News and press releases

ULAANBAATAR, 7 March 2016 – A one-week advanced training course for 35 Mongolian law enforcement officers aimed at increasing their practical abilities to detect forged travel documents started today in Ulaanbaatar. The course is organized by the OSCE Transnational Threats Department, at the request of the Mongolian authorities...

The SMM observed a decrease in the number of ceasefire violations in Donetsk region compared with the previous day and continued to observe an overall stable situation in Luhansk region. It continued to monitor the withdrawal of weapons; some weapons were observed in violation of the withdrawal lines. The Mission facilitated and monitored demining and repair work on both sides of the contact line. In Ivano-Frankivsk, the SMM spoke to representatives of a veterans association. The Mission reached border areas not controlled by the Government*...

Rome, 5 March 2016 – An OSCE Security Days event on “Refocusing Migration and Security- Bridging National and Regional Responses” held in Rome on 4 March discussed short- and long-term approaches to both the current refugee crisis and structural drivers of mass migration, including conflict, economic imbalances, and climate change. Highlighting the added value of the OSCE, over 300 representatives of governments, parliaments, civil society, grassroots organizations, international and regional organizations, academics and journalists from OSCE participating States and Partners for Co-operation agreed that only a combination of strong leadership, inclusive coalitions and a common long-term strategy can effectively address these challenges.

The SMM observed an increase in ceasefire violations in Donetsk from the previous day and continued to observe a stable situation in Luhansk. It continued to monitor the withdrawal of weapons; some of them were observed in violation of the withdrawal lines. The Mission facilitated and monitored demining and repair work on both sides of the contact line and monitored the simultaneous release of detainees. The SMM encountered freedom-of-movement restrictions...

ROME, 4 March 2016 – The Chairperson of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions, Isabel Santos (MP, Portugal), and OSCE PA Secretary General Roberto Montella addressed high-level panels in Rome this week on the crisis of migrants and refugees and the international community’s response...

VIENNA, 4 March 2016 – Appointing trustees to manage the Zaman daily newspaper is the latest in a string of measures initiated by the authorities to intimidate media in Turkey, Dunja Mijatović, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media said today...

SARAJEVO, 4 March 2016 – The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina, in co-operation with the Center for Judicial and Prosecutorial Training in Federation of BiH, completed today the first of eight seminars to be held this year for judiciary staff on witness protection prior to, during and after trial as well as compensation for damages...