News and press releases

The SMM monitored the implementation of the “Package of measures for the implementation of the Minsk agreements”, including the Addendum. Its monitoring was restricted by the parties and security considerations*. The SMM observed a significant increase in explosions and gunfire from its position at Donetsk railway station. In “DPR”-controlled Staromykhailivka, the SMM saw a private house that had been shelled. The security situation in Luhansk remained relatively calm. In Luhansk, the SMM facilitated repairs to different utility networks...

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. A forty-second Russian Convoy crossed at the Donetsk BCP...

The SMM observed an intense exchange of fire around Donetsk airport. The situation in Luhansk region remained relatively calm with no firing incidents recorded. For the first time over seven months, the SMM could reach a border crossing point in “LPR”-controlled Izvaryne, despite several restrictions to its freedom of movement, including denial access to a certain location...

PRISHTINË/PRIŠTINA, 3 November 2015 – The OSCE Mission will start tomorrow a two-day conference on fighting corruption for representatives of institutions, police, and civil society from the region...

The role of dialogue in enhancing the security of religious and belief communities was the focus of a regional roundtable discussion, organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) in Odessa, Ukraine on 3 November 2015.

OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier visited The Hague from 2 to 3 November 2015, where he addressed the Planetary Security Conference on ‘Peace and Cooperation in Times of Climate Change and Global Environmental Challenges’ organized by the Dutch Foreign Affairs Ministry...

The SMM recorded a sharp increase in the number of ceasefire violations at and around Donetsk airport on 1 November...

From 1 November 2015 city lights and billboards at bus and railway stations in 24 major cities across Ukraine, including the capital Kyiv, are featuring posters warning the public about the traps used by human traffickers to lure their victims. The posters are part of a national anti-trafficking awareness-raising campaign launched with the support of the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine...

The OSCE Office in Yerevan, in co-operation with the Armenian Police, on 2-3 November 2015, organized a roundtable discussion in Tsaghkadzor, Kotayk region, to wrap up a two-year project on facilitating community policing development in Armenia, which was implemented by the National Centre for Legal Research NGO...

ANKARA, 2 November 2015 – The 1 November early parliamentary elections in Turkey offered voters a variety of choices. At the same time, the challenging security environment, particularly in the southeast of the country, coupled with a high number of violent incidents, including attacks against party members, premises and campaign staff, hindered contestants’ ability to campaign freely, international observers said in a statement issued today. Restrictions on media freedom remain a serious concern, the observers said...

VIENNA, 2 November 2015 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović today expressed deep sorrow following the death of Ronald Koven who passed away on 30 October 2015...

The economic empowerment of unemployed women in Montenegro’s municipality of Bijelo Polje was the topic of a training course on 30-31 October 2015 supported by the OSCE Mission to Montenegro...

VIENNA, 2 November 2015 – On the occasion of International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović today called on OSCE participating States to investigate all attacks on journalists thoroughly and to prosecute those who commit crimes against members of the media...

The OSCE Mission to Moldova organized the third Human Rights Club meeting this year for lawyers from both banks of the Dniester/Nistru River. The event, hosted by the Mission on 30 October 2015 in Tiraspol, brought together some 25 lawyers to discuss legal approaches to safeguarding the rights of children living on both banks of the Dniester/Nistru River...

The OSCE Programme Office in Astana supported the second presentation of the Report on the Situation with Human Rights in Kazakhstan by the Human Rights Commission under the President on 30 October 2015, this time in Shymkent, southern Kazakhstan. The report covers the period from April 2014 to April 2015, and was published in the Kazakh, Russian and English languages with the OSCE’s support...

The SMM recorded much fewer explosions in Donetsk region as compared with previous days. The situation in Luhansk region remained relatively calm. An explosion at the home of the mayor of Lviv is being investigated as an act of terrorism.

The OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM) together with the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine held a workshop on 24 October for the Youth Contact Group in Kyiv...

Compared to the previous day, there was an increase in the number of explosions around the area of Donetsk airport. Luhansk region remained relatively calm with the recorded explosions assessed as live-fire exercises. The SMM visited several weapons storage locations in accordance with the Minsk documents.

BELGRADE, 30 October 2015 – The need for OSCE participating States to adopt cyber strategies and effective co-operation mechanisms as a way of enhancing transparency and reduce the risk of conflict between States using Information and Communications Technology (ICTs) was the focus of a two-day OSCE-wide workshop, which concluded today in Belgrade...

DUSHANBE, 30 October 2015- The 14th Border Management Staff Course concluded at the OSCE Border Management Staff College in Dushanbe today, having trained participants on the principles and standards of the 2005 OSCE Border Security and Management Concept, covering the political-military, economic and environmental, and human aspects of security...

More than 120 newly-appointed local court judges from across Ukraine participated in four OSCE-supported training sessions on opinion writing in criminal and civil matters held from 14 September to 30 October 2015 in the cities of Odesa, Chernivtsi, Dnipropetrovsk and Kharkiv...

Preventing violent extremism and radicalisation leading to terrorism (PERT) was the focus of the OSCE Mission to Skopje-supported conference held today in Skopje...

The OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, Ambassador Madina Jarbussynova, on 30 October 2015 in Madrid, highlighted the importance of partnerships among organizations and States in the fight against human trafficking...

SHYMKENT, Kazakhstan, 30 October 2015- An OSCE-supported training seminar on mechanisms of human rights protection for government and law-enforcement bodies, civil society groups and judges concluded today in Shymkent, South Kazakhstan Region...

DUSHANBE, 30 October 2015 – Twenty officers from the Tajik Border Troops completed a three-week training course on leadership and operational management today at the OSCE Office in Tajikistan...

Defamation, libel, hate speech and the presumption of innocence were the focus of a two-day seminar organized by the OSCE Office in Tajikistan and the Council of Justice of the Republic of Tajikistan, which concluded on 27 October 2015 in Dushanbe...

An OSCE-supported training seminar for some 100 secondary school teachers on a new anti-corruption curriculum took place on 30 October 2015 in Almaty, Kazakhstan. The seminar was the last stage in a series of sessions for 150 school students at two Kazakh- and three Russian-speaking schools which were held earlier in Almaty...

On 29 October 2015 at 06:40hrs (Moscow time), a Russian convoy arrived at the Donetsk Border Crossing Point (BCP). A total of 45 vehicles were checked by the Russian border guard and customs services. All the vehicles had crossed back into the Russian Federation by 14:10hrs on 29 October...

The SMM monitored the implementation of the “Package of measures for the implementation of the Minsk agreements”, including the Addendum. Its monitoring was restricted by the parties and security considerations*. There was an increase in the number of explosions around the area of Donetsk airport. Luhansk region remained relatively calm. The SMM visited several weapon storage locations in accordance with Minsk documents...

VIENNA, 29 October 2015 –South East Europe (SEE), safer and more prosperous regional co-operation, were in focus of today’s OSCE Permanent Council address by the Chairperson of the South East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) and Bulgarian Foreign Minister Daniel Mitov and Regional Cooperation Council Secretary General Goran Svilanovic...

VIENNA, 29 October 2015 – Protecting and promoting human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to national minorities, is inextricably linked to the preservation of peace and stability within and between States, participants said today at the opening of a two-day OSCE meeting in Vienna...

ANKARA, 29 October 2015 – The OSCE Special Co-ordinator for observation of the early parliamentary elections in Turkey, Ignacio Sanchez Amor (MP, Spain), and the Head of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Delegation of observers, Margareta Cederfelt (MP, Sweden), visited the center, east and west of the country this week in preparation for the 1 November vote.

SKOPJE, 29 October 2015 – Presidents of the Supreme Courts from the region gathered today in Skopje at a high-level conference, co-hosted by the country’s Supreme Court and the OSCE Mission to Skopje, to exchange experiences and draft joint recommendations in regards to applying the practice of the European Courts of Human Rights (ECHR) within domestic jurisdictions...

ERGNETI, 29 October 2015 – On 29th October 2015, the 59th 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 Angelo Gnaedinger, the Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office for the South Caucasus.

NUREMBERG, Germany, 29 October 2015 – The United Kingdom’s anti-terrorism law should not be used to access information, communications or a reporter’s professional material, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović said today, expressing concern about the possible chilling effect of the law on investigative journalism...

Human rights-compliant policing of peaceful assemblies was the focus of training for Polish officers, organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) in Szczytno, Poland on 28 and 29 September 2015.

BISHKEK, 29 October 2015 – A ceremony to mark the end of a three-year OSCE Centre in Bishkek project to build the technical capacity of Afghan and Kyrgyz customs officers took place at the premises of the Kyrgyz Customs’ Training Centre in Leninskoe village, 20 kilometres outside Bishkek. The project was implemented jointly with the State Customs Service under the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic...

The OSCE Mission to Montenegro and the Ministry for Human and Minority Rights signed on October 28 2015 a Memorandum of Understanding with Montenegrin municipalities of Žabljak, Šavnik and Plužine, aiming to strengthen the co-operation in the area of gender equality...

BAKU, 29 October 2015 – 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), together with the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk, traveled to the region October 26-28. We met with the Presidents and Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan, as well as the de facto authorities of Nagorno-Karabakh...

VIENNA, 28 October 2015 – There is an urgent need to deepen understanding of the security implications of climate change and to recognize the security benefits of climate change mitigation and adaption, said OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier today as he opened an OSCE Security Days event in Vienna devoted to the unprecedented impacts and unpredictable risks posed by this global challenge...

The SMM monitored the implementation of the “Package of measures for the implementation of the Minsk agreements”, including the Addendum. Its monitoring was restricted by the parties and security considerations*. There was an increase in fighting around the area of Donetsk airport. Luhansk region remained relatively calm. The SMM observed civilians crossing the bridge in government-controlled Stanytsia Luhanska. An “LPR” “border guard” prevented the SMM from visiting the border zone...

DUSHANBE, 28 October 2015 – A roundtable discussion on the lessons learned from the ‘Parents against Terrorism’ training project was convened today in Dushanbe by the OSCE Office in Tajikistan, focusing on feedback from those involved in delivering the training since November 2014...

VIENNA, 28 October 2015 – Police raiding offices of media outlets, detaining journalists, and using tear gas and water cannons, is unacceptable, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović said today...

KYIV, 28 October 2015 – The OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM) will hold its regular news briefing tomorrow in Kyiv...

The OSCE Programme Office in Astana supported the joint meeting on 28 October 2015 in Astana of the working group and subgroups of the Consultative and Advisory Body on the Human Dimension under the Foreign Ministry...

SKOPJE, 28 October 2015 – Two OSCE-supported publications on anti-discrimination standards, designed to help strengthen the capacities of the judiciary and civil society, were promoted today in Skopje...

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. A forty-first Russian Convoy crossed the Donetsk BCP...

The OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine in co-operation with USAID’s “Fair Justice” Project concluded a two-day forum on 28 October 2015, which brought together public officials, representatives of civil society and the judiciary, and international experts to share best practices and lessons learned in promoting civil society’s engagement in justice sector reform...

The SMM monitored the implementation of the “Package of measures for the implementation of the Minsk agreements”, including the Addendum. Its monitoring was restricted by the parties and security considerations. Donetsk and Luhansk regions remained largely calm...

BELGRADE, 27 October 2015 – The OSCE report on War Crimes Proceedings in Serbia, covering the period from 2003 to 2014, was presented today by the OSCE Mission and the European Union Delegation in Belgrade...