News and press releases

VIENNA, 9 March 2016 – Current security challenges in the OSCE area need to be tackled through a comprehensive dialogue process with all participating States demonstrating political will, said speakers at a joint meeting today of the Organization’s Forum for Security Co-operation, currently chaired by the Netherlands, and its Permanent Council chaired by Germany...

ASTANA, 9 March 2016 – An OSCE-supported national seminar on identification and profiling techniques for officers of Kazakhstan’s Border Service and Migration Police began today in Astana...

The SMM observed a decrease 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. It did not observe any live-fire exercises. The Mission facilitated and monitored demining and repair work on both sides of the contact line, and observed the fencing off of a mined area. The SMM encountered freedom-of-movement restrictions in areas not controlled by the Government.* It reached border crossing points in areas not controlled by the Government in Donetsk region. The Mission engaged with women active in their communities throughout Ukraine on the occasion of International Women’s Day...

BERLIN/VIENNA, 8 March 2016 – OSCE Chairperson‑in‑Office, Federal Foreign Minister Frank‑Walter Steinmeier and OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier today condemned the horrific attack by violent extremist gunmen on military barracks in the Tunisian town of Ben Guerdane, bordering Libya...

VIENNA / WARSAW, 8 March 2016 – OSCE participating States must take more action to close the gender gap in the nearest future, Ambassador Melanne Verveer, the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office’s Special Representative for Gender Issues, and Michael Georg Link, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) said today, on International Women’s Day...

VIENNA, 8 March 2016- On the occasion of International Women’s Day, OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier called on all OSCE participating States to reaffirm their dedication and to increase their efforts toward achieving gender equality and the equal participation of women in conflict prevention and peace processes...

The SMM observed an increase in ceasefire violations in Donetsk region on both 5 and 6 March. The situation remained stable in Luhansk. It continued to monitor the withdrawal of weapons. The SMM did not observe any live-fire exercises. The Mission facilitated and monitored demining and repair work on both sides of the contact line, monitored the humanitarian situation near the contact line, and continued to observe signs of mines and unexploded ordnance (UXO). The SMM encountered numerous freedom-of-movement restrictions, mainly in areas not controlled by the Government, and reached six border crossing points not controlled by the Government. In Kyiv, approximately 1,000 people gathered on Maidan Square in support of Nadiya Savchenko and approximately 250 protestors later were observed in a protest in front of the Russian Embassy during which damage was caused to the building...