, threats and physical attacks against candidates, and the fact that virtually all campaign coverage in the media was paid for all underscore the need for further reform. Additional efforts are needed to further enhance the integrity of and public confidence in the electoral process, the observers said...

The SMM monitored the implementation of the “Package of measures for the implementation of the Minsk agreements”, including the Addendum. Its monitoring was restricted by the parties and security considerations*. The situation in Donetsk and Luhansk regions was relatively calm.

Police, prosecutors and members of the Security Service from Ukraine discussed effective responses to hate crime and international standards on freedom of religion or belief during a three-day study visit to Warsaw organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) from 19 to 21 October 2015.