News and press releases

In Donetsk region the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations, including 144 explosions, more than half of them recorded in the Avdiivka-Yasynuvata area, compared with 187 explosions in the previous reporting period. In Luhansk region the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations, including six explosions, compared with one single violation in the previous reporting period. The Mission continued to monitor the disengagement process near Stanytsia Luhanska, Petrivske, and Zolote, and it noted a relatively calm situation. The Mission was restricted nine times in its freedom of movement, including on both sides of the Shchastia bridge and in the disengagement areas near Petrivske-Bohdanivka and Zolote-Pervomaisk. It was also blocked by a crowd at a “DPR” checkpoint near Horlivka. The Mission continued to facilitate and monitor repair works in Luhansk region. The SMM monitored one border area not controlled by the Government. In Odessa the SMM continued to monitor the security situation surrounding the protest against the mayor and followed up on an alleged arson attack on one of the protestors’ tents...

Equal economic opportunities, women’s active engagement in political and public life and combating domestic violence were the focus of a discussion held by OSCE field operations in Armenia, Moldova and Tajikistan on 28 September 2016 in Warsaw, Poland, at a side event to the OSCE Human Dimension Implementation Meeting...

A two-day seminar aimed at fostering internal co-operation and co-ordination between the uniformed police and criminal investigation departments, organized by the OSCE Mission to Skopje, in co-operation with the Ministry of Internal Affairs, began on 29 September 2016 in Skopje...

VIENNA, 29 September 2016 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović welcomed the UN Human Rights Council’s passing today of a resolution on the safety of journalists...

VIENNA, 29 September 2016 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović today urged the authorities in the United Kingdom to intensify their efforts to find the killers of investigative journalist Martin O’Hagan, who was shot and killed in September 2001...

SARAJEVO, 29 September 2016- On behalf of all of us at the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina, I encourage the country's eligible citizens to exercise their democratic right and duty, and vote in local elections on 2 October...

The OSCE Mission to Moldova held a roundtable event on 28 September 2016 to raise awareness of the benefits of academic debate among high school students and teachers. Some 30 students and teachers from across Moldova attended the discussion at the Gaidarji lyceum in Comrat, in the country’s autonomous region of Gagauzia...

ASHGABAT, 29 September 2016 – Implementation of commitments under the OSCE Vienna Document 2011, a politically-binding document addressing confidence- and security-building measures in the military sphere, was in focus of an OSCE-organized seminar for officials from the Defense Ministry of Turkmenistan that will conclude tomorrow in Ashgabat...

The Parliament of Montenegro, with the support of the OSCE Presence in Albania and the Mission to Montenegro, hosted a visit of the Research Centre and public relations services of the Parliament of Albania on 23 September 2016 in Podgorica, with the aim of goal of strengthening co-operation between the two institutions and enhancing their activities...

WARSAW, 28 September 2016 – The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) is unveiling today a project focused on addressing the security needs of Jewish communities, fostering coalition building among different communities, and countering anti-Semitism through education, at an event in Warsaw...

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region, including 187 explosions compared with 24 in the previous reporting period, with most of them concentrated in the Avdiivka-Yasynuvata-Donetsk airport triangle area. In Luhansk region the SMM recorded a single ceasefire violation (one burst) compared with the previous reporting period (five explosions). The Mission continued to monitor the disengagement process near Petrivske, Stanytsia Luhanska and Zolote and noted a calm situation. The Mission was restricted in its freedom of movement, including in disengagement areas near Petrivske and Zolote. The SMM monitored one border area currently not under government control...

BISHKEK, 28 September 2016- Eighty media experts, religious experts, journalists, civil society and government representatives from Bishkek, Osh and Batken gathered in the Kyrgyz capital today for a conference on the role of the media in countering violent extremism...

KYIV, 28 September 2016 – The draft regulation on psychological rehabilitation and psycho-social support of ex-combatants, their families and other conflict-affected people, developed with the support of OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine, was put for public discussion today at a presentation in Kyiv...

On 28th September 2016, the 70th meeting under the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM) took place in Ergneti, co-facilitated by Kęstutis Jankauskas, the Head of the European Union Monitoring Mission in Georgia (EUMM) and Ambassador Guenther Baechler, the Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office for the South Caucasus...

The OSCE Mission to Moldova brought together 32 students from Chisinau, Comrat, Rybnitsa and Tiraspol for the Model OSCE 2016, to hone their negotiation skills training and participate in a simulation game that engages youth in conflict resolution. The event was held from 22 to 25 September 2016 in Vadul-lui-Voda, a town by the Dniester/Nistru River...

OSCE participating States should step up their efforts to ensure the full participation of Roma and Sinti in their societies, and particularly their inclusion in political life, said participants in the working session focusing on Roma and Sinti issues held on 28 September 2016 as part of the annual Human Dimension Implementation Meeting (HDIM) in Warsaw.

CHISINAU, 28 September 2016 – The Special Representative of the German OSCE Chairperson-in-Office for the Transdniestrian Settlement Process, Cord Meier-Klodt, today concluded a working visit to meet with Political Representatives in Chisinau and Tiraspol...

DUSHANBE, 28 September 2016 – A workshop on the electronic exchange of customs information to facilitate legitimate trade and improve border crossing was the focus of a week-long workshop organized by the Border Unit of the OSCE Office in Tajikistan and conducted at the Office’s Border Management Staff College...

BERLIN / VIENNA, 28 September 2016 – Following the news on the passing of former President and Prime Minster of Israel Shimon Peres, the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier today expressed their deep sadness and honoured his life’s work...

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...

The OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine, Vaidotas Verba and Dmytro Shymkiv, Deputy Head of Ukraine President’s Administration of President of Ukraine, who is also Secretary of the National Reforms Council (NRC), met on 27 September 2016 in Kyiv to discuss continuing support to the country’s reform agenda. National Reforms Council is a consultative body created under the President of Ukraine to plan, promote and track implementation of reforms...

The SMM recorded slightly more ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions, including 24 and five explosions respectively (compared with 21 and one explosion on 25 September, respectively). The Mission monitored in the vicinity of disengagement areas of Petrivske, Stanytsia Luhanska and Zolote and noted demining activity on both sides of the contact line. The SMM observed heavy weapons in violation of withdrawal lines and heavy artillery beyond withdrawal lines on both sides of the contact line, and armoured combat vehicles in the security zone. The SMM monitored the presence of mines and unexploded ordnance in populated areas. The Mission was restricted in its freedom of movement, including in disengagement areas near Petrivske and Zolote...

KYIV, 27 September 2016- As part of introducing a newly reformed neighbourhood police force in Ukraine, a first group of 140 cadets began an education course implemented by the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine. The official opening ceremony of the training took place today at the Kyiv Centre for Police Training...

ASTANA, 27 September 2016 – An OSCE-supported regional discussion on trade facilitation through enhancing regional transit for public and private sector representatives from Central Asia and the South Caucasus as well as specialized trade and transport organizations began today in Astana...

ASTANA, 27 September 2016 – The OSCE-supported two-stage Canine Explosive Search Training Programme co-organized by the Austrian Ministry of Internal Affairs, the OSCE Programme Office in Astana and the US Embassy in Kazakhstan concluded today in Astana...

Twenty youth activists from across the OSCE region participated in a workshop on countering hate crime organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) from 25 to 27 September 2016 in Warsaw.

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region both on 24 and 25 September, including 154 and 21 explosions, respectively, with almost all concentrated in the Avdiivka-Yasynuvata area, compared with 209 in the previous reporting period. In Luhansk region the SMM noted a relatively calm situation, with one explosion recorded compared with ten in the previous reporting period. The SMM observed heavy weapons in violation of withdrawal lines and armoured combat vehicles in the security zone. The SMM followed up on reports of a civilian injured in Avdiivka and occupation of civilian buildings by armed formations in Yasynuvata. The SMM monitored the situation of civilians living near the contact line and of civilians at checkpoints. The Mission monitored three border areas currently not under government control. The Mission was restricted in its freedom of movement, including in disengagement areas near Petrivske and Zolote and noted a calm situation in the wider Petrivske, Stanytsia Luhanska and Zolote areas. The SMM monitored commemoration events along the administrative boundary line between the mainland and Crimea...

On 20 September 2016, the OSCE Mission to Moldova supported a lecture for 28 first-year vocational students in the autonomous region of Gagauzia about the benefits of state guaranteed legal assistance. The lecture was given by two law students from Comrat State University who previously participated in the Mission’s project to train future lawyers to deliver free legal aid...

SARAJEVO, 26 September 2016 – A five-day training course for 19 law enforcement representatives from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Montenegro on introductory open source digital forensics started today in Sarajevo...

Effective co-operation between international organizations to counter hate crimes was at the centre of discussion at a side event organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) during the Human Dimension Implementation Meeting in Warsaw on 26 September 2016.

The OSCE Office in Tajikistan supported Open Days organized by the Ministry of Internal Affairs Academy, on 23 September in Khujand and 26 September 2016 in Dushanbe...

New trends and tools in production of journalistic content, coverage of conflicts and investigative journalism were amongst the topics of a conference held on 23 September 2016 in Yerevan within the Digital Story-Telling events series, supported by the OSCE Office in Yerevan and organized by the Media Initiatives Centre NGO...

On 24 September the SMM was operating a mini unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) from a clearing in a densely forested area near government-controlled Bohorodychne (115km north of Donetsk)...

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk, including 209 explosions compared with 63 in the previous reporting period, with most of them concentrated in the Avdiivka-Yasynuvata area. In Luhansk region the SMM recorded ten explosions compared with 29 in the previous reporting period. The Mission monitored two border areas currently not under government control. The SMM encountered restrictions to its freedom of movement, including in the disengagement areas near Petrivske and Zolote, and noted a calm situation in the wider Petrivske area. The SMM continued to monitor the anti-mayor protest in Odessa and observed a blockade at the Uzhhorod border crossing point...

TBILISI, 24 September 2016 – Leading members of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly election observation mission to the 8 October parliamentary elections in Georgia today concluded a three-day visit to the country, noting the active participation of many parties in the campaign...

ASHGABAT, 24 September 2016 – A series of training courses for the State Border Service of Turkmenistan, organized by the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat, concluded today near Ashgabat...

New York, 22 September 2016- OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier met with Foreign Minister of the Kyrgyz Republic Erlan Abdyldaev on the margins of the 71st session of the UN General Assembly to discuss the OSCE's contribution to peace and stability in Kyrgyzstan.

VIENNA, 23 September 2016 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović called today on all responsible stakeholders in Bosnia and Herzegovina and in Serbia, in particular the media, to refrain from inflammatory language that could incite hatred...

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region, including 63 explosions compared with 126 in the previous reporting period. Most of the recorded ceasefire violations occurred in the area of Yasynuvata-Avdiivka. The Mission recorded more ceasefire violations in Luhansk region (29 explosions compared with six). The SMM continued to observe the presence of weapons in violation of the respective withdrawal lines, including four multiple-launch rocket systems (Grad) near Ivanivka, and followed up on the presence of mines near populated areas. The SMM observed damages caused to houses and infrastructure in Nyzhnoteple. The Mission continued to facilitate and monitor repair works to essential infrastructure in Luhansk region. The SMM encountered restrictions to its freedom of movement including in disengagement areas near Petrivske and Zolote, and noted a calm situation in the wider Petrivske area...

SARAJEVO, 23 September 2016 – A two-day regional disaster risk reduction meeting, organized by the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities and hosted by the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), concluded today in Sarajevo...

NEW YORK, 23 September 2016 –“We are committed to the OSCE’s inclusive, civilian and comprehensive approach covering the entire conflict cycle: from early warning and prevention through crisis management to post-conflict peacebuilding,” OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier stressed at a high-level event on “The Force of Civilian Crisis Management – Strengthening the Capacities of the OSCE as a Chapter VIII Organization” that took place on the margins of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly on 22 September 2016...

DUSHANBE, 23 September 2016 – An OSCE-organized two-day training course on counteracting trafficking in human beings for facilitators from Women’s Resource Centres (WRCs) concluded today in Dushanbe...

An OSCE-supported training seminar for some 20 young diplomats from Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan on the principles of water governance and challenges and solutions related to climate change concluded on 23 September 2016 in Almaty, Kazakhstan...

PRISHTINË/PRIŠTINA, 23 September 2016 – The outgoing Head of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, Jean-Claude Schlumberger, hosted today the chairpersons of the Association of Journalists of Kosovo, Shkëlqim Hysenaj, and of the Journalists’ Association of Serbia registered in Kosovo, Budimir Ničić, to donate 50 sets of vests and jackets bearing the word ‘PRESS’...

COPENHAGEN, 23 September 2016 – In one week, the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s 15th Autumn Meeting will open in Skopje with addresses by host officials including Speaker of Parliament Trajko Veljanoski and Vice-President Renata Deskoska. The opening session will also feature remarks by OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Christine Muttonen (MP, Austria) and a special address by Mevlut Cavusoglu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkey, followed by a debate...

On 23 September 2016, the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat organized a seminar on innovative methods of teaching journalism for 15 instructors from the International University for Humanities and Development, Magtymguly Turkmen State University, Foreign Ministry’s Institute of International Relations and the National Institute of Sports and Tourism of the State Committee for Tourism and Sports of Turkmenistan...

On 22 September 2016 at 06:25hrs (Moscow time), a Russian convoy arrived at the Donetsk Border Crossing Point (BCP). A total of 33 vehicles were checked by the Russian border guards and customs services prior to them crossing into Ukraine. All of the 33 vehicles had crossed back into the Russian Federation by 14:40hrs on 22 September.

New York, 22 September 2016- The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Ambassadors Igor Popov of the Russian Federation, James Warlick of the United States of America, and Pierre Andrieu of France, as well as the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk, met separately with the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan in New York on the margins of the UN General Assembly to continue discussions on a settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Measures being undertaken in the OSCE region to prevent violent extremism and radicalization that lead to terrorism (VERLT) are counter-productive when they fail to comply with human rights, said participants in a side event organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) during the OSCE’s annual Human Dimension Implementation Meeting in Warsaw on 22 September 2016.

VIENNA, 22 September 2016 – At the invitation of the German Federal Foreign Office, eleven young diplomats from Afghanistan, Turkmenistan and Iran today visited the OSCE in Vienna in order to gain better knowledge and understanding of the world’s largest regional security organization and meet representatives of the German OSCE Chairmanship and of the OSCE Secretariat. Prior to their visit, the group attended a day-long OSCE workshop in Berlin. Turkmenistan is an OSCE participating State while Afghanistan is an OSCE Asian Partner for Co-operation...