News and press releases

An OSCE Programme Office in Astana-supported seminar on the protection of freedom of expression and policies to counter hate speech on the Internet, co-organized with the NGO Legal Media Centre, took place on 5 October 2018 in Uralsk, Kazakhstan.

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more in Luhansk region, compared with the previous reporting period. The Mission continued to follow up on reports of injuries caused by an explosion in Donetsk city. The SMM recorded ceasefire violations inside the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area. Its access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas, as well as near 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 and maintenance to power lines in Raivka, the phenol sludge reservoir near Zalizne, the Krasnohorivka gas distribution station, as well as to enable demining in the area of Zolote-2/Karbonit...

VIENNA, 4 October 2018 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, expressed his deep concern today about a decision by Ukraine’s parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, that calls for sanctions against two Ukrainian television channels, which would eventually terminate their activities...

International rule of law standards related to the use of e-justice mechanisms were the topic of a seminar organized on 4 October 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 Institute

I welcome today’s decision by the Verkhovna Rada to prolong the effect of the law on the special status of certain areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions until the end of 2019.

Practical measures that can advance parliamentary openness were discussed during an event co-organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) on 4 October 2018 in Bishkek, on the margins of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s Autumn Meeting. The event, organized in

VIENNA, 4 October 2018 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Désir today welcomed the arrests of four suspects in Kolarovo and Komarno on 27 and 28 September, and the statement by Slovakia’s General Prosecutor that they are getting closer to fully resolving the double murder of the investigative journalist Jan Kuciak and his fiancée, Martina Kušnirova...

A four-day national workshop on trade facilitation for e-commerce bringing together more than 50 representatives from public authorities of Moldova and relevant businesses concluded on 4 October 2018 in Chisinau...

VIENNA, 4 October 2018 – OSCE Secretary General Thomas Greminger and UN Under-Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Office (UNOCT) Vladimir Voronkov today agreed to strengthen co-operation between the two organizations in addressing key challenges and supporting international efforts related to preventing and countering terrorism...

NEW YORK, United States of America, 3 October 2018 – Regional organizations play a crucial role in preventive diplomacy and the promotion of resilient societies, concluded participants in a panel discussion hosted by the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities and the Italian Permanent Representation to the United Nations yesterday in New York...

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, compared with the previous reporting period. It followed up on reports of a woman injured by a bullet in Maiorsk and injuries caused by an explosion in Donetsk city. The SMM recorded ceasefire violations inside the Zolote disengagement area. Its access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas as well as near Novolaspa. The Mission continued to facilitate the operation of the Donetsk Filtration Station. It also facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs and maintenance to power lines in Zolote-5/Mykhailivka and Olenivka, as well as to the phenol sludge reservoir near Zalizne and the Krasnohorivka gas distribution station. In Kyiv, the SMM monitored a gathering in front of the Parliament building...

WASHINGTON D.C., 3 October 2018 – The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) today officially opened a limited election observation mission for the mid-term congressional elections to be held in the United States on 6 November. The mission's deployment follows an invitation from the United States Government...

Monitoring the implementation of national human rights strategies and action plans was the focus of a workshop for Ukrainian civil servants organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) from 1 to 3 October 2018 in Kyiv.

The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) organized two panels – on war crimes and on trafficking in human beings and gender-based violence – at the three-day Annual Prosecutorial Conference on Criminal Matters, held on 1-3 October 2018 in Neum, Bosnia and Herzegovina...

MINSK, 3 October 2018- Ambassador Martin Sajdik, Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office in Ukraine and in the Trilateral Contact Group, and Ambassador Ertuğrul Apakan, Chief Monitor of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission, issued yesterday the following statement:..

MINSK, 2 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 2 October 2018:...

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...

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 unmanned aerial vehicle near Zhovte. The Mission followed up on reports of a girl injured by shelling in Staromykhailivka and children killed and injured by an explosion in Horlivka. The SMM recorded a ceasefire violation near the Zolote disengagement area. Its access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas as well as near Zaichenko, Tavrycheske, Bezimenne, Sosnivske, and Novoazovsk near the border with the Russian Federation.* The SMM observed weapons in violation of agreed withdrawal lines on both sides of the contact line. The Mission continued to facilitate the operation of the Donetsk Filtration Station. It also facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs and maintenance to the phenol sludge reservoir near Zalizne, to the Krasnohorivka gas distribution station and to high-voltage powerlines near Zhovte. In Kyiv region, the SMM observed an incident during a court hearing for a journalist and followed up on reports of damage to the offices of the Russian Federation Trade Representation and of a member of parliament...

Persisting challenges within and beyond the OSCE area with regard to the meaningful participation of women to international peace and security efforts were the focus of discussions at the OSCE-wide conference “Women in the Security Sector: Challenges for the OSCE Area and Beyond”, held in Vienna on 1 October 2018. The event was organized by the Italian OSCE Chairmanship in co-operation with the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the OSCE Gender section.

More than 25 representatives of the Agency for Interethnic Relations, the Ombudsman’s office and the Council for Preventing and Eliminating Discrimination and Ensuring Equality completed a two-day training course on national minority issues on 2 October 2018 in Chisinau. Organized by the OSCE Mission to Moldova, the course aimed at enhancing the capacity and co-operation among the state actors involved in implementing the National Strategy for Consolidation of Interethnic Relations for 2017‒2027...

VIENNA, 2 October 2018 – How to advance, streamline and ensure an effective OSCE approach to the non-proliferation of Small arms and light weapons (SALW) and in strengthening the safety and security of Stockpiles of conventional ammunition is the focus of a two-day meeting which opened today in Vienna...

The implementation of the Aarhus Convention’s principles in Kazakhstan was the focus of an OSCE-supported roundtable discussion held on 2 October 2018 in Astana...

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more in Luhansk region between the evenings of 28 and 29 September, compared with the previous reporting period. Between the evenings of 29 and 30 September, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions, compared with the previous 24 hours. The SMM followed up on reports of children killed and injured by an explosion in Horlivka, as well as a person injured and damage caused by an explosion in Donetsk city. The Mission recorded a ceasefire violation inside the Petrivske disengagement area. Its access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas as well as near Zaichenko, Novoazovsk, Tavrycheske, Bezimenne, Yuzhna-Lomuvatka and Izvaryne.* The SMM observed weapons in violation of agreed withdrawal lines in the Petrivske disengagement area and near Dokuchaievsk. The SMM continued to facilitate the operation of the Donetsk Filtration Station and also facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs and maintenance to the phenol sludge reservoir near Zalizne. The Mission monitored public gatherings in Mariupol, and followed up on reports of water contamination in Makiivka.

The situation of human rights defenders in Mongolia was the topic of discussion during a roundtable event organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) on 28 September 2018 in Ulaanbaatar. The event brought together 43 participants (25 women and 18 men) from

VIENNA, 1 October 2018- The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, today welcomed the entry into force of a new law in the Netherlands which provides enhanced protection for the confidentiality of journalists’ sources...

Thirty-five legal professionals and civil society activists from both banks of the Dniester/Nistru River participated in an OSCE-supported training workshop in Ribnita on 28 September 2018 on the legal aspects of providing assistance to survivors of domestic violence...

SKOPJE, 1 October 2018 – Although the legal framework did not sufficiently cover all aspects of the process, the 30 September referendum in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia was administered impartially and fundamental freedoms were respected, the international observers concluded in a statement today. The absence of an organized “Against” or boycott campaign meant the media struggled to provide balanced coverage, although they did convey extensive information and a diverse range of views to voters...

The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) handed over to the Gender Centre of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH) software for an electronic database on domestic violence cases, at a ceremony held on 1 October 2018 in Sarajevo...

WASHINGTON D.C., 1 October 2018 – The limited election observation mission from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) to observe the 6 November mid-term congressional elections in the United States will hold a press conference in Washington D.C. on Wednesday, 3 October, at 12:00...

VIENNA, 30 September 2018 – On the second anniversary of the detention of Ukrainian National News Agency Ukrinform’s journalist Roman Sushchenko, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Désir repeated his call to the Russian authorities to release the journalist from prison.

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, compared with the previous reporting period. In Pikuzy, the Mission followed up on reports of civilian casualties and observed fresh damage caused by shelling. In Pervomaisk, the SMM observed fresh damage caused by shelling. The Mission recorded a ceasefire violation inside the Zolote disengagement area. Its access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas as well as near Zaichenko, Novolaspa, Siedove and Novoazovsk near the border with the Russian Federation.* The SMM observed weapons in violation of agreed withdrawal lines on both sides of the contact line. The Mission again observed anti-tank mines near Travneve and Holmivskyi. The SMM continued to facilitate the operation of the Donetsk Filtration Station. The Mission also facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs and maintenance to the phenol sludge reservoir near Zalizne, to the Krasnohorivka gas distribution station and to water infrastructure in Stanytsia Luhanska and near Artema. In Lviv, the SMM followed up on reports of an attack against civil activists. The Mission monitored public gatherings in Kyiv, Kharkiv and Lviv in relation to attacks against activists in recent months.

The SMM recorded a similar number of ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more in Luhansk region, compared with the previous reporting period. The Mission observed ceasefire violations near the Zolote disengagement area. Its access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas; it was also restricted near Hranitne, Novolaspa and Novoazovsk, near the border with the Russian Federation.* The Mission continued to facilitate the operation of the Donetsk Filtration Station. It also facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs and maintenance to the phenol sludge reservoir near Zalizne, to the Krasnohorivka gas distribution station and to water infrastructure in Stanytsia Luhanska and near Artema.

The third annual edition of the Extracurricular Workshop on International Criminal Law and Transitional Justice, organized by the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina, for law students was held between 23 and 28 September 2018 in Sarajevo...

Enhancing the capacities of law enforcement officers to counter religiously motivated terrorist organizations in line with international best practices was the aim of a five-day training course for some 20 counter-terrorism officers from the Interior Ministry, which concluded on 28 September 2018. The course was organized by the OSCE Mission to Skopje, in co-operation with the Turkish National Police...

ROME, 28 September 2018- Innovative measures to lower the risks of conflict between states in cyberspace such as emerging technological features, policy engagement, public-private partnerships are the focus of the 2018 OSCE-wide Conference on Cyber/ICT Security taking place in Rome today...

VIENNA, 28 September 2018 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, welcomed today the arrest of eight persons in Slovakia in connection with the murders of journalist Ján Kuciak and his fiancée, Martina Kušnírová in February 2018...

VIENNA, 28 September 2018 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, in a letter to the authorities of the United Kingdom today, conveyed his concerns regarding the draft Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Bill currently under consideration by the country’s Parliament. While the draft law sets out additional powers to help tackle terrorism, Désir said he was concerned about the potential impact of the proposed legislation on media freedom...

VIENNA, 28 September 2018 – A genuine willingness is required if a full sustainable ceasefire is to be achieved in eastern Ukraine, the Chief Monitor of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), Ertugrul Apakan, said in his address to the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna yesterday...

Considering the Regional Youth Co-operation Office (RYCO) as a key partner for promoting the spirit of reconciliation among the region’s youth, the OSCE Mission to Montenegro, with the RYCO Local Branch Office, organized a three-day capacity-building training for 23 potential RYCO applicants between 25 and 28 September 2018.

NEW YORK, 28 September 2018- The first-ever memorandum of understanding between the OSCE and the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) was signed on 27 September by OSCE Secretary General Thomas Greminger and UN Women Deputy Executive Director Yannick Glemarec.

The Arabic version of the OSCE Guidebook on Intelligence-Led Policing was published in Vienna on 28 September 2018...

NEW YORK CITY, United States of America, 27 September 2018 – The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group (Igor Popov of the Russian Federation, Stephane Visconti of France, and Andrew Schofer of the United States of America) met separately and jointly with the Foreign Minister of Armenia, Zohrab Mnatsakanyan, and the Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan, Elmar Mammadyarov, between 25 and 27 September on the margins of the UN General Assembly. The Co-Chairs were joined in their meetings by the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Andrzej Kasprzyk. They also met with the OSCE Secretary General, UN Under-Secretary General for Political Affairs, and a representative of the Italian OSCE Chairmanship...

VIENNA, 27 September 2018 – Yesterday's attack on another investigative journalist in Bulgaria is unacceptable, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, said in Vienna today...

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and fewer in Luhansk region, compared with the previous reporting period. The SMM observed impact sites in Horlivka. The SMM recorded an explosion inside the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area. The Mission’s access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas; it was also restricted again near Zaichenko. The SMM observed weapons in violation of agreed withdrawal lines in Bezimenne. The SMM observed long queues of civilians travelling across the contact line at the Stanytsia Luhanska bridge. The Mission continued to facilitate the operation of the Donetsk Filtration Station. It also facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs and maintenance to the phenol sludge reservoir near Zalizne, to the Krasnohorivka gas distribution station between Marinka and Oleksandrivka and to water infrastructure in Stanytsia Luhanska and near Artema, as well as demining in Pishchane...

On 27 September at 06:33 (Moscow time), the seventy-ninth Russian convoy arrived at the Donetsk Border Crossing Point (BCP). A total of 16 vehicles were checked by Russian Federation border guards and customs officers prior to their crossing into Ukraine. All 16 vehicles had crossed back into the Russian Federation by 14:01 on 27 September...

The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) presented its spot report on the implementation of the National War Crimes Processing Strategy in Sarajevo on 27 September 2018...

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, compared with the previous reporting period. The SMM heard ceasefire violations near the Zolote disengagement area. The Mission’s access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas; it was also restricted in Pikuzy and Kozatske. The SMM observed weapons in violation of agreed withdrawal lines in Dyliivka and Kalynove. The Mission continued to facilitate the operation of the Donetsk Filtration Station. It also facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs and maintenance works to the phenol sludge reservoir near Zalizne, water pipelines near Maiorsk and Horlivka, the Krasnohorivka gas distribution station between Marinka and Oleksandrivka, and water infrastructure in Slovianoserbsk and near Artema, as well as to enable demining in Pishchane. The SMM observed a calm situation at the ABL near Chonhar in Kherson region...

VIENNA, 26 September 2018 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, today said he had taken note of the resolution by the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, which aims at improving judicial practice in cases of alleged online extremist content...

An OSCE-supported three-day training seminar on climate change adaptation measures concluded on 26 September 2018 in Almaty...

CHISINAU / BOLZANO, Italy, 26 September 2018- Best practices for developing and implementing bilingual and multilingual education programmes and curricula were the focus of a three-day study visit by a group of representatives from Moldova’s state and civil society institutions to the Autonomous Province of Alto Adige/South Tyrol in northern Italy, which concluded today. The visit was organized by the OSCE Mission to Moldova and the Office of the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities (HCNM) with the support of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Italian Embassy in Moldova...