News and press releases
News and press releases from the OSCE's global activities.
Implementation of minimum standards for treatment of prisoners discussed at OSCE/ODIHR regional consultation in Warsaw
Publishing date: 20 April 2017
The implementation of the revised minimum standard rules for the treatment of prisoners (Nelson Mandela Rules) was the focus of a meeting of practitioners in the OSCE region held on 19 and 20 April 2017 in Warsaw.
ODIHR Director Link concerned by accelerated executions using questionable drug in Arkansas
Publishing date: 19 April 2017
WARSAW, 19 April 2017 – Michael Georg Link, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), today raised concern about the compressed execution schedule in the State of Arkansas this month and called on the United States to once more consider the complete abolition of capital punishment, in the context of the international debate linking the practice with torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment...
Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), based on information received as of 19:30, 18 April 2017
Publishing date: 19 April 2017
The SMM observed fewer ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions between the evenings of 17 and 18 April compared with the previous 24 hours. The SMM followed up on reports of damage from shelling in Avdiivka. The SMM monitored the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske, but its access there and elsewhere remained restricted.* It observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines on both sides of the contact line. The Mission observed unexploded ordnance in populated areas. It monitored demining in Katerynivka. The SMM continued to observe that roads and railway routes in Bakhmut and Buhas were not blocked. The SMM monitored one border area currently not under government control...
OSCE Mission facilitates discussion on local action plans for inclusion of Roma and Egyptian communities in Montenegro
Publishing date: 19 April 2017
The importance of a multi-disciplinary approach to the prevention of early forced marriages was the main topic discussed at a workshop organized by the OSCE Mission to Montenegro on 18 April 2017 in Podgorica...
Ukraine’s language policy and multilingual education discussed at HCNM-supported conference in Kyiv
Publishing date: 19 April 2017
The office of the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities and the Ministry of Science and Education of Ukraine organized a conference on “Multilingual education in the OSCE region: experiences and perspectives for Ukraine” on 13 April 2017 in Kyiv. Opening the conference, Minister for
Weekly Update from the OSCE Observer Mission at Russian Checkpoints Gukovo and Donetsk based on information as of 18 April 2017
Publishing date: 19 April 2017
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 increased at both BCPs...
Latest from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), based on information received as of 19:30, 17 April 2017
Publishing date: 18 April 2017
The SMM observed fewer ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions between the evenings of 14 and 15 April and between the evenings of 15 and 16 April, compared with the previous reporting period, but more ceasefire violations between the evenings of 16 and 17 April compared with the previous 24 hours. The SMM followed up on reports of damage from shelling in residential areas.