News and press releases

THE HAGUE, 14 March 2016 – OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities (HCNM) Astrid Thors today launched a call for nominations for the Max van der Stoel Award...

The Women’s Forum of the Kyrgyz Parliament, with the support of the OSCE Centre in Bishkek, held its second regional parliamentary session at Avrora resort centre of Issyk-Kul oblast, on 11 March 2016 with the aim of establishing a working group on the new law on police development...

The SMM observed a sharp increase in ceasefire violations in Donetsk region compared to the previous day. The situation remained stable in Luhansk. The Mission continued to monitor the withdrawal of weapons and conducted crater analysis. It continued to facilitate repair work to essential infrastructure. The SMM reached border crossing points in areas not controlled by the Government in both Luhansk and Donetsk regions. It encountered freedom-of-movement restrictions in areas not controlled by the Government, including in border areas.* The SMM observed physical confrontations at a courthouse in Odessa between Right Sector and pro-Maidan activists, and people accused of participating in 2 May 2014 clashes near the Trade Union building.

The SMM observed an increase in ceasefire violations in Donetsk region compared to the previous day. The situation remained stable in Luhansk. The Mission continued to facilitate repair work to essential infrastructure. The SMM monitored training areas on both sides of the contact line. The Mission reached border crossing points in areas not controlled by the Government in both Luhansk and Donetsk regions. It encountered freedom-of-movement restrictions on both sides of the contact line, including in border areas.*

The role of the EU and the OSCE in restoring co-operative security in Europe was the focus of a panel discussion organized by the OSCE and the Institute of International Affairs (IAI) in Rome on 8 March 2016. The debate revolved around priorities of the forthcoming EU Global Strategy on Foreign and Security Policy, relations between Europe and Russia as well as findings of the final report of the independent Panel of Eminent Persons on European Security.

Some 18 officers of the Moldovan armed forces, as well as representatives of the Interior and Justice Ministries successfully completed a training course on the safe handling of ammunition stockpiles held at the Military Academy in Chisinau from 23 February to 11 March 2016...

An international conference held in Bender on 11 March 2016 with the support of the OSCE Mission to Moldova brought together more than 130 scientists, researchers, civil society activists and representatives of local authorities to discuss environmental challenges in the Dniester/Nistru River basin...