News and press releases

MINSK, 23 November 2016 – The Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office in Ukraine and in the Trilateral Contact Group (TCG) Martin Sajdik made the following press statement after the meeting of the TCG and its Working Groups in Minsk on 23 November 2016:

VIENNA, 23 November 2016 – On the 5th anniversary of the death of Azerbaijani writer and newspaper columnist Rafiq Tagi, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović reitirated her call to Azerbaijan and all other OSCE participating States to ensure journalists’ safety and end impunity for crimes against them...

VIENNA, 23 November 2016 – The need to gender mainstream operational responses by the security sector in countering violent extremism and radicalization that lead to terrorism (VERLT) was highlighted during a two-day technical expert meeting of more than 80 law enforcement and government officials from across the OSCE region, which concluded today in Vienna...

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations both in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, compared with the previous reporting period. In Donetsk region most ceasefire violations concentrated in the Avdiivka-Yasynuvata area and areas north-east and east of Mariupol. The SMM continued to monitor the disengagement process in Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske, and faced restrictions of its freedom of movement in all three areas.* The SMM’s freedom of movement was further restricted on seven occasions (three in government-controlled areas and four in areas not under government control). In Marinka the SMM saw school children and staff moving from classrooms to a shelter after they had heard explosions; during its observation in the school the SMM also heard explosions in close proximity. The SMM monitored two border areas currently not under government control. On the evening of 21 November in Kyiv, the Mission continued to monitor a public gathering, where incidents were registered...

CHISINAU, 23 November 2016 – Representatives of OSCE participating States in Central and Eastern Europe as well as international organizations and civil society concluded a three-day workshop today in Chisinau on contemporary trends in labour migration and gender in Central and Eastern Europe...

An anti-corruption youth-public-private partnership forum offering practical knowledge and know-how in the fight against corruption was held on 18 20 November 2016 in Aghveran, Kotayk region of Armenia with the support of the OSCE Office in Yerevan...

The OSCE Programme Office in Astana organized a study visit to the Austrian Energy Institute in Vienna, Austria and the Green Technologies Centre Umweltarena in Spreitenbach, Switzerland for a group of three high-level Energy Ministry officials and one civil society expert to familiarize with the operations of green technologies centres from 21 to 23 November 2016...