News and press releases

TAJIKISTAN, 25 November 2016 – As part of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence global campaign, the OSCE Office in Tajikistan launched a nationwide awareness-raising drive in five target regions with a special focus on remote areas. The campaign, from 25 November to 10 December 2016, will reach 42 settlements and the events include mobile theatre performances, television and radio programmes, interactive information sessions as well as thematic meetings...

On 24 November 2016 at 06:34 (Moscow time), the 56th Russian convoy arrived at the Donetsk Border Crossing Point (BCP). A total of 17 vehicles were checked by the Russian border guards and customs services prior to them crossing into Ukraine. All of the 17 vehicles had crossed back into the Russian Federation by 14:30 hrs on 24 November...

More than 30 human rights defenders took part in a workshop on human rights monitoring for civil society in Ukraine concluding a series of similar training and capacity building events carried out in the country since 2015 by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR). The workshop took place in Chernihiv from 22 to 24 November 2016.

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more in Luhansk region compared with the previous reporting period. The Mission recorded multiple rockets in flight in the Avdiivka-Yasynuvata-Donetsk airport area. It continued to monitor the disengagement process in Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske and was restricted in its movement on three occasions.* The SMM’s freedom of movement was restricted on a further five instances. The SMM monitored three border areas not controlled by the Government. The SMM facilitated and monitored repair works on both sides of the contact line...

The OSCE Mission to Montenegro and its international partners organized a two-day workshop on Lessons Learned after the 2016 Parliamentary Elections, for staff of the State Election Commission (SEC) and of the Municipal Election Commissions (MEC) on 21-22 November 2016 in Budva. The event was followed by three-day training on International Standards in Election Administration...

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...