News and press releases

This report is for the media and general public 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 that fighting continued in areas around the Donetsk airport. The SMM monitored the situation around Shyrokyne and did not observe any weapons being fired, expect small arms fire directed at an unidentified UAV. The SMM monitored one heavy weapons holding area belonging to the “Lugansk People’s Republic” (“LPR”), and four to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

KYIV, 4 April 2015 – Chief Monitor of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine Ambassador Ertugrul Apakan today wished people across Ukraine a safe, peaceful and joyous Easter holiday season and urged all sides to ensure a lasting ceasefire...

MINSK, 3 April 2015 – Preparing children to live independently after they leave state-run boarding schools is a key step in combating human trafficking in minors,” said on Friday OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, Ambassador Madina Jarbussynova.

VIENNA, 3 April 2015 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović today reiterated her call on the Belarussian authorities to stop persecuting members of the media, following continued and repeated intimidations of journalists for doing their job...

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 that fighting continued in areas around the Donetsk airport and Shyrokyne...

On the eve of the International Day of Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action, observed throughout the world on 4 April, the OSCE Project Co-ordinator released two new publications designed to help Ukrainian authorities better protect civilians from explosive remnants of past military conflicts, as well as from current challenges posed by conflict in the eastern regions of the country...

The OSCE Programme Office in Astana and the Legislative and Judicial Reform Committee of the Mazhilis (lower chamber of the Parliament) with support of Kazakhstan’s Foreign Ministry and Embassy of Belgium in Kazakhstan co-organized a study visit to Belgium from 1 to 4 April 2015...

DUSHANBE, 3 April 2015 – Twenty-six officers from Tajik law enforcement agencies completed today a week-long OSCE training course in Dushanbe on operational crisis management. The training was held in the Institute for Advanced Studies of the Customs Service under the Government of Tajikistan.

DUSHANBE, 3 April 2015 – The first five-day regional Explosive Hazards Awareness and Reduction course facilitated by the OSCE Office in Tajikistan concluded in Dushanbe today...

Two two-day workshops organized by the OSCE Office in Tajikistan on development of anti-corruption strategies for civil society on 30-31 March and government officials on 2-3 April 2015 took place in Dushanbe...

On 02 April 2015 at 07:34hrs (Moscow time), a Russian convoy arrived at the Donetsk Border Crossing Point (BCP). A total of 42 vehicles were checked by the Russian border guard and customs services. All the vehicles had crossed back into the Russian Federation by 14:56hrs on 02 April...

PRISHTINË/PRIŠTINA, 2 April 2015 – The Head of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, Ambassador Jean-Claude Schlumberger, welcomed the recommendations made today by the Assembly of Kosovo on the public broadcaster Radio Television Kosovo (RTK)...

DUSHANBE, 2 April 2015 – The OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Serbia's Foreign Minister Ivica Dačić today told the Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), meeting in Dushanbe, that the OSCE shared its goal of contributing to security and stability in Central Asia and aimed for closer co-operation...

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 that fighting continued in areas around the Donetsk airport, and that the area around the Shyrokyne was relatively calm. The SMM saw Ukrainian Armed Forces volunteer battalion members working jointly with “Lugansk People’s Republic” (“LPR”) members on the reconstruction of a bridge in the Luhansk region...

Kamensk-Shakhtinskiy, Russian Federation. The Observer Mission (OM) continues to operate 24/7 at both BCPs. The overall cross-border traffic slightly decreased at both Border Crossing Points (BCPs). The number of persons in military-style clothing crossing the border in both directions has decreased over the past four reporting weeks...

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 that fighting continued in areas around the Donetsk airport and Shyrokyne in the Donetsk region, and in areas to the north and north-west of Luhansk city...

The OSCE Mission in Kosovo organized a series of workshops between 17 March and 1 April 2015 focusing on women’s rights to property. The workshops were designed for representatives of the Environment and Spatial Planning Ministry, municipal officials for gender equality, urbanism and cadastre, communities and return, as well as civil society...

VIENNA, 1 April 2015 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović today said that media pluralism and access to information in Crimea, Ukraine, have been limited even further, following the end of the imposed re-registration period for all media outlets by 1 April 2015...

A regular meeting of the Police Reform Steering Group was held at the Department of State Traffic Inspection of the Interior Ministry of Tajikistan on 27 March 2015...

ASHGABAT, 1 April 2015 – Traffic management and road safety were the focus of an OSCE-organized seminar that concluded today in Ashgabat...

VIENNA, 31 March 2015 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović today welcomed the sentences of two people for the murder of newspaper editor Abdulmalik Akhmedilov in August 2009 in Makhachkala, in the Russian Republic of Dagestan...

VIENNA, 31 March 2015 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović today expressed concern over a decision by the Data Verification Commission in Skopje to declare Jadranka Kostova, editor-in-chief of weekly magazine Fokus, a secret services informant from1993 to 1996...

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 that fighting continued in areas around Donetsk airport and Shyrokyne...

The OSCE Office in Yerevan supported a workshop on 28-29 March 2015 in Tsaghkadzor to discuss the role and main functions of Armenia’s newly-established investigative committee and foster co-operation with media representatives...

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 that fighting continued in areas around Donetsk airport and Shyrokyne...

VIENNA, 30 March 2015- OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović said today that the unilateral decisions by the Interior Ministry in France, without judicial oversight, to block five websites for allegedly causing or promoting terrorism represents a serious threat to free expression and free media...

ALMATY, 30 March 2015 – An OSCE-supported training seminar on countering transnational organized crime and trafficking in drugs, psychotropic substances and their precursors began today in Almaty...

TASHKENT, 30 March 2015 – The figure of the incumbent dominated a political landscape without genuine opposition in the 29 March presidential election in Uzbekistan, election observers sent by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) said in a statement issued today. In this environment, persistent legal and organizational shortcomings of the electoral process remained unaddressed, the statement added...

LEINSWEILER, Germany, 29 March 2015 – The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and the German Bundestag hosted a retreat and seminar in Leinsweiler, Rhineland-Pfalz, Germany on 28 and 29 March to discuss conflict resolution strategies and hear from experts on German-French rapprochement and post-conflict border issues. The seminar facilitated one of the few direct meetings between Russian and Ukrainian parliamentarians since the crisis in and around Ukraine began...

On 27 March, the SMM observed from an observation point in the vicinity of Berdianske (government-controlled, 18km east of Mariupol) escalating fighting in Shyrokyne (“Donetsk People’s Republic” (“DPR”)-controlled, 20km east of Mariupol, 102 km south of Donetsk) counting over 225 mortar shells from 14:40hrs to 17:15hrs. The shelling had started only a few hours following an SMM visit to the “DPR” “command” in Shyrokyne...

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 that fighting continued in the areas around the Donetsk airport and resumed in Shyrokyne, east of Mariupol...

KYIV, 27 March 2015- Chief Monitor of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine Ambassador Ertugrul Apakan expressed his disappointment that the sides have breached a local ceasefire arranged by the Mission two days ago in Shyrokyne, southeast Ukraine, and urged them to stop fighting immediately...

The SMM monitored the implementation of the “Package of measures for the implementation of the Minsk agreements”. The SMM facilitated a local ceasefire and the delivery of humanitarian aid in Shyrokyne, east of Mariupol. The SMM, based on its monitoring – which was restricted by third parties and by security considerations* – observed that fighting continued in areas around Donetsk airport...

On 26-27 March 2015, the OSCE Mission in Kosovo and the OSCE Mission to Serbia facilitated the 5th meeting of prominent women from Prishtinë/Priština and Belgrade within the framework of the “Follow Us” Initiative...

The OSCE Mission to Skopje hosted 22 students from five different universities in the country during a study visit to the Mission’s premises on 26 March 2015. The visit was an opportunity for the students to learn more about the OSCE, Skopje Mission’s mandate and programmes...

BELGRADE, 27 March 2015 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović met with the Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vučić today to discuss media freedom issues in Serbia and the OSCE region...

The OSCE Programme Office in Astana in partnership with the Burabay Aarhus Centre organized a conference on the promotion of green technologies in the Schuchinsk-Borovoye resort zone in Borovoye, Kazakhstan, on 27 March 2015...

On 26 March 2015 at 07:20hrs (Moscow time), a Russian convoy arrived at the Donetsk Border Crossing Point (BCP). A total of 82 vehicles were checked by the Russian border guard and customs services. All the vehicles had crossed back into the Russian Federation by 17:20hrs on 26 March...

ASTANA, 26 March 2015 – The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) today formally opened an election observation mission (EOM) for the 26 April early presidential election in Kazakhstan. The mission’s deployment follows an invitation from the authorities of Kazakhstan...

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 that fighting continued around the Donetsk airport. In the area of Shyrokyne, the SMM facilitated a local ceasefire which had been holding throughout the day. The SMM visited areas east of Mariupol towards Novoazovsk, at the border between Ukraine and the Russian Federation...

BELGRADE, 26 March 2015 – Violence against journalists is unacceptable and must be treated like violence against society as a whole, said the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Serbia’s Foreign Minister Ivica Dačić, today at the opening of a two-day OSCE conference on the 'Protection of safety and integrity of journalists in the OSCE region'...

SKOPJE, 26 March 2015 – The OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, Ambassador Madina Jarbussynova, praised the country’s authorities for its efforts, supported by the OSCE Mission to Skopje, to combat modern-day slavery at the conclusion of a four-day visit to the country...

TIRANA, 26 March 2015 – More than 40 representatives of central and local governments, Aarhus Centres and civil society from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Serbia discussed the challenges of public participation in trans-boundary water management and in trans-boundary Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) processes at a two-day regional roundtable organized by the OSCE, that ended today...

BISHKEK, 26 March 2015 – A two-day conference on population registration, data protection and the right to privacy, organized by the OSCE Centre in Bishkek, with support of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the NGO Legal Clinic “Adilet”, opens today in Bishkek...

The Observer Mission (OM) continues to operate 24/7 at both Border Crossing Points (BCPs). The overall cross-border traffic slightly decreased at both BCPs. The number of persons in military-style clothing crossing the border in both directions has decreased over the past reporting week...

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 that fighting continued north of Donetsk airport and in areas in and around Shyrokyne, east of Mariupol...

On 25 March 2015 the 53rd 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...

KYIV, 25 March 2015- There is an urgent need to enhance the capacities of Ukraine to address the issue of gender-based violence adequately, said the OSCE Senior Gender Adviser, Ambassador Miroslava Beham, as she concluded a three-day assessment mission to the country...

Elections experts from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) met with electoral stakeholders in Sofia on 24 and 25 March 2015 to present recommendations from the final report on the 5 October 2014 early parliamentary elections in Bulgaria.

OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities Astrid Thors and the Ukrainian authorities discussed their concerns about human rights violations in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, Ukraine, during Thors’ visit to Kyiv and Kharkiv from 16 to 20 March 2015. Thors has been concerned about reports of