News and press releases

SEOUL, 19 April 2018- More than 150 experts from across the OSCE area and the Asian region gathered in Seoul today for an inter-regional conference on preventing and countering violent extremism and radicalization that lead to terrorism, organized by the Foreign Affairs Ministry of Korea in close co-operation with the OSCE Transnational Threats Department...

A workshop on how to establish an Advance Passenger Information (API) system in Georgia, aimed at detecting and preventing the movement of foreign terrorist fighters (FTFs), was organized by the OSCE Transnational Threats Department’s Border Security and Management Unit (TNTD/BSMU) in Tbilisi from 17 to 19 April. The event brought together 45 representatives from all national agencies involved in passenger processing, including police and customs officials, the State Security Service, the Office of the Personal Data Protection Inspector, and the civil aviation authority...

A high-level meeting on the results of the OSCE assistance projects on small arms and light weapons (SALW) and conventional ammunition (CA) in Tajikistan and prospects for future co-operation with the national authorities was held on 18 April 2018 in Dushanbe...

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and Luhansk region compared with the previous reporting period. The SMM followed up on reports of Voda Donbassa employees injured by gunfire near the Donetsk Filtration Station (DFS). It followed up on reports of shelling at an airfield in Luhansk city. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske; it recorded ceasefire violations inside the Zolote and the Petrivske disengagement areas. Its access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas and elsewhere.*

MINSK, 18 April 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 18 April 2018:

TASHKENT, 18 April 2018 – On his first visit to Uzbekistan as OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities, Lamberto Zannier welcomed in Tashkent today the positive effect of the recently strengthened bilateral ties between Uzbekistan and its neighbours on inter-ethnic relations and regional security.

A team of elections experts from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) met with electoral stakeholders in Norway from 16 to 18 April 2018 to present the  final report  of ODIHR’s election expert team for the September 2017 parliamentary elections. The report’s

An OSCE-supported three-day training seminar for law enforcement press officers on the fundamentals of public relations and effective communication strategies between law enforcement and media concluded on 18 April 2018 in Karaganda, Kazakhstan...

VIENNA, 18 April 2018 – Slovenia’s Chairmanship of the OSCE Forum for Security Co-operation will be characterized by the country’s commitment to the ongoing efforts to restore confidence in the OSCE area, said State Secretary of the country’s Foreign Ministry Andrej Logar at the Forum in Vienna today...

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more in Luhansk region compared with the previous 24 hours. The SMM observed damage in a residential area of Yasynuvata. Near Chabanivka, shots were again fired at an SMM unmanned aerial vehicle. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske; it observed ceasefire violations near Stanytsia Luhanska. Its access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas as well as near Izvaryne near the border with the Russian Federation, and in Starohnativka.* The SMM observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines on both sides of the contact line. The SMM continued to facilitate and monitor repairs to electrical infrastructure near Maiorsk, the Petrivske pumping station and a high-voltage powerline near Yuzhna-Lomuvatka. In Kyiv, the SMM followed up on reports of an incident involving firearms in a building where internally displaced persons are known to live.

A series of four pilot training courses on preventing and identifying Violent Extremism and Radicalization that Lead to Terrorism (VERLT), for police commanders from the local Uniformed Police and the local Police Sections for Countering Terrorism and Extremism throughout Serbia, took place from March to April 2018 in Novi Sad, Niš, Novi Pazar and Belgrade...

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...

Promoting the full and equal participation of women with disabilities in political and public life was the focus of discussions at a conference organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) in Vienna on 16 and 17 April 2018. Over 90 parliamentarians and

The development of a road map on solar energy in Turkmenistan was the focus of an OSCE-supported discussion in Ashgabat on 17 April 2018 for officials from the Ministry of Energy, the Ministry of Finance and Economy, the Institute of Solar Energy of the Academy of Science of Turkmenistan, the State Committee for Environment Protection and Land Resources, professors from the Mary Turkmen State Energy Institute and representatives of other relevant institutions and nature protection public organizations...

COPENHAGEN, 17 April 2018- Ignacio Sanchez Amor (MP, Spain), Chair of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s human rights committee, today expressed his concern regarding the state of freedom of expression in Poland, following the stripping of immunity from several opposition parliamentarians last week...

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more in Luhansk region between the evenings of 13 and 14 April, compared with the previous reporting period. Between the evenings of 14 and 15 April, it recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and fewer in Luhansk region compared with the previous 24 hours. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske and recorded ceasefire violations inside the Petrivske disengagement area. The SMM heard shots in close proximity to its position while conducting a mid-range unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) flight near the Petrivske disengagement area. Its 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 SMM continued to facilitate and monitor repairs to the Petrivske pumping station and a high-voltage powerline near Yuzhna-Lomuvatka. In Kyiv, the SMM followed up on media reports of an explosion near a one-storey building.

VIENNA, 16 April 2018 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, said today he was shocked by the death of journalist Maksim Borodin in the Russian Federation...

From 12 to 14 April, the OSCE Mission to Montenegro, in co-operation with the Department for Human Resources of the Parliament of Montenegro, facilitated the first train-the-trainers workshop for 11 parliamentary staff on principles of managing change, developing vision statements and project goals, adult learning principles and modern tools to support changes in the working environment...

PODGORICA, 16 April 2018 – Fundamental freedoms were respected in the 15 April Montenegro presidential election, although the governing party candidate held an institutional advantage, the international observers concluded in a preliminary statement today. Candidates campaigned freely, and the media provided the contestants with a platform to present their views, but the lack of analytical reporting and absence of the frontrunner in the televised debates reduced voters’ opportunity to make an informed choice, the statement says...

Upholding human rights while policing assemblies was the focus of two three-day training courses for representatives of law enforcement agencies in Bosnia and Herzegovina organized by the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) and the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) in Sarajevo and Banja Luka from 9 to 14 April 2018...

MOSTAR, April 15 2018 – The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) concluded today in Mostar a series of student workshops on media literacy. The workshops were held in Sarajevo, East Sarajevo, Banja Luka and Tuzla, concluding today in Mostar. The workshops focused on enhancing the level of the participating students’ understanding of the media in the digital age and their influence on society in the context of BiH...

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 civilian casualties and observed damage to civilian houses as a result of shelling in Donetsk city. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske; it heard an explosion near (but outside) the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area. Its access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas and elsewhere, including Trokhizbenka, Voznesenivka (near the border with the Russian Federation), and Uzhivka – where the SMM observed military hardware and a man in military-style clothing fired a shot in the air.* The SMM observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines on both sides of the contact line. The SMM continued to facilitate and monitor repairs to water pipelines near Obozne, where works were completed, and Zolote and a high-voltage power line near Yuzhna Lomuvatka. In Kyiv, the SMM followed up on reports of vandalism of a monument in Mariinskyi Park and of arson at a Ukrainian Orthodox Church. In Luhansk city, the SMM monitored a gathering in front of the SMM office...

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions compared with the previous reporting period. The SMM followed up on a civilian casualty caused by the explosion of an object in Myrne and observed multiple impact sites in Staromykhailivka and Donetsk city. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske; it observed ceasefire violations assessed as inside the Petrivske disengagement area. Its access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas and elsewhere. The SMM continued to facilitate and monitor repairs to power lines near Veselohorivka and a water pipeline in Obozne. The SMM observed a restriction measure hearing in the trial of the captain of the fishing ship Nord, who was released on his own recognisance...

VIENNA, 13 April 2018 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Désir today strongly condemned the publication of a list of more than 200 people by a Hungarian media outlet which claimed that over 2,000 people, including those listed by name, are allegedly working to “topple the government”...

VIENNA, 13 April 2018 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Désir today expressed his concern about a court’s decision to block the Telegram messaging and social networking application in the Russian Federation...

VIENNA, 13 April 2018 – Today OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Désir called on the Tajikistani authorities to release from pre-trial detention Khayrullo Mirsaidov, a reporter with a number of national and international media outlets in Tajikistan in the past years. Mirsaidov is facing charges of embezzlement of funds, falsification of documents, making false accusations, and incitement to inter-ethnic hatred.

VIENNA, 13 April 2018 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Désir today called upon the Czech authorities to respect journalists’ rights to protect confidential sources, following complaints by investigative journalists Jaroslav Kmenta (of The Reporter), Janek Kroupa (of Czech Radio) and Sabina Slonkova (of Neovlivni.cz) regarding pressure by police investigators to disclose their sources. The journalists allege that in recent months, they have been repeatedly questioned by the police and the General Inspection of Security Corps (GIBS) over their reporting related to corruption cases...

A three-day training course on anti-corruption reviewing of draft legislation for 30 representatives of government institutions, academia and civil society concluded on 13 April 2018 in Astana...

Public monitoring of the environment was the focus of a training seminar co-organized by the OSCE Programme Office in Astana and the Zhaiyk-Caspian Aarhus Centre that was held on 13 April 2018, in Atyrau, Kazakhstan, for some 30 representatives of the government, environmental NGOs, the private sector and the media...

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions compared with the previous reporting period. The SMM followed up on civilian casualties caused by shelling in Staromykhailivka, near Donetsk city. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske; it observed ceasefire violations assessed as inside the Petrivske disengagement area. Its access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas as well as, again, near Dovzhanske (near the border with the Russian Federation).* The SMM observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines on both sides of the contact line. The SMM continued to facilitate and monitor repairs to the Petrivske pumping station near Artema and water pipelines in Obozne and Zolote-5.

KYIV, 12 April 2018 – A recent upsurge in violence in eastern Ukraine threatens the lives and wellbeing of the civilian population and further undermines the ceasefire upon which their security and safety depend, said the OSCE Chairperson’s Special Representative to the Trilateral Contact Group, Martin Sajdik, and the Chief Monitor of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM), Ertugrul Apakan, today...

VENICE, 12 April 2018- The Commissioner of the Municipality of Venice, Mr. Simone Venturini, and the OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, Madina Jarbussynova, signed an agreement today strengthening co-operation between the OSCE and the Municipality of Venice regarding victim protection and the fight against organized criminal networks involved in trafficking.

VIENNA, 12 April 2018 – Current trends and challenges in securing and managing borders were highlighted at the two-day 12th Annual Meeting of the OSCE Border Security and Management National Focal Points Network, which opened today in Vienna, gathering more than 60 participants from across the OSCE region...

E-reporting mechanisms for political finance were at the centre of discussions during an expert meeting organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), in partnership with Lithuania’s Central Electoral Commission (CEC) on 12 April 2018 in Vilnius. The meeting was

A three-day orientation workshop for about 60 young Kosovo Roma, Ashkali and Egyptians designed to increase their understanding of police work and the benefits of joining police ranks, organized by the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, the Kosovo Academy for Public Safety and Kosovo Police, concluded on 12 April 2018 in Vushtrri/Vučitrn...

In partnership with the National Security Council of the Government of Montenegro, the OSCE Mission organized a workshop dedicated to the preparation of the Draft National Strategy for the prevention and combating of terrorism, money laundering and terrorist financing 2019-2022 and Action Plan 2019-2020 on 11 and 12 April 2018 in Kolasin, Montenegro...

BISHKEK, 12 April 2018 – During his first visit to Kyrgyzstan in his capacity as OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities (HCNM), Lamberto Zannier agreed with the authorities to intensify their long-standing co-operation on the integration of society and inter-ethnic policy, particularly in the field of education....

BAKU, 12 April 2018 – The early presidential election in Azerbaijan took place within a restrictive political environment and under laws that curtail fundamental rights and freedoms, which are prerequisites for genuine democratic elections. Against this backdrop and in the absence of pluralism, including in the media, the election lacked genuine competition. Other candidates refrained from directly challenging or criticizing the incumbent, and distinction was not made between his campaign and his official activities, the international observers concluded in a preliminary statement today. At the same time, the authorities were co-operative and international observers were able to operate freely in the pre-election period, and the election administration was well resourced and prepared the election efficiently...

Strategies to effectively address hate crimes were the focus of a training course for civil society representatives and legal professionals working with hate crime victims, organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) in co-operation with Italy’s Catholic

The SMM 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 observed a ceasefire violation inside the Petrivske disengagement area. Its access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas, as well as, again, in areas near Izvaryne and Sievernyi (near the border with the Russian Federation).* The SMM observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines on both sides of the contact line near Pidhorodne, Druzhba, and Lobacheve. The SMM continued to facilitate and monitor repairs to the Petrivske pumping station near Artema and a water pipeline in Obozne. The Mission observed some anti-tank mines for the first time near Avdiivka, Zaichenko and in the Zolote disengagement area. The SMM continued to monitor a church in Ptycha, Rivne region, following reports of an incident on 2 April. The SMM saw three commemoration events related to World War II in Odessa.

DUSHANBE, 11 April 2018 – High-ranking officials from the OSCE and the Tajik Government as well as civil society representatives convened to assess co-operation in 2017 and develop a joint programmatic vision for 2019 today in Dushanbe.

Officials from OSCE participating States in the Western Balkans shared good practices and challenges in the issuance and examination of travel documents with their counterparts from the European Union, Schengen states and associated countries during an expert meeting in Brussels on 11 April 2018.

BELGRADE, 11 April 2018 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, met with President Aleksandar Vučić today in Belgrade to discuss media freedom issues in Serbia during a three-day official visit to the country...

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more in Luhansk region between the evenings of 6 and 7 April, compared with the previous reporting period. Between the evenings of 7 and 8 April, it recorded fewer ceasefire violations in both regions compared with the previous 24 hours. Between the evenings of 8 and 9 April, it recorded more ceasefire violations in both regions, compared with the previous 24 hours. The SMM followed up on reports of a civilian casualty in Dokuchaievsk and observed damage to civilian properties caused by shelling in Sakhanka. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske; it observed ceasefire violations inside the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area. Its access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas, as well as, again, near Izvaryne, Dovzhanske and Voznesenivka (near the border with the Russian Federation), at a heavy weapons holding area in a non-government-controlled area, and in Staromykhailivka and Debaltseve.* The SMM observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines on both sides of the contact line. The Mission observed over 600 anti-tank mines in total for the first time near Zaitseve, Marinka and Avdiivka. In Zakarpattia, the Mission monitored the security situation around locations associated with the Hungarian parliamentary elections. In Zaporizhzhia region, it saw the fishing ship Nord moored at port. The Mission observed Easter celebrations at churches in various cities throughout Ukraine.

On 6 April a meeting on how to improve co-ordination between state agencies and international organizations based in Kyrgyzstan in regard to project activities in the religious sphere took place in Bishkek. This event was conducted by the State Commission for Religious Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic, with the support of the OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek.

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 decreased at both BCPs...

A two-day seminar on countering the use of the Internet for terrorist purposes, organized by the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat and the OSCE Secretariat’s Action against Terrorism Unit, began on 5 April 2018 in Ashgabat...

The OSCE Centre in Ashgabat, in co-operation with the OSCE Secretariat’s Transnational Threats Department, organized a two-day seminar entitled “Countering Violent Extremism and Radicalization that Lead to Terrorism (VERLT): a Comprehensive Approach”, which concluded in Ashgabat on 4 April 2018. The seminar, the first of its kind in Turkmenistan, served as a platform for policy discussion on preventing and countering VERLT in Turkmenistan. It also aimed to promote a better understanding of the current global and regional trends in VERLT. A particular emphasis was put on regional challenges related to terrorist radicalization.

BUDAPEST, 9 April 2018 – Hungary’s 8 April parliamentary elections were characterized by a pervasive overlap between state and ruling party resources, undermining contestants’ ability to compete on an equal basis, the observers from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) concluded in a preliminary statement today. Voters had a wide range of political options, but intimidating and xenophobic rhetoric, media bias and opaque campaign financing constricted the space for genuine political debate, hindering voters’ ability to make a fully informed choice. The technical administration of the elections was professional and transparent, the observers said...

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and fewer 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 in the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area. Its access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas and near Voznesenivka (near the border with the Russian Federation).* The SMM observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines on both sides of the contact line. The SMM continued to facilitate and monitor repairs to the Petrivske pumping station near Artema and a water pipeline in Obozne. In Kyiv, the Mission followed up on reports of a fire at a church. In Luhansk city, the SMM again monitored a gathering in front of the SMM office...