News and press releases

Structuring and presenting information in an engaging manner on social media, was the focus of a workshop the OSCE Mission to Montenegro organized for 14 (9 women and 5 men) parliamentary staff on 23 and 24 June...

Two three-day train-the-trainers (ToTs) seminars on information technologies, conflict mediation, and the basics of psychological support for victims of gender-based violence (GBV) took place in Osh city from 17 to 19 June, and in Tokmok, Chui province from 23 to 25 June 2021. Forty-five members of Women Initiative Groups (WIGs) from across Kyrgyzstan participated in the seminar.

A two-day seminar dedicated to fostering the role of the Ombudsperson, Media and Youth in promoting Aarhus Convention principles took place in an online format on 24 and 25 June 2021. The OSCE Centre in Ashgabat organized the event.

WARSAW, 25 June 2021 – OSCE countries need to honour their recent commitment to uphold the absolute prohibition of torture after acknowledging the practice to be “one of the most flagrant violations of human rights and human dignity”, said the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) on the occasion of tomorrow’s International Day in Support of Victims of Torture...

On 24 June 2021, twenty-eight participants, including 12 women and 16 men, from Parliament, local authorities, private companies and civic organizations participated in a roundtable discussion on the main ecological challenges of the region in Petropavl, northern Kazakhstan. The OSCE Programme Office in Nur-Sultan organized the event, in partnership with the Association of Environmental Organizations...

The OSCE Transnational Threats Department (TNTD) contributed to the 2021 Kuban Cyber-Security Conference held online and in-person in Krasnodar, Russia on 23 and 24 June 2021.

SOFIA, 24 June 2021 – Valiant Richey, OSCE Special Representative for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, on the last day of his three-day official visit to Sofia, reported that Bulgaria has developed sound initiatives that focus its anti-trafficking efforts on prevention...

Summary In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded 179 ceasefire violations, including 115 explosions. In the previous reporting period, it recorded 77 ceasefire violations in the region. In Luhansk region, the Mission recorded 71 ceasefire violations, including 26 explosions. In the previous reporting

How international co-operation can lead to a more stable, predictable and safe cyberspace, was the focus of the 3rd Inter-Regional Conference on Cyber/ICT Security. The Republic of Korea and the OSCE organized the event, held in Vienna in a virtual setting on 22 and 23 June, with the participation of 280 governmental and non-state representatives...

VIENNA, 24 June 2021 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Teresa Ribeiro, today stated that the recently adopted laws in Belarus seriously contradict international human rights standards on freedom of expression and freedom of the media, including the OSCE commitments of the country.

KYIV, 24 June 2021 – The Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office in Ukraine and in the Trilateral Contact Group (TCG), Ambassador Heidi Grau, made the following statement to the press after the regular meetings of the TCG and its Working Groups held through video conferencing:..

Summary In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded 77 ceasefire violations, including 36 explosions. In the previous reporting period, it recorded 254 ceasefire violations in the region. In Luhansk region, the Mission recorded 89 ceasefire violations, including 24 explosions. In the previous reporting

From 21 to 23 June, the OSCE Programme Office in Nur-Sultan supported a training seminar on countering poaching in Ust-Kamenogorsk organized in partnership with the Law Enforcement Agencies Academy (LEAA).

SARAJEVO, 23 June 2021- The OSCE Mission to BiH and the Ministry of Security hosted a national capacity-building workshop in Sarajevo for representatives from the Aarhus Centers and civil society organizations (CSO) across Bosnia and Herzegovina. Enhancing knowledge, increasing skills, and promoting awareness in disaster risk reduction (DRR) was the focus of the workshop...

From 14 to 19 June 2021, Alexey Rogov, Head of the OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek, visited the Jalal-Abad and Osh provinces to meet with local partners to discuss areas of co-operation.

Summary In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded 254 ceasefire violations, including 117 explosions. In the previous 24 hours, it recorded 91 ceasefire violations in the region. In Luhansk region, the Mission recorded 36 ceasefire violations, including 17 explosions. In the previous 24 hours, it

SKOPJE, 22 June 2021 — OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs Ann Linde concluded a visit to North Macedonia. She commended the country’s reform-oriented agenda, which focuses on fighting organized crime and corruption, promoting media freedom and fostering social cohesion...

Kamensk-Shakhtinskiy, Russian Federation. The Observer Mission (OM) continues to operate 24/7 at both Border Crossing Points (BCPs). The overall number of border crossings by persons increased at both BCPs compared to the previous week...

The OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan (the PCUz) organized a two-week training course from 7 to 18 June 2021 in Tashkent. Some 100 junior and mid-level female entrepreneurs from Uzbekistan attended.

Summary In Donetsk region, between the evenings of 18 and 20 June, the SMM recorded 129 ceasefire violations, including seven explosions. In the previous reporting period, it recorded 41 ceasefire violations in the region. In Luhansk region, between the evenings of 18 and 20 June, the Mission

A one-month regional Explosive Ordnance Disposal course (level 2) concluded at the Regional Explosive Hazards Training Centre in Chimteppa on 18 June 2021.

Criminal justice professionals in Albania took part in an OSCE-organized national workshop from 14 to 18 June 2021 to enhance their capacities to develop intelligence through open-source internet research.

YEREVAN, 21 June 2021 –Armenia’s early parliamentary elections were competitive and well-managed within a short time frame. However, they were characterized by intense polarization and marred by increasingly inflammatory language from key contestants, as well as by the sidelining of women throughout the campaign, international observers said in a statement today...

VIENNA, 20 June 2021 — OSCE Secretary General Helga Maria Schmid will visit Moscow for meetings with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov, other high-level officials and parliamentarians from 21 to 24 June...

Summary In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded 41 ceasefire violations, including 18 explosions. In the previous reporting period, it recorded 196 ceasefire violations in the region. In Luhansk region, the Mission recorded 45 ceasefire violations, including 21 explosions. In the previous reporting

Summary In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded 196 ceasefire violations, including 137 explosions. In the previous reporting period, it recorded 74 ceasefire violations in the region. In Luhansk region, the Mission recorded 993 ceasefire violations, including 159 explosions, 867 of which were assessed

Valeriu Chiveri, Head of the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe, met the Interior Minister of Tajikistan, Colonel General Rahimzoda Ramazon Hamro on 17 June 2021 to discuss areas of co-operation for 2021.

An OSCE-organized seminar on issues of environmental protection system development, held on 17 and 18 June 2021 in Ashgabat, brought together representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection, National Institute of Deserts, Flora and Fauna, Society of Nature Protection and

An OSCE-organized training course on digital journalism and multimedia instruments took place from 16 to 18 June 2021 in Ashgabat. The three-day event brought together journalists from the country’s leading print and online media. The purpose was to provide support in capacity building of staff of national newspapers involved in the digital transformation of print media.

Summary In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded 74 ceasefire violations, including 27 explosions. In the previous reporting period, it recorded 194 ceasefire violations in the region. In Luhansk region, the Mission recorded 97 ceasefire violations, including 32 explosions. In the previous reporting

The OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe handed over a fully equipped ambulance and five computers to a specialized hospital of the Main Prison Department of Tajikistan’s Ministry of Justice on 16 June 2021 in Dushanbe.

Siv-Katrine Leirtroe, Acting Head of the OSCE Mission to Montenegro, presented the work of the Mission in supporting the host country in the implementation of the Code of Conduct on Politico-Military Aspects of Security at the 10th annual discussion organized by the OSCE Forum for Security Co-operation, on 16 June 2021.

The OSCE-supported book presentation “Tomorrow was late. Environmental risks in Kazakhstan” took place on 17 June 2021 in Nur-Sultan. The book was prepared by the Private Dossym Satpayev Foundation in partnership with the Kazakh-German University, the Friedrich Ebert Foundation and the online eco-journal Living Asia.

VIENNA, 16 June 2021 — We need constructive dialogue and re-engagement at all levels of arms control to address current and future security threats and the challenges posed by new technologies, agreed participants at the OSCE Security Chat held online today.

The OSCE Transnational Threats Department’s Action against Terrorism Unit and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) organized an online train-the-trainer course from 14 to 16 June 2021, as part of a multiannual training programme to strengthen North Macedonia’s capacities in countering the financing of terrorism.

SARAJEVO, 16 June 2021 – On the occasion of the unveiling of the recently refurbished memorial to the Žepče civilian victims of war, the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) organized a one-day ambassadorial visit to Žepče on Wednesday, 16 June 2021. The event was organized jointly with the Embassy of Sweden in BiH, representing the OSCE 2021 Chairpersonship, the United Nations Resident Coordinator Office in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Municipality of Žepče.

On 16 June 2021, the OSCE Presence in Albania donated IT equipment, worth €22.000, to the Albanian Border and Migration Police. The donation includes a dozen laptops, 11 multimedia projectors, eight multi-functional printers and 11 projection screens. The equipment will be distributed among seven Regional Directorates of the Border and Migration Police and three Border Police Commissariats to enhance the training capacities of this police force...

Summary In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded 194 ceasefire violations, including 32 explosions. In the previous reporting period, it recorded 33 ceasefire violations in the region. In Luhansk region, the Mission recorded no ceasefire violations. In the previous reporting period, it recorded 11

KYIV, 16 June 2021 —The OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Sweden’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Ann Linde, concluded her second official visit to Ukraine yesterday.

On 15 June 2021, the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan (PCUz), in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, co-organized the second Uzbekistan Global Agro Forum on “sustainable agriculture and smart technologies: innovation, science and education”.

TBILISI, 16 June 2021 — OSCE Secretary General Helga Maria Schmid concluded her visit to Georgia yesterday, following two days of intensive discussions and field visits.

The OSCE Mission to Montenegro and the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) supported Parliament’s Gender Equality Committee in organizing an online regional conference on 14 June 2021 on the role of parliaments in advancing gender equality and women in politics...

VIENNA, 15 June 2021 – As a result of years of research involving the analysis of legal and statistical data from over 50 national governments, international and civil society organizations, the OSCE released today the paper on “Discouraging the Demand that Fosters Trafficking for the Purpose of Sexual Exploitation”...

Summary In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded 33 ceasefire violations, including one explosion. In the previous 24 hours, it recorded 19 ceasefire violations in the region. In Luhansk region, the Mission recorded 11 ceasefire violations and no explosions. In the previous 24 hours, it recorded 14

ERGNETI, 15 June 2021- The 100th Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM) was held today in Ergneti. Since its first meeting in 2009, the Ergneti IPRM has contributed to confidence-building, addressed various threats to the security situation at the Administrative Boundary Line (ABL), and resolved several challenges faced by the conflict-affected population. The EUMM-managed Hotline, which has been functioning alongside the IPRM, has been instrumental in facilitating quick exchanges of information and de-escalation of tensions.

On June 15 2021, the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) and the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) have announced a new three-year project to empower authorities and citizens in Bosnia and Herzegovina to tackle corruption...

Sharing advanced experiences in the development of new systems and mechanisms to promote a corruption-free society facilitated by broadly accessible digital technologies is the subject of an OSCE-organized online seminar that opened in Ashgabat on 15 June 2021. The two-day event will provide an overview on a range of digital technologies in preventing and combatting corruption, and best practices in Digital Government transformation.

The important role of women in water management was discussed on 10 June 2021 in an online side-event in the margins of the Second Preparatory Meeting of the 29th OSCE Economic and Environmental Forum. The Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities (OCEEA) organized the event in collaboration with the Governments of Finland, Ireland and Japan...

Kamensk-Shakhtinskiy, Russian Federation. The Observer Mission (OM) continues to operate 24/7 at both Border Crossing Points (BCPs). The overall number of border crossings by persons increased at both BCPs compared to the previous week...

The OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe concluded two rounds of three-day train-the-trainers courses on ‘Interactive methods of teaching adults on gender and domestic violence-related issues’ which were conducted from 7 to 12 June 2021 in Dushanbe. Some 40 representatives from Women’s Resource Centres and Tajikistan’s Committee on Women and Family Affairs from the Sughd, Khatlon, Rasht Valley regions, and Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region participated in the courses.