News and press releases

DUSHANBE, 18 March 2016 – Effective leadership and management techniques were the focus of a week-long training course, which concluded today at the OSCE Border Management Staff College in Dushanbe, Tajikistan...

Tbilisi, 18 March 2016- Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk, Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, on 17 March, conducted a monitoring exercise on the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan as part of his mandate....

A two-day regional workshop organized by the OSCE on 17-18 March 2016 in Osh, southern Kyrgyzstan, brought together representatives of Aarhus Centres and other local partners from Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan to discuss how to promote the engagement of stakeholders in the stabilization, restoration and disposal of uranium mill waste, also known as uranium tailings remediation...

DUSHANBE, 18 March 2016 – Twenty officers from the Main Directorate of Tajik Border Troops completed today a regular four-week training course on patrolling and leadership, organized by the OSCE Office in Tajikistan, at the Gissar Training Centre, Tajikistan...

COPENHAGEN, 17 March 2016 – OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Ilkka Kanerva (MP, Finland) and the Chairperson of the OSCE PA Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions, Isabel Santos (MP, Portugal), today welcomed the release of 148 individuals serving jail terms in Azerbaijan following a pardon decree issued by President Ilham Aliyev...

BISHKEK, 18 March 2016 – Some 20 military personnel from the Northern Regional Command and the Southern Regional Command of the Kyrgyz Armed Forces completed an OSCE-supported one-week training-course on maintaining an electronic database system for the management, record-keeping and tracing of small arms and light weapons and stockpiles of conventional ammunition...

The SMM continued to observe ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions and continued to monitor the withdrawal of weapons. The SMM monitored a border area not controlled by the Government where it observed long lines of cars and trucks. The SMM was restricted in its freedom of movement in areas not controlled by the Government. The SMM continued to facilitate and monitor adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to essential infrastructure. In Kyiv and Odessa, the SMM observed gatherings marking the second anniversary of the annexation of Crimea...

The implementation of existing gender equality commitments and changing deep-rooted cultural norms are crucial for creating stable, safe and peaceful societies for all, said participants at a side event organized on 16 March 2016 in New York by Germany’s 2016 OSCE Chairmanship and the OSCE Gender Section, on the margins of the 60th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW)...

The first public hearing of the new draft Electoral Code, organized by the Armenian Justice Ministry with the support of the OSCE Office in Yerevan, took place on 11 March 2016 in Yerevan...

STRASBOURG, 17 MARCH 2016- The OSCE Centre in Bishkek supported the participation of the Kyrgyz delegation at the 71st Plenary and Working Group Sessions of the Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) in Strasbourg, France...

The SMM continued to observe ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions. The Mission continued to monitor the withdrawal of weapons. The SMM monitored border areas not controlled by the Government. It was restricted in its freedom of movement, including at a heavy weapons holding area and at a border crossing point in an area not controlled by the Government. The SMM continued to facilitate and monitor adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to essential infrastructure. The Mission continued to monitor the situation affecting internally displaced persons. The SMM spoke to organizers of the upcoming Festival of Equality in Lviv...

WASHINGTON, 16 March 2016 – OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Secretary General Roberto Montella met with high-ranking members of the U.S. Delegation to the PA in Washington this week for discussions on the Assembly’s current and future work and a range of pressing OSCE issues...

SARAJEVO, 16 March 2016 – The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina, in co-operation with the Ministry of Security of BiH, today concluded a specialized course for more than 30 security sector representatives from across the country on building integrity in this sector...

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.

TBILISI, 16 March 2016- The Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office for the South Caucasus, Günther Bächler, and German Ambassador to Georgia, Bettina Cadenbach, today in Tbilisi met with Georgia’s State Minister for Reconciliation and Civic Affairs, Paata Zakareishvili, and commended the simultaneous release of detainees on 10 March, which was co-ordinated between Tbilisi, Sukhumi and Tskhinvali.

In Donetsk region, the SMM continued to observe numerous ceasefire violations. It observed no ceasefire violations in Luhansk region. The Mission continued to monitor the withdrawal of weapons. It was restricted in its freedom of movement, including at one heavy weapons holding area and at a border crossing point in an area not controlled by the Government.* The SMM continued to monitor the situation of civilians in the vicinity of the contact line...

On 15th March 2016, the 64th meeting under the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM) took place in Ergneti, co-facilitated by Kęstutis Jankauskas, the Head of the EU Monitoring Mission in Georgia (EUMM), and Ambassador Guenther Baechler, the Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office for the South Caucasus...

KYIV, 15 March 2016 – The Swiss Ambassador to Ukraine today in Kyiv presented the Chief Monitor of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM) with two accommodation modules to house monitors working in the east. These modules will enhance the ability of the SMM to operate in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions by providing additional housing space for monitors...

SARAJEVO, 14 March 2016 – Ambassador Jonathan Moore, Head of the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina, strongly condemns yesterday’s attacks on N1 and FTV journalists in Visegrad...

In Donetsk region, the SMM continued to observe numerous ceasefire violations, while their number decreased in Donetsk city compared to the number in the previous reporting period. The situation remained stable in Luhansk. Repair works to the gas pipeline in Marinka were suspended due to security concerns. The Mission reached border crossing points in areas not controlled by the Government in both Luhansk and Donetsk regions. It was restricted in its freedom of movement, mostly in areas not controlled by the Government, including in border areas...

ALMATY, Kazakhstan, 14 March 2016 – An OSCE-supported five-day training seminar for law enforcement officials aimed at enhancing their understanding of various cyber-attack mechanisms and the types of incriminating evidence began today in Almaty...

PRISHTINË/PRIŠTINA, 14 March 2016- The OSCE Mission in Kosovo held today the first of a series of four roundtables to be held this month on the ways to secure financing for the public service broadcaster, Radio Television Kosovo (RTK)...

BERLIN / VIENNA, 14 March 2016 – The OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, and OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier today expressed deep sorrow and condemned in the strongest terms yesterday’s terror attack in Ankara that killed at least 37 people and left more than 120 wounded.

A one-week advanced training course, organised by the OSCE Mission to Skopje in co-operation with the German Federal Police and the Police Training Centre in Idrizovo, has started today for ten Border police officers on how to detect forged travel documents and certificates...

COPENHAGEN, 14 March 2016 – OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Ilkka Kanerva (MP, Finland) issued the following statement on the 13 March terrorist attack in Ankara:...

THE HAGUE, 14 March 2016 – OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities (HCNM) Astrid Thors today launched a call for nominations for the Max van der Stoel Award...

The Women’s Forum of the Kyrgyz Parliament, with the support of the OSCE Centre in Bishkek, held its second regional parliamentary session at Avrora resort centre of Issyk-Kul oblast, on 11 March 2016 with the aim of establishing a working group on the new law on police development...

The SMM observed a sharp increase in ceasefire violations in Donetsk region compared to the previous day. The situation remained stable in Luhansk. The Mission continued to monitor the withdrawal of weapons and conducted crater analysis. It continued to facilitate repair work to essential infrastructure. The SMM reached border crossing points in areas not controlled by the Government in both Luhansk and Donetsk regions. It encountered freedom-of-movement restrictions in areas not controlled by the Government, including in border areas.* The SMM observed physical confrontations at a courthouse in Odessa between Right Sector and pro-Maidan activists, and people accused of participating in 2 May 2014 clashes near the Trade Union building.

The SMM observed an increase in ceasefire violations in Donetsk region compared to the previous day. The situation remained stable in Luhansk. The Mission continued to facilitate repair work to essential infrastructure. The SMM monitored training areas on both sides of the contact line. The Mission reached border crossing points in areas not controlled by the Government in both Luhansk and Donetsk regions. It encountered freedom-of-movement restrictions on both sides of the contact line, including in border areas.*

The role of the EU and the OSCE in restoring co-operative security in Europe was the focus of a panel discussion organized by the OSCE and the Institute of International Affairs (IAI) in Rome on 8 March 2016. The debate revolved around priorities of the forthcoming EU Global Strategy on Foreign and Security Policy, relations between Europe and Russia as well as findings of the final report of the independent Panel of Eminent Persons on European Security.

Some 18 officers of the Moldovan armed forces, as well as representatives of the Interior and Justice Ministries successfully completed a training course on the safe handling of ammunition stockpiles held at the Military Academy in Chisinau from 23 February to 11 March 2016...

An international conference held in Bender on 11 March 2016 with the support of the OSCE Mission to Moldova brought together more than 130 scientists, researchers, civil society activists and representatives of local authorities to discuss environmental challenges in the Dniester/Nistru River basin...

GENEVA, 11 March 2016- The Co-Chairs of the Geneva International Discussions greatly welcome the simultaneous release of detainees from Tbilisi, Sukhumi and Tskhinvali as a significant humanitarian act...

VIENNA, 10 March 2016 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović today expressed concern over a sudden decision by the Croatian government proposing that the Parliament rejects a regular report of the Croatian Agency for the Electronic Media, to terminate the Agency's mandate and to dismiss its director...

DUSHANBE, 10 March 2016 – A ten-day border management awareness course for twenty-one border officials from Afghanistan and Tajikistan concluded today at the OSCE Border Management Staff College in Dushanbe, Tajikistan...

The SMM observed ceasefire violations in Donetsk region at a level similar to the previous day. The situation remained stable in Luhansk. The Mission continued to monitor the withdrawal of weapons. It continued to facilitate demining and repair work to essential infrastructure. The Mission reached border crossing points in areas not controlled by the Government in both Luhansk and Donetsk regions. The SMM encountered freedom-of-movement restrictions.* It monitored demonstrations in support of Nadiya Savchenko in Kramatorsk, Odessa, Kharkiv and Kyiv...

KYIV, 10 March 2016- The OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities and the Ukrainian Parliament's Committee on Human Rights, National Minorities and Inter-ethnic Relations co-organized a roundtable discussion in Kyiv today on strengthening the institutional framework with regard to inter-ethnic relations in Ukraine and in the context of decentralization...

VIENNA, 10 March 2016 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović today condemned yesterday’s attack against six journalists at the administrative boundary between the Chechen and Ingush Republics of the Russian Federation...

VIENNA, 10 March 2016 – “Better protection of women in conflict situations is needed”, said Dr. Ralf Kleindiek, State Secretary of Germany’s Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth, today at the OSCE Permanent Council. Kleindiek spoke as guest speaker on behalf of Germany’s 2016 OSCE Chairmanship-in-Office, on the occasion of International Women’s Day, which was marked on 8 March...

ASTANA, 10 March 2016 – An OSCE-supported conference on practical steps by the government to reduce greenhouse gas emissions took place today in Astana, with national and international experts presenting proposals to encourage energy efficiency and examining ways to introduce green technologies...

VIENNA, 10 March 2016 – The OSCE’s 57 participating States agreed at today’s Permanent Council meeting to expand a ground-breaking list of OSCE confidence-building measures (CBMs) to enhance security and stability in the cyber domain and reduce the risks of conflict stemming from the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs)...

Leading figures in seven Tajik political parties joined the OSCE Office in Tajikistan, in voicing their support for women in Tajikistan and for all women all over the world in celebration of International Women’s Day on 8 March 2016...

COPENHAGEN, 9 March 2016 – OSCE parliamentarians will observe the upcoming early parliamentary elections in Kazakhstan and provide leadership for the OSCE’s short-term observer mission...

BERLIN, 9 March 2016 – Gernot Erler, Special Representative of the German Government for the OSCE Chairmanship, expressed today great concern following reports concerning the health of Nadiya Savchenko, the Ukrainian pilot imprisoned in the Russian Federation.

The SMM observed an increase in ceasefire violations in Donetsk region compared with the previous day. The situation remained stable in Luhansk. The Mission continued to monitor the withdrawal of weapons. The SMM observed probable unexploded ordnance and explosive remnants of war. It continued to facilitate demining and repair work to essential infrastructure. The Mission reached border crossing points in areas not controlled by the Government in both Luhansk and Donetsk regions, as well as government-controlled border crossing points. The SMM encountered freedom-of-movement restrictions. It monitored demonstrations in support of Nadiya Savchenko in front of the Russian Embassy in Kyiv and the General Consulate in Lviv...

VIENNA, 9 March 2016 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Dunja Mijatović, today presented a new guidebook outlining the major issues and developments on freedom of expression on the Internet in the OSCE region...

VIENNA, 9 March 2016 – Current security challenges in the OSCE area need to be tackled through a comprehensive dialogue process with all participating States demonstrating political will, said speakers at a joint meeting today of the Organization’s Forum for Security Co-operation, currently chaired by the Netherlands, and its Permanent Council chaired by Germany...

ASTANA, 9 March 2016 – An OSCE-supported national seminar on identification and profiling techniques for officers of Kazakhstan’s Border Service and Migration Police began today in Astana...

The SMM observed a decrease in ceasefire violations in Donetsk region compared to the previous day. The situation remained stable in Luhansk. The Mission continued to monitor the withdrawal of weapons. It did not observe any live-fire exercises. The Mission facilitated and monitored demining and repair work on both sides of the contact line, and observed the fencing off of a mined area. The SMM encountered freedom-of-movement restrictions in areas not controlled by the Government.* It reached border crossing points in areas not controlled by the Government in Donetsk region. The Mission engaged with women active in their communities throughout Ukraine on the occasion of International Women’s Day...

BERLIN/VIENNA, 8 March 2016 – OSCE Chairperson‑in‑Office, Federal Foreign Minister Frank‑Walter Steinmeier and OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier today condemned the horrific attack by violent extremist gunmen on military barracks in the Tunisian town of Ben Guerdane, bordering Libya...