News and press releases

Communication and presentation skills were the topic for the second in a series of educational training courses held for representatives of Montenegro’s Parliament from 29 to 30 September 2016 in Podgorica...

The principles of anti-discrimination, standards in gender equality, the relevant legal framework, gender-sensitive language, and the portrayal of women in the media were among the topics of a two-day training course supported by the OSCE Mission to Montenegro held for Municipal Gender Focal Points from 12 municipalities, which concluded on 30 September 2016 in Podgorica...

WARSAW, 30 September 2016 – The free and open exchange of views and information is vital to helping governments protect and promote human rights, fundamental freedoms and tolerance and non-discrimination, as well as to improve and strengthen democratic practices and institutions, Gernot Erler, Germany’s Special Representative for the 2016 OSCE Chairmanship, Lamberto Zannier, OSCE Secretary General, and Michael Georg Link, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), said today on the occasion of the closing of a two-week OSCE conference in Warsaw...

In Donetsk region the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations, including 144 explosions, more than half of them recorded in the Avdiivka-Yasynuvata area, compared with 187 explosions in the previous reporting period. In Luhansk region the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations, including six explosions, compared with one single violation in the previous reporting period. The Mission continued to monitor the disengagement process near Stanytsia Luhanska, Petrivske, and Zolote, and it noted a relatively calm situation. The Mission was restricted nine times in its freedom of movement, including on both sides of the Shchastia bridge and in the disengagement areas near Petrivske-Bohdanivka and Zolote-Pervomaisk. It was also blocked by a crowd at a “DPR” checkpoint near Horlivka. The Mission continued to facilitate and monitor repair works in Luhansk region. The SMM monitored one border area not controlled by the Government. In Odessa the SMM continued to monitor the security situation surrounding the protest against the mayor and followed up on an alleged arson attack on one of the protestors’ tents...

Equal economic opportunities, women’s active engagement in political and public life and combating domestic violence were the focus of a discussion held by OSCE field operations in Armenia, Moldova and Tajikistan on 28 September 2016 in Warsaw, Poland, at a side event to the OSCE Human Dimension Implementation Meeting...

A two-day seminar aimed at fostering internal co-operation and co-ordination between the uniformed police and criminal investigation departments, organized by the OSCE Mission to Skopje, in co-operation with the Ministry of Internal Affairs, began on 29 September 2016 in Skopje...

VIENNA, 29 September 2016 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović welcomed the UN Human Rights Council’s passing today of a resolution on the safety of journalists...