News and press releases

More than 100 students, teachers, and representatives of civil society and the international community gathered on 5 June 2018 in Skopje for an event of a project sponsored by the OSCE-supported grants programme, the Building Bridges Fund, aimed at increasing interaction among students of different communities...

An OSCE-supported regional training seminar for some 35 military officers from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Mongolia, on the practical implementation of the Vienna Document 2011 and the implementation of confidence- and security-building measures concluded on 1 June 2018 in Astana...

VIENNA, 4 June 2018 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Désir today expressed his concern that the Spokesperson of the General Prosecutor of Ukraine published a list, which includes journalist Miroslava Gongadze and Chair of the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine Sergiy Tomilenko, accusing them of being traitors...

COPENHAGEN, 5 June 2018 – Chair of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s Ad Hoc Committee on Migration Nahima Lanjri raised concerns today over reports in the United States that young migrant children are being separated from parents trying to cross the U.S.-Mexico border, as well as recent news that nearly 1,500 migrant children are unaccounted for in the U.S. due to lax monitoring by the federal government...

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions between the evenings of 1 and 2 June, compared with the previous reporting period. Between the evenings of 2 and 3 June, the SMM recorded a similar number of ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more ceasefire violations in Luhansk region, compared with the previous 24 hours. Small arms fire was directed at an SMM mini-unmanned aerial vehicle near non-government-controlled Teplychne in Luhansk region. The SMM followed up on a civilian casualty near Panteleimonivka. The Mission saw fresh damage as a result of shelling to a house in Chermalyk. The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske; it recorded ceasefire violations near the Zolote and Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement areas. The Mission’s access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas and elsewhere, including at a permanent storage site in a non-government-controlled area of Donetsk region. The SMM continued to monitor and facilitate the access of Voda Donbassa water company employees to the Donetsk Filtration Station (DFS) as well as demining near the DFS. The SMM heard ceasefire violations near the DFS, despite security guarantees. It continued to monitor and facilitate repairs to high-voltage power lines near Yuzhna-Lomuvatka, Almazna and Veselohorivka. In Kyiv, the SMM observed two peaceful public gatherings.

VIENNA, 4 June 2018 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, today deplored the sentencing of Ukrainian journalist Roman Sushchenko to 12 years in prison in the Russian Federation, and reiterated his call to release the journalist.

PARIS, 4 June 2018 – The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) today released a joint publication aimed at assisting policymakers in addressing anti-Semitism through education, at a launch event at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris.

VIENNA, 4 June 2018 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, today expressed his concern about the continued detention of Oleg Sentsov, a writer and film director from Crimea, Ukraine, after sending a letter to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation last week, urging to review the case.

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and fewer in Luhansk region, compared with the previous reporting period. The SMM observed fresh damage in a residential area of Dokuchaievsk. The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske; it recorded ceasefire violations near the Zolote disengagement area. The Mission’s access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas and elsewhere, including near Izvaryne and Sievernyi at the border with the Russian Federation. The SMM observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines near Oleksandropil and Tarasivka. The SMM’s monitoring and facilitation of the access of Voda Donbassa water company employees to the Donetsk Filtration Station (DFS) as well as of repair works to the DFS were interrupted due to the presence of anti-tank mines near the station. The SMM heard ceasefire violations near the DFS, despite security guarantees. It continued to monitor and facilitate repairs to high-voltage power lines near Yuzhna-Lomuvatka and Almazna. In Kyiv, the SMM observed a gathering on the occasion of International Children’s Day....

A draft law and regulations establishing a national preventive mechanism (NPM) to monitor all places of detention in Uzbekistan were the focus of a roundtable discussion in Tashkent on 31 May and 1 June 2018. The event was organized by the country’s ombuds institution – the Authorized Person of the

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions, compared with the previous reporting period. The SMM followed up on reports of civilian casualties from Zalizne, Shyroka Balka and Horlivka. The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske; it recorded ceasefire violations near the Zolote and Petrivske disengagement areas. The Mission’s access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas. The SMM observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines on both sides of the contact line. The Mission continued to facilitate access of Voda Donbassa water company employees to the Donetsk Filtration Station (DFS), as well as repair works and demining activities in the area, in order to keep the station operational. The SMM heard ceasefire violations near the DFS despite security guarantees. It continued to monitor and facilitate repairs to high-voltage power lines near Yuzhna-Lomuvatka and Almazna, as well as to the Petrivske pumping station near Artema...

A change management training course, the last in a series of workshops for the parliamentary services of Montenegro organized by the OSCE Mission to Montenegro in co-operation with the parliament, was held on 31 May and 1 June 2018 in Podgorica.

OSLO, 1 June 2018 – Global migration, digitalization and the role of women present modern challenges and opportunities to effective and balanced language policies, agreed participants at the close of a high-level conference on language policy and conflict prevention held yesterday in Oslo, marking the 20th anniversary of the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities’ (HCNM) Oslo Recommendations...

BELGRADE, 1 June 2018 – The OSCE Mission to Serbia and the Delegation of the European Union to Serbia launched today in Belgrade a three-year project entitled Support for Victims and Witnesses of Crime in Serbia...

TASHKENT, 1 June 2018 – The first international roundtable discussion on Uzbekistan’s National Preventive Mechanism (NPM) against Torture, co-hosted by the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan and the Office of the Authorized Person of the Oliy Majlis for Human Rights (Ombudsman), concluded today in Tashkent...

VIENNA, 1 June 2018 – One year after the illegal detention of Stanislav Aseev, a blogger and contributor to the Ukrainian Service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Désir today reiterated his urgent call for the journalist’s release...

CHERNIVTSI, 1 June 2018 – The OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, Madina Jarbussynova, concluded today a four-day visit to Western Ukraine. The trip aimed to raise awareness of human trafficking and the risks encountered by vulnerable groups as a consequence of the current crisis in and around Ukraine...

On 28 May 2018 the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe commenced its annual awareness-raising campaign, Parents against Terrorism, with a series of one-day activities in the local communities of Shaartuz, Qabodiyon, Qushoniyon and Vakhsh in the Khatlon region of Tajikistan....

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, compared with the previous reporting period. Small arms were fired in the direction of an SMM mini-unmanned aerial vehicle near Krynychanske. The SMM followed up on reports of a civilian casualty in Holmivskyi. The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske. It heard an explosion and saw dark grey smoke 200-300m from its position near the Petrivske disengagement area. The Mission’s access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas and elsewhere, including near Izvaryne and Dovzhanske at the border with the Russian Federation. The SMM observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines near Novotroitske, Mykolaivka and Novoselivka. The Mission’s facilitation of the access of Voda Donbassa water company employees to the Donetsk Filtration Station and of repair works and demining activities in the area, in order to keep the station operational, was interrupted due to ceasefire violations in the area, despite security guarantees. The SMM continued to monitor and facilitate repairs to high-voltage power lines near Yuzhna-Lomuvatka and Almazna and to the Petrivske pumping station near Artema...

“Good Governance and Economic Connectivity- best practices within the OSCE region” was the topic of the OSCE Regional Ministerial Conference organized by the OSCE and the Government of Turkmenistan that ended in Ashgabat on 31 May 2018...

The OSCE Programme Office in Astana supported the international roundtable "Exchanging experiences and best practices in combating human trafficking and illegal migration" held in Shymkent, Kazakhstan on 31 May 2018...

A three-day practical workshop on anti-corruption screening of legal acts for government experts concluded on 25 May 2018 at the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe...

MINSK, 31 May 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 30 May 2018:...

At 10:22 on 30 May, an SMM patrol consisting of six members and two armoured vehicles arrived at the SMM camera site just outside the disengagement area near Petrivske (41km south of Donetsk). At 10:58 the patrol members were stationary in two vehicles with the doors open when they all heard a whistling sound followed by an explosion, and saw dark grey smoke coming from behind an abandoned brick farm building, 200-300m south-south-west, assessed as outside the disengagement area. The SMM assessed that the explosion was caused by an impacting mortar round (82mm). The patrol left the area immediately and returned safely to its base in Donetsk city.

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and fewer ceasefire violations in Luhansk region compared with the previous reporting period. The Mission heard and saw an explosion about 200m away near Nelipivka. The SMM followed up on reports of a civilian casualty in Zaitseve. The Mission observed fresh damage caused by shelling in a residential area in Chermalyk. The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske and recorded ceasefire violations near the Zolote disengagement area. The Mission’s access remained restricted in all three areas and elsewhere, including near Izvaryne at the border with the Russian Federation and at a heavy weapons holding area in a non-government-controlled part of Donetsk region. The SMM observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines near Boikivske, Miusynsk, Myrne, Donetskyi and Sentianivka. It continued to facilitate the access of Voda Donbassa water company employees to the Donetsk Filtration Station and monitor the security situation as well as facilitate repair works and demining activities in order to keep the station operational; it heard ceasefire violations in the area, despite security guarantees. The SMM continued to monitor and facilitate repairs to high-voltage power lines near Yuzhna-Lomuvatka and the Petrivske pumping station near Artema.

The OSCE Office in Dushanbe’s Water Management and Energy Security Unit delivered a training seminar on Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) to students of the Master’s programme in Economic Governance and Development at the OSCE Academy in Bishkek from May 14 to 23.

The OSCE Mission, in cooperation with the Press Council and the Radio Television of Kosovo, is starting this evening a series of eight TV programs on media and information literacy titled “EduMedia.”

Thirteen representatives from six NGOs, working in different regions of Belarus, received practical training and exchanged experiences with Serbian experts on women’s empowerment during a workshop from 28 to 30 May 2018 in Belgrade. The main focus of the training was to provide hands-on tools and approaches to establish mentor networks for women, in order to enhance their economic participation. The event was organized by the OSCE Gender Section.

VIENNA, 30 May 2018 – In a special session to mark the 100th year since the end of the First World War, the OSCE Forum for Security Co-operation (FSC), meeting today in Vienna under Slovenia’s Chairmanship, explored the impact of the so-called “Great War” and the lessons it holds for modern international relations and European security.

ROME, 30 May 2018 – All aspects of the “package of eight” will be finalized by the end of the year: this was the historic outcome of the 5+2 talks on the Transdniestrian settlement process held in Rome on 29 and 30 May under the Italian OSCE Chairmanship. The commitment is reflected in the Rome Protocol signed by the Sides, mediators and observers. The Protocol outlines clear timelines and mechanisms to ensure the rapid finalization of the outstanding issues from the “package of eight” priorities identified by the Sides in 2017.

On 29 May 2018 in Podgorica the OSCE Mission to Montenegro organized the first in a series of training courses on hate crime for around 30 judges and prosecutors from across Montenegro. The event was organized in co-operation with the the Centre for Training in Judiciary and State Prosecution.

Latest update: Russian journalist Arkady Babchenko, who was reportedly killed in Kyiv, is alive and well. According to Ukrainian authorities, the incident was part of an ongoing investigation. VIENNA, 29 May 2018 – OSCE media freedom representative Harlem Désir today strongly condemned the murder of well-known Russian journalist and writer Arkadiy Babchenko in Kyiv, Ukraine...

The SMM recorded a similar number of ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more ceasefire violations in Luhansk region compared with the previous reporting period. The SMM followed up on reports of civilian casualties in Myrnohrad, Pivdenne and Horlivka. The Mission observed damage as a result of shelling near Dokuchaievsk. The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske and recorded ceasefire violations near the Zolote and Petrivske areas. The Mission’s access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas and elsewhere. The SMM observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines near Buhaivka. It continued to monitor and facilitate the access of Voda Donbassa water company employees to the Donetsk Filtration Station and repair works and demining activities in order to keep the station operational; it heard ceasefire violations in the area, despite security guarantees. The SMM continued to monitor and facilitate repairs to high-voltage power lines near Almazna, Yuzhna-Lomuvatka and Veselohorivka. In Kharkiv, the SMM monitored a gathering in front of the Consulate General of the Russian Federation.

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 increased at both BCPs. On 24 May, the seventy-fifth Russian convoy of 16 vehicles crossed into Ukraine and returned through the Donetsk Border Crossing Point.

A workshop on the Central Voter Registry, organized by the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) and the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), concluded on 29 May 2018 in Vlašić.

TIRANA, 29 May 2018 – OSCE Secretary General Thomas Greminger today concluded a two-day visit to Tirana during which he met with Albania’s highest level officials, emphasizing the importance of broad political commitment to the country’s essential reforms and offering OSCE’s continued partnership....

In its  f inal report  on the 25 March 2018 parliamentary elections in Turkmenistan, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) said that the elections lacked important features of a genuinely democratic electoral process. The report, published on 30 May 2018, notes that

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions between the evenings of 25 and 26 May compared with the previous reporting period. Between the evenings of 26 and 27 May, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more in Luhansk region, compared with the previous 24 hours. The Mission followed up on reports of a civilian casualty in Zhovanka. The Mission observed fresh damage as a result of shelling in Toretsk and Bohdanivka. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske. It recorded ceasefire violations in the Petrivske disengagement area and near the Stanytsia Luhanska and Zolote disengagement areas. The Mission’s access remained restricted in all three areas, as well as in Pikuzy, Sosnivske, at a heavy weapons holding area in a non-government-controlled area of Donetsk region and near Leonove, near the border with the Russian Federation. The SMM observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines on both sides of the contact line. It continued to monitor and facilitate the access of Voda Donbassa water company employees to the Donetsk Filtration Station and of demining activity in order to keep the station operational; it heard ceasefire violations in the area, despite security guarantees. The SMM also continued to monitor and facilitate repairs to the Petrivske pumping station near Artema and high-voltage power lines near Almazna, Yuzhna-Lomuvatka and Veselohorivka.

VIENNA, 28 May 2018 – Greater co-ordination among states in their work to combat trafficking in children, with a focus on those at particular risk, is needed to effectively combat this form of human trafficking, participants said today at the opening of a two-day OSCE meeting in Vienna...

An OSCE-supported five-day training seminar on countering cybercrime for representatives of Kazakhstan’s governmental institutions and law-enforcement agencies concluded on 25 May 2018 in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions compared with the previous reporting period. The Mission followed up on reports about an explosion in a bus in Debaltseve in which a boy died and three other teenagers were injured. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske. It recorded explosions of mortar rounds inside the Zolote disengagement area as well as ceasefire violations inside the Petrivske disengagement area. Its access remained restricted in all three areas. The SMM observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines on both sides of the contact line. It continued to monitor and facilitate the access of Voda Donbassa water company employees to the Donetsk Filtration Station to facilitate repair works and demining activity in order to keep the station operational; it heard ceasefire violations in the area, despite security guarantees. The SMM also continued to monitor and facilitate repairs to the Petrivske pumping station near Artema and high-voltage power lines near Almazna, Yuzhna-Lomuvatka and Veselohorivka.

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions compared with the previous reporting period. The Mission followed up on reports of civilian casualties in Zaitseve. The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske and recorded a ceasefire violation inside the Petrivske disengagement area. Its access remained restricted in all three areas and elsewhere, including near Izvaryne and Sievernyi at the border with the Russian Federation and in Luhansk city. The SMM observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines on both sides of the contact line. It continued to monitor and facilitate the access of Voda Donbassa water company employees to the Donetsk Filtration Station to facilitate repair works and keep it operational; it heard ceasefire violations in the area, despite security guarantees. The SMM also continued to monitor and facilitate repairs to the Petrivske pumping station near Artema, high-voltage power lines near Yuzhna-Lomuvatka and facilitated access for Vodafone employees to their office in Donetsk city. In Ternopil region, the SMM followed up on reports of an attack against members of the Roma community. In Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Kherson, the SMM monitored public gatherings. In Kherson, the SMM attended a hearing related to a detained cargo ship.

VIENNA, 25 May 2018 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Désir today reiterated that foreign media outlets and representatives should not be included on sanctions lists, following a recent decision by the Ukrainian authorities with regard to the information agencies RIA Novosti Ukraine and Rossiya Segodnya...

A two-day training course on preventing violent extremism among youth was organized by the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe in close co-operation with UNESCO on 24 and 25 May 2018 on the premises of the OSCE Programme Office...

A team of election experts from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) met with electoral stakeholders in Malta from 22 to 25 May 2018 to present the final report of ODIHR’s election assessment mission for the June 2017 early parliamentary elections. The report’s

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and Luhansk region compared with the previous reporting period. Small arms were again fired near an SMM patrol, near Molodizhne. The Mission followed up on reports of civilian casualties in Troitske, Svatove, Marinka, Kruta Balka and Zaitseve. It also followed up on reports of a collapsed bridge and injuries to civilians near Ivanivka, and reports of shelling near a residential area of Talakivka. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske. Its access remained restricted in all three areas and elsewhere, including near Voznesenivka at the border with the Russian Federation, at a checkpoint near Khreshchatytske, and near Ivanivka. The SMM observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines near Teple, Kalynove, Vrubivka, Vodiane and Bohoiavlenka. It continued to monitor and facilitate the access of Voda Donbassa water company employees to the Donetsk Filtration Station to facilitate repair works and keep it operational; it heard ceasefire violations in the area, despite security guarantees. The SMM also continued to monitor and facilitate repairs to the Petrivske pumping station near Artema and high-voltage power lines near Yuzhna-Lomuvatka. In Kyiv, the SMM monitored a public gathering.

The OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities and the Bureau for Interethnic Relations of the Republic of Moldova jointly organized an induction training course in Vadul lui Vodă, Moldova, to introduce the country’s civil servants to key concepts of...

On 24 May 2018 at 06:31 (Moscow time), the seventy-fifth 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 14:33 on 24 May...

The links between respecting human rights and countering violent extremism and radicalization that may lead to terrorism were explored during a training workshop for police officers from the Spanish municipality of Fuenlabrada, from 22 to 24 May 2018. The course was organized by the OSCE Office for

The OSCE’s Mobile Training Team delivered a three-day interactive course on identifying foreign terrorist fighters to 30 border and security officers from Ukraine. The event took place from 22 to 24 May 2018 in Odesa. The deployment of the Mobile Training Team, the fifth of its kind, was organized by the Border Security and Management Unit of the OSCE Transnational Threats Department.