News and press releases

ASTANA, 17 October 2016 – An OSCE-supported roundtable discussion in Astana, Kazakhstan today on proposed changes to national legislation on countering extremism and terrorism brought together some 40 parliamentarians, high-level representatives of the National Security Committee, the Prosecutor General’s Office, the Supreme Court, Ministries of the Interior, Justice, Education and Science, international and national experts, and academics...

Some 16 representatives of the Parliamentary services and secretaries of the Montenegrin Parliament Committees successfully completed the last in a series of an OSCE-supported programme, aimed at strengthening their leadership, interpersonal and communication skills, from 13 to 14 October 2015 in Podgorica...

ULAANBAATAR, 17 October 2016 – A one-week intensive training course for Mongolian law enforcement personnel aimed at increasing their operational awareness to detect forged travel documents started today in Ulaanbaatar. This is the first of a series of trainings courses organized by the OSCE on detecting forged documents that will take place every autumn in Mongolia over the next five years to 2020...

Relations between the judiciary and the media, international standards on freedom of speech, the legal basis and particularity of defamation cases, as well as media access to courts were the focus of an OSCE-supported workshop for some 35 judges, lawyers and journalists which concluded on 15 October 2016 in Dushanbe...

In the morning of 16 October, from several positions in both government-controlled Zolote (60km north-west of Luhansk) and government-controlled Katerynivka (64km west of Luhansk), an SMM patrol composed of five members observed a steady exchange of fire ranging 4-6km east of all positions. The SMM heard over 60 explosions assessed as caused by mortar (82mm and 120mm) rounds, and sporadic bursts of automatic-grenade-launcher (AGS-17, 30mm) and heavy-machine-gun fire for over one hour and a half.

The SMM recorded a significant increase in ceasefire violations in Donetsk region compared with the day before, the vast majority of which occurred in areas north-east of Mariupol. In Luhansk region more explosions were recorded compared with the day before. The Mission continued to monitor the disengagement process in Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske; the SMM was restricted in its freedom of movement in all three areas.* It followed up on reports of civilian casualties. The SMM observed the presence and movement of multiple armoured vehicles in government-controlled parts of Luhansk region. An unknown person threw an explosive device at the building housing the SMM office in Ivano-Frankivsk. The SMM observed a number of marches and events across Ukraine marking the “Day of the Defender”.

The first OSCE region annual meeting to focus on national prevention mechanisms (NPMs) on torture, organized by the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) in co-operation with the Geneva-based Association for the Prevention of Torture (APT), was held in Vienna on 13 and 14

At 01:12 (EET) on 14 October the security guard at the SMM office located in the centre of Ivano-Frankivsk heard an explosion nearby...

GENEVA, Switzerland, 14 October 2016 – OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier and Director General and Chief Executive Alexandre de Juniac of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding in Geneva today to intensify co-operation and support international efforts for enhancing aviation security and preventing the travel of foreign terrorist fighters...

STRASBOURG, France, 14 October 2016 – OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, in an address on Thursday to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council in Europe in Strasbourg, underlined the important role that the Council of Europe plays in addressing many of the serious security challenges in Europe, thus highlighting the strong potential for dialogue and co-operation between the OSCE and the Council of Europe...

BISHKEK, 14 October 2016 – A delegation of Kyrgyzstan’s Ministry of Interior consisting of Witness Protection Department officers and members of the working group on creating the State Witness Protection Programme (2017-2020) completed its five-day OSCE-supported study visit to Turkey today...

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region compared with the previous reporting period, with most concentrated in areas north-east and east of Mariupol and in the Avdiivka-Yasynuvata area...

KYIV, 14 October 2016 – Ending a four-day visit to Kyiv, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović today welcomed the commitment by the authorities, the media community and civil society to strengthen media freedom in Ukraine. She also called on the authorities to intensify their efforts to end impunity for crimes committed against journalists...

DUSHANBE, 14 October 2016 – The application of specific psychological rehabilitation techniques for survivors of domestic violence was the focus of a four-day training course that concluded today in Dushanbe. The course for 18 psychologists from the OSCE-supported Women’s Resource Centres was organized by the OSCE Office in Tajikistan...

Preventing and countering violent extremism in Albania was the focus of an OSCE-organized conference for some 100 representatives of religious communities, local and central government agencies, civil society and students held on 12 October 2016 in Elbasan, Albania...

YEREVAN, 13 OCTOBER 2016 –OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings (OSR/CTHB) Madina Jarbussynova, conducted in co-ordination and with the assistance of the OSCE Office in Yerevan, a four-day official visit to Armenia to discuss the country’s implementation of OSCE anti-trafficking commitments.

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region compared with the previous reporting period, with most concentrated in areas north-east and east of Mariupol and in the Avdiivka-Yasynuvata area...

VIENNA, 13 October 2016- OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier today expressed condolences to the Royal Family and the People of Thailand on the passing of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej...

VIENNA, 13 October 2016 – Some 200 representatives of OSCE participating States, government authorities, experts from drug-related agencies, as well as international, regional and civil society organizations and the private sector are meeting today and tomorrow in Vienna to discuss how to implement the outcome document of the UN General Assembly Special Session on the world drug problem (UNGASS 2016), which was agreed in New York in April...

OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier visited Iceland 10-11 October 2016, where he met the country’s foreign minister and addressed a conference marking thirty years since the landmark 1986 Reykjavik Summit on the reduction of nuclear-armed missiles...

The current and potential role of OSCE structures in assisting its 57 participating States to implement their obligations and OSCE commitments in ensuring the full rehabilitation of torture victims was the focus of a workshop held in Vienna on 12 October 2016. The event was organized by the OSCE

VIENNA, 13 October 2016 – The OSCE recognizes the important role of disaster risk reduction in promoting security and stability in the OSCE region the OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier said today on the occasion of this year’s International Day for Disaster Reduction focusing on the theme- Live to Tell: Reducing Global Disaster Mortality...

VIENNA, 13 October 2016 – The need to increase the presence of women in the armed forces was the focus of the OSCE Forum for Security Co-operation meeting in Vienna, held yesterday under Portugal’s Chairmanship...

The SMM recorded a similar number of ceasefire violations in Donetsk region as in the previous reporting period, with many concentrated in the Avdiivka-Yasynuvata area and areas north-east and east of Mariupol...

ASTANA, 12 October 2016 – An OSCE-supported regional workshop on international experience in administering risk management system started today in Astana, bringing together some 80 tax and customs officials from Belgium, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Lithuania, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan...

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...

CHISINAU, 12 October 2016 – The Special Representative of the German OSCE Chairperson-in-Office for the Transdniestrian Settlement Process, Cord Meier-Klodt, today concluded his seventh visit to the region in 2016 to meet with chief negotiators in Chisinau and Tiraspol...

An OSCE-supported training course for some 35 judges and regional court employees from across Kazakhstan on best practices in combating corruption in the judiciary took place on 12 October 2016 in Astana...

The SMM recorded a higher number of ceasefire violations in Donetsk region compared with the previous day, whereas in Luhansk region the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations compared with the previous day. The SMM followed up on reports of shelling and civilian casualties in “DPR”-controlled Sakhanka. The Mission continued to monitor the disengagement process in Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske; the SMM was restricted in its freedom of movement in all three areas. The SMM monitored the situation of civilians queuing at entry-exit checkpoints and observed a demonstration in Luhansk city against the deployment of an international armed mission...

Representatives of OSCE delegations gathered in Vienna on 11 October 2016 to discuss challenges and exchange good practices in the implementation and reporting on the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security (UNSCR 1325), a landmark document reaffirming the

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region, including 150 and 127 explosions on 8 and 9 October, respectively, compared with 363 explosions recorded on 7 October. In Luhansk region the SMM recorded no ceasefire violations on 8 October and 47 explosions on 9 October, compared with 29 explosions on 7 October. The Mission followed up on reports of civilian casualties, an explosion and a shelling. The Mission monitored the withdrawal of weapons and saw weapons in violation of withdrawal lines. The SMM continued to monitor the disengagement process in Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske. During the reporting period the Mission could not verify the status of disengagement in the Zolote and Petrivske areas due to restrictions to its access. On 9 October the SMM noted that no disengagement took place in the Stanytsia Luhanska area, where it also faced restrictions to its access. The Mission observed mine hazard signs and new UXO in the security zone, including near populated areas. The SMM monitored six border areas not controlled by the Government. The SMM noted a calm situation along the administrative boundary line between Kherson and Crimea...

VIENNA, 10 October 2016 – The recent detention and physical attack against photojournalist Timur Karpov in Uzbekistan is unacceptable, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović said today...

ASTANA, 10 October 2016- The fifth and concluding OSCE-supported training seminar for some 20 officers of the Border Service of Kazakhstan’s National Security Committee on profiling techniques to counter transnational threats, began today in Astana...

The second edition of the OSCE Dialogue Academy for young women leaders from Prishtinë/Priština and Belgrade, organized under the auspices of the “Follow Us” Initiative, was held from 30 September to 9 October at Stadtschlaining, Austria...

WARSAW, 10 October 2016 – Today, on the occasion of the International Day against the Death Penalty, Michael Georg Link, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), called on those OSCE countries that continue to apply the death penalty or maintain it in law to continue to consider its complete abolition, in the context of the international debate linking the practice with torture and other ill-treatment...

An online service for state registration of land ownership developed with the support of the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine was launched in a pilot version on Monday, 10 October 2016. The digital tool, e.land.gov.ua, was developed at the request of and in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture, the State Geological Registry Service and the State Agency on E-Governance. The new service is currently being offered in Kyiv city and the Chernihiv region. It will be accessible for all Ukrainians as of 1 January 2017...

TBILISI, 9 October 2016 – The 8 October parliamentary elections in Georgia were competitive, well-administered and fundamental freedoms were generally respected. The otherwise calm and open campaign atmosphere was, however, impacted by allegations of unlawful campaigning and some incidents of violence, the international observers concluded in a preliminary statement released today...

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region, including 363 explosions compared with the previous reporting period (848 explosions). In Luhansk region the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations, including 29 explosions compared with nine during the previous reporting period, while 23 of the explosions were attributable to live-fire exercises outside the security zone. The Mission continued to monitor the disengagement process in Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske; the SMM was restricted in its freedom of movement in all three areas.* The SMM observed pullback of forces and hardware from the disengagement area both in Petrivske and Bohdanivka following the announcement by both Ukrainian and Russian Armed Forces representatives to the Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination (JCCC) about the start of disengagement. The Mission monitored the withdrawal of weapons and saw weapons in violation of withdrawal lines. The SMM monitored the situation of internally displaced persons in Odessa...

At 17:45 on 7 October, an SMM patrol visited the Oktiabr mine (“DPR”-controlled, 8km north-west of Donetsk city centre) to inspect the SMM camera located at the site. While on the first floor of the mineshaft tower where the camera is installed, the SMM heard movement in the upper levels...

The SMM recorded a significantly higher number of ceasefire violations in Donetsk region compared with the previous reporting period. In Luhansk region the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations compared with the previous reporting period. The SMM followed up on reports of shooting in Marinka. The Mission continued to monitor the disengagement process in Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske; the SMM was restricted in its freedom of movement in all three areas. The SMM monitored the situation of civilians living near the contact line and of civilians queuing at entry-exit checkpoints. The SMM visited border areas outside government control, as well as border areas in Chernihiv and Vinnytsia...

The OSCE Mission to Montenegro in co-operation with the Union of Municipalities supported the first constituent session of the co-ordination team for the management of the Municipal Project Managers Network on 5 October 2016 in Podgorica...

An OSCE-supported presentation on information and accounting system of Montenegro’s Berane municipality for 40 officials from the local secretariats of finance, chiefs of accounting in local governments and representatives of the Finance Ministry took place on 5 October 2016 in Podgorica...

BUCHAREST, 7 October 2016 – Representatives from Turkmenistan’s financial institutions and law-enforcement bodies concluded today in Bucharest a study visit, organized by the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat, focused on mechanisms to counter corruption and money laundering...

Reviving military confidence-building, risk reduction and arms control in the OSCE region was the topic of strategic discussions among high-level diplomats and experts including key representatives of NATO and the Russian Federation at an OSCE Security Days event hosted by OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier in Vienna on 3 October 2016...

CHISINAU, 7 October 2016 – An OSCE-organized workshop to provide the Moldovan government with concrete guidance on strengthening the commemoration and study of the Holocaust in the country took place today in Chisinau...

KAIRAKKUM, Tajikistan, 7 October 2016 – A three and a half-day training course on disaster risk reduction for central government agencies, local administrations and Aarhus Centres from Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan concluded today in Kairakkum, Tajikistan...

VIENNA, 7 October 2016 – On the tenth anniversary of the death of Novaya Gazeta journalist Anna Politkovskaya, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Dunja Mijatović, today called on the government of the Russian Federation to end impunity for crimes committed against journalists...

TBILISI, 7 October 2016 – The international observers monitoring the parliamentary elections in Georgia will present their preliminary post-election statement at a news conference on Sunday, 9 October, in Tbilisi...

DUSHANBE, 7 October 2016 – An OSCE-organized two-day training course for lawyers from OSCE-supported Women’s Resource Centres (WRCs) concluded today in Dushanbe. The course brought together some 18 participants with the aim of strengthening their knowledge of legal instruments and procedures to protect survivors of human trafficking and domestic violence and in facilitating their access to justice...

WARSAW/BERLIN, 7 October 2016 –Michael Georg Link, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and Gernot Erler, Special Representative of the German OSCE Chairmanship expressed their concern that the human rights group International Historical, Educational, Charitable and Human Rights Society “Memorial” was named a “foreign agent” by the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation earlier this week...