News and press releases

VIENNA, 4 July 2017 – Fostering the resilience of local communities, making migrants a resource for the socio-economic development of hosting societies, was discussed today in Vienna by almost 70 participants in an expert meeting hosted by the OSCE...

Fifteen police investigators specializing in investigating human trafficking and related crimes completed a training course organized by the OSCE Mission to Moldova from 26 to 29 June 2017 to enhance their operational skills in online investigations into human trafficking...

Seven prominent Tajik women politicians, including a member of parliament, representing each of the registered political parties in Tajikistan, took part in a study visit to Finland from 29 May to 2 June 2017. The visit, part of the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe’s programme to promote gender mainstreaming, was jointly organized by the Office, the Permanent Mission of Finland to the OSCE and the Foreign Ministry of Finland...

VILNIUS, 4 July 2017 – Journalists and human rights defenders, academics and civil society representatives gathered in Vilnius on Monday to discuss with state officials and decision-makers how to guarantee the safety of journalists. The conference, The Safety of Journalists – New Challenges and Responses, was opened by Lithuania’s Foreign Minister Linas Linkevičius...

A series of OSCE-supported professional managerial training courses for women organized by the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan (PCUz) were launched on 3 July 2017 in an opening ceremony at the Westminster International University in Tashkent (WIUT)...

MINSK, 3 July 2017 – Held under the theme “Enhancing mutual trust and co-operation for peace and prosperity in the OSCE region,” the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s 2017 Annual Session will begin Wednesday with keynote speeches by Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko, Chairman of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus Vladimir Andreichenko, OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Christine Muttonen, and the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz...

Between the evenings of 30 June and 1 July the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions compared with the previous reporting period. Between the evenings of 1 and 2 July the Mission recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions compared with the previous 24 hours. The SMM followed up on reports of a fatality from Staromykhailivka, a civilian causality from Dokuchaievsk and observed impact sites in Marinka, Sakhanka and Uzhivka. The Mission continued monitoring the three disengagement areas; it recorded a ceasefire violation in Zolote disengagement area. Its access remained restricted in all three areas and elsewhere, including a border area not controlled by the Government in Novoazovsk, as well as in Pokrovske, Oleksandrivka, Staromykhailivka and Kadiivka.* The SMM observed weapons in violation of respective withdrawal lines. The SMM monitored repairs to the power lines in Mykhailivka-Almazna and Vasylivka. Security arrangements were re-established around the SMM’s office in Donetsk city in the morning of 2 July; the Mission had asked the Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination to ensure presence at the SMM’s office until further notice. The Mission visited four border areas not under government control in Izvaryne, Marynivka, Uspenka and Voznesenivka...