News and press releases

THE HAGUE, 22 July 2016 – The Association for Historical Dialogue and Research (AHDR), a Cyprus-based non-governmental organization, has been named the winner of the 2016 Max van der Stoel Award...

TIRANA, 22 July 2016 – The OSCE Presence in Albania welcomes the Assembly’s adoption today of the set of constitutional amendments aimed at reforming the justice sector. We commend the Assembly for this fundamental achievement, which was supported tangibly by many international experts and diplomats...

ASTANA, 22 July 2016 – An OSCE-supported two-day training seminar for some 30 defence lawyers from the northern part of Kazakhstan began today in Astana, with the aim of enhancing their understanding, common interpretation and implementation of the new criminal procedure legislation...

BISHKEK, 22 July 2016 – Three public discussions on the regulatory legal acts regarding the use of natural resources and environmental protection are being organized from 19 July to 27 July 2016 by the OSCE Centre in Bishkek and the local Aarhus Centre in the districts of Toktogul, Aksy and Kadamjay in southern Kyrgyzstan...

Some 35 law-enforcement officers and social workers took part in the first in a series of five training seminars on anti-trafficking practices and procedures on 22 July 2016 in Kostanay with other workshops to be conducted in Almaty, Astana, Karaganda and Shymkent later this year...

The SMM recorded a similarly high number of ceasefire violations in Donetsk region compared with the previous reporting period, with violence focused in the Avdiivka-Yasynuvata area, northern Donetsk city and Horlivka. In Luhansk region, the SMM recorded an increase in the total number of recorded ceasefire violations, all of which occurred around Stanytsia Luhanska bridge, but noted a decrease in the total number of explosions. The SMM followed up on reports of shelling and injuries to civilians in Popasna, Avdiivka and Yasynuvata, and of damage to power lines leading to a water filtration station. It monitored the withdrawal of weapons. The Mission faced a restriction while monitoring a border area not controlled by the Government; its freedom of movement was restricted on four additional occasions, three of which were in areas outside government control.* In Kyiv, the SMM followed up on an explosion in a vehicle that led to the death of a journalist and monitored a demonstration against increases in utility rates...

ASTANA, 21 July 2016 – Some 25 Supreme and Regional Court judges, lawyers, journalists, media experts as well as representatives of the diplomatic corps and civil society today in Astana participated in OSCE-supported public hearings on the Supreme Court of Kazakhstan’s Decree on the “Application of legislation on protecting the honour, dignity and business reputation in judicial practice”...