News and press releases

COPENHAGEN, 12 February 2016 – OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Ilkka Kanerva (MP, Finland) has appointed Bulgarian parliamentarian Kristian Vigenin to serve as the Assembly’s Special Representative on the South Caucasus...

VIENNA, 12 February 2016 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović today condemned recent threats issued against journalists reporting on organized crime activities in the Republic of Ireland and praised law enforcement authorities for taking action to protect them...

The right to freedom of religion or belief in the case law and practice of the European Court of Human Rights was the focus of training organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) on 11 and 12 February 2016 in Kyiv.

The SMM observed numerous ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions. It continued to monitor the withdrawal of weapons. It followed-up on reports of civilian casualties near government-controlled Marinka, and shelling of residential areas in Donetsk city. The Mission encountered freedom-of-movement restrictions, the majority in areas not controlled by the Government.* The SMM continued to facilitate and monitor repair work to critical infrastructure.

VIENNA, 11 February 2016 – In his address to the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna today Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister Araz Azimov spoke about current security challenges in the South Caucasus and stressed the need to revitalize the Minsk Group for the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict...

VIENNA, 11 February 2016 – Today’s attacks against several Turkish media outlets are unacceptable and must be swiftly investigated, Dunja Mijatović, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media said today...

ASTANA, 11 February 2016 – The OSCE Programme Office in Astana today launched the first in a series of six two-day training seminars for judges from Kazakhstan’s regional courts on good practices in countering the trafficking of human beings...

The SMM observed numerous ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions. It continued to monitor the withdrawal of weapons. The Mission encountered freedom-of-movement restrictions, the majority in areas not controlled by the Government.* The SMM continued to facilitate and monitor repair work to critical infrastructure.

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

DUSHANBE, 10 February 2016 – Holger Green, Germany’s Ambassador to Tajikistan and Markus Mueller, Head of the OSCE Office in Tajikistan today discussed the priorities of Germany’s 2016 OSCE Chairmanship...

The SMM observed a significant number of explosions in the early morning hours in Donetsk region compared to the previous day, while the number of violations in Luhansk region remained low. It continued to monitor the withdrawal of weapons. The Mission encountered freedom-of-movement restrictions, the majority in areas not controlled by the Government; in particular, “DPR” members demanded that SMM patrols provide passports, “accreditations” and signed patrol plans in order to proceed – all in violation of the SMM’s mandate.* The SMM continued to facilitate and monitor repair works on critical infrastructure, and noted long queues of civilians at checkpoints along the line of contact. The Mission monitored numerous false bomb threats in several cities around Ukraine.

NEW YORK, 9 February 2016 – At a meeting of the Group of Friends United Against Human Trafficking, OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, Ambassador Madina Jarbussynova, stressed the important role that sustainable development can play in eliminating modern-day slavery...

The OSCE Mission to Serbia invites civil society organizations, research and academic institutions to submit project proposals addressing a variety of aspects related to security sector governance and reform...

VUSHTRRI/VUČITRN, 8 February 2016 – The OSCE Mission today started a basic training course for 378 former members of the ‘Civilian Protection’ from northern Kosovo on the institutional and legal framework in Kosovo, including community rights...

VIENNA, 8 February 2016 – The perpetrators of the attack against Greek journalist Demitrios Perros must be swiftly brought to justice, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović said today...

The SMM observed a significant number of ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and one in Luhansk region. It monitored the withdrawal of weapons. The Mission facilitated and monitored de-mining and repair works on both sides of the contact line. The SMM encountered freedom-of-movement restrictions, the majority in areas not under government control. The Mission followed up on an explosion in Kherson that damaged the exterior of a Crimean Tatar Majlis office.

BERLIN, 7 February 2016- OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, condemned today in the strongest terms the launch of a ballistic missile by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK)...

The SMM observed a significant number of ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and several in Luhansk region. It continued to visit heavy weapons holding areas and permanent storage sites. The Mission encountered freedom-of-movement restrictions, the majority in areas not under government control. Residents and Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel told the SMM that the Maiorsk checkpoint had been closed for pedestrians and traffic...

While finding that Canada’s 2015 parliamentary elections demonstrated the credibility of the election process in the country, the final report by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) also calls for amendments to electoral legislation...

SARAJEVO, 5 February 2016 – The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) this week organized a series of short courses, which concluded today in Sarajevo, on the use of Internet and social media in developing counter narratives to online content promoting violent extremism...

The SMM observed a relatively low number of ceasefire violations in Donbas. It continued to monitor the withdrawal of weapons. The Mission encountered freedom-of-movement restrictions, the majority in areas not under government control.* Zaitseve residents told the SMM that the nearby crossing point was closed to vehicular traffic. The SMM learned that a large number of people crossed the contact line near Stanytsia Luhanska...

The final report by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) on Armenia’s 6 December 2015 Constitutional Referendum concluded that the legal framework generally provides a solid basis for the conduct of referenda, but further steps should be taken to bring legislation closer in line with OSCE commitments...

WARSAW, 5 February 2016 – Michael Georg Link, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), today called on OSCE participating States to strengthen their responses to female genital mutilation as a form of violence against girls and women...

VIENNA, 5 February 2016 – “On 25 July 2013, I got my first rape threat. That was a Thursday. By Sunday, police had collected 300 A4 pages of threats that had been made against me.”- Journalist Caroline Criado-Perez, on her experience with online abuse.

DUSHANBE, 5 February 2016 – Seventeen officers from the Main Directorate of Tajik Border Troops graduated today from a two-week training course on search and rescue at the Gissar Training Centre, Tajikistan. The course was organized by the OSCE Office in Tajikistan...

The SMM observed a number of ceasefire violations in Donetsk region, and several in Luhansk region. It continued to monitor the withdrawal of weapons. The Mission encountered freedom-of-movement restrictions, the majority in areas not under government control.* It observed new mobile checkpoints in Luhansk region. The SMM continued to monitor the situation affecting the civilian population near the contact line, and saw civilians frustrated at checkpoint queues in Donetsk region. The SMM observed a demonstration in Odessa and visited a border crossing point in Kharkiv region...

Vienna, 4 February 2016 – OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier today discussed trafficking of human beings with Director of Europol Rob Wainwright. The conversation focused in particular on the plight of minors who are the most vulnerable group within the migrant and refugee population.

BERLIN, 4 February 2016 – OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier today expressed deep concern following the recent increase in ceasefire violations in Eastern Ukraine and called upon all sides to fully comply with the ceasefire and to immediately end all fighting.

BISHKEK, 4 February 2016- The OSCE Centre in Bishkek handed over 18 all-terrain vehicles today to Kyrgyzstan’s Ministry of Interior as part of its police reform programme to build the capacity of the country’s authorities in the area of community policing...

The SMM observed a significant number of ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and several in Luhansk region. It continued to visit heavy weapons holding areas and permanent storage sites. The Mission encountered freedom-of-movement restrictions in areas not controlled by the Government.* It continued to facilitate and monitor repair works on critical infrastructure. The Mission monitored peaceful demonstrations in Kyiv and Chernivtsi.

Issues related to the legal recognition of religious or belief communities in Kyrgyzstan and possible mechanisms of co-operation between state authorities and those communities to address the existing challenges were the focus of an ODIHR roundtable event in Bishkek on 3 February 2016...

Kamensk-Shakhtinskiy, Russian Federation. The Observer Mission (OM) continues to operate 24/7 at both Border Crossing Points (BCP). The overall cross-border traffic decreased at both BCPs. Rotation of the Ukrainian officials who are present in the vicinity of the Donetsk BCP took place...

VIENNA, 3 February 2016 – Improving inland transport connectivity between Europe and Asia was the focus of a two-day OSCE-supported seminar that ended today in Vienna. The event gathered transport officials, representatives of the private sector and academia, and experts from Germany, Poland, the Russian Federation, Turkmenistan, Turkey and Iran, as well as representatives of various specialized inter-governmental transport organizations from across the region...

STRASBOURG, 3 February 2016 – Special Representative for the German Chairmanship of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Gernot Erler visited the Council of Europe in Strasbourg today to present the OSCE Chairmanship’s programme for 2016.

KYIV, 3 February 2016 – The OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM) received 20 armoured vehicles donated by the European Union (EU) today during an official handover ceremony held outside the SMM’s head office in Kyiv. The EU’s donation is part of its support to the OSCE in working towards the stabilization and normalization of the situation in Ukraine...

PRAGUE, 3 February 2016 – The leadership of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions visited the Czech Republic on 1 and 2 February to consider the country’s role in responding to the crisis of migrants and refugees currently affecting the OSCE area...

The SMM observed continued ceasefire violations in the wider Horlivka area, but a lower number of ceasefire violations in areas at and around Donetsk airport compared to the two previous days. It continued to visit heavy weapons holding areas and permanent storage sites. In violation of the Mission’s mandate and the Package of Measures, unidentified armed men restricted the Mission’s freedom of movement, especially in parts of Luhansk region not controlled by the Government*. The SMM continued to facilitate and monitor repair work on critical infrastructure along the contact line. In Kharkiv, the Mission followed up on media reports about a bomb threat. It monitored a protest in Ivano-Frankivsk and one rally in Kyiv...

VILNIUS, 2 February 2016 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović today discussed media freedom issues with Lithuania’s Foreign Minister Linas Linkevičius as part of a visit to Vilnius. She expressed her gratitude for the strong support her mandate has received from the country’s government over the past six years...

The SMM observed a large number of ceasefire violations in Donetsk region. It continued to visit heavy weapons holding areas and permanent storage sites. The Mission encountered freedom-of-movement restrictions, mostly in areas not controlled by the Government. It continued to facilitate and monitor repair work on critical infrastructure along the contact line. The Mission monitored a protest march in Lviv in which participants called for the release of so-called political prisoners...

A special ceremony for a handover of the kits for training of sniffer (K-9) dogs, procured by the OSCE Office in Tajikistan within the framework of police reform, took place at the Canine Centre of Tajikistan’s Interior Ministry in Dushanbe on 26 January 2016...

The SMM observed ceasefire violations in Donetsk and in Luhansk regions. It continued to visit heavy weapons holding areas and permanent storage sites. The Mission encountered freedom of movement restrictions in areas not controlled by the Government. In Kyiv, the SMM monitored two marches. It continued to facilitate and monitor repair works on critical infrastructure...

The SMM observed a number of ceasefire violations in Donetsk region, but none in the area of Donetsk airport. In Luhansk region, it also observed instances of ceasefire violations, including live-fire exercises. The Mission continued to monitor the withdrawal of weapons. The SMM facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to critical infrastructure. The Mission monitored the humanitarian situation in villages near the contact line. The SMM’s freedom of movement was restricted in areas not controlled by the Government...

VIENNA, 29 January 2016 – A full, sustainable ceasefire remains a basic requirement for peace and normalization of the security situation in Ukraine, said the Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office in Ukraine and in the Trilateral Contact Group Martin Sajdik and the Chief Monitor of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM) Ertugrul Apakan in their address to the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna on Thursday...

COPENHAGEN, 29 January 2016 – OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Ilkka Kanerva (MP, Finland) has appointed French parliamentarian Michel Voisin to serve as the Assembly’s Special Representative for Mediterranean Affairs...

The SMM observed a number of ceasefire violations in Donetsk region. In Luhansk region, it also observed instances of ceasefire violations, including live-fire training. The Mission’s freedom of movement was restricted, mostly in areas not controlled by the Government.* In Zaitseve, the SMM conducted crater analysis and observed a damaged house. In Marinka it facilitated and monitored repair works on the local gas pipeline...

The final report by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) on Kyrgyzstan’s 4 October parliamentary elections recommends a review of legislation, including on the right of independent candidates to stand for elections, the enforcement of all quota requirements for candidate lists, and clear conditions under which candidates may withdraw after election day.

A local ceasefire facilitated by the Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM) allowed for demining and repair work on the water pipeline in Krasnyi Lyman in the Luhansk region on 14 January 2016...

VIENNA, 28 January 2016 – The severe charges against journalists Can Dündar and Erdem Gül could further increase the already critical pressure that opposing voices face in the country, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović said today...

The final report by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) on the 11 October 2015 presidential election in Belarus recommends a comprehensive and inclusive review of national legislation to bring it in line with international obligations and standards for conducting democratic elections.

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