News and press releases

On 26 April, the SMM observed what it assessed to be the most intense shelling in Shyrokyne (20km east of Mariupol) since fighting began in the area in mid-February 2015. For the last 12 hours, and on-going at the time of this report, the SMM has observed sporadic to continuous exchanges of fire involving small arms, machine gun, rocket propelled grenade and automatic grenade launcher.

The SMM monitored the implementation of the “Package of measures for the Implementation of the Minsk agreements”. Its monitoring was restricted by third parties and security considerations*. The SMM discussed a demilitarization plan for Shyrokyne. The SMM held a round table involving pro and anti-Maidan activists in Odessa.

BELGRADE, 25 April 2015- The OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Serbia’s Foreign Minister Ivica Dačić,met today in Belgrade with his Special Representative for the Transdniestrian Settlement Process, Ambassador Radojko Bogojević.

KYIV, 24 April 2015 – Michael Georg Link, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), was joined in Kyiv today by Valeriya Lutkovska, Ukraine’s Human Rights Commissioner, for the launch of ODIHR’s new two-year project. Following Director Link’s public lecture on the subject of civil society, democracy and human rights, ODIHR engaged representatives of Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the civil society and academia in a panel discussion on the vital role civil society plays as Ukraine takes critical steps to advance democracy, protect human rights and address discrimination.

Some 40 representatives from the Ukraine’s Vinnytsia Region and district administrations discussed the international standards on freedom of religion and belief, and responses to hate crime at a seminar organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) with the support of the Vinnytsia Regional State Administration on 23 and 24 April 2015.

OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities Astrid Thors welcomed the fact that the new Moldovan government is moving ahead with the process to adopt the Strategy on Integration of National Minorities for the Republic of Moldova. During her visit from 20 to 24 April 2015, Thors said it was

The SMM monitored the implementation of the “Package of measures for the Implementation of the Minsk agreements”. Its monitoring was restricted by third parties and security considerations. The SMM were prevented from accessing part of Shyrokyne (20km east of Mariupol) by “Donetsk People’s Republic” members. The SMM revisited heavy weapons holding areas, and noted some weapons had been removed. Protests in Kyiv were monitored by the SMM...

DUSHANBE, 24 April 2015- A ten-day comprehensive train-the-trainer course on the detection and prevention of trafficking of dual-use chemicals which may be used in the manufacture of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) for 14 instructors from the national training customs institutions of Afghanistan, India, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan concluded today at the OSCE Border Management Staff College in Dushanbe...

On 20-24 April 2015, the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat organized training lectures on border security and management for 120 cadets at the Border Institute in Ashgabat...

DUSHANBE, 24 April 2015 – Twenty-four officers from Tajik law enforcement agencies today completed an OSCE training course on combating narcotics and investigation techniques in Dushanbe...

KYIV, 24 April 2015 –The need for women,as active stakeholders in conflict, to be included in prevention and resolution processes was stressed was stressed during a workshop supported by the OSCE Project Co-ordination in Ukraine, OSCE Gender Section and UN Women on 23 and 24 April in Kyiv...

ATYRAU, 24 April 2015 – An OSCE-supported roundtable discussion on promoting internationally-sound preparedness and response to oil spills through the introduction of a regional oil spill contingency plan was held today in Atyrau, western Kazakhstan...

The OSCE Programme Office in Astana supported the final meeting of the interdepartmental working group established with the aim to develop standards of social services for victims of human trafficking that was held in Almaty on 24 April 2015...

On 23 April 2015 at 07:25hrs (Moscow time), a Russian convoy arrived at the Donetsk Border Crossing Point (BCP). A total of 62 vehicles were checked by the Russian border guard and customs services. All the vehicles had crossed back into the Russian Federation by 18:40hrs on 23 April.

VIENNA, 23 April 2015 – Senior representatives from the Independent Media Trade Union of Ukraine, National Union of the Journalists of Ukraine, and the Russian Union of Journalists met in Vienna today to discuss ways to improve professional standards and safety of journalists in Ukraine...

The SMM monitored the implementation of the “Package of measures for the Implementation of the Minsk agreements”. Its monitoring was restricted by third parties and security considerations*. Fighting continued around Donetsk airport and Shyrokyne. The SMM observed military movement on both sides of the contact line...

The OSCE Mission to Skopje, in co-operation with the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), will train 50 law enforcement officers in recognizing, understanding and investigating hate crimes from 23 to 29 April 2015 in Skopje...

Practices within the OSCE region for educating about the Roma and Sinti genocide were the focus at an event hosted jointly by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), the Living History Forum and Swedish Equality Ombudsman on 23 April 2015 in Stockholm.

The OSCE Mission to Montenegro, in co-operation with the United States Embassy in Podgorica organized a three-day seminar from 22-24 April 2015 in Budva on the importance of public information and outreach in the Judicial, Prosecutorial, and Police institutions...

High level government representatives from Ukraine and Moldova, along with parliamentarians, experts and NGO representatives from both countries, convened in Kyiv on 23 April 2015, to discuss the trans-boundary climate change adaptation strategy and co-operation in the Dniester/Nistru River basin...

Public discussion on the implementation of the Free Access to Information Act supported by the OSCE Mission to Montenegro and in co-operation with the Agency for the Protection of Personal Data and Free Access to Information, took place on 21 April 2015 in Niksic...

News editors and journalists of the Albanian public broadcaster are being trained on election reporting in a three-day intensive course that started on 21 April 2015 in Tirana...

Elections experts from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) visited Ashgabat to lead a two-day workshop on 21 and 22 April 2015, focused on recommendations provided in the ODIHR final report for the 2013 parliamentary elections.

The SMM monitored the implementation of the “Package of measures for the Implementation of the Minsk agreements”. Its monitoring was restricted by third parties and security considerations, with SMM patrols restricted from moving freely in government-controlled areas around Mariupol and in areas under “Lugansk People’s Republic” (“LPR”) control. Fighting was of reduced intensity around Donetsk airport and nearby villages, and Shyrokyne was generally calm during the day. Heavy weapons continued to be moved on both sides of the contact line. Some civilians in Donetsk region tell the SMM of their urgent need for basic supplies and services...

VIENNA, 22 April 2015 –OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović today called on the authorities to immediately investigate last night’s death threat against the editor of NOVA TV Borjan Jovanovski and his family...

SARAJEVO, 22 April 2015 – The establishment and challenges in the functioning of inter-religious council and the best practices in promoting inter-faith dialogue were the focus of a two-day study visit of Kosovo religious representatives to the Inter-Religious Council of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which concluded today...

ASHGABAT, 22 April 2015 – Electoral and legal framework of elections was discussed at an OSCE-organized workshop that concluded today in Ashgabat...

OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities Astrid Thors visited Georgia from 13 to 17 April 2015, where she discussed a wide range of issues, including language policy, education reform and minority representation, and met people displaced from Abkhazia and South Ossetia. The internally

BISHKEK, 22 April 2015 – The Kyrgyz Ministry of Interior in support of the OSCE Centre in Bishkek opens National Forum on Public Safety today...

TASHKENT, 22 April 2015 – An international conference on fighting terrorism as a transnational threat to security, supported by the OSCE, began today in Tashkent...

BISHKEK, 22 April 2015- The first Water Museum in Central Asia, supported by the OSCE Center in Bishkek and Small Grants Programme of the Global Environmental Facility/UNDP in Kyrgyzstan was opened in the premises of the Kyrgyz National Agrarian University (KNAU) in Bishkek today...

A two-day seminar on the safety and stability of the Kyzylorda water facilities was held on 21-22 April 2015 in Kyzylorda, Kazakhstan...

VIENNA, 22 April 2015 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović today said the proposed amendments to the Audiovisual Code and the Law on Freedom of Expression, recently put before the Moldovan Parliament, could be harmful to free expression and free media...

The SMM monitored the implementation of the “Package of measures for the Implementation of the Minsk agreements”. Its monitoring was restricted by third parties and security considerations.* Fighting intensified around Donetsk airport and Shyrokyne. The SMM observed military movements on both sides of the contact line.

On 21 April 2015, per prior agreement, special consultations of the participants of the Permanent Conference on Political Issues in the Framework of the Negotiation Process for the Transdniestrian Settlement in the “5+2” format took place in Vienna...

BELGRADE, 21 April 2015 – Any improvement in the comprehensive security of an OSCE participating State results in greater security for all, said OSCE Chairperson and Serbia’s Foreign Minister Ivica Dačić in Belgrade while opening today’s Chairmanship conference on Security Sector Governance and Reform (SSG/R), which is one of the Serbian Chairmanship’s priorities...

BELGRADE, 21 April 2015- The OSCE Mission to Serbia is concerned about the ongoing campaign against the Serbian Ombudsman institution and Ombudsman Saša Janković...

The SMM monitored the implementation of the “Package of measures for the implementation of the Minsk agreements”. The SMM, based on its monitoring – which was restricted by third parties and by security considerations* – observed ongoing fighting in and around Donetsk airport, with fewer incidents involving the use of heavy weapons than in previous days. After days of calm, fighting took place in and around Shyrokyne, forcing the SMM to temporarily withdraw. The SMM observed military movements on both sides of the contact line. The SMM re-visited heavy weapons holding areas.

COPENHAGEN, 20 April 2015 – OSCE parliamentarians will conduct an election observation mission to the United Kingdom for the country’s general elections on 7 May...

More than 30 representatives of civil society, Jewish communities and international organizations from across the OSCE region discussed prevention efforts and responses to anti-Semitic hate crime at a workshop organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) on 20 April 2015 in Vienna.

The legal personality of religious or belief communities in the Central Asia region was the focus of an event organized jointly by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institution and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the Regional Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights for Central Asia, on 20 April 2015 in Bishkek.

The OSCE Mission to Skopje in co-operation with the Hungarian Embassy in Skopje and Hungarian national police will train 13 Border Police Officers on in-depth control and integrated border management in Budapest from 20 to 25 April 2015...

BISHKEK, 20 April 2015 – A two-day roundtable to discuss draft laws on the Criminal Code, Criminal Procedure Code, Civil Procedure Code, Penal-Executive Code, Code on Offences, as well as legislative acts on increasing the responsibility of judges, and legislative acts on bailiffs and others is being held on 20-21 April 2015 in Bishkek...

VILNIUS, 20 April 2015 – More than 70 experts from across North America, Europe and Asia are meeting in the Lithuanian capital today for a conference to discuss the implementation of the key UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security. The conference is organized by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), UN Women and the Lithuanian Government...

The SMM monitored the implementation of the “Package of measures for the implementation of the Minsk agreements”. The SMM, based on its monitoring – which was restricted by third parties and by security considerations (cf. below) – observed on-going fighting in and around Donetsk airport, albeit at a lower intensity compared to previous days. The situation, however, remained relatively calm in the Luhansk region and in the rest of the Donetsk region, notably around Shyrokyne, where for the first time the SMM maintained an overnight static presence...

On 17 April, at 18:30hrs, an SMM team, composed of eight staff from the Head Office and the Mariupol Hub and led by the SMM Deputy Chief Monitor, replaced the SMM team that was in the village since 06:40hrs the same day. The SMM located a suitable site to monitor the ceasefire as foreseen in the Minsk package. The SMM parked its two armoured vehicles close to a shelter which the team could use if needed. The SMM marked its location with large OSCE flags which could be illuminated in case of emergency. Throughout the night the OSCE SMM Unmanned/Unarmed Aerial Vehicle (UAV) hovered over Shyrokyne and environs, updating the SMM team in real-time about the situation in the area...

The SMM monitored the implementation of the “Package of measures for the implementation of the Minsk agreements”. The SMM, based on its monitoring – which was restricted by third parties and by security considerations – observed ongoing intensive fighting in and around Donetsk airport. The situation, however, remained relatively calm around Shyrokyne, and mostly calm in the rest of the Donetsk region and the Luhansk region...

VIENNA, 17 April 2015 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović today welcomed the recent decision to drop all charges against Slovenian journalist Anuška Delić...

Following the escalation of violence in Shyrokyne (22km east of Mariupol) over the Orthodox Easter weekend, SMM Deputy Chief Monitor Alexander Hug and his team travelled to Mariupol on 13 April to spearhead efforts for a localised ceasefire. Since 13 April the SMM has visited Shyrokyne on a daily basis, engaging the two sides in a dialogue aiming at the cessation of hostilities. The SMM directly negotiated with the actors on the ground in an effort to gain unrestricted access to the village. Consequently, the SMM conducted a humanitarian assessment of the location, which included personal interaction with over 35 of the civilians left in the conflict-torn village.

VIENNA, 17 April 2015 – In a new interactive campaign launched today, the OSCE is inviting members of the public to send in photos, videos and social media messages on how we can work together to make security a reality and promote peace through co-operation...