News and press releases

The SMM continued to monitor the non-use of weapons provision of the Minsk Protocol, noting sporadic shelling around Donetsk and Mariupol cities, and in an area west of Luhansk city. Elsewhere in Donbas, however, calm prevailed, most notably in Luhansk city, where, in addition to a cessation of violence, normal services are beginning to be restored...

BERN, September 20 2014- Didier Burkhalter, OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and Swiss Foreign Minister, noted with satisfaction the signing of a Memorandum on 19 September, 2014, outlining the parameters for the implementation of the cease-fire commitments laid down in the Minsk Protocol of 5 September 2014...

OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities Astrid Thors visited Ukraine from 15 to 17 September 2014 to take stock of the situation since her last visit. She said that while the situation remains extremely tense and challenging, there are positive developments, including the ceasefire following the signing of the Minsk Protocol on 5 September 2014.

Identifying needs and possible strategies to address human rights priorities in Ukraine was the focus of a meeting organized by OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) in Warsaw on 18 and 19 September 2014. The consultation meeting, with participation of 23 representatives

The SMM continued to carry out activities related to the monitoring of non-use of weapons in areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Interlocutors from the Crimean Tatar community informed the SMM that the building of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People in Simferopol had been searched by Russian Security Services...

VIENNA, 19 September 2014 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović today expressed concern about the fate of Avdet, the weekly newspaper of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People, following a week of acts of intimidation by the de-facto authorities in Crimea...

On 19 September 2014 the 48th meeting under the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM) took place in Ergneti, co-facilitated by Toivo Klaar, the Head of the EU Monitoring Mission in Georgia (EUMM), and Ambassador Angelo Gnaedinger, the Special Representative of the Swiss OSCE Chairmanship for the South Caucasus...

The OSCE Centre in Bishkek in joint co-operation with the Customs Service of Latvia on 19 September 2014 completed two weeks of a train-the-trainers programme for customs officers from Kyrgyzstan on risk management and auditing...

KOKSHETAU, Kazakhstan, 19 September 2014 – Establishing dynamic, accountable and efficient local governments in rural and small town municipalities that involve the public in decision-making processes was the focus of an OSCE-supported training seminar held today in Kokshetau, in the Akmola Region...

BISHKEK, 19 September 2014 – The OSCE Centre in Bishkek and the Ministry of Defence of the Kyrgyz Republic today hosted the first roundtable discussion on improving the country’s regulatory legal framework for use of small arms and light weapons (SALW) and conventional ammunition...

DUSHANBE, 19 September 2014 – Twenty-four mid-rank and front-line officers from the Tajik border troops and national customs service completed today a week-long training course on use of radiation detectors and other equipment at the border check points by the OSCE Office in Tajikistan...

The OSCE Centre in Bishkek supported the “Barrier–2014” simulation exercises in the Ala-Buka district of Jalal-Abad province on 17-18 September 2014, with the aim of testing the readiness of border guards and law enforcement agencies in protecting the country’s borders...

SKOPJE, 19 September 2014 – Some 80 constitutional court judges from 21 European countries, representatives of the the European Commission for Democracy through Law of the Council of Europe (Venice Commission), the European Court of Human Rights, as well as legal practitioners from the country and abroad will participate at an OSCE-supported three-day conference marking the 50th anniversary of the Constitutional Court in Skopje...

ASHGABAT, 19 September 2014 – The OSCE and its role in international affairs were the focus of an OSCE-organized course that concluded today, for 60 students majoring in international relations and international law at the Institute of International Relations of Turkmenistan’s Foreign Ministry as well as the instructors from the Institute...

KYIV, 19 September 2014 – The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) today formally opened an election observation mission for the 26 October 2014 early parliamentary elections in Ukraine. The mission’s deployment follows an invitation from the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs...

A two-day seminar involving approximately 30 judges, lawyers and journalists on issues related to defamation and libel concluded on 16 September at the premises of the OSCE Office in Tajikistan...

COPENHAGEN, 18 September 2014 – OSCE parliamentarians will observe the upcoming general elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina and lead the short-term OSCE observer mission...

DUSHANBE, 18 September 2014 – The OSCE Border Management Staff College launched its first distance-learning course this week, with participants completing the first introductory segment today. The one-year course focuses on border security and management...

The situation in Donetsk and Luhansk continues to be tense. The main power plant in the Luhansk region was severely damaged as a result of shelling...

PRISHTINË/PRIŠTINA/VIENNA, 18 September 2014- Head of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, Ambassador Jean-Claude Schlumberger, and OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović, expressed today their concern over the safety of journalists and condemned the latest in a series of death threats against Artan Haraqija, a journalist with the Indeksonline news portal...

SKOPJE, 18 September 2014 – Ambassador Ralf Breth, Head of the Mission to Skopje thanks everyone who has expressed their opinion on the video ‘Say No to Violence’ and issues the following statement regarding reactions to the film...

VIENNA, 18 September 2014 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović today condemned the growing violence against journalists in Russia following an attack on BBC crew in Astrakhan, southern Russia...

Bern, September 17 2014 – Following the adoption of two important laws in the Ukrainian Parliament, OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and Swiss Foreign Minister Didier Burkhalter commended Ukraine for the progress made in the implementation of the Minsk Protocol signed on 5 September. This protocol aims at the implementation of President Poroshenko’s Peace Plan and of President Putin’s initiatives.

BISHKEK, 17 September 2014 – Ambassador Sergey Kapinos, the Head of the OSCE Centre in Bishkek, met Foreign Minister of the Kyrgyz Republic Erlan Abdyldaev today to discuss further co-operation and the implementation of the projects in the country...

ASTANA, 17 September 2014 – A roundtable discussion as part of the National Dialogue series on access to special social services for victims of cruel treatment, including victims of human trafficking and domestic violence, took place today in Astana...

KAMENSK-SHAKHTINSKY, Russian Federation,17 September – The Observer Mission (OM) is operating at full capacity. Cross-border traffic flows remained steady at both Border Crossing Points (BCPs). Similar to the previous week, more people left the Russian Federation (RF) for Ukraine at the two observed BCPs. The total number of border-crossings remained at increased levels, particularly at Donetsk BCP. The OM observed considerable numbers of persons in camouflage clothing crossing the border. The majority of them entered the RF from Ukraine, especially at Donetsk BCP...

TASHKENT, 17 September 2014 – The National Conference on Trafficking in Human Beings with a focus on capacity-building of governmental and non-governmental actors opened in Tashkent yesterday. The conference is co-organized by the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan, the Republican Inter-agency Commission on Combating Human Trafficking and the General Prosecutor`s Office...

PODGORICA, 17 September 2014 – The Head of the OSCE Mission to Montenegro Ambassador Janina Hrebickova will present an overview of the first half of the 2014 Mission’s activities at a press briefing on Thursday, 18 September, in Podgorica...

The situation in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions remained volatile. The SMM observed a demonstration in front of the Ukrainian parliament in favour of lustration, and received accounts about searches conducted in the office of the Mejlis in Simferopol...

A training session organized by the OSCE Mission on digital photography for 20 newly-appointed and long-serving Kosovo Police officers in the four northern municipalities concluded in Mitrovica/Mitrovicë on 17 September 2014...

VALLETTA, 16 September 2014 – States need to strengthen mechanisms and channels for effective and timely exchange of information in order to better prevent and thwart terrorist kidnappings and hostage-taking, said speakers at the start of a two-day Mediterranean regional workshop, organized by the OSCE and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), in Valletta today...

The overall security situation remains volatile in the areas of Donetsk and Luhansk...

KYIV, 16 September 2014 – The OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine and the Government of Canada officially launched a € 2.2 million, four years project, which aims to enhance the functioning of the Ukrainian judiciary in line with international standards of human rights protection...

ALMATY, Kazakhstan, 16 September 2014 – Some 40 young environmental leaders and professionals representing state, business and civil society in Central Asia and Afghanistan are taking part in the nine-day training seminar under the Central Asian Leadership Programme on Environment and Sustainable Development (CALPESD), launched today in Almaty...

KYIV, 15 September 2014 – Chief Monitor of the Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM) Ambassador Ertuğrul Apakan today urged all sides to allow monitors to carry out their duties and verification of the ceasefire regime safely after a series of incidents which put their lives at serious risk...

MINSK, 15 September 2014 – During a two-day official visit to Minsk OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović strongly encouraged the authorities to continue working to improve the media freedom situation in Belarus...

On 14 September the SMM monitored the situation and adherence to Minsk Protocol provisions in the areas east of Donetsk city. These areas have not been regularly patrolled by the SMM since the signing of the Protocol; breaches of the Protocol in these areas have been reported to the SMM...

The SMM continued to observe the situation in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in light of the Minsk Protocol on the non-use of weapons. The SMM received numerous accounts indicating breaches of these arrangements in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions...

The OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan and the non-governmental organization Ecological Movement of Uzbekistan ran a national cycling event on the streets of Tashkent on 14 September 2014, raising awareness of the health and environmental benefits of getting on the bike...

BERN/WARSAW, 15 September 2014 – On the occasion of the International Day of Democracy, OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and Swiss Foreign Minister Didier Burkhalter and Michael Georg Link, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), called on OSCE participating States to recognize, foster and galvanize the contribution of youth to promoting democratic values and practices, including the rule of law, the protection of human rights, and tolerance and non-discrimination...

PRISHTINЁ/PRIŠTINA, 15 September 2014 – On the occasion of the International Democracy Day, 15 September, the Head of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, Ambassador Jean-Claude Schlumberger, called on institutions to ensure greater participation of women, youth, and people with disabilities in the policy and decision-making process and has encouraged civil society organizations to advocate for the needs of those groups.

On 14 September, at about 15:00 hrs, the SMM was on patrol close to the Putilovka market, Kievskyi district, Donetsk city. The market appeared to have been subjected to shelling prior to the SMM’s arrival. Smoke was coming from one building and a fire brigade was at the scene. Members of the “Donetsk People’s Republic” (“DPR”) present at the location reported that a total of four people had been killed in the incident. About 20 m from its position, the SMM team could see the body of a civilian woman lying on the street.

On 13 September, between 15:30 and 20:25 (Moscow time), the OSCE Observer Mission (OM) observed a total number of 216 vehicles of the Russian convoy crossing at the Donetsk Border Crossing Point (BCP) from Ukraine into the Russian Federation. Earlier today, the OM reported that 220 vehicles had passed Donetsk BCP towards Ukraine (see Spot Report of 13 September 2014). The discrepancy of four vehicles is explained by an erroneous double count of the very first trucks that had arrived to the Donetsk BCP yesterday at 22:20. Thus, OM concludes that all 216 vehicles of the convoy, which had crossed, have returned to the Russian Federation (RF).

Russian convoy of 216 vehicles entered Ukraine through the Donetsk Border Crossing Point On 12 September 2014 starting at 22:20 (Moscow time) and throughout the night, a Russian convoy of 216 vehicles, including 189 cargo trucks, entered the Donetsk Border Crossing Point (BCP) and crossed into Ukraine in six groups. By 13 September at 07:45, all the vehicles had crossed into Ukraine. According to the Russian Ministry for Emergency Situations (MES), the convoy is carrying only food products and heading to Luhansk.

The SMM observed a simultaneous release of 68 people in Donetsk; and monitored the non-use of weapons regime established under the Minsk Protocol.

Russian convoy of 220 vehicles entered Ukraine through the Donetsk Border Crossing Point On 12 September 2014 starting at 22:20 (Moscow time) and throughout the night, a Russian convoy of 220 vehicles, including 193 cargo trucks, entered the Donetsk Border Crossing Point (BCP) and crossed into Ukraine in six groups. By 13 September at 07:45, all the vehicles had crossed into Ukraine. According to the Russian Ministry for Emergency Situations (MES), the convoy is carrying only food products and heading to Luhansk.

The SMM continued to observe the situation in regard to the Minsk agreement with a focus on the non-use of weapons.

VIENNA, 12 September 2014 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović today called on the Ukrainian authorities to respect media following a raid by law enforcement officers on the editorial office of the Vesti newspaper in Kyiv...

In the first visit by a High Commissioner on National Minorities (HCNM) to Albania since 1994, Astrid Thors exchanged views with the country’s President Bujar Nishani and Foreign Minister Ditmir Bushati on regional co-operation. She welcomed the country’s proactive steps to forge closer ties with its regional neighbours, particularly in education matters, stressing that “national minorities can be a bridge to facilitate such initiatives"...

Twenty-eight journalists from across Ukraine were trained on safe and responsible reporting in hostile and crisis situations on 11 September 2014 in Kyiv. The training course, organized by the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine (PCU), was held upon the request of the National Union of Journalists and the Independent Media Trade Union...