News and press releases

The SMM observed a lower level of violence in Donetsk region and more ceasefire violations in Luhansk region compared with the previous day. The Mission continued to monitor the withdrawal of heavy weapons; it noted also armoured combat vehicles and other hardware in the security zone. Armed “DPR” members continue to keep the power supply to the SMM’s repeater in Donetsk city disconnected.* The Mission could neither locate nor recover any debris at the presumed crash site of an SMM unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in Korsun.

NEW YORK, 3 June 2016 – The OSCE is a platform for co-operation in countering global criminal challenges through police peace operations, said the Head of the OSCE’s Transnational Threats Department’s Strategic Police Matters Unit, Guy Vinet as he addressed the United Nations Chiefs of Police Summit (UN COPS) today in New York.

DUSHANBE, 3 June 2016 – Twenty-two officials from customs and border agencies of Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan completed today the Risk Analysis and Management in Border Security Course at the OSCE Border Management Staff College in Dushanbe, Tajikistan.

VIENNA, 3 June 2016 – In his address to the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna yesterday, Georgia’s Foreign Minister Mikheil Janelidze reiterated his country’s firm commitment to OSCE’s confidence-building measures in the face of security challenges in Europe and its efforts to tackle transnational threats.

BISHKEK, 3 June 2016 – Wrapping up a two-day visit to Kyrgyzstan, which has included meetings with the Speaker of the Parliament, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and officials at the OSCE Centre in Bishkek, Special Representative for Central and Eastern Asia and Vice-President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Christine Muttonen spoke to students today at the OSCE Academy in Bishkek on conflict prevention and peace-building, noting the strengths of the OSCE’s approach, as well as areas for improvement...

BERLIN, 3 June 2016 – Some 20 OSCE parliamentarians were in Berlin this week for an OSCE Code of Conduct conference focused on strengthening parliamentary control of the security sector. The event, which took place 2-3 June, highlighted the important role that parliaments play in both the oversight of armed forces and in increasing the level of political support for the OSCE Code of Conduct on Politico-Military Aspects, particularly in the context of emerging security challenges...

WARSAW, 3 June 2016 – Michael Georg Link, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), expressed concern today over yesterday’s sentencing by a court in Dushanbe of two leaders of the banned Islamic Renaissance Party (IRPT) to life imprisonment, and 11 other high-ranking party officials to jail terms ranging from two to 28 years...