News and press releases

The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) issued a final report on 8 July 2016 on the postponed early parliamentary elections in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, which were scheduled for 5 June 2016. The final report assesses whether the electoral process and activities conducted before the postponement of elections were in line with OSCE commitments, other international obligations and standards for democratic elections, and with national legislation.

Supporting the process of ethical standards reform and developing a code of conduct for members of the Verkhovna Rada, the Ukrainian parliament, was the focus of an event, co-organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), the Verkhovna Rada, the Agency for Legislative Initiatives, the USAID RADA Program and the Netherlands Institute for Multi-party Democracy.

The OSCE Office in Yerevan supported a summer school focusing on public international law from 30 June to 9 July 2016 which also included a two-day training course on international human rights law at the Russian-Armenian (Slavonic) University in Yerevan (RAU)...

Fifty-two representatives of Local Crime Prevention Centres (LCPCs) in Kyrgyztsan, including members of the courts of Aksakals (local elders), women and youth councils completed a two-day workshop supported by the OSCE Centre in Bishkek on 7July 2016 in Osh, with the aim of enhancing interactions between the police, civil organizations and the public...

BISHKEK, 8 July 2016 – As part of the first phase of the two-day military Command-Staff Exercise ‘Barrier 2016’, representatives of the State Border Service (SBS), local authorities and civil society of Osh region focused on border security and management problems during a roundtable discussion and video-conference supported by the OSCE Centre in Bishkek...

In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations compared to the previous reporting period. Most of the fighting was recorded in the areas around Yasynuvata, Donetsk city and Shyrokyne. In Luhansk region, the SMM recorded no ceasefire violations. The Mission followed up on reports of shelling in Kuibyshevskyi district of Donetsk city and Lozove. It continued to monitor the withdrawal of weapons and observed the presence of weapons in violation of withdrawal lines. The SMM continued monitoring the ceasefire and facilitating repairs to essential infrastructure on both sides of the contact line in Toretsk, Shchastia, Zolote and Krasnyi Lyman. The Mission continued to monitor the situation of civilians at entry-exit checkpoints along the contact line and monitored one border area not controlled by the Government. The SMM faced restrictions to its freedom of movement*. The SMM monitored two peaceful protests in Kyiv and Odessa...

VIENNA, 7 July 2016 – Addressing the Permanent Council of the OSCE today in Vienna, the President of the German Supreme Audit Institution (Bundesrechnungshof) Kay Scheller, concluded his three-year term as the OSCE External Auditor, during which the OSCE received unqualified ("clean") audit opinions...