News and press releases

MINSK, 17 October 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 16 October 2018:...

VIENNA, 17 October 2018 – Security threats, migration, conflict prevention and regional engagement were the focus of the League of Arab States- OSCE high-level workshop held today in Vienna...

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, compared with the previous 24 hours. In Zolote-5/Mykhailivka, the SMM continued to follow up on two fatalities caused by shelling. The Mission observed damage caused by shelling in a residential area of Zolote-4/Rodina. The SMM heard and saw explosions and heard small-arms fire near the SMM inside the Zolote disengagement area. The Mission recorded ceasefire violations near the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area and saw newly dug trenches in the Petrivske disengagement area. The SMM’s access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas as well as near Zaichenko, Verkhnoshyrokivske, Bezimenne, Volnovakha and at a railway station in Voznesenivka, near the border with the Russian Federation.* The SMM facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable demining in Zolote 2/Karbonit. The Mission monitored events related to the Defender of Ukraine Day in Dnipro. In Kyiv, the SMM followed up on reports that a large number of people had been detained near the Pecherska Lavra...

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...

BRUSSELS / VIENNA, 16 October 2018- The World Customs Organization (WCO) and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) agreed to deepen their co-operation in addressing emerging and evolving security threats under a Working Arrangement document signed today by the Organizations’ Secretaries General Kunio Mikuriya and Thomas Greminger, respectively...

Best practices in dealing with violent extremism and radicalization that lead to terrorism (VERLT), particularly the challenge of returning foreign fighters, is the focus of a three-day international conference that opened in Ohrid on 16 October 2018...

A ten-day OSCE regional course for some 30 military and civilian experts entitled Becoming an Intelligent Customer for Safe Demilitarization Operations began on 16 October 2018 in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

KYIV, 15 October 2018- Chief Monitor of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM) Ertugrul Apakan called today for restraint and full adherence to the agreed ceasefire in eastern Ukraine...

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and fewer in Luhansk region between the evenings of 12 and 13 October, compared with the previous reporting period. Between the evenings of 13 and 14 October, the Mission recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, compared with the previous 24 hours. In Zolote-5/Mykhailivka, the SMM followed up on reports of civilian casualties and observed damage caused by shelling. The Mission also observed damage caused by shelling and gunfire in residential areas of Yasynuvata and Chermalyk. It recorded ceasefire violations inside the Zolote disengagement area and near the Stanytsia Luhanska and Petrivske disengagement areas. The SMM’s access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas as well as near Zaichenko, Novoazovsk and Leonove, near the border with the Russian Federation.* The Mission observed weapons in violation of the agreed withdrawal lines on both sides of the contact line. The SMM facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable demining in Zolote 2/Karbonit. The Mission monitored events related to the Defender of Ukraine Day in different cities as well as a march on the occasion of the anniversary of the founding of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army in Kyiv...

A manual designed to assist law enforcement officers in South-East Europe in launching controlled delivery operations to combat the trafficking of illicit drugs and their precursors has been updated by the Strategic Police Matters Unit of the OSCE Transnational Threats Department in co-operation with the Southeast European Law Enforcement Center (SELEC)...

The OSCE Mission to Montenegro, in partnership with the Human and Minority Rights Ministry and the Department for Gender Equality of Montenegro, organized a series of workshops on “Developing Guidelines to Implement Gender Equality Local Action Plans(LAP)“ in Montenegrin municipalities of Nikšić, Plužine, Bijelo Polje and Bar from 8 to 12 October 2018...

VIENNA, 15 October 2018 – On the eve of the first anniversary of the horrific murder of Maltese journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Désir recalled the need to better ensure the safety of every journalist in the OSCE region, and called on the Maltese authorities to ensure that all those involved in this killing face justice...

SKOPJE, 13 October 2018 – Students from 27 schools throughout the country gathered for a day of interaction, fun and entertainment as part of the Building Bridges Fund annual event in Skopje today, organized by the OSCE Mission to Skopje...

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more in Luhansk region, compared with the previous reporting period. It observed a fresh crater caused by shelling in a residential area of Sakhanka. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske, and observed ceasefire violations near the Petrivske and Zolote disengagement areas. An SMM patrol heard and saw an explosion near Pervomaisk, approximately 300m west of its location. The SMM’s access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas as well as near Siedove, Novoazovsk and Voznesenivka, near the border with the Russian Federation.* The SMM observed weapons in violation of the agreed withdrawal lines near Pidlisne. An SMM long-range unmanned aerial vehicle again spotted vehicles, including a truck carrying an armoured personnel carrier, entering and exiting Ukraine via an unpaved road in a non-government-controlled area of Donetsk region near the border with the Russian Federation where there are no border crossing facilities. The SMM facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to critical civilian infrastructure near Zalizne, Sakhanka, Artema, Donetskyi, Zolote-5/Mykhailivka and Krasnyi Lyman, as well as to enable demining in Zolote 2/Karbonit. In Kharkiv, the SMM observed a protest at an event hosted by an organization advocating for the rights of the LGBT community.

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and fewer in Luhansk region compared with the previous reporting period. It observed fresh bullet impacts at a forward position of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area and again observed military positions inside the Zolote disengagement area. The SMM’s access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas as well as again near Zoria and Verkhnoshyrokivske.* The SMM observed weapons in violation of the agreed withdrawal lines on both sides of the contact line. An SMM long-range unmanned aerial vehicle again spotted vehicles (including one carrying an anti-aircraft gun) in a non-government-controlled area of Donetsk region moving on a dirt road towards the border with the Russian Federation where there are no border crossing facilities; the SMM recalled the unmanned aerial vehicle due to multiple instances of GPS signal loss assessed as jamming. The SMM facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to critical civilian infrastructure near Zalizne, Marinka, Artema, Vesela Hora, Donetskyi, Krasnyi Lyman and Zolote-5/Mykhailivka, as well as to enable demining in Zolote 2/Karbonit. The SMM observed gatherings in protest of low salaries and high utility costs in Lviv, Dnipro and Ivano-Frankivsk and an evacuation caused by a bomb threat in Kherson.

COPENHAGEN, 12 October 2018 – Following a wave of detentions in Turkey in recent days, the leaders of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s human rights committee expressed concern that authorities were targeting political opponents in advance of local elections scheduled for March 2019.

A presentation of a new report commissioned by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) that examines the effectiveness of gender equality mechanisms at the regional level in Ukraine, was hosted by the Equal Opportunities Caucus of Ukraine’s parliament on 12 October 2018 in Kyiv.

Officials from Turkmenistan's Presidential Administration and the Ministry of Defence discussed best practices in enhancing ammunition stockpile security during an OSCE-organized study visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina that concluded on 12 October 2018.

Sixty-five prosecutors and judges improved their skills in investigating and prosecuting cybercrimes that target children during two workshops held in Vadul-lui-Voda, Moldova from 9 to 12 October 2018. The workshops were organized by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) in partnership with the OSCE Mission to Moldova and the US Embassy in Moldova...

The Head of the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina Bruce G. Berton, leading a delegation of Mission staff, lay a wreath of flowers at a memorial for civilian war victims in Žepče on 12 October 2018, and paid respect to all civilians who lost their lives in the 1992-1995 war in the country...

VIENNA, 12 October 2018- The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, welcomed the progress in the investigation of the brutal murder of the Bulgarian journalist Viktoria Marinova.

COPENHAGEN, 12 November 2018 – Election monitoring by members of parliament helps to emphasize the importance of democratic processes, said OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Vice-President Isabel Santos (MP, Portugal) Thursday at a high-level conference on the Future of Election Observation in Brussels...

VIENNA, 11 October 2018 – With one billion citizens of the OSCE area – or 15 per cent of the world’s population – relying on diplomacy to succeed in creating a world free from oppression, discrimination, poverty and violence, political will must be generated to ensure full implementation of OSCE commitments, Assembly President George Tsereteli (MP, Georgia) said today in Vienna...

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more in Luhansk region, compared with the previous reporting period. The Mission continued to facilitate the operation of the Donetsk Filtration Station; it heard small-arms fire overhead, despite security guarantees having been provided. The SMM followed up on reports that a man had been injured by an explosion while handling an explosive device in Lutuhyne.

The Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation hosted, on 8 October 2018 in Rome, a meeting of the Political Directors of the OSCE's 57 Participating States...

At an event on 10 and 11 October in Vienna, the Border Security and Management Unit of the OSCE’s Transnational Threats Department launched an online training course on mainstreaming gender in the security sector.

GENEVA, Switzerland, 11 October 2018 – The 45th round of the Geneva International Discussions took place on 10 October 2018.

SARAJEVO, 11 October 2018 –The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) supported the Faculty of Political Sciences of the University of Sarajevo and unions of social workers of the Federation of BiH and Republika Srpska at a conference dedicated to the education of social workers that concluded today in Sarajevo...

COPENHAGEN, 11 October 2018 – OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President George Tsereteli (MP, Georgia) has appointed Austrian parliamentarian Roman Haider to serve as the Assembly’s Special Representative on Central Asia...

At 8:59 on 10 October, an SMM patrol consisting of five members and two armoured vehicles was positioned on road H-20 approximately 1.5km south of Kamianka (government controlled, 20km north of Donetsk), and 3km north of the Donetsk Filtration Station.

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region but fewer ceasefire violations in Luhansk region, compared with the previous reporting period. The Mission followed up on reports of casualties in Maiorove and Zolote-5/Mykhailivka. The SMM observed damage as a result of shelling in Zolote-5/Mykhailivka. It continued monitoring all three disengagement areas, where its access remained restricted. The SMM’s access was also again restricted near Yuzhna-Lomuvatka and Verkhnoshyrokivske.* The SMM saw weapons in violation of the agreed withdrawal lines near Ocheretyne, Smolianynove and Metolkine. The Mission observed newly laid mines on both sides of the contact line. It continued to facilitate the operation of the Donetsk Filtration Station. The SMM also facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to the phenol sludge reservoir near Zalizne and to the Petrivske pumping station near Artema.

Enhancing responses to sexual and gender-based violence in Albania was the focus of a capacity building event that brought together police officers and civil society representatives in Tirana on 8 and 9 October 2018. The event was organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human

The role of legal professionals in ensuring the adequate protection of national minorities’ rights, by way of fair and effective investigation and adjudication, especially in cases related to hate crime, was the focus of...

WARSAW, 10 October 2018 – While underlining that most OSCE participating States had fully abolished capital punishment, Ingibjörg Sólrún Gísladóttir, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), expressed concern over suggestions in some countries that the death penalty be re-introduced in certain instances.

ANTALYA, 9 October 2018 – Participating in the Third Meeting of Speakers of Eurasian Countries’ Parliaments today, OSCE PA President George Tsereteli (MP, Georgia) voiced the necessity to respect international commitments to support sustainable growth across the OSCE area and beyond...

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions, compared with the previous 24 hours. The Mission followed up on reports of a woman who died due to natural causes at a checkpoint of the armed formations in Horlivka. It continued monitoring all three disengagement areas and recorded ceasefire violations inside and near the Zolote disengagement area. The SMM’s access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas and was also restricted near Yuzhna-Lomuvatka, Staromarivka and Syvash, as well as in Michurine, at a heavy weapons holding area in a government-controlled area of Donetsk region, and again near Zaichenko.

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.

PODGORICA, 9 October 2018 – Business challenges and opportunities for the sustainability of traditional media, the importance of diversifying revenue streams and investing in quality journalism in the digital age, is the focus of a two-day conference, which opened today in Podgorica...

MINSK, 9 October 2018 – While the widespread exploitation of the Internet and social media platforms by terrorists poses serious challenges to security, the Internet as a communication channel also plays an important role in preventing and countering terrorism, underlined participants today at the start of a two-day high-level international conference in Minsk...

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions between the evenings of 5 and 6 October, compared with the previous reporting period. Between the evenings of 6 and 7 October, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions, compared with the previous 24 hours. The SMM saw damage caused by shelling to a farm near Novoluhanske. The SMM continued monitoring all three disengagement areas; it recorded ceasefire violations inside the Stanytsia Luhanska and Zolote disengagement areas. Its access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas; it was also restricted near Novoazovsk, near the border with the Russian Federation, and again near Zaichenko. The SMM saw multiple launch rocket systems near Novoamvrosiivske. The Mission continued to facilitate the operation of the Donetsk Filtration Station. It also facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to the phenol sludge reservoir near Zalizne...

VIENNA, 8 October 2018 –Education is key to promoting human rights, peaceful coexistence and security in the OSCE region, participants said today at the opening of a two-day OSCE meeting in Vienna...

SARAJEVO, 8 October 2018 – The 7 October general elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina were genuinely competitive but characterized by continuing segmentation along ethnic lines, the international observers concluded in a preliminary statement released today. Long-standing deficiencies in the legal framework remain, and recent discussions on reform were stalled by political disagreements, further eroding trust in public institutions, the observers said...

VIENNA, 7 October 2018 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, today expressed his shock and condemnation at the news of the brutal murder of Viktoria Marinova, anchor and administrative director at TVN in Ruse, Bulgaria...

VIENNA, 7 October 2018 – On the 12th anniversary of the killing of Novaya Gazeta journalist Anna Politkovskaya, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, recalled the need to guarantee journalists’ safety, and insisted that the Russian authorities intensify their efforts to end impunity for crimes committed against journalists...

BISHKEK, 6 October 2018 – In advance of the 20 October parliamentary elections to be held in Afghanistan, the leaders of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s human rights committee express their deep concern at the arbitrary exclusion of candidates from running for office...

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, compared with the previous reporting period. The Mission followed up on a casualty as a result of an explosion in Kadiivka. Its access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas, as well as near Zaichenko and Yuzhna Lomuvatka. The Mission continued to facilitate the operation of the Donetsk Filtration Station. It also facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to and maintenance of critical water and electrical infrastructure in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, repairs to the phenol sludge reservoir near Zalizne, as well as demining in the area of Zolote-2/Karbonit...

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, compared with the previous reporting period. The Mission observed damage to civilian properties caused by shelling and gunfire in Chermalyk. It recorded ceasefire violations inside the Stanytsia Luhanska and near the Zolote disengagement areas. Its access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas, as well as near Zaichenko and near Izvaryne and Sievernyi, near the border with the Russian Federation. The SMM observed multiple launch rocket systems in violation of the agreed withdrawal lines near Khrustalnyi. The Mission continued to facilitate the operation of the Donetsk Filtration Station. It also facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to and maintenance of critical water and electrical infrastructure in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, repairs to the phenol sludge reservoir near Zalizne, as well as demining in the area of Zolote-2/Karbonit. In Kyiv, the Mission monitored the security situation in and around the Parliament building during proceedings in relation to legislation concerning local governance of areas outside of government control in Donetsk and Luhansk regions...

PODGORICA, 5 October 2018 – More than 50 participants from police, border and customs services, and the Ministries of Justice and Culture from South-east Europe and the Caucasus completed a five-day workshop in Podgorica today on combating illicit cross-border trafficking in cultural property...

BISHKEK, 5 October 2018 – Enhancing security dialogue in Central Asia, countering new challenges and threats in border areas, promoting Mediterranean co-operation and strengthening citizens’ engagement in building secure societies have been among the topics of debate at the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s 17th Autumn Meeting in Bishkek this week...

An OSCE-supported five-day media relations training seminar for prosecutors concluded on 5 October 2018 in the village of Koschi (near Astana), Kazakhstan.