News and press releases

PARIS, 16 November 2016 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović today urged members of the parliament in the Czech Republic to abolish an amendment making defamation of the country’s president a criminal offence...

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...

The First Regional Forum of South-Eastern European Equality Bodies’ was organized in Belgrade on 16 November 2016 to mark the International Tolerance Day...

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region compared with 13 November. In Luhansk region, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations compared with 13 November. The Mission followed up on reports of shelling and civilian casualties on both sides of the contact line. 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 two occasions in “DPR”-controlled areas north-east of Mariupol and once at a Ukrainian Armed Forces compound.* The SMM observed weapons regulated by the Memorandum in violation of the withdrawal lines in Serednoteple and Trokhizbenka. The Mission observed long queues at entry-exit checkpoints along the contact line near Stanytsia Luhanska and Horlivka. In Luhansk region the SMM visited two border areas currently not under government control. In Kyiv, the Mission observed a public gathering outside the National Bank of Ukraine...

The last in a series of three OSCE-supported regional roundtable discussions on promoting green technologies with a focus on organic agriculture concluded on 15 November 2016 in Kokshetau, Kazakhstan...

The OSCE Mission to Montenegro, in co-operation with the Union of Municipalities of Montenegro, supported a three-day workshop aimed at enhancing the capacities of the Network of Municipal Project Co-ordinators, from 9 to 11 November 2016, in Herceg Novi...

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations on both 12 and 13 November in Donetsk region compared with 11 November. In Luhansk region, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations on 12 November and fewer violations on 13 November, as compared with 11 November. The Mission followed up on reports of shelling as well as civilian and non-civilian casualties on both sides of the contact line. The Mission continued to monitor the disengagement process in Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote, and Petrivske, and faced restriction of its freedom of movement in all three areas.* The SMM observed long queues at entry-exit checkpoints along the contact line and shelling in the vicinity of civilian crossing areas. The SMM observed the presence of mines in populated areas. In Luhansk region the Mission visited two border areas currently not under government control...