News and press releases

The SMM recorded a lower level of violence in Donetsk region compared to the previous reporting period. It noted weapons in violation of withdrawal lines and others absent from storage sites. The SMM observed long queues at checkpoints along the contact line. The Mission attempted to monitor in border areas outside government control but was repeatedly prevented from doing so. The SMM’s freedom of movement was restricted further in areas not controlled by the Government...

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....

WARSAW, 20 April 2016 Michael Georg Link, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), today welcomed Azerbaijan’s decision to lift travel bans on Leyla and Arif Yunus, two prominent Azerbaijani human rights defenders, who are also spouses...

THE HAGUE, 20 April 2016- Education is in many ways the space where issues of equality, national identity and the concept of nationhood are being negotiated, said OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities Astrid Thors today as she opened a high-level conference to mark 20 years of The Hague Recommendations Regarding the Education Rights of National Minorities...

ERGNETI, 20 April 2016 – The 65th meeting under the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM) took place today in Ergneti. The meeting was co-facilitated by Kęstutis Jankauskas, the Head of the EU Monitoring Mission in Georgia (EUMM), and Guenther Baechler, the Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office for the South Caucasus...

The first activities of an action plan to create a more gender-sensitive national parliament in Montenegro were drafted during a workshop in Podgorica on 18-19 April 2016 organized by the OSCE Mission to Montenegro in co-operation with the Parliamentary Committee for Gender Equality and the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR)...

OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities Astrid Thors visited Georgia from 12 to 15 April 2016, where she discussed policies to ensure the participation of minorities in public life, education reforms, language policy, and minority representation, among other issues.

WARSAW, 19 April 2016 – The OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, German Foreign Minister Frank Walter Steinmeier, today visited the headquarters of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), in the context of the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Office...

VIENNA, 19 April 2016- Interfaith dialogue and co-operation are key to fostering cohesion and preventing violent extremism, conclude participants of the OSCE Mediterranean Contact Group meeting held today in Vienna...

The SMM recorded a higher level of violence in Donetsk and Luhansk regions compared with both 16 and 17 April. The Mission followed up on allegations of shelling in areas near the contact line. It noted weapons in violation of withdrawal lines and others absent from storage sites. The SMM facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to essential infrastructure. It observed long queues at checkpoints along the contact line. The Mission monitored one border area outside government control and was denied access to another. The SMM’s freedom of movement was restricted further in areas not controlled by the Government, including access to a site known as a heavy weapons holding area. The SMM was threatened by armed men in areas outside of Government control...

TUZLA, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), 19 April 2016 – The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina, in co-operation with the Faculty of Law of the University of Tuzla, completed a series of lectures for students today on the work of the judicial and prosecutorial authorities in BiH in the fields of hate crimes, human trafficking, and processing war crimes cases...

VIENNA, 19 April 2016 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović today expressed concern about the intimidation of journalist Nikolay Semena in Crimea, Ukraine...

Twenty-one law students and three consultants from the National Legal Aid Council took part in a training event organized by the OSCE Mission to Moldova from 14 to 16 April 2016 on delivering primary legal aid to vulnerable persons...

BISHKEK, 19 April 2016 – An OSCE Centre in Bishkek-supported report detailing the protection of human rights within the Kyrgyz Armed Forces and recommendations to the Kyrgyz Government on how to improve the situation was presented in Bishkek today by the Kylym Shamy NGO, the Kyrgyz Ombudsman Office, the National Centre on the Prevention of Torture and the General Staff of the Armed Forces...

ASTANA, 19 April 2016 – An OSCE-supported two-day training seminar on protecting freedom of expression and countering hate speech on the Internet began today in Astana...

The SMM recorded a lower level of violence in Donetsk region over the weekend. In Luhansk region the SMM continued to register ceasefire violations in the area of Stanytsia Luhanska in the evening hours and registered similar numbers of explosions compared to the night of 15 April. The SMM followed up on allegations of shelling in areas near the contact line. It observed weapons in the security zone, and noted that weapons were absent from storage sites. The Mission monitored four areas and was denied access to one area on the border still outside government control. Both sides restricted the SMM’s freedom of movement*. The SMM saw a Ukrainian Armed Forces checkpoint had been moved 3km closer to a “DPR” position...

ASTANA, 18 April 2016 – An OSCE-supported three-day training seminar for some 30 officials from the law enforcement agencies and academia on responsible project management began today in Astana...

LEINSWEILER, 17 April 2016 – Members of Parliament from 15 countries gathered in the French-German border region on 16 and 17 April to consider parliamentary contributions to OSCE efforts in addressing conflicts. Some 25 parliamentarians, including from several countries impacted by protracted conflicts, heard presentations from experts on reconciliation processes particularly in the Saar-Lor-Lux and Tyrol-South Tyrol-Trentino regions...

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region compared to the previous day. In Luhansk region the SMM recorded a similar number of ceasefire violations compared to the previous day. The SMM followed up on allegations of shelling in an area near the contact line. It observed weapons in the security zone, and noted that weapons were absent from storage sites. The Mission monitored two border areas not controlled by the Government. The SMM monitored a peaceful protest in Odessa...

SMM observed a marked increase in violence during this reporting period with over 4,000 ceasefire violations through the Donetsk region, 500 of which were explosions. The major hotspots of Avdiivka/Yasynuvata accounted for more than half of these ceasefire violations. In Luhansk the Mission noted fewer ceasefire violations compared with the previous day. The SMM observed weapons in the security zone, and noted that weapons were absent from storage sites. The Mission observed long queues of civilians and vehicles waiting to cross at checkpoints. The SMM encountered a restriction of its freedom of movement in an area not controlled by the Government...

VIENNA, 15 April 2016 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović today expressed concern about the decision in Germany to prosecute a satirist who derided the President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan...

KYIV, 15 April 2016 – Ertugrul Apakan, Chief Monitor of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), expressed today his dismay at a sharp increase in fighting in the east of the country. On 14 April the number of ceasefire violations recorded by the SMM exceeded 4,000, with over 500 of them being explosions. The most acute deterioration was seen in the Avdiivka-Yasynuvata area in the Donetsk region, with high numbers of explosions caused by proscribed weapons...

VIENNA, 15 April 2016 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović expressed concern today about the state of Internet freedom in Turkey, following the blocking of the Russian news agency Sputnik’s website in the country...

The OSCE Office in Tajikistan conducted its first workshop on how to identify and assess corruption risks in specific sectors for 20 participants from ten state agencies and civil society organizations, which took place from 11 to 14 April in Dushanbe. The aim of the workshop was to provide participants with the necessary practical tools and methodologies that will help them to elaborate practical and focused anti-corruption strategies...

Berlin, 14 April 2016 – “I am very concerned about the latest developments in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. The decision of the Macedonian President to exempt from criminal prosecution politicians and office holders, who face charges of grave misconduct, damages the rule of law and legal peace.

KYIV, 14 April 2016 – On behalf of the OSCE Secretariat and in close cooperation with the Project Coordinator in Ukraine (PCU), Deputy to the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine Jeffrey Erlich donated today to the State Emergency Service of Ukraine (SESU) the first lot of equipment for the removal of unexploded ordnances (UXO) in Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

The SMM observed fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region compared with the previous day. In Luhansk the SMM observed a higher number of ceasefire violations compared with the previous day. The SMM noted that weapons were absent from storage sites and observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines. The Mission monitored the retrieval of bodies from unmarked gravesites. It observed the presences of mines. The SMM noted long lines at checkpoints along the contact line. The SMM monitored one border crossing point not controlled by the Government. Armed men restricted the SMM’s movement in areas not controlled by the Government in several instances and the SMM was restricted in one instance in a government-controlled area...

SKOPJE, 14 April 2016- Head of the OSCE Mission to Skopje Nina Suomalainen has taken note of President Gjorge Ivanov’s 41 decisions published yesterday in the Official Gazette to pardon 56 individuals...

BERLIN, 14 April 2016 – As regards Nadiya Savchenko, the Ukrainian pilot imprisoned in the Russian Federation, Gernot Erler, Special Representative of the German Government for the OSCE Chairmanship, said today...

VIENNA, 14 April, 2016 – Promoting tolerance and effectively countering discrimination are vital to ensuring security, and must be at the centre of policies to address current threats, participants said today at the opening of a two-day OSCE meeting in Vienna...

BATKEN, Kyrgyzstan, 14 April 2016 – An OSCE-supported conference aimed at promoting national unity and inter-ethnic harmony through improving inter-community relations took place today in Batken, southern Kyrgyzstan...

DUSHANBE, 14 April 2016 – Today 18 border officials from two brigades of Afghanistan’s Border Police successfully completed a two-week train-the-trainer course at the OSCE Border Management Staff College in Dushanbe, Tajikistan...

ASHGABAT, 14 April 2016 – Representatives of the Financial Intelligence Unit of Turkmenistan, as well as law enforcement, financial and supervisory bodies discussed the importance of verifying customers’ identity (Customer Due Diligence “CDD”) for preventing and combating money laundering and terrorism financing at an OSCE-organized workshop that concluded today in Ashgabat...

VIENNA, 14 April 2016 – The tragic death of Syrian journalist Mohammed Zahir al-Sherqat on 12 April highlights the need to ensure safety of journalists in Turkey, Dunja Mijatović, OSCE media freedom representative said today...

VIENNA, 13 April 2016 – As Poland takes over the rotating Chairmanship of the OSCE Forum for Security Co-operation (FSC), Under-Secretary of State with the Foreign Ministry Marek Ziółkowski said that one of the main tasks of his country will be to strengthen confidence- and security-building measures by revitalizing the Vienna Document 2011. Moving this process forward and including regional perspectives into the security dialogue with the focus on some areas including the Baltic Sea region, Central and Eastern Europe are the priorities of Poland’s Chairmanship of the FSC...

The SMM observed a similar number of ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions compared to the previous day. A high number of explosions and gunfire continued to be recorded in different areas of the contact line in Donetsk region. The SMM noted that weapons were absent from storage sites and holding areas. The SMM monitored border areas not controlled by the Government. Armed men restricted the SMM’s movement in areas not controlled by the Government and the SMM was restricted in one instance in a government-controlled area...

KOY-TASH, Kyrgyzstan, 13 April 2016 – A two-day donor assessment of the OSCE Centre in Bishkek’s ongoing programme on small arms and light weapons (SALW) and conventional ammunition (CA) concluded today in Koy-Tash village of Kyrgyzstan...

The Observer Mission (OM) continues to operate 24/7 at both Border Crossing Points (BCPs). The overall cross-border traffic decreased at both BCPs...

Berlin, 12 April 2016- The OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier welcomed Serbia’s and Austria’s Foreign Ministers Ivica Dačić and Sebastian Kurz as well as the OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier for an OSCE Troika meeting in Berlin today.

The SMM recorded a higher number of ceasefire violations in Donetsk region compared with each of the previous two days. In Luhansk region a low number of ceasefire violations were recorded. The Mission observed live-fire exercises within the security zone. The SMM noted that weapons were absent from storage sites and holding areas. In Luhansk city the SMM observed a number of weapons in violation of the withdrawal lines. It observed craters and other impacts from shelling. The Mission visited one border crossing point in an area not controlled by the Government. It encountered freedom-of-movement restrictions in non-government-controlled areas.* The SMM observed a number of public gatherings in Odessa and Kyiv.

BERLIN, 12 April 2016 – The 10th Annual Meeting of the OSCE Border Security and Management National Focal Points Network, devoted to promoting cross border co-operation and confidence-building to address emerging threats and challenges in the OSCE region, will take place from 12 to 13 April 2016 in Berlin...

Twenty young women, alumni of the OSCE Dialogue Academy, met in Belgrade from 6 to 8 April 2016, to continue co-operation and agree on joint projects for 2016...

As part of the project on women’s political empowerment and in order to unite the women politicians from Tajikistan and Albania in their aspirations to become leaders, the OSCE Office in Tajikistan organized and supported a working visit to Albania for eight Tajik women politicians from 2 to 9 April 2016...

A two-day workshop aimed to promote and enhance protection of human rights of persons in detention opened on 12 April 2016 in Dilijan, Armenia. The workshop is organized by the OSCE Office in Yerevan in co-operation with the Police and Public Monitoring Group for Police Detention Centres...

The SMM recorded a lower number of ceasefire violations in Donetsk region over the weekend compared to the number recorded on Friday, although violations continued to be recorded in large numbers along the contact line. Fewer violations were recorded in Luhansk region. The Mission came under small-arms fire in the government-controlled part of Zaitseve. The SMM carried out crater analysis in a number of locations near the contact line. Weapons continued to be absent from holding sites. In Luhansk city the SMM observed a number of weapons in violation of the withdrawal lines. The Mission monitored non-government-controlled parts of the border, and it was denied access to one area. The freedom of movement of the SMM was restricted mainly in areas not under government control.* The SMM observed a number of violent clashes in Odessa...

MOSTAR, Bosnia and Herzegovina, 11 April 2016- Ambassadors and representatives of the Steering Board of the Peace Implementation Council and other colleagues from the international community, led by the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), concluded a visit today to the municipalities of Prozor-Rama and Čapljina.

VIENNA, 11 April 2016 – Preventing the exploitation of human trafficking victims through forced criminality is the focus of the 2016 Alliance conference, a two-day forum where leading experts from governmental as well as non-governmental organizations will discuss how to tackle this complex form of abuse.

VIENNA, 11 April 2016 – On the 17th anniversary of the murder of prominent journalist Slavko Ćuruvija, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović today called on the government of Serbia to end impunity for crimes committed against journalists...

On 9 April, an SMM patrol, comprised of five members in two armoured vehicles, was in Zhovanka, a government-controlled part of Zaitseve (50km north-east of Donetsk). The patrol was accompanied by the Ukrainian Armed Forces head of the Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination (JCCC) office in Toretsk...

In Donetsk region, the SMM observed a significantly higher number of ceasefire violations. In Luhansk region a low number of ceasefire violations were recorded. The Mission continued to monitor the withdrawal of weapons and noted weapons in violation. It observed craters and other damage caused by shelling. The SMM noted that the only entry-exit checkpoint for civilians in Luhansk region, at Stanytsia Luhanska bridge, was closed. The Mission visited two border crossing points in areas not controlled by the Government, despite denials of access in these areas. It encountered other freedom-of-movement restrictions in non-government-controlled areas.* The SMM monitored a court hearing and sentencing in Kyiv, as well as a public demonstration outside the Presidential Administration building...