News and press releases

A seminar on working with convicted violent extremists, including returning foreign terrorist fighters and their families, organized by the OSCE Programme Office in Astana, was held on 4 and 5 December 2018 in Astana...

Human rights and contemporary challenges to national security were the focus of the OSCE-supported Youth Legal Forum dedicated to the 70th Anniversary of Universal Declaration of Human Rights that concluded on 12 December 2018 in Astana...

The OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek organized a series of lectures aimed at raising awareness about consequences and criminal liability of bride kidnapping within the worldwide campaign 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence...

Raising awareness about the specific nature of hate crime in the Czech Republic was the purpose of a seminar organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the Czech Republic’s Government Agent for Human Rights in Prague on 11 December 2018. The participants –

Compared with the previous 24 hours, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and fewer in Luhansk region. The Mission recorded ceasefire violations inside the Zolote disengagement area. SMM unmanned aerial vehicles spotted destroyed houses in the south-eastern part of Pivdenne in Donetsk region and fresh craters in residential areas of Zolote-4/Rodina and Zolote-5/Mykhailivka, in Luhansk region. The SMM saw a weapon in violation of withdrawal lines in Oleksandro-Kalynove. The Mission facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to water and electric infrastructure on both sides of the contact line and to damaged houses in Marinka. It continued to facilitate the operation of the Donetsk Filtration Station. Restrictions of the Mission’s access continued in all three disengagement areas. The SMM was also restricted near Siedove and Dovzhanske – close to the border with the Russian Federation – and near Popasne.

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 compared to the previous week...

OSCE participating States should act more decisively to enhance the participation of Roma and Sinti in public and political life, participants said at an event in Vienna on 11 December 2018. The event was organized to present a report by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) assessing the status of implementation of the Action Plan on Improving the Situation of Roma and Sinti within the OSCE Area.

Strong democracy and good governance are necessary prerequisites to ensure adequate protection of human rights, affirmed participants in an OSCE-supported conference held on the occasion of International Human Rights Day on 10 December in Podgorica...

An OSCE-supported seminar on assessing and managing the risks of violent extremist prisoners, including the rehabilitation of returning Foreign Terrorist Fighters, concluded on 7 December 2018 in Astana...

VIENNA, 10 December 2018 – The Office of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media (RFOM), together with the International Press Institute, are organizing the world premiere today in Vienna of their film, A Dark Place – a documentary highlighting the experiences of female journalists who have been targeted by online harassment...

Ukraine’s Mine Action Law was adopted by the parliament on 6 December 2018, after consultations with the Project Co-ordinator, who provided advice on the content. It establishes a framework for humanitarian demining, divides responsibilities among state institutions, and envisages the creation of a mine action centre.

Montenegro’s draft National Strategy on preventing and combating terrorism, money laundering and terrorist financing 2019-2022 and the related Action Plan were reviewed at a workshop organized by the OSCE Mission to Montenegro and the country’s National Security Council on 10 December 2018 in Podgorica...

Compared with the previous reporting period, between the evenings of 7 and 8 December, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Between the evenings of 8 and 9 December, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, compared with the previous 24 hours. Small-arms fire was directed at an SMM mini-unmanned aerial vehicle near Bila Hora.* The Mission observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines in non-government-controlled areas of Luhansk region. The SMM continued to facilitate the operation of the Donetsk Filtration Station. Restrictions of the Mission’s access continued in all three disengagement areas. The SMM was also restricted at a checkpoint in Novolaspa and close to Voznesenivka, a non-government-controlled area of Luhansk region near the border with the Russian Federation.* The Mission observed a calm situation at the crossing point in Chonhar and other areas in the south-eastern part of Kherson region.

WARSAW, 10 December 2018 – The fundamental rights set out in the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights 70 years ago are vital not only to the equal dignity and worth of every person, but also to achieving and maintaining peace and security, Ingibjörg Sólrún Gísladóttir, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), said on today’s Human Rights Day.

The OSCE Mission to Montenegro organized two workshops on gender-responsive budgeting in Kolašin and Tivat, on 29 and 30 November and 3 and 4 December, respectively. The Mission engaged experts who delivered the training sessions and conducted a gender budgeting analysis for 14 participants representing municipalities in Kolasin and Tivat. The aim of the events was to help municipal institutions with gender mainstreaming. They were organized in partnership with the Ministry for Human and Minority Rights and its Department for Gender Equality.

Maintaining international standards on identifying, collecting, handling, protecting and preserving electronic evidence is crucial for its admission in trials, was the conclusion from a two-day workshop organized by the OSCE Mission to Montenegro from 5 to 6 December in Danilovgrad.

YEREVAN, 10 December 2018 – The 9 December early parliamentary elections in Armenia were held with respect for fundamental freedoms and enjoyed broad public trust that needs to be preserved through further electoral reforms, the international observers concluded in a preliminary statement released today. Open political debate, including in the media, contributed to a vibrant campaign, although cases of inflammatory rhetoric online were of concern, the statement says.

The OSCE Mission to Moldova enhanced the capacities of 100 legal professionals to effectively defend the rights of minorities and contribute to a more inclusive society at four training sessions from 14 November to 7 December 2018. The events took place in four different regions of Moldova, including the Autonomous Territorial Unit of Gagauzia. They were organized in co-operation with the Lawyers’ Training Centre of the Moldovan Bar Association.

COPENHAGEN, 9 December 2018- Parliamentarians from the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly have expressed their sorrow over the death of Lyudmila Alekseyeva of Russia, who died today at the age of 91. President George Tsereteli (Georgia) and human rights committee Chair Margareta Kiener Nellen (Switzerland) and Vice-Chair Michael Link (Germany) praised Alekseyeva as an inspirational figure for human rights advocates world-wide.

Young policy advisers from Central Asian ministries, state administrations, parliaments and academic and research institutions completed an OSCE-organized intensive four-day Young Policy Advisers Course on 30 November 2018 in Cholpon-Ata, Issyk-Kul. The course aimed to contribute to a better understanding of the role of policy professionals, while facilitating networking of young officials from Central Asia.

Recent advances in the OSCE’s pioneering preventive work against violent extremism and terrorism (VERLT) was the topic of a side event at the 2018 OSCE Ministerial Council in Milan on Tuesday, 6 December 2018.

Compared with the previous reporting period, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions. The Mission observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines on both sides of the contact line. The SMM facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to water infrastructure on both sides of the contact line, as well as to enable repair works to damaged houses in Marinka. It continued to facilitate the operation of the Donetsk Filtration Station. Restrictions to the Mission’s access continued in all three disengagement areas. The SMM was also restricted in Izvaryne. In Kyiv, the SMM monitored a peaceful protest during which it heard participants expressing views critical of the Russian Federation and calling for banning Russian-owned businesses in Ukraine.

WASHINGTON, 7 December 2018 – Wrapping up a visit to the United States, Chair of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s Ad Hoc Countering Terrorism (CCT) Makis Voridis (MP, Greece) said today that effective counter-terrorism measures require a multifaceted approach, including a robust role for parliamentarians and the OSCE.

MILAN, Italy, 7 December 2018 – Decisions and declarations all across three of the OSCE’s security dimensions – the politico-military, economic and environmental, and human dimensions – were agreed by OSCE participating States at close of the 25th OSCE Ministerial Council in Milan today...

MILAN, 7 December 2018- The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, welcomes today’s adoption of a decision on the safety of journalists by all 57 participating States at the 2018 OSCE Ministerial Council in Milan.

Compared with the previous reporting period, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions. The SMM continued to observe hardships faced by civilians at checkpoints along the contact line and followed up on reports that civilians had remained after closing hours in the area between the checkpoint of the armed formations and the entry-exit checkpoint of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in Maiorsk. It facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to essential civilian infrastructure on both sides of the contact line, as well as to damaged houses in Marinka. The SMM continued to facilitate the operation of the Donetsk Filtration Station. The Mission followed up on reports of vandalism in a Polish Military Cemetery in Lviv. The Mission’s access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas and at a checkpoint near Novolaspa.

An award ceremony marking the completion of the Open Data Challenge 2018, a digital information competition organized by the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan (PCUz), in co-operation with the Ministry for Development of Information Technology and Information of the Republic of Uzbekistan, took place today in Tashkent.

International rule of law standards related to the prevention of domestic violence were the topic of a seminar organized on 6 December 2018 in Minsk for participants from across Belarus. The seminar was organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the

MILAN, 7 December 2018 – The escalation of tensions in the Kerch Strait, election observation methodology, counter-terrorism, strengthening the OSCE, confidence-building measures, civil society and democracy were among the topics of discussion over two days of bilateral meetings between the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President and high-level diplomats on the margins of the OSCE Ministerial Council taking place this week in Milan.

The OSCE’s role as a key partner in implementing a new roadmap for controlling small arms and light weapons (SALW) in the Western Balkans was the topic of a side event held on 7 December 2018 during the OSCE Ministerial Council in Milan, Italy.

Several foreign ministers, high-level government representatives and experts gathered for a discussion on promoting economic connectivity in the OSCE area on Thursday, 6 December 2018 during the 25th OSCE Ministerial Council in Milan.

The OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek supported the conference Strengthening of the Inter-Confessional Dialogue, devoted to the issues of interfaith harmony and tolerance between representatives of various religious organizations of Kyrgyzstan, held on 5 December 2018 in Bishkek.

A two-day training course on developing the 2019 Action Plan for the Implementation of the Montenegrin National Strategy for Youth concluded on 4 December 2018 in Petrovac. The event was organized by the OSCE Mission to Montenegro and the Directorate for Youth within the Ministry of Sports.

On 4 December 2018, the ceremony of the opening the irrigation system with a total length of 1,373 metres was held in the city of Kara-Suu, southern Kyrgyzstan. The irrigation system provides more than 1,000 households with access to irrigation water. The project was implemented by the Kara-Suu Mayor’s Office and local residents with the support of the OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek (POiB).

On 30 November, the OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek in partnership with the State Committee for National Security (SCNS) held a round table on developing a legal framework for the introduction of an Advance Passenger Information (API) system in Kyrgyzstan.

Compared with the previous reporting period, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more in Luhansk region. The Mission observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines on both sides of the contact line. The SMM facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to essential civilian infrastructure as well as damaged houses. It continued to facilitate the operation of the Donetsk Filtration Station. The SMM monitored adherence to the ceasefire to facilitate the transfer of human remains across the bridge in Shchastia. The Mission’s access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas. It was also restricted in the Trudivski area of Donetsk city’s Petrovskyi district and at a checkpoint near Zaichenko.*

MILAN, 6 December 2018 – With East-West relations at historic lows, a strong OSCE is needed to serve as a forum for real confidence-building, OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President George Tsereteli (MP, Georgia) said today at the 25th OSCE Ministerial Council in Milan.

Newly elected education authorities should focus on quality inclusive education dedicated to strengthening students’ skills and preparing them for a prosperous future, concluded participants at a conference on 6 December 2018 in Sarajevo. The event, titled #SviMožemoBolje, was organized by the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH).

MILAN, Italy, 6 December 2018- On the occasion of the OSCE Ministerial Council Meeting in Milan, the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair countries (the Russian Federation, the United States of America, and France) and the Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Elmar Mammadyarov and Acting Foreign Minister of Armenia Zohrab Mnatsakanyan agreed to continue working towards a just and lasting peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict...

TBILISI, 27 November 2018 – The Office of the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities conducted a capacity-building workshop for the State Language Department of Georgia.

The OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe supported the participation of a Tajik delegation of four governmental and four civil society representatives at the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) Seventh Expert Forum on Criminal Justice for Central Asia. The Expert Forum was

Milan, 5 December 2018 – On the eve of the 25th OSCE Ministerial Council, top-level OSCE representatives attended the closing session of the OSCE Parallel Civil Society Conference that took place today. They received recommendations directed at the OSCE’s executive and political bodies, institutions and participating States.

Compared with the previous reporting period, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions. The Mission observed damage to a house caused by shelling in a residential area of Chermalyk. The SMM recorded ceasefire violations, including over 20 explosions, inside the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area and observed fresh shrapnel damage. The Mission observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines near Mykhailivka and Alchevsk. The SMM facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to essential civilian infrastructure and houses on both sides of the contact line. It continued to facilitate the operation of the Donetsk Filtration Station. The Mission monitored a court hearing related to the detained Mekhanik Pogodin tanker; the court ruled that the tanker should continue to be detained. The Mission’s access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas. It was also restricted at two weapons storage sites in non-government-controlled areas of Donetsk region and near Novolaspa.*

Twenty five senior Tajik border officers of the Special Border Units successfully completed a four-week training course on sustained field operational capacities on 4 December 2018 in the Regional Training Centre of Khalkayor, some 230 km south of Dushanbe.

Understanding the challenges impeding the full access of Roma in Georgia to identity and civil registration documents, as well as the way forward to address this issue, was the focus of a roundtable event organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) on 4

The OSCE Mission supported a workshop strengthening the capacity of fifty legal professionals from both banks of the Dniester/Nistru River to provide legal assistance to the population on documentation-related issues. The event took place on 30 November in Chisinau. Varying practices of the documentation process on both banks prevent the population from effectively exercising their rights. Issues related to civil status and documentation are a part of the discussions between Chisinau and Tiraspol within the framework of the settlement process.

Over 70 university students and teaching staff attended lectures on the role of women in the security and development process from 3 to 5 December 2018 in Ashgabat. The event was organized by OSCE Centre in Ashgabat. Swanee Hunt, the Eleanor Roosevelt Lecturer in Public Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government in the United States, delivered the lectures, focusing on women’s active participation in conflict prevention and resolution, peace building and policy making.

The Entrepreneurship Support Centre (ESC) in Osh, Kyrgyzstan’s second largest city, marked its first anniversary on 4 December 2018, in a celebration organized by the Centre together with the OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek. The mission of the ESC is to provide information and consulting support to entrepreneurs, as well as to form, prepare and promote high-quality business initiatives for the development of entrepreneurship in the Osh region.

A two-day training course for public transport employees to improve their understanding of persons with disabilities who use public transport was organized in Dushanbe on 29 and 30 November 2018. Marking the celebration of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, the event was organized by the League of women with disabilities “Ishtirok” with the support of the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe.

Throughout 2018, the OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek helped conduct a study of political and institutional frameworks for financing environmental protection causes in the province of Jalal-Abad. The results of the study, entitled “Financing Environment Protection with focus on Biodiversity and Climate Change Adaptation in Jalal-Abad Province: Public and Private Expenditure Review”, will be published with the support of the OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek by the end of this year and then transferred to the Ministry of Finances of the Kyrgyz Republic.