News and press releases

Ongoing racism, intolerance and hate-motivated violence against Roma and Sinti and the negative impact these have on their inclusion in society, as well as good practices in addressing these issues, were the topics of an event in Warsaw on 26 September 2019. It was organized by the OSCE Office for

High-level representatives from capitals and military experts of the 57 OSCE participating States gathered in Vienna on 19 and 20 September for a meeting of the Structured Dialogue chaired by the Netherlands. The combined session of the Informal Working Group (IWG) of the Structured Dialogue in the Capitals Format and an Expert-Level Workshop enabled discussions both at the political and expert level and was chaired by Ambassador Jeroen Boender, Permanent Representative of the Netherlands to the OSCE...

Following the presidential election in Lithuania on 12 and 26 May 2019, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) has published its final report. The report notes that the election was competitive and offered clear political alternatives, with fundamental freedoms largely

The challenges and opportunities related to the participation of Roma and Sinti youth in public and political life, as well as their civic engagement to defend and promote the human rights of the entire community, were the main topics of an event held on 25 September 2019 in Warsaw. The event was

The OSCE Mission to Montenegro organized a two-day study visit to Copenhagen, Denmark for six media professionals from Montenegro. The group met with representatives of the Danish Press Council, the Danish Journalist Union, the Politiken and the Danish Broadcasting Corporation on 24 and 25 September 2019...

NEW YORK CITY, United States of America, 25 September 2019 – The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group (Igor Popov of the Russian Federation, Stéphane Visconti of France, and Andrew Schofer of the United States of America) met separately and jointly with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov and Armenian Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan on the margins of the UN General Assembly. The Co-Chairs were joined in their meetings by the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Andrzej Kasprzyk. They also met with OSCE Secretary General Thomas Greminger, OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Slovak Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajčák, and senior officials of the United Nations...

Summary Compared with the previous reporting period, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions. The SMM followed up on a shrapnel injury sustained by a woman in Pikuzy, and on craters and damage due to shelling in Verkhnoshyrokivske. Inside the Stanytsia

NUR-SULTAN, 25 September 2019 – The fulfillment of international commitments and obligations is a pre-condition for honest dialogue, genuine trust, and stronger partnerships for peace and sustainable development, stated President George Tsereteli (MP, Georgia) in remarks delivered at the Fourth Meeting of Speakers of Eurasian Countries’ Parliaments...

Experts from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) presented the final report and recommendations of the observation mission to the 2019 presidential election in North Macedonia during a visit to Skopje from 16 to 19 September 2019. The ODIHR experts met with

Hate crime continues to threaten the security of individuals and entire societies, as evidenced by 2018 data from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) that was presented on 25 September 2019 in Warsaw. The presentation took place during ODIHR’s annual human rights

Summary Compared with the previous 24 hours, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Inside the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area, the SMM saw workers from government-controlled areas working on pillars for the pedestrian bypass bridge as well as workers

The Head of the OSCE Mission to Moldova Claus Neukirch paid a working visit to the autonomous territorial unit of Gagauzia on 24 September 2019. The Head of Mission met with Bashkan of Gagauzia Irina Vlah and the Speaker of the People's Assembly Vladimir Kissa...

Kamensk-Shakhtinskiy, Russian Federation. The Observer Mission (OM) continues to operate 24/7 at both Border Crossing Points (BCPs). The overall number of border crossings by persons decreased at both BCPs compared to the previous week.

Educational tools that help effectively prevent and address anti-Semitism, intolerance against Muslims and other forms of discrimination were presented and discussed at an event held on 24 September 2019 in Warsaw. The event was organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human

Summary Compared with the previous reporting period, between the evenings of 20 and 21 September, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and no ceasefire violations in Luhansk region. Between the evenings of 21 and 22 September, the Mission recorded fewer ceasefire violations

VIENNA, 23 September 2019- Law enforcement authorities and agencies should embrace Artificial Intelligence (AI) in their work to increase their efficiency and effectiveness, and to keep up with technological innovations, said opening speakers at the 2019 OSCE Annual Police Experts Meeting in Vienna today. This technology must be used in strict compliance with human rights and fundamental freedoms, they added...

OSCE Secretary General Thomas Greminger and UN Under-Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Office (UNOCT) Vladimir Voronkov signed a Biennial Action Plan for 2019-2021 in New York on 23 September 2019 to strengthen their co-operation in addressing key challenges and supporting international efforts related to preventing and countering terrorism...

COPENHAGEN, 23 September 2019 – More than 200 parliamentarians from some 50 countries are expected to gather in Marrakech, Morocco, for the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s 18th Autumn Meeting on 4-6 October. Consisting of a Parliamentary Conference, Mediterranean Forum and a meeting of the Standing Committee, the annual Autumn Meeting is an opportunity for OSCE PA members to debate pressing security-related topics and to follow up on outcomes from the summer’s Annual Session...

Understanding the root causes of, and dynamics involved in, sexual and gender-based violence in the context of detention in order to improve protection strategies was the focus of an event held on 23 September 2019 in Warsaw on the margins of the OSCE’s annual human rights conference, the Human

On 20 September 2019, 15 Tajik and ten Afghan border officials successfully completed a four-week training course on field operational capacities in Dushanbe. It was conducted in the framework of the project Patrol Field Capacity Building of the Tajik Border Troops through Promotion of Regional Co-operation.

The OSCE-supported tenth annual Central Asian Leadership Programme (CALP) took place from 15 to 22 September 2019 in Almaty. Some 70 young environmental leaders, CALP alumni from the Central Asian countries and Afghanistan, representatives from the government and international organizations participated in the event.

The Regional Anti-corruption Platform (ACP) for Internal Control Departments of border and law enforcement agencies of the OSCE participating States of South-Eastern Europe, Ukraine, and Moldova was launched on 19 and 20 September 2019 in Vienna...

Summary Compared with the previous reporting period, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and fewer ceasefire violations in Luhansk region. Inside the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area, the Mission saw workers from government-controlled areas working on the foundations

VIENNA, 21 September 2019 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, took note today of an important step taken by the Maltese authorities in launching a public inquiry into the death of investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, stating that the inquiry must be fully independent in order to bring long overdue justice for her family, colleagues and the whole of Maltese society...

Summary Compared with the previous reporting period, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region, and more ceasefire violations in Luhansk region. Inside the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area, the Mission saw workers from government-controlled areas working on the foundations

DUSHANBE, 20 September 2019 – The third Postgraduate Diploma in Border Security and Management for Senior Leadership course, a one-year blended learning programme, concluded today at the OSCE Border Management Staff College in Dushanbe (BMSC), Tajikistan.

A five-day training course aimed at increasing the operational awareness of border guards in detecting forged documents, took place from 14 to 20 September, 2019 in Skopje, North Macedonia...

A three-day meeting between the OSCE and Kosovo institutions on the legal aspects of setting up an Advance Passenger Information (API) system was held in Pejë/Peć from 18 to 20 September 2019...

VICENZA, Italy, 20 September 2019 – The first simulation-based training for practitioners across the Mediterranean region and beyond concluded today in Vicenza, Italy...

On 17 September 2019 a civic forum entitled “Digital Citizenship: I am digital, be digital!” took place in Bishkek. The event was organized by the OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek and is part of its continuous support to the Kyrgyz Government’s digital transformation efforts aimed at fostering good governance and respect for human rights...

Strengthening the capacity of crisis negotiators from across Kazakhstan was the focus of an interagency simulation exercise conducted on 20 September 2019 in Nur-Sultan...

On Tuesday, 17 September, the State Border Service (SBS) of the Kyrgyz Republic has conducted its annual simulation exercise “Barrier-2019” in Karakol, Issyk-Kul province...

The continuing – and in some places increasing – exclusion of women from participating in security strategies and implementation were the focus of the annual Women’s Power Breakfast organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) in Warsaw on 20 September 2019, on

Amidst increasing security-driven restrictions on the right to freedom of religion or belief in the OSCE region, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) published Freedom of Religion or Belief and Security: Policy Guidance on 19 September 2019.  This new publication,

Summary Compared with the previous reporting period, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region, and again recorded no ceasefire violations in Luhansk region. Inside the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area, the Mission saw workers from government-controlled areas placing

Engaging young people with a migrant background in political and public life was the focus of discussions at an event held in Warsaw on 19 September 2019, during the annual OSCE human rights conference, the Human Dimension Implementation Meeting (HDIM). The event, organized jointly by the OSCE

WARSAW, 19 September 2019 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, reiterated his concerns today over the controversial amendments to the Statute on Periodic Press and News Agencies of Slovakia (Press Act) establishing a right of reply for political leaders and public figures, which passed the second reading in the parliament of Slovakia this week...

CHISINAU, 19 September 2019 – The progress achieved by Chisinau and Tiraspol in the Transdniestrian settlement process brings a positive change to local populations and provides a good example of conflict resolution for the whole OSCE area, said OSCE Secretary General Thomas Greminger during a three-day visit to the Republic of Moldova, which concluded today.

On 19 September at 06:11 (Moscow time), the eighty-fourth Russian convoy arrived at the Donetsk Border Crossing Point (BCP). A total of ten vehicles were checked by Russian Federation border guards and customs officers prior to their crossing into Ukraine. All ten vehicles had crossed back into the Russian Federation by 13:52 on 19 September...

The latest challenges to the right to freedom of peaceful assembly in the OSCE region were discussed at an event organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) on 19 September 2019 during ODIHR’s annual human rights conference, the Human Dimension Implementation

MINSK, 18 September 2019 – The Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office in Ukraine and in the Trilateral Contact Group (TCG), Ambassador Martin Sajdik, made the following statement to the press after the meeting of the TCG and its working groups in Minsk on 18 September 2019:

Summary Compared with the previous reporting period, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and no ceasefire violations in Luhansk region. Inside the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area, the Mission saw workers from government-controlled areas placing concrete plates under

VIENNA, 18 September 2019 – OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Special Representative on Fighting Corruption Irene Charalambides (MP, Cyprus) is in Vienna this week for meetings with representatives from the United Nations and OSCE. Charalambides has explored with counterparts avenues for co-operation and developing ways for OSCE parliamentarians to counter corruption’s detrimental effects...

Summary Compared with the previous 24 hours, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more in Luhansk region. Inside the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area, the Mission saw workers from government-controlled areas completing asphalting of the road north of the broken

The Observer Mission (OM) continues to operate 24/7 at both Border Crossing Points (BCPs). The overall number of border crossings by persons increased at both BCPs compared to the previous week...

WARSAW, 17 September 2019 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, expressed his concern over the lawsuits and detention of a journalist in Croatia yesterday morning...

Collection and analysis of migration-related data to shape effective policy-making were the focus of a two-day workshop organized by the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities (OCEEA) in co-operation with the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan, with the support of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Employment and Labour Relations Ministry of Uzbekistan, on 16 and 17 September 2019 in Tashkent...

The OSCE Mission to Serbia, in co-operation with Serbia’s institutions, launched the 2019 Professional Practice Programme on 17 September in Belgrade. The Programme enables five young professionals from Novi Pazar and Raška, southwest Serbia, to work with central institutions from September to December 2019. It is the first part of the two-year project Legal Learning Project for Southwest Serbia, funded by the U.S. Mission to the OSCE...

As part of its efforts to develop and refine its election observation methodology, the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) launched a new publication at an event in Warsaw on 17 September 2019, during the annual OSCE Human Dimension Implementation Meeting. The Handbook for

Representatives of Tajikistan’s Interior Ministry (MIA) and Drug Control Agency (DCA) learned how to successfully manage projects and raise funds to implement reforms in their agencies at a training course in Dushanbe. The course was organized by the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe and took place from 26 August to 13 September 2019. It brought together mid- to senior-ranking officers from different departments of the MIA and the DCA...