News and press releases

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and a similar number in Luhansk region compared with the previous 24 hours. The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske; an SMM unmanned aerial vehicle spotted new mines inside and near the Petrivske disengagement area. The SMM’s access remained restricted in all three areas and elsewhere. The Mission observed weapons in violation of the withdrawal lines near Mariupol. The SMM visited two border areas outside government control. In Dnipro, the SMM followed up on reports of an explosion of an improvised explosive device which injured a woman...

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 compared to the previous week. The seventieth Russian convoy crossed into Ukraine and returned through the Donetsk Border Crossing Point...

Following the recommitment to cease fire, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and a similar number of ceasefire violations in Luhansk region between the evenings of 22 and 23 December compared with the previous reporting period. Between the evenings of 23 and 24 December, the SMM recorded a significant decrease in the number of ceasefire violations in Donetsk region compared with the previous 24 hours and no ceasefire violations in Luhansk region. The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions between the evenings of 24 and 25 December compared with the previous 24 hours, but fewer compared with the period between the evenings of 22 and 23 December. The Mission followed up on reports of a civilian injured along the contact line near Berezove and observed damage to residential areas of Pavlopil and Yasynuvata assessed as caused by shelling. The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske; it recorded a ceasefire violation inside the Stanytsia Luhanska area. The SMM’s access remained restricted in all three areas and elsewhere, including at two “DPR” weapons storage sites. The Mission observed weapons in violation near Poltavka. The SMM visited five border areas beyond government control. In Kyiv, the SMM monitored four gatherings in the city centre...

KYIV, 26 December 2017- The Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office in Ukraine and in the Trilateral Contact Group, Ambassador Martin Sajdik, issued today the following statement:...

VIENNA, 25 December 2017- Following the 5th hearing in the Cumhuriyet trial, OSCE media freedom representative Harlem Désir repeated his earlier resolute calls on Turkey to free all journalists in prison and drop charges against them...

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and fewer in Luhansk region compared with the previous reporting period. The Mission followed up on reports of a civilian casualty in Lysychansk. The SMM observed damage to civilian properties in residential areas of Yasynuvata. 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 in the disengagement areas and elsewhere, including at checkpoints near Verkhnoshyrokivske and Rozdolne.* The Mission saw weapons in violation in Oleksandropil. The SMM observed long queues of civilians at the Stanytsia Luhanska bridge...

VIENNA, 23 December 2017 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Désir today expressed serious dismay that a four-year suspended sentence in the case of the murder of journalist Vyacheslav Veremyi in Kyiv leads to impunity...

KYIV, 22 December 2017- Ertugrul Apakan, Chief Monitor of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), today welcomed the recommitment to the ceasefire made by the Trilateral Contact Group and other signatories of the Minsk agreements...

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more in Luhansk region compared with the previous reporting period. The Mission followed up on reports of civilian casualties from Yasynuvata. The SMM observed damage to civilian properties in residential areas in Novoluhanske, Dokuchaievsk and Yasynuvata. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske; it recorded ceasefire violations near all three. Its access remained restricted in the disengagement areas and elsewhere, including at a checkpoint near Verkhnoshyrokivske and a compound in Luhansk city.* The Mission saw weapons in violation in Sievierodonetsk and near Novotroitske. It observed convoys of trucks marked, “Humanitarian Aid from the Russian Federation”, in Donetsk and Luhansk regions. The SMM visited four border areas outside of government control...

A two-day roundtable discussion on airport security organized by the Border Security and Management Unit of the OSCE Transnational Threats Department, in close co-operation with the OSCE Mission to Montenegro, concluded on 21 December 2017 in Podgorica.

VIENNA, 22 December 2017 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Désir today condemned the violent attack on Vyacheslav Prudnikov, a journalist forthe news website “Kavkazskiy Uzel”, in the town Krasniy Sulin in the Rostov region.

On 21 December 2017 at 06:31 (Moscow time), the seventieth Russian convoy arrived at the Donetsk Border Crossing Point (BCP). A total of 21 vehicles were checked by the Russian border guards and customs services prior to their crossing into Ukraine. All 21 vehicles had crossed back into the Russian Federation by 16:39 on 21 December.

Members of the OSCE Mediterranean Points of Contact Network on border management and security completed a four-day intensive training course on various topics related to their work on 22 December 2017 in Vienna.

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions compared with the previous reporting period. The SMM followed up on reports of civilian casualties from Novoluhanske and Snizhne. The SMM continued to assess damage to civilian properties in residential areas in Novoluhanske. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske; it recorded ceasefire violations near all three and heard an explosion assessed as an outgoing mortar round 250m north of its position near the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area. The SMM’s access remained restricted in the disengagement areas and elsewhere.* The Mission saw a weapon in violation of withdrawal lines near Travneve. It observed military presence and mines in and around Travneve, Dolomitne, Holmivskyi and Novoluhanske. The Mission visited two border areas outside of government control.

VIENNA, 21 December 2017 – OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and Austria’s Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl addressed ambassadors and representatives of the OSCE’s participating States and Partners for Co-operation at the Permanent Council in Vienna today.

An expert from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) was in Podgorica on 21 December 2017 to present informal comments on draft amendments to election-related laws in Montenegro...

An OSCE-supported two-day training seminar for some 20 representatives of Kazakhstan’s National Bank on the use of cryptocurrencies concluded on 21 December 2017 in Almaty, Kazakhstan...

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions compared with the previous reporting period. The SMM heard explosions less than 600m from its forward patrol base in Popasna; subsequently, SMM staff left the base. The SMM followed up on reports of civilian casualties from Novoluhanske, Kadiivka and Holmivskyi. The SMM assessed damage to civilian properties in residential areas in Pervomaisk and Kadiivka. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske; it recorded ceasefire violations inside the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area and near all three. Its access remained restricted in the disengagement areas and elsewhere.* In Donetsk and Kharkiv regions, the SMM followed up on the withdrawal of Russian Federation Armed Forces officers of the Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination (JCCC); it monitored their passing through the entry-exit checkpoint near Maiorsk and exiting Ukraine at a border crossing point in Kharkiv region. The SMM visited three border areas outside of government control.

MINSK, 20 December 2017 – 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 20 December 2017:

Fifty sets of radio equipment (HF/VHF radios) were handed to the Committee of Emergency Situations and Civil Defence under the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan by the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe on 19 December 2017.

The final report on Slovenia’s 22 October presidential election issued by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) on 20 December 2017 recommends strengthening campaign finance regulations and increasing collaboration between the election administration, other relevant institutions and civil society to make all polling stations accessible for persons with disabilities.

An OSCE-supported national seminar on identification and profiling techniques for officers of Kazakhstan’s Border Service and Migration Police concluded in Almaty on 13 December 2017...

At around 19:15 on 18 December, while at its forward patrol base on the northern edge of government-controlled Popasna (69km west of Luhansk), the SMM heard five undetermined explosions 500-600m north-east, followed by three explosions assessed as outgoing rounds of undetermined weapons within 1.5km south-west. SMM staff (consisting of five monitoring officers, a paramedic and a language assistant) at the forward patrol base immediately gathered near the base’s basement shelter and remained there the entire evening. At around 19:50, the SMM, via telephone, informed Ukrainian Armed Forces and Russian Federation Armed Forces officers of the Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination (JCCC) of the shelling; the latter told the Mission to contact the armed formations directly...

Over 200 representatives of the Ukrainian government, civil society and the international donor community gathered to discuss ways to stimulate partnership and co-operation between the state and civil society during a two-day conference on 18 and 19 December in Kyiv.

Practical ways to ensure a transparent and participatory legislative process were the focus of a workshop held by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), the Parliament of Georgia and the UN Development Programme (UNDP), in co-operation with the EU and the Institute

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and a similar number in Luhansk region compared with the previous reporting period. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske. Its access remained restricted in the disengagement areas and elsewhere, including near Yurivka and Khoroshe.* The Mission saw weapons in violation of withdrawal lines near Bakhmut. In Donetsk region the SMM confirmed that Russian Federation Armed Forces officers of the Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination (JCCC) had withdrawn from their duties in five JCCC offices. The SMM was positioned on both sides of the Maiorsk entry-exit checkpoint to monitor their crossing of the contact line, but no crossing took place. The SMM observed a calm situation at the protest camp near the Parliament building in Kyiv...

A pilot training course on preventing and addressing sexual and gender-based violence in prison was organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), bringing together 14 correctional officers from eight OSCE participating States on 18 and 19 December 2017 in

ERGNETI, 19 December 2017- On 19 December 2017, the 83rd meeting under the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM) was held in Ergneti. The meeting took place in an open and constructive atmosphere.

KYIV, 19 December 2017 – As the security situation in eastern Ukraine deteriorates, Ertugrul Apakan, Chief Monitor of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), today called for restraint and full adherence to the agreed ceasefire...

A roundtable discussion on national and international commitments on gender equality took place in Dushanbe on 13 December 2017. The event was organized by the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe and attended by representatives of the Committee on Women and Family Affairs under the Government of Tajikistan and 35 participants from political parties and civil society, including national gender experts and young adult gender champions.

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 compared to the previous week.

A two-day training course on media literacy for over 20 students from the Faculties of Philosophy and Political Sciences of the University of Sarajevo, organized by the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), was held on 16 and 17 December 2017 in Sarajevo...

The OSCE Mission to Montenegro, in co-operation with the State Election Commission, gathered some 35 members from the State and Municipal Election Commissions for a workshop in Podgorica on 14 and 15 December to review this year’s activities and develop a draft work plan for next year...

Some 150 high-level officials from the General Prosecutor's Office of Uzbekistan, the Senate of the country’s parliament (the Oliy Majlis) and government agencies along with civil society and media representatives gathered for an open doors event on the premises of the General Prosecutor's Office in Tashkent on 18 December 2017 to mark International Anti-Corruption Day...

The results of the OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek’s four-month research into the effectiveness of the so-called “single window model” used by Kyrgyzstan’s ministries and agencies to streamline the delivery of public services to the residents of the capital city were presented on 6 December 2017. The research was conducted at the request of the Prime Minister’s Office as part of efforts to improve the delivery of public and municipal services in the country...

WARSAW, 18 December 2018 – On the occasion of International Migrants Day, Ingibjörg Sólrún Gísladóttir, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), today called for greater action to promote long-term integration efforts while protecting and promoting the human rights of all migrants.

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions between the evenings of 15 and 16 December compared with the previous reporting period. The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and fewer in Luhansk region between the evenings of 16 and 17 December compared with the previous 24 hours. The Mission assessed impact sites near residential areas on the eastern outskirts of Popasna caused by shelling. The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske; it recorded ceasefire violations near all three. Its access remained restricted in the disengagement areas and elsewhere, including in Trokhizbenka.* The Mission continued to observe long queues at the entry-exit checkpoint near Stanytsia Luhanska. The SMM facilitated and monitored repairs of essential infrastructure near Travneve, Dovhe, and in Raivka. The Mission visited five border areas outside of government control. In Kyiv, it monitored a march and a gathering in the city centre, and the aftermath of reported incidents and clashes between the crowd and police.

VIENNA, 18 December 2017 – Now more than ever, there is a strong need to overcome myths and misconceptions about migration and migrants and to engage in a more balanced and fact-based dialogue about a phenomenon that has shaped humanity, said participants at a IOM and OSCE-hosted discussion, Perception is not reality – Towards a new narrative of migration, today in Vienna...

VIENNA, 18 December 2017 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Désir today expressed grave concerns regarding the sentencing of Aziz Orudjev, head of the internet TV channel Kanal 13, in Azerbaijan.

VIENNA, 18 December 2017- The European Union and the OSCE are close partners not simply because they face the same challenges, but because of their shared interest in ensuring stability and prosperity in Europe, the EU’s Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn told a special session of the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna today.

High-level government representatives from Ukraine and Moldova, along with representatives of NGOs and academia from both countries, met in Kyiv on 18 December 2017 for a workshop to launch a new project to strengthen sustainable development in the Dniester river basin...

Strengthening the ability of civil society groups to identify and report hate crimes was the focus of an event held by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) in Belgrade from 14 to 16 December 2017. The workshop brought together 21 participants from across

An OSCE-supported feasibility study for academic police studies according to the Bologna Standards of Academic Education, which evaluates the potential for the success and sustainability of the current Montenegrin police education system, was presented at a workshop hosted by the OSCE Mission and the Police Academy of Montenegro on 14 December 2017 in Podgorica.

A one-week training course for 58 experienced women managers organized by the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan (PCUz) concluded on 16 December 2017 at the Westminster International University in Tashkent (WIUT).

COPENHAGEN, 18 December 2017 – Today’s observation of International Migrants Day is an opportunity to build momentum towards adopting a strong global compact at the United Nations next year, said Chair of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s Ad Hoc Committee on Migration Filippo Lombardi (MP, Switzerland)...

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions compared with the previous reporting period. The Mission reached Travneve, where it spoke with civilians and saw military presence. It also followed up on reports of civilian casualties in Dokuchaievsk. The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske; it recorded a ceasefire violation in the disengagement area near Petrivske and near the disengagement area near Stanytsia Luhanska. Its access remained restricted in the disengagement areas and elsewhere, including in Uzhivka.* The SMM saw weapons in violation of the withdrawal lines near Shymshynivka and Haiove. The SMM facilitated and monitored repairs of essential infrastructure near Travneve, Vesela Hora and Artema.

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions compared with the previous reporting period. The Mission assessed impact sites in residential areas in Dokuchaievsk, Luhanske and Horlivka. In Kalynove-Borshchuvate, the SMM observed damage to a power line caused by shelling. The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske and recorded ceasefire violations inside the Petrivske disengagement area. Its access remained restricted in the disengagement areas and elsewhere.* The Ukrainian Armed Forces representative to the Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination (JCCC) shared with the SMM a letter from the Russian Federation informing Ukraine about the Russian Federation’s intention to withdraw its Armed Forces officers from the JCCC. The SMM saw weapons in violation of withdrawal lines near Oleksandropil. The Mission followed up on the situation of civilians living in Travneve and Hladosove; it heard that electricity was supplied to Travneve and Hladosove and that the regular bus service between Travneve and Novoluhanske had resumed. The SMM facilitated and monitored repairs to a power line in Avdiivka and observed the completion of the repairs. It also facilitated and monitored repairs of essential infrastructure near Zalizne, Artema and Vesela Hora. The SMM visited a border area outside of government control.

VIENNA, 15 December 2017 – The United States’ Federal Communications Commission (FCC) decision of 14 December 2017 to repeal existing provisions ensuring “net neutrality” – the principle that Internet providers must treat all online traffic equally and without undue interference – threatens online media freedom according to a statement made by the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Désir today. The FCC’s commissioners voted by three to two to dismantle existing rules which protect the “Open Internet” and prohibit blocking, throttling or paid prioritization of Internet content.

A panel discussion on migrant integration issues in Poland, hosted by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), took place in Warsaw on 15 December 2017 in the run-up to the International Migrants Day on 18 December. The event enabled representatives of Polish national

International standards and best practices on the independence of the judiciary in the context of criminal justice are the focus of an OSCE-supported series of three two-day seminars that started in Dashoguz on 15 December 2017 and will be continued in Mary until 18 December. The concluding seminar will be held in January 2018 in Ashgabat.