News and press releases

Capacity-building seminar for judges-developers of educational courses and programs on application of the European Convention on Human Rights (Convention) and the case-law of the European Court of Human Rights (Court) was held on 27-29 August in Truskavets, a town in Lviv region, western Ukraine...

The SMM monitored the implementation of the “Package of measures for the implementation of the Minsk agreements”. Its monitoring was restricted by the parties and security considerations*. The SMM recorded an increase in the number of ceasefire violations compared to previous days in Donetsk region, and one ceasefire violation in Luhansk region...

COPENHAGEN, 7 September 2015 – OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Vice-President and Special Representative on South East Europe Roberto Battelli (MP, Slovenia) today welcomed important progress made over the summer months in the Balkans, while urging continued work on regional challenges.

CHERKASY, 7 September 2015 – An advanced training course for Ukrainian border control officers aimed at increasing their practical abilities to detect forged travel documents started today in Cherkasy...

The OSCE Office in Tajikistan, jointly with the Ministry of Energy and Water Resources of the Republic of Tajikistan, organized a half-day roundtable on 4 September 2015 for expert discussions on enhancing technical capacity of the newly-established State Service for Supervision of Hydro Technical Facilities...

The SMM monitored the implementation of the “Package of measures for the implementation of the Minsk agreements”. Its monitoring was restricted by the parties and security considerations*. The SMM observed few ceasefire violations in Donetsk region, and none in Luhansk.

COPENHAGEN, 5 September 2015 – OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Ilkka Kanerva (MP, Finland) today issued the following statement on the 4 September gun attacks in and around Dushanbe, Tajikistan...

The Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities supported the visit of 16 representatives of environmental authorities and environmental experts from Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine to Switzerland, to learn about good practices in restoring ecosystems in flood-prone areas. The visit, which took place from 31 August to 4 September 2015, is part of a joint OSCE – UNEP project initiated during the 2014 Swiss Chairmanship of the OSCE and funded by Switzerland within the framework of the Environment and Security Initiative (ENVSEC).

BELGRADE, 4 September 2015 – Best ways to tackle the radicalization of youth were the focus of a two-day conference hosted by Serbia’s OSCE Chairmanship, which concluded in Belgrade today and gathered representatives of Youth Ambassadors, OSCE structures and NGO sector.

The SMM monitored the implementation of the “Package of measures for the implementation of the Minsk agreements”. Its monitoring was restricted by the parties and security considerations*. The SMM observed one explosion in Donetsk region and recorded no ceasefire violations in Luhansk region...

COPENHAGEN, 4 September 2015 – Nearly 200 lawmakers from across the OSCE’s 57 participating States will gather in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia on 15-18 September for the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s 2015 Autumn Meeting...

DUSHANBE, 4 September 2015 – Twenty officers from Tajik Border Troops successfully completed today a four-week training course on patrolling and leadership. It was organized by the OSCE Office’s patrol programming and leadership project in Gissar Training Centre...

In accordance with its mandate to “Facilitate dialogue on the ground in order to reduce tensions and promote normalization of the situation” the Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine is pleased to announce the launch of the SMM ‘Youth Contact Groups' Project in Ukraine...

The SMM monitored the implementation of the “Package of measures for the implementation of the Minsk agreements”. Its monitoring was restricted by the parties and security considerations*. The SMM observed few ceasefire violations in Donetsk region, and none in Luhansk. The SMM spoke to police and hospital staff following an alleged ambush in Luhansk region...

DUSHANBE, 3 September 2015 – Twenty three representatives from border agencies of Afghanistan and Tajikistan completed today a ten-day Border Management Awareness (BMA) course at the OSCE Border Management Staff College in Dushanbe...

Speaking at the annual Bled Strategic Forum held on 31 August- 1 September in Slovenia, OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier emphasized the importance of developing more effective partnerships to respond to increasingly complex and diverse challenges to international peace and security...

BELGRADE, 2 September 2015 – The ceasefire in eastern Ukraine is one of the key conditions for furthering the political process, OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and Serbia’s Foreign Minister Ivica Dačić said today, after a briefing with his Special Representative in Ukraine and in the Trilateral Contact Group (TCG) Ambassador Martin Sajdik and the Chief Monitor of the Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine Ambassador Ertugrul Apakan. OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier also attended the meeting.

Discussion of strategic ideas for re-consolidating European security as a common project was the focus of a one-day workshop organized by the OSCE Network of Think Tanks and Academic Institutions, which took place in Vienna on 1 September 2015...

ALMATY, 2 September 2015- An OSCE-supported three-day workshop on practical aspects of trade procedures and the function of customs authorities began today in Almaty...

The SMM monitored the implementation of the “Package of measures for the implementation of the Minsk agreements”. Its monitoring was restricted by security considerations*. Few ceasefire violations were recorded, exclusively at or around Donetsk airport. The SMM monitored a peaceful start to the new school year in numerous schools...

The OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine welcomes the new impetus for peace provided by the Trilateral Contact Group (TCG) that the Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Ambassador Martin Sajdik, announced last week in Minsk, said the SMM’s Chief Monitor, Ambassador Ertugrul Apakan, today.

The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina, in co-operation with the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH) Gender Centre and the Network of Women Police Officers, concluded on 1 September 2015 the second out of ten training courses on implementation of the Law on Protection from Domestic Violence and the use of the domestic violence database...

The SMM monitored the implementation of the “Package of measures for the implementation of the Minsk agreements”. Its monitoring was restricted by the parties and security considerations*. The number of ceasefire violations observed remained at a similar level compared with the previous day in Donetsk. No ceasefire violations were recorded in the Luhansk region. The SMM observed preparations for the start of the school year in Donetsk and Luhansk regions. In Kyiv the SMM monitored a protest outside the national Parliament which turned violent...

PRISHTINË/PRIŠTINA, 1 September 2015 – Measures crucial to advance durable solutions for displaced persons from Kosovo were at the focus of a technical working group meeting organized in Prishtinё/Priština today by the OSCE Mission in Kosovo and supported by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)...

COPENHAGEN, 1 September 2015 – The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Chair, Isabel Santos (MP, Portugal), today called for the immediate release of Azerbaijani investigative journalist Khadija Ismayilova, who was sentenced earlier on 1 September to 7 ½ years in prison...

WARSAW, 1 September 2015 – Michael Georg Link, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), today called on countries in the OSCE to work together towards a co-ordinated and sustainable response to the increased flow of migrants into Europe; one that takes into account obligations to all individuals, including asylum seekers and refugees...

STRASBOURG/VIENNA, 1 September 2015 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Dunja Mijatović, and the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Nils Muižnieks, today condemned the sentencing of Azerbaijani journalist Khadija Ismayilova...

VIENNA, 1 September 2015 – To help raise awareness about security risks linked to climate change, the OSCE has launched an international contest in partnership with eYeka, a global community of talented creators, to find a compelling image that conveys the important message that climate change increases the risk of conflict...

On 31 August beginning at 09:00hrs, the SMM monitored protests in front of the national Parliament (Verkhovna Rada) building in Kyiv. Some 3,000 persons (male and female of all ages) carrying “Svoboda”, “Radical Party” and “Ukrop” flags were protesting against constitutional amendments that were being voted on inside the Parliament. The event was initially peaceful and orderly with no signs of unrest...

The SMM monitored the implementation of the “Package of measures for the implementation of the Minsk agreements”. Its monitoring was restricted by the parties and security considerations*. The SMM noted a marked decrease in fighting in Donetsk and in Luhansk over 29 and 30 August. On both sides of the contact line the SMM observed schools being repaired in preparation for the start of the school year.

VIENNA, 31 August 2015 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović today expressed concern about an incident near the Ukrainian Parliament in Kyiv, in which several journalists were injured...

VIENNA, 31 August 2015 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović today called on the Turkish authorities to respect journalists’ rights and to refrain from actions that can hinder the freedom to report about issues of public importance, following the detention of two British journalists in Turkey...

COPENHAGEN, 31 August 2015 – OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Ilkka Kanerva (MP, Finland) today condemned the violence that occurred during protests outside of Ukraine’s parliament earlier on 31 August, which resulted in the death of at least one member of the National Guard and scores injured...

VIENNA, 31 August 2015 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović today urged the Italian authorities to offer better protection for members of the media, following recent attack against journalists covering activities of organized crime groups...

The OSCE Centre in Bishkek and the Kyrgyz State Border Service Border jointly opened early warning groups for conflict prevention in the border cities of Talas, northern Kyrgyzstan, on 28 August and the city of Osh, in the south of the country, on 21 August 2015...

The SMM monitored the implementation of the “Package of measures for the implementation of the Minsk agreements”. Its monitoring was restricted by the parties and security considerations*. Ceasefire violations were recorded in numerous locations. The SMM observed damage caused by shelling and conducted several crater analyses in Donetsk and Luhansk regions...

The SMM monitored the implementation of the “Package of measures for the implementation of the Minsk agreements”. Its monitoring was restricted by the parties and security considerations*. The SMM observed damage caused by shelling and conducted crater analyses in Donetsk and Luhansk regions. In Donetsk there was a significant increase in ceasefire violations compared to the previous day...

ALMATY, 28 August 2015- A three-week advanced training course on effective use of dogs in countering transnational threats to the country’s security concluded today in Almaty...

A “Follow us” initiative on dialogue of prominent women from Belgrade and Pristina was promoted at the Western Balkans Summit on 27 August 2015 in Vienna...

On 27 August 2015 at 07:10hrs (Moscow time), a Russian convoy arrived at the Donetsk Border Crossing Point (BCP). A total of 39 vehicles were checked by the Russian border guard and customs services. All the vehicles had crossed back into the Russian Federation by 15:04hrs on 27 August...

The SMM monitored the implementation of the “Package of measures for the implementation of the Minsk agreements”. Its monitoring was restricted by the parties and security considerations*. The SMM facilitated a local ceasefire that allowed for gas pipeline repairs in the Luhansk region...

BISHKEK, 27 August 2015 – Strengthening the current OSCE engagement with Kyrgyzstan and discussing future co-operation was the focus of a two-day visit to Bishkek by OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier which concluded today...

WARSAW, 27 August 2015 – Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) Michael Georg Link today expressed his concern about the conviction and sentencing of three foreign nationals and continued detention of a number of Ukrainian nationals in the Russian Federation...

COPENHAGEN, 27 August 2015 – OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Secretary General Spencer Oliver hosted his counterpart from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Parliamentary Assembly (NATO PA), David Hobbs, and his counterpart from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), Wojciech Sawicki, on 26 August for the latest in regular consultations between the three Secretaries General...

ALMATY, 27 August 2015 – An OSCE-supported training seminar on enhancing civil society’s participation in the law-making process began today in Almaty...

The SMM monitored the implementation of the “Package of measures for the implementation of the Minsk agreements”. Its monitoring was restricted by the parties and security considerations. An increase in ceasefire violations was observed in Donetsk and in Luhansk. The SMM facilitated a localised ceasefire that allowed a team to conduct gas pipeline repairs in Luhansk. The SMM conducted crater analysis in Horlivka and Sopyne...

VIENNA, 26 August 2015 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović today condemned the deadly shooting of a journalist and a cameraman in Moneta, Virginia, USA...

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

MINSK, 26 August 2015 – The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) today formally opened an election observation mission for the 11 October presidential election in Belarus. The mission’s deployment follows an official invitation from the Belarus authorities...

A summer school, which gathered 30 Ukrainian judges and advocates, focused on enhancement of their co-operation, skills and knowledge in protection of human rights in line with national laws and international principles, organized by the OSCE Project Co-ordinator, was held from 25 to 26 August 2015 in Lviv...