News and press releases

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.

MINSK, 4 December 2018 – 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 4 December 2018:

Compared with the previous 24 hours, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions. The Mission followed up on reports of a man injured due to gunfire in Betmanove, Donetsk region. The SMM recorded ceasefire violations assessed as inside the Stanytsia Luhanska and Zolote disengagement areas. Its access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas.* The SMM observed fresh damage to one of the wooden ramps on the broken section of the Stanytsia Luhanska bridge. It observed weapons in violation of the withdrawal lines on both sides of the contact line. The Mission facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to the Petrivske water pumping station near Artema as well as an assessment of a water pipeline near Popasna. It continued to facilitate the operation of the Donetsk Filtration Station.

The protection of persons deprived of their liberty in the OSCE region in the context of immigration detention was the focus of a second regional meeting of representatives of national mechanisms for the prevention of torture and civil society organizations active in this area. The meeting was

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.

BELGRADE, 4 December 2018 – Aleksandar Alimpić, Governor of the Sremska Mitrovica Correctional Institution; Mileva Malesić, Director of TV Forum from Prijepolje, Dejana Milijić Subić, Deputy Director of the Institute for the Improvement of Education; and Dragomir Milojević, President of the Supreme Court of Cassation will be presented with the 2018 OSCE Mission to Serbia’s Person of the Year Award at a ceremony today in Belgrade.

NEW YORK, 3 December 2018 – Strengthening the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s co-operation with the United Nations was the focus of meetings today in New York. Chair of the OSCE PA’s Ad Hoc Committee on Countering Terrorism (CCT) Makis Voridis (Greece) was visiting UN headquarters to discuss the PA’s counter-terrorism activities and build synergy on counter-terrorism.

VIENNA, 3 December 2018- Today, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Désir expressed concern over the decision by the Canadian Supreme Court to uphold a lower court ruling obliging VICE reporter Ben Makuch to hand over his private communications with a source.

Between the evenings of 30 November and 1 December, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, compared with the previous reporting period. Between the evenings of 1 and 2 December, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more in Luhansk region, compared with the previous 24 hours. The SMM observed fresh damage in a residential area of Zolote-5/Mykhailivka. The SMM observed military presence inside the Zolote disengagement area. The SMM again observed multiple launch rocket systems in violation of the withdrawal lines in non-government-controlled areas of Luhansk region. The Mission’s access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas. It was also restricted near Zaichenko, Sosnivske and Novoazovsk, as well as near Voznesenivka, an area close to the border with the Russian Federation...

The OSCE Mission to Moldova accompanied and supported a Moldovan delegation to the plenary meeting of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) held under the Alliance’s Italian Chairmanship in Ferrara, Italy, from 27 to 29 November 2018. The event brought together more than 200 experts and governmental representatives from around the world to discuss ways to promote Holocaust education, remembrance and research...

ALMATY, Kazakhstan, 3 December 2018 – Some 120 university lecturers, school managers, teachers, trainers and experts from all the Central Asian states, Mongolia and the wider region gathered in Almaty, Kazakhstan, today for the opening of the five-day Regional School on Multilingual and Multicultural Education for Integration and Sustainable Development. The annual event is organized by the office of the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities (HCNM), in co-operation with the ORLEU National Centre for Professional Development...

A five-day regional course, Introduction to Improvised Explosive Devices (I-IED), organized by the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe in the framework of the Integrated Co-operation on Explosive Hazards Programme concluded on 30 November 2018 in Dushanbe.

The second OSCE-supported intercultural camp in Brčko was held from 29 November to 3 December 2018. The OSCE Mission to BiH, in partnership with the OSCE Mission to Serbia and the Education Department of the Brcko District government, organized the follow-up camp to heighten the participants’ awareness of their potential role in promoting civic education, human rights, inter-cultural dialogue, as well as in tackling peer violence and other security threats.

Forty frontline officers from Tajikistan’s Border Troops and Customs Service learned how to effectively detect and eliminate weapons of mass destruction at border checkpoints.

The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) presented a report titled ‘Two schools under one roof’: The Most Visible Example of Discrimination in Education in Bosnia and Herzegovina on 3 December 2018 in Sarajevo...

WARSAW, 3 December 2018 On the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, Ingibjörg Sólrún Gísladóttir, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), called on participating States to take measures to further ensure that electoral processes and information are accessible to persons with disabilities.

Compared with the previous reporting period, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more in Luhansk region. The SMM observed multiple launch rocket systems in violation of the withdrawal lines in non-government-controlled areas of Luhansk region. The SMM followed up at entry-exit checkpoints on possible impacts of the introduction of martial law. The Mission’s access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas, as well as near Zaichenko, Novoselivka Druha and at compounds on both sides of the contact line.

• Compared with the previous reporting period, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and fewer in Luhansk region. • The Mission followed up on reports of a civilian injured due to shelling in Holmivskyi. • The SMM observed anti-aircraft guns and infantry fighting vehicles inside the Zolote disengagement area. • The SMM observed tanks in violation of the withdrawal lines near Novoselivka. • In Lviv, the Mission followed up on reports of arson attacks at two Alfa-Bank branches. • In Kyiv, the SMM monitored a protest. • The SMM’s access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas as well as in Valuiky and near Starolaspa.

From 26 to 30 November 2018, the OSCE Mission in Kosovo delivered training course on international standards and the Kosovo legal framework on protection of property rights to 145 law students of Prishtinë/Priština University.

SARAJEVO, 30 November 2018 – Over 80 participants from defence and security sector institutions, civil society, academia and international organizations gathered at the 11th Annual Review Conference on Compliance with OSCE and UN Security Commitments of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), which concluded today in Sarajevo...

CHISINAU, 30 November 2018 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Désir today called on the Moldovan authorities to put more efforts into strengthening media freedom and pluralism in the country as he ended a three-day visit to Moldova...

Challenges and good practices in the field of integrating migrants were the focus of an expert workshop held by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) in Tbilisi on 29 November 2018. Experts from ten OSCE participating States took part in the discussion. The

Twenty Mongolian law enforcement personnel, including four women, from the country’s Forensics Institute, the national police and the border protection, customs and immigration agencies completed a five-day advanced training course in Ulaanbaatar on 30 November 2018 to increase their operational awareness in detecting forged documents. The course was organized by the Border Security and Management Unit of the OSCE Transnational Threats Department in co-operation with the Mongolian Law Enforcement University and Austria’s Federal Ministry of the Interior...

Building the capacity of teaching staff to provide training on effective and human rights-compliant policing in Roma communities was the focus of a course organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) in Košice, Slovakia, from 27 to 30 November 2018.

A roundtable discussion to explore practical ways of ensuring meaningful public participation in lawmaking was hosted by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) in Warsaw on 30 November 2018. The event brought together 24 experts (14 women and ten men) from 11

VIENNA, 30 November 2018 – A renewed understanding and commitment is needed to reinvigorate the negotiation process and normalize the situation on the ground in eastern Ukraine, the Chief Monitor of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine, Ertugrul Apakan, said in his address to the OSCE Permanent Council on Thursday in Vienna...

As part of the global campaign 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence, the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe launched a nationwide awareness-raising campaign in five regions with a special focus on remote areas.

A four-day training seminar on implementing administrative anti-corruption practices, co-organized by the OSCE Programme Office in Astana and the Civil Service Affairs and Anti-Corruption Agency, concluded in Astana on 29 November 2018. Some 50 representatives from the agency’s central and regional offices participated in the seminar...

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more in Luhansk region, compared with the previous reporting period. The SMM recorded ceasefire violations inside the Petrivske disengagement area. Its access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas. The Mission facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable an assessment of a water pipeline near Popasna. It continued to facilitate the operation of the Donetsk Filtration Station. In Kyiv, the SMM monitored a protest at a shopping mall reportedly owned by a Russian businessman. It also monitored a public gathering in Mariupol on the developments at sea near the Kerch Strait...

Some 120 criminal justice experts from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Mongolia, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan gathered in Bishkek from 27 to 29 November 2018 for the Seventh Expert Forum on Criminal Justice for Central Asia. The event was organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions

TBILISI, 29 November 2018 – The second round of Georgia’s presidential election was competitive and candidates were able to campaign freely; however one side enjoyed an undue advantage and the negative character of the campaign on both sides undermined the process, the international observers concluded in a preliminary statement released today. While the election was well administered, the absence of regulations for key aspects of election run-offs led to a lack of legal certainty, the statement says...

Integrated domestic waste management was the focus of a workshop hosted by the State Committee of Uzbekistan on Ecology and Environmental Protection in co-operation with the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan (PCUz) and with the support of several private companies from 27 to 29 November in Tashkent...

Strengthening preparedness and protection against terrorist attacks aimed at critical energy infrastructure was the focus of a risk-assessment and crisis management exercise held in Kazakhstan’s capital on 28 and 29 November 2018, organized by the OSCE Transnational Threats Department and the OSCE Programme Office in Astana...

On 28 November 2018 Ukraine’s Central Election Commission (CEC) installed equipment and software provided by the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine for ensuring comprehensive technical protection of the State Voter Register, as part of efforts aimed at enhancing security of election administration systems from digital threats. This is an important step in the implementation of the CEC’s plans to enhance the cybersecurity of election administration during the 2019 votes.

Compared with the previous reporting period, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and fewer in Luhansk region. The Mission observed towed howitzers in violation of the withdrawal lines near Mykhailivka. The SMM recorded ceasefire violations near the Zolote and the Petrivske disengagement areas. The Mission continued to facilitate the operation of the Donetsk Filtration Station. In Kyiv, the SMM monitored a protest against Russian businesses in Ukraine. It observed a calm situation in front of the Embassy and the Consulate of the Russian Federation. The Mission observed a calm situation at the crossing point in Chonhar and at a Ukrainian Border Guard Service position in Valok in the south-eastern part of Kherson region. The access for the SMM remained restricted in all three disengagement areas as well as near Markyne, an area close to the border with the Russian Federation, and near Zaichenko...

A two-day national workshop for representatives of the public authorities of Kazakhstan and the country’s business associations, aimed at implementing the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Trade Facilitation Agreement, organized and moderated by the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities (OCEEA) and supported by the OSCE Programme Office in Astana, was held on 27 and 28 November in Astana...

A group of 15 young Tajik Gender Champions, eight women and seven men, visited Skopje to network and learn about the advancement of women during an educational visit from 17 to 21 November 2018. The visit was organized by the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe.

Fifty-five defence attorneys and police officers strengthened their capacity to identify and effectively address bias-motivated offences at training sessions conducted by the OSCE Mission to Moldova in Chisinau, Comrat and Vadul-lui-Vodă between 21 and 27 November 2018...

A team of election experts from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) presented the  final report of the ODIHR election observation mission for the October 2017 presidential election in Kyrgyzstan during their visit to Bishkek from 26 to 28 November 2018. The report’s

Compared with the previous 24 hours, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Following developments at sea near the Kerch Strait, the SMM continued to monitor the security situation and observed protests in different regions of Ukraine. The Mission observed heavy weapons in violation of withdrawal lines in Karlivka and Lebedynske. The SMM recorded ceasefire violations inside the Zolote disengagement area and near the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area. The SMM facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to the Petrivske pumping station near Artema and to enable an assessment of a water pipeline near Popasna. The Mission also continued to facilitate the operation of the Donetsk Filtration Station. In Zakarpattia and Lviv regions, the SMM monitored protests blocking roads leading to the international border crossing points in relation to import taxes. The SMM’s access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas as well as near Bezimenne and Novoazovsk, an area close to the border with the 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...

Diminishing incentives for coercion in criminal justice systems and examining ways to strengthen or effectively implement safeguards against torture and other ill-treatment were the focus of an event organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the

The OSCE Mission to Montenegro organized three workshops aiming to strengthen the capacity of parliamentary committees in maintaining inclusiveness, upholding international standards, communicating with media, citizens and civil society, as well as in improving co-operation with independent state institutions on 5, 19 and 26 November 2018 in Podgorica.

A specialized workshop for Belarus law enforcement officials on challenges in combating corruption and financial crimes that make use of new technologies concluded on 27 November 2018 in Minsk...

Strengthening co-operation in tourism between local communities was the focus of a conference organized by the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina in co-operation with the city of Goražde and the municipalities of Foča, Rudo, and Višegrad, held on 27 November 2018 in Goražde...

An OSCE-organized workshop for senior border officials from Turkmenistan and Afghanistan on inter-agency co-operation in border security and management took place in Ashgabat from 19 to 23 November 2018...

VIENNA/ROME, 27 November 2018- OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Enzo Moavero Milanesi and Secretary General Thomas Greminger today called for restraint and dialogue to de-escalate the already tense situation in the Azov Sea and the Kerch Strait.

VIENNA, 26 November 2018- The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, today expressed his concern over the restrictive impact on the distribution of Serbian print media in Kosovo following the introduction of recent trade measures. He recalled the necessity to preserve all citizen’s right to access to information in their language...

Compared with the previous reporting period, between the evenings of 23 and 24 November, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Between the evenings of 24 and 25 November, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more in Luhansk region, compared with the previous 24 hours. The SMM monitored the security situation following developments at sea near the Kerch Strait. The Mission observed heavy weapons in violation of the withdrawal lines in Kostiantynivka. The SMM recorded ceasefire violations inside the Stanytsia Luhanska and Zolote disengagement areas. The SMM facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to a water pipeline in Pervomaisk and continued to facilitate the operation of the Donetsk Filtration Station. In Kyiv, Lviv and Kherson, the Mission monitored public gatherings commemorating the 85th anniversary of Holodomor. The SMM’s access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas, as well as near Kostiantynivka, Novolaspa, Zaichenko and two areas close to the border with the Russian Federation, Voznesenivka and Novoazovsk.

Strengthening police and community interaction to address safety and security issues affecting communities was the focus of a series of training courses conducted by the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe, in co-operation with the international organization Saferworld.