News and press releases

VIENNA, 14 May 2018 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Désir today raised concern over the assault against Khristo Geshov, a TV journalist from Cherven Bryag, in a letter to the Bulgarian authorities...

An OSCE-supported two-day regional workshop on promoting border management and security was held on 7 and 8 May 2018 in Ashgabat.

KRAMATORSK, 13 May 2018 – Following a two-day visit to areas close to the frontline in eastern Ukraine, a delegation of senior OSCE parliamentarians led by Parliamentary Assembly President George Tsereteli (MP, Georgia) called for urgent steps to alleviate the humanitarian situation of people impacted by the armed conflict.

The Head of the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe, Tuula Yrjölä, met with students of Gymnasium No. 74 in Dushanbe on 10 May 2018 together with representatives of the State Traffic Police Department to raise their awareness of traffic rules.

A one-day meeting of the informal Central Co-ordination Body resulted in putting together 14 recommendations aimed at finding solutions for issues that impede the advancement of women in Tajikistan. It was organized by the OSCE Programme Office on 4 May 2018 in Dushanbe.

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, compared with the previous reporting period. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske; it recorded ceasefire violations inside the Petrivske disengagement area. Its access remained restricted there and elsewhere, including in Leonove near the border with the Russian Federation and at a heavy weapons holding area in a non-government-controlled area of Donetsk region.* The SMM observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines near Avdiivka and Roty. The Mission continued to facilitate access to the Donetsk Filtration Station for Voda Donbassa water company employees; it heard ceasefire violations in the area despite security guarantees. The SMM continued to facilitate and monitor repairs to high-voltage power lines near Almazna. In Kyiv, the SMM observed a group of people preventing a public discussion from taking place, and followed up on reports of vandalism to the office of a non-governmental organization. In Odessa, the SMM followed up on reports of an attack against a member of an anti-Maidan group and observed a gathering in front of the Russian Federation Consulate-General.

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more in Luhansk region, compared with the previous reporting period. The SMM observed fresh damage caused by shelling in a residential area of Myronivskyi. The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske; it recorded ceasefire violations inside the Petrivske disengagement area, as well as near the Zolote and Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement areas. Its access remained restricted in all three areas.* The SMM observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines on both sides of the contact line. The Mission continued to facilitate access to the Donetsk Filtration Station for Voda Donbassa water company employees; it heard ceasefire violations in the area despite security guarantees. The SMM continued to facilitate and monitor repairs to high-voltage power lines near Almazna and a water pumping station near Artema.

STRUGA, 11 May 2018 – Over the past two days more than 160 participants, including media actors, governments and civil society organizations from across the South-Eastern European region gathered in Struga to discuss the most pressing media freedom challenges and provide recommendations for the improvement of press freedom and the media environment in the region.

VIENNA, 11 May 2018- “The Italian OSCE Chairmanship welcomes the recent positive developments in the Transdniestrian Settlement Process and commends the Sides, as well as all involved partners, for this progress. We will be pleased to host the next round of the 5+2 meetings on 29 and 30 May in Rome, and are hopeful that we will see further positive steps that will bring more benefits to the lives of people on both banks of the Nistru/Dniester River,” Ambassador Alessandro Azzoni, Chairperson of the OSCE Permanent Council, announced during a session of the Council on 10 May.

Building capacity of the grantees of the first Regional Youth Co-operation Office’s (RYCO) Call for Proposals, “A better region starts with youth”, was the focus of a three-day training course organized in Podgorica from 7 to 11 May with the support of the OSCE Mission to Montenegro.

The SMM recorded a sharp increase in ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and fewer ceasefire violations in Luhansk region, compared with the previous reporting period. The Mission observed damage as a result of shelling in Loskutivka. The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske and recorded ceasefire violations near the Zolote and inside the Petrivske disengagement areas. Its access remained restricted in all three areas and elsewhere, including in Dovhe and near Izvaryne in Luhansk region, at the border with the Russian Federation.*

From 26 to 29 April 2018, the OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek organized a training seminar for young journalists and students studying journalism. The workshop aimed to improve their knowledge and skills in covering security issues related to violent extremism and radicalization leading to terrorism (VERLT), and reporting on inter-communal relations.

ROME, 10 May 2018 – Parliaments and international fora such as the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly have a vital role to play in shaping innovative legislation and policies to reduce threats posed by returning foreign terrorist fighters, or FTFs, said Chair of the OSCE PA’s Ad Hoc Committee on Countering Terrorism Makis Voridis at a conference in Rome today.

ROME, 10 May 2018 – Enhanced information-sharing and border security and human rights-compliant rehabilitation and reintegration programmes are among the key measures states need to take in order to address the challenge of returning foreign terrorist fighters, said speakers at the opening of the 2018 OSCE-wide Counter-Terrorism Conference in Rome...

A team of experts from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) visited Skopje from 9 to 10 May 2018 to provide assistance to a working group mandated to review the Electoral Code. The working group was established by the Ministry of Justice of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and held its first session on 10 May.

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions compared with the previous reporting period. The Mission observed a fresh impact site on the eastern edge of Popasna. The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske and recorded ceasefire violations near the Zolote disengagement area. Its access remained restricted in all three areas and elsewhere, including near Voznesenivka in Luhansk region, at the border with the Russian Federation*.

The OSCE Mission to Montenegro, in co-operation with the Department for Human Resources of the Parliament of Montenegro, facilitated the final session of a train-the-trainers workshop for 11 parliamentary staff on 8-9 May 2018. The training seminar focused on principles of managing change, developing vision statements and project goals, adult learning principles and modern tools to support change in the working environment.

The OSCE Presence in Albania, in co-operation with the Municipality of Tirana and the Regional Youth Cooperation Office (RYCO), launched a call for applications for “Youth Trail 2018: Promoting OSCE Values among Youth” on 8 May 2018. The 2018 Youth Trail will be held from 20 to 24 June 2018 in Tirana.

VIENNA, 9 May 2018 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Désir and Head of Mission of OSCE to Montenegro Maryse Daviet today strongly condemned the attack against journalist Olivera Lakić in Montenegro. Lakić, an investigative journalist with Vijesti newspaper was shot in the leg last night in front of her home, in an attack by three individuals. She was immediately hospitalized and, according to media reports, is currently in stable condition.

LISBON, 8 May 2018 – Governments, parliaments and international organizations should address the growing challenges associated with information and communications technology (ICT) by enhancing co-operation and implementing policies to bridge gaps in current legal frameworks, participants said today at a conference in Lisbon organized by the Portuguese Parliament and co-hosted by the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly. Ensuring that freedom of information and individual privacy are not infringed upon while countering cyber threats is equally important, they said...

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions compared with the previous reporting period. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske. It recorded ceasefire violations inside the Petrivske disengagement area and its access remained restricted there and elsewhere, including at a border area near Izvaryne (near the border with the Russian Federation)*. The SMM continued to facilitate access to the Donetsk Filtration Station for Voda Donbassa employees and heard ceasefire violations in the area, despite security guarantees. The SMM continued to facilitate and monitor repairs to high-voltage power lines near Yuzhna-Lomuvatka, Almazna and Veselohorivka, and to the Petrivske pumping station near Artema.

On 8 May 2018 at 06:57 (Moscow time), the seventy-fourth 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 13:53 on 8 May...

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...

The first national tabletop exercise on handling cyber/ ICT security incidents, organized by the OSCE Mission to Skopje and the Agency for Electronic Communications (AEC), was held on 8 May 2018 in Skopje...

VIENNA, 8 May 2018 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, today expressed his continued disappointment and concern regarding the ongoing practice of imposing penalties on journalists working without accreditation in Belarus...

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions between the evenings of 4 and 5 May compared with the previous reporting period. Between the evenings of 5 and 6 May, it recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and fewer ceasefire violations in Luhansk region compared with the previous 24 hours. The SMM observed the impact of a projectile at the entry-exit checkpoint in Pyshchevyk.

VIENNA, 7 May – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, welcomed today a decision of the Tashkent City Court to release Uzbek journalists Bobomurod Abdullaev and Khayotkhan Nasriddinov.

VIENNA, 7 May 2018 – Following today’s two court hearings against editor and human rights lawyer Eren Keskin as well as several journalists of the now closed Kurdish daily Özgür Gündem, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Désir expressed deep concerns about the immense pressure exercised on the defendants...

VIENNA, 7 May 2018 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Désir today expressed concern over the denial of accreditation to journalists, which prevents them from reporting from the inaugural meeting of Hungary’s new parliament on 8 May...

VIENNA, 7 May 2018 – Perspectives on water management from both sides of the Mediterranean region with a focus on the interconnectivity of its economic, social and environmental challenges, were the focus of today’s OSCE Mediterranean Contact Group discussion held in Vienna...

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more in Luhansk region, compared with the previous reporting period. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske; it recorded ceasefire violations inside the Petrivske disengagement area. The SMM’s access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas and elsewhere, including near Shevchenko, Debaltseve and Kreminets. The SMM observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines on both sides of the contact line. The SMM continued to facilitate access to the Donetsk Filtration Station (DFS) for Voda Donbassa water company employees; it heard ceasefire violations in the area despite security guarantees. It also continued to facilitate and monitor repairs to high-voltage power lines near Yuzhna-Lomuvatka. The SMM visited two border areas not under government control. It also continued to monitor the situation in Balakliia and monitored a gathering in Uzhhorod.

MINSK, 4 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 4 May 2018:

A joint Afghan-Tajik-Turkmen Regional Border Management Awareness workshop concluded on 4 May 2018 in Dushanbe. The event was hosted by the OSCE Border Management Staff College (BMSC).

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and fewer in Luhansk region, compared with the previous reporting period. The SMM followed up on reports of a civilian casualty in Bakhmut. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske. The SMM’s access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas and elsewhere, including at one of the four crossing points visited at the border with the Russian Federation in non-government-controlled areas. The SMM observed a weapon in violation of withdrawal lines in Pobeda. The SMM continued to facilitate access to the Donetsk Filtration Station for Voda Donbassa water company employees to keep the station functioning; it heard ceasefire violations in the area despite security guarantees. It also continued to facilitate and monitor repairs to high-voltage power lines near Yuzhna-Lomuvatka and to the Petrivske pumping station. In Balakliia, the Mission followed up on reports of explosions at an ammunition storage depot. In Vinnytsia, the SMM monitored a gathering of internally displaced persons.

DUSHANBE, 4 May 2018 – Consolidating efforts at the regional and international levels to counter violent extremism and radicalization was the focus of a two-day high-level conference, which concluded today in Dushanbe. The conference, entitled “Countering Terrorism and Preventing Violent Extremism”, was organized by the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan in co-operation with the OSCE, the United Nations, and the European Union.

COPENHAGEN, 4 May 2018 – The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly is closely following the situation in Armenia and welcomes the active dialogue among political forces, said PA President George Tsereteli (MP, Georgia) today.

While Cyprus’s legal framework is adequate, overall, for the conduct of democratic elections, it is overly complex. Therefore, a comprehensive review well in advance of the next elections is recommended to further harmonize, clarify, and update electoral legislation, says the final report by the

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and a similar number of ceasefire violations in Luhansk region, compared with the previous reporting period. The Mission observed fresh damage to civilian properties caused by shelling in Dokuchaievsk. The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske; it recorded a ceasefire violation inside the Petrivske disengagement area. The SMM’s access remained restricted there as well as at a heavy weapons holding area and a permanent storage site in non-government-controlled areas of Donetsk region. The Mission observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines near Novoselivka. The SMM continued to facilitate access to the Donetsk Filtration Station (DFS) for Voda Donbassa water company employees; it, again, heard ceasefire violations in the area despite security guarantees. It also continued to facilitate and monitor repairs to high-voltage power lines near Yuzhna-Lomuvatka. In Odessa, the SMM monitored the commemoration of the events that took place on 2 May 2014...

The OSCE Mission in Kosovo concluded its training programme on operational command duties for high ranked women officers of the Kosovo Police with a practical training from 29 April to 2 May 2018 at the South Wales Police (SWP) in Cardiff, United Kingdom...

Journalists from Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Russia took part in the international conference Freedom of Speech: Opportunities and Perspectives in the Region in Dushanbe on 3 May to mark World Press Freedom Day.

PODGORICA, 3 May 2018 – “Political processes must adhere to democratic values, which are the foundation of media and institutional independence,” said OSCE Head of Mission to Montenegro Maryse Daviet on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day...

VIENNA, 3 May 2018 – The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) opens today a Call for Candidacies for 18 fully-paid scholarships at the European Innovation Academy (EIA), one of the world’s leading summer entrepreneurship programmes for young professionals, students, recent graduates and young start-uppers...

KYIV, 3 May 2018 –Civilian workers maintaining the Donetsk Filtration Station and the civilian monitoring officers from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM) currently facilitating their access must be protected, said the SMM Chief Monitor Ertugrul Apakan in Kyiv today...

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and fewer in Luhansk region, compared with the previous reporting period. The SMM followed up on reports of civilian casualties in Yasne and Trudivski area of Donetsk city’s Petrovskyi district and observed fresh damage caused by gunfire in the Petrovskyi district of Donetsk city. An SMM unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) recorded soldiers pointing rifles and firing towards the UAV near Katerynivka; another UAV was jammed near Bohdanivka.* The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske; it recorded ceasefire violations inside the disengagement areas near Zolote and Petrivske. The SMM’s access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas and elsewhere, including at border areas beyond government control in Luhansk region. The SMM observed weapons in violation in Roty and Klynove. The SMM continued to facilitate access to the Donetsk Filtration Station (DFS) for Voda Donbassa water company employees; it heard ceasefire violations in the general area despite security guarantees. It also continued to facilitate and monitor repairs to high-voltage power lines near Yuzhna-Lomuvatka. The Mission monitored gatherings marking International Labour Day in several regions of Ukraine. In Odessa, the SMM followed up on reports of an attack against the head of a pro-Maidan group...

ACCRA, 2 May 2018- The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Désir today issued the 2018 Joint Declaration on Freedom of Expression, together with the other international rapporteurs on freedom of expression, at a high-level meeting organised by UNESCO in Accra, Ghana, to mark the World Press Freedom Day 2018 on 3 May. This year’s Joint Declaration focuses on “media independence and diversity in the digital age”...

THE HAGUE, 2 May 2018 – Internationally renowned experts, ministers, OSCE and UN representatives will gather on 31 May in Oslo, Norway, to debate the tools developed and promoted by the OSCE and its partner organizations on language policy as a means of conflict prevention...

Kamensk-Shakhtinskiy, Russian Federation. The Observer Mission (OM) continues to operate 24/7 at both Border Crossing Points (BCPs)...

VIENNA, 2 May 2018- The importance of national export control systems and deactivation programmes as essential instruments in preventing the destabilising accumulation and uncontrolled spread of small arms and light weapons (SALW) was emphasized by speakers at today’s OSCE Forum for Security Co-operation meeting in Vienna, held under Slovenia’s Chairmanship...

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and fewer in Luhansk region, compared with the previous 24 hours. The SMM followed up on reports of a civilian injured by small-arms fire in Olenivka. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske; it recorded ceasefire violations inside the Zolote and Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement areas. The SMM observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines. It continued to facilitate access to the Donetsk Filtration Station (DFS) for Voda Donbassa employees and continued to facilitate and monitor repairs to high-voltage power lines near Yuzhna-Lomuvatka. In Kharkiv and Kyiv, the SMM monitored public gatherings. In Kyiv, the SMM followed up on reports of alleged arson on 21 April in a camp set up and inhabited by Roma community members...

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and fewer in Luhansk region between the evenings of 27 and 28 April, compared with the previous reporting period. Between the evenings of 28 and 29 April, it recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, compared with the previous 24 hours. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske; it recorded ceasefire violations inside the Petrivske and the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement areas; its access remained restricted there and elsewhere, including in Izvaryne, Kadiivka and Voznesenivka.* Members of the armed formations told an SMM patrol that it would be detained if it did not comply with requests to inspect SMM vehicles at a checkpoint north of Horlivka*. The SMM observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines on both sides of the contact line. The SMM observed damage in residential areas in Pikuzy and Bila Hora and followed up on reports of civilian casualties in Dokuchaievsk and Donetsk city. It continued to facilitate access to the Donetsk Filtration Station for Voda Donbassa employees and heard ceasefire violations in the area, including by a multiple launch rocket system, despite security guarantees. The SMM also continued to facilitate and monitor repairs to power lines near Yuzhna-Lomuvatka and confirmed that Vodafone services had been restored in several non-government-controlled areas of Donetsk region. It visited two border areas outside of government control. In Odessa, the SMM monitored a gathering at the Duke of Richelieu monument...