News and press releases

AKTAU, Kazakhstan, 30 June 2016 – An OSCE-supported training seminar for some 40 participants from the central and local authorities, oil and shipbuilding companies, civil society and Aarhus Centre on implementing the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, also known as the MARPOL Convention, began today in Aktau, Kazakhstan...

YEREVAN, 30 June 2016 – OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, on a visit to Yerevan from 29 to 30 June as part of his official trip to the South Caucasus, urged progress towards a sustainable and peaceful resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. He stressed the OSCE Chairmanship’s resolve to contribute to moving the settlement process forward...

TBILISI, 30 June 2016 – Held under the theme “25 Years of Parliamentary Co-operation: Building Trust Through Dialogue,” the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s 2016 Annual Session will begin Friday in Tbilisi, Georgia, with keynote speeches by Georgian Speaker of Parliament David Usupashvili, Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili, Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili, OSCE PA President Ilkka Kanerva (MP, Finland), and OSCE Chairman-in-Office and German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier...

YEREVAN, 30 June 2016 – OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier visited the premises of the OSCE Office in Yerevan on 30 June to discuss its work and activities and to meet with civil society representatives, while in Armenia as part of his official visit to the three countries of the South Caucasus...

ULAANBAATAR, 30 June 2016 – Election day was orderly and followed a competitive campaign. This, however, did not offset the impact of late fundamental changes to election laws on Mongolia’s democratic development, the international observers concluded in a preliminary statement released today. While the June 29 parliamentary elections were highly contested and freedoms of assembly and association were respected, restrictive campaign provisions, coupled with the media’s subservience to political interests, limited impartial and comprehensive information available to voters, the statement says...

In Donetsk region the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations compared to the previous reporting period, with most of the fighting recorded in Avdiivka and Svitlodarsk. In Luhansk region the SMM continued to note a calm situation with two single shots of small-arms fire recorded. It monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable recovery of the bodies of “DPR” members in Sakhanka. The SMM conducted crater analysis in Donetsk, Dokuchaievsk and Rumiantseve. It continued to observe the withdrawal of weapons. The SMM continued to monitor the situation of civilians at entry-exit checkpoints along the contact line. It facilitated repairs to essential infrastructure in Trokhizbenka, near Gagarin mine, Krasnyi Lyman, and in Pryshyb. It observed the presence of explosive remnants of war. The SMM did not encounter any specific restrictions to its freedom of movement...

The annual Best Women Entrepreneur for 2016 Award ceremony was held in Yerevan on 29 June 2016 under the auspices of the Armenian Prime Minister. The award aims to inspire women entrepreneurs’ creativity in economic development and to highlight their achievements...

DUSHANBE, 29 June 2016 – Copies of the new Manual on Countering Domestic Violence, published by the OSCE Office in Tajikistan, were presented today to the Interior Ministry for further distribution among police inspectors dealing with cases related to this crime...

BERLIN, 29 June 2016 – Chairperson-in-Office and German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter-Steinmeier today departs on a three-day visit to the South Caucasus region, and will travel to Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia...

The OSCE Mission to Skopje on 28 June 2016 launched a two-day workshop for 22 members of the Police Union on countering gender-based discrimination with the aim of advancing the position of women in police services and increasing gender sensitivity among police officers...

Kamensk-Shakhtinskiy, Russian Federation. The Observer Mission (OM) continues to operate 24/7 at both Border Crossing Points (BCPs). The overall cross-border traffic decreased at both BCPs. The fifty-second Russian Convoy of 45 vehicles crossed into Ukraine and returned through the Donetsk Border Crossing Point...

COPENHAGEN, 29 June 2016 – Following the suicide bombings yesterday at Ataturk International Airport in Istanbul, killing at least 36, OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Ilkka Kanerva (MP, Finland) issued the following statement...

The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) joined with other global and regional intergovernmental human rights organizations and experts in issuing a statement condemning the recent evictions of Roma and Sinti, as well as Travellers, in Europe, on 29 June 2016.

On 28th June 2016, the 67th 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.

VIENNA, 28 June 2016 – High-level representatives of OSCE participating States, Partners for Co-operation and partnering organizations are exploring how to revive co-operative security against the backdrop of current challenges to European security, during the three-day 2016 Annual Security Review Conference (ASRC), which started today in Vienna...

The SMM observed more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region compared to 25 and 26 June respectively, particularly in the southern Donetsk region. In Luhansk region the SMM recorded no ceasefire violations. It conducted crater analysis in Horlivka, Troitske and Popasna. The Mission noted weapons in violation of withdrawal lines. The SMM observed significantly shorter queues at entry-exit checkpoints along the contact line at Marinka, Olenivka and Stanytsia Luhanska bridge, and facilitated repairs to essential infrastructure between Trokhizbenka and Pryshyb. The SMM’s freedom of movement was restricted on three occasions in non-government-controlled areas...

SARAJEVO, 28 June 2016 – The meeting of the Regional Housing Programme (RHP) Steering Committee today in Sarajevo brought together representatives of donors, partner countries, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, the OSCE and the Council of Europe Development Bank, to discuss achievements, best practices and challenges in implementing the Programme on Durable Solutions for Refugees and Displaced Persons...

BISHKEK, 28 June 2016 – The OSCE’s role and activities in Security Sector Governance and Reform in Central Asia, and the challenges and opportunities in the field, are the focus of a three-day regional seminar hosted by the OSCE Centre in Bishkek, which began today in the Kyrgyz capital...

In Kominternove the SMM found the bodies of two young boys killed by power lines most probably downed by shelling. In Donetsk region the SMM observed more ceasefire violations on each 25 and 26 June compared to 24 June. In Luhansk region the SMM recorded no ceasefire violations on 25 June, and fewer on 26 June compared to 24 June. It conducted crater analysis in Makiivka. The SMM continued to observe long queues at entry-exit checkpoints along the contact line, where civilians complained about lack of basic facilities. The SMM monitored a public meeting in Lviv. The SMM’s freedom of movement was restricted on seven occasions both in government- and non-government-controlled areas...

VIENNA, 27 June 2016 – Improving international co-operation in response to the refugee and migrant crisis was emphasized by a number of OSCE parliamentarians at a meeting of the OSCE’s Informal Working Group Focusing on the Issue of Migration and Refugee Flows today in Vienna...

Noting that Kazakhstan still has a considerable way to go in meeting its OSCE commitments for democratic elections, the final report by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) on the 20 March early parliamentary elections in Kazakhstan recommends that the legal framework be comprehensively reviewed to bring it closer in line with OSCE commitments and other international obligations and standards, as well as to address past and present OSCE/ODIHR electoral assessments and recommendations.

A two-day roundtable discussion organized jointly by the OSCE Centre in Bishkek and the local Aarhus Centre on the role of environmental protection in the sustainable development of tourism in the popular resort region of Issyk-Kul ended on 26 June 2016...

Policy advisors from Central Asian ministries, presidential administrations, parliaments and research institutions completed an OSCE-organized three-day Young Policy Advisers Course on 27 June 2016 in Bishkek, with the aim of improving their professional capacities and enhancing their ability to develop and implement policies in an objective and value-based manner.

As part of a one-year project to support the engagement of national minority youth and civil society in public discussions and public service, a roundtable discussion was held at the OSCE Mission to Moldova on 24 June 2016...

Vienna, 25 June 2016 – The OSCE Security Days event “From Confrontation to Co-operation- Restoring Co-operative Security in Europe”, held in Berlin on 24 June, explored possible ways to use multilateral institutions and confidence-building instruments to keep dialogue and communication channels open, and to foster meaningful co-operation in addressing persistent divisions and mistrust in the OSCE region.

In Donetsk region, the SMM observed fewer ceasefire violations, with nearly 90 explosions during the night of 23 June and four during the day. In Luhansk region, the Mission recorded some ceasefire violations compared with none during the previous day. It conducted crater analysis and observed damage to houses in Kirovskyi district and Kominternove. The SMM continued to observe long queues at entry-exit checkpoints along the contact line, with civilians suffering from high temperatures. It reached the border in an area not controlled by the Government on one occasion. In Kharkiv, the SMM monitored a public gathering related to the status of volunteer participants in the Anti-Terrorism Operation. The SMM’s freedom of movement was restricted on two occasions – once in a government-controlled area and once in an area outside government control...*

The SMM observed more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region compared to the previous day and no ceasefire violations in Luhansk region. It followed up on reports of shelling and observed significant movement of weapons in Luhansk region. The SMM continued to observe long queues at entry-exit checkpoints along the contact line. In Chernivtsi National University, the number of woman enrolling in the department of military training program has steadily been increasing, the SMM heard. The SMM’s freedom of movement was restricted on one occasion in areas outside government control...

VIENNA, 24 June 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) call on the sides to honour the agreements which were reflected in the Joint Statements of the May 16 summit in Vienna and the June 20 summit in St. Petersburg...

WARSAW/GENEVA, 24 June 2016 – Ahead of Sunday’s International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, Michael Georg Link, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), and Juan E. Mendez, the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, called for redoubling of efforts to eradicate all forms of torture and ill-treatment and to fully implement the victims’ rights to obtain full and effective redress, including full rehabilitation...

Berlin, 24 June 2016 – At the Night-owl session of the Security Days event “From Confrontation to Co-Operation: Restoring Cooperative Security in Europe”, held on 23 June, more than 100 participants representing OSCE participating States, the European Union, think-tanks, civil society, the media and the academic community, discussed the importance of protecting fundamental freedoms in times of crisis. The aim of the session was to explore how to protect fundamental freedoms in times of crisis.

Building capacities of Ukrainian gender equality advisors was the focus of the workshop Mainstreaming Gender into Communication, organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the Equal Opportunities Caucus of the Parliament of Ukraine in Lviv, western Ukraine, on 24 June 2016.

Armenia’s civil rights activists, government officials, representatives of media and civil society were presented with awards in recognition of their outstanding efforts to promote human rights, rule of law, government reforms and free speech in the country on 23 June 2016 in Yerevan...

The OSCE Presence in Albania held a ceremony to award winners of a national essay competition for high school and university students called Young People Say NO to Corruption on 22 June 2016...

CHISINAU, 24 June 2016 – The Special Representative of the German OSCE Chairperson-in-Office for the Transdniestrian Settlement Process, Cord Meier-Klodt, concluded today his fourth visit to the region in 2016 to meet with political representatives in Chisinau and Tiraspol...

CATANIA, Italy, 24 June 2016 – The OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, Madina Jarbussynova, on Thursday concluded a joint visit to Lampedusa and Catania, Italy, with the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly humanitarian Chair in order to assess conditions among migrants and refugees and evaluate risks for human trafficking...

On 24 June 2016, the working group of the Venice Commission and the OSCE/ODIHR held discussions with some representatives of the opposition on the on-going electoral reform in Armenia. It subsequently held a working meeting with Arpine Hohvanissyan, Minister of Justice and Davit Harutyunyan, Chief of Staff of the Government. Both meetings included discussions on the recent mutual agreement reached in Yerevan between the government and the opposition on the "organisational and technical mechanisms for oversight over the lawfulness of the electoral process".

On 23 June 2016 at 07:05hrs (Moscow time), a Russian convoy arrived at the Donetsk Border Crossing Point (BCP). A total of 45 vehicles were checked by the Russian border guards and customs services prior to them crossing into Ukraine. All of the 45 vehicles had crossed back into the Russian Federation by 14:58hrs on 23 June...

DUBLIN 23 June 2016 – Ahead of the 20th anniversary of the murder of Irish journalist Veronica Guerin, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović today reminded of the importance investigative journalists play for our societies and the fight to end impunity...

The SMM observed more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and fewer in Luhansk region compared to the previous day. In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded over 140 explosions during the night of 21 June and 15 during the day. The SMM was caught in mortar shelling in Vodiane. In Luhansk region, the Mission recorded one small-arms shot. The SMM continued to observe long queues at entry-exit checkpoints along the contact line and spoke to people who had spent the night in their vehicles between the respective last checkpoints. The Mission monitored a peaceful protest in Odessa. The SMM’s freedom of movement was restricted on three occasions, all in areas outside government control...*

BERLIN, 23 June 2016 – OSCE Chairperson-in Office and German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier met with Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Ambassadors Igor Popov (Russian Federation) and Pierre Andrieu (France), and with Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk, the Personal Representative of the Chairperson-in-Office on the conflict dealt with by the OSCE Minsk Conference in Berlin today...

The OSCE Mission to Skopje organized a workshop on 23 June 2016 for 35 police managers from the Sector of Internal Affairs on identification, prevention and investigation of hate crimes...

The SMM travelled to government-controlled Vodiane (94km south of Donetsk) in a visit that had been co-ordinated with representatives of the Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination (JCCC). At 11:18 the SMM was conducting a foot patrol and speaking with a couple at their house when the village was hit by seven mortar rounds assessed as 82mm calibre...

The SMM observed fewer ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions compared to the previous day. In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded over 40 explosions during the night of 20 June, while it did not record any ceasefire violations during daytime. In Luhansk region, the Mission recorded ten explosions. The Mission conducted crater analysis and observed damage to residential houses caused by shelling in six locations on both sides of the contact line. It continued to observe significant movement of weapons in government-controlled areas of Luhansk region. The SMM observed long queues at entry-exit checkpoints along the contact line. The Mission’s freedom of movement was restricted on four occasions in non-government-controlled areas...

RIGA, 22 June 2016 – Media development and reform were in focus of an OSCE-organized study visit to Latvia that concluded today for six representatives of Turkmenistan’s print and broadcast media and the Mejlis (Parliament)...

BISHKEK, 22 June 2016 – The OSCE Centre in Bishkek supported a two-day Internet Governance Forum in Central Asia, the first of its kind, which concluded today in the Kyrgyz capital...

ALMATY, Kazakhstan, 22 June 2016 – An OSCE-supported train-the-trainer regional course on document security for some 20 border guards from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan began today in Almaty, Kazakhstan...

Kamensk-Shakhtinskiy, Russian Federation. The Observer Mission (OM) continues to operate 24/7 at both Border Crossing Points (BCPs). The overall cross-border traffic increased at both BCPs...

New approaches to unleashing and mobilizing the potential of female leadership and the role of men as partners in achieving gender equality were the focuses of the International Forum of Women Leaders “Equal Opportunities for a Better Future”, co-organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) in Minsk on 21 and 22 June 2016.

In Donetsk region, the SMM observed fewer ceasefire violations than on each of the previous two days. In Luhansk region, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations than on each of the previous two days. The Mission observed the construction of additional fortifications at the Ukrainian Armed Forces position at Stanytsia Luhanska bridge and noted that the “LPR” continued to maintain its new position at the bridge just north of the river. It also observed significant movement of weapons in Luhansk region. It facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs in Vesela Hora and the recovery of a body in Zaitseve. The Mission observed long queues at entry-exit checkpoints along the contact line and monitored a public gathering in Odessa. The SMM did not encounter any specific restrictions to its freedom of movement.*...

The Head of the OSCE Mission to Skopje Nina Suomalainen attended an Iftar (fast-breaking) dinner on 20 June 2016 in Skopje, organized by the local NGO Woman Affirmation Association with the support of the Mission...