News and press releases

The OSCE Centre in Ashgabat organized a two-day seminar on modernizing journalism education and presented recommendations for a new Master’s programme in digital journalism and one in political communication. They were developed as part of the Centre’s projects in Ashgabat “Support in strengthening journalism education and capacity-building of journalists”.

The crucial role played by the police and other law enforcement officials in serving their communities and preventing torture and other ill-treatment of people in the criminal justice system is the focus of a dedicated conference today. Despite the timely reaffirmation by OSCE countries last year

Summary In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded 49 ceasefire violations, including 21 explosions. In the previous 24 hours, it recorded 56 ceasefire violations in the region. In Luhansk region, the Mission recorded 42 ceasefire violations, including two explosions. In the previous 24 hours, it recorded

The OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe launched a four-week course in Khorog to enhance the professional capacities of Tajikistan’s Border Troops to effectively react to emerging threats that occur in border areas. The opening ceremony took place on 1 June 2021 with participation of high-level representatives from Tajikistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Tajikistan’s Border Troops and the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe.

On 29 May 2021, the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe in co-operation with the Academy of Public Administration under the President of the Republic of Tajikistan conducted an awareness-raising session on the role of youth against corruption. The session was delivered for students of the Faculty of Diplomacy and Politics of the Academy who specialize in international relations.

The Swedish OSCE Chairpersonship organized a seminar on 1 June 2021 to discuss the opportunities offered by the OSCE Court of Conciliation and Arbitration in the realm of conflict resolution within the OSCE. The event offered the opportunity to highlight the benefits of the OSCE Court and to describe its mechanisms and procedures. Panel discussions focused on how to overcome the current challenges for the OSCE Court to become fully activated.

Multiple interrogations, lack of psychological support, lengthy proceedings, these are just a few of the problems children face in Ukraine’s criminal justice system according to a new OSCE-supported report presented on 1 June 2021.

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.

VIENNA, 1 June 2021 — Tackling drug trafficking and its links with other forms of organized crime requires a co-ordinated and co-operative approach, said participants at the opening of this year’s OSCE-wide Conference on Combating the Threat of Illicit Drugs and the Diversion of Chemical Precursors being held online today.

Summary In Donetsk region, between the evenings of 28 and 30 May, the SMM recorded 97 ceasefire violations, including eleven explosions. In the previous reporting period, it recorded 383 ceasefire violations in the region. In Luhansk region, between the evenings of 28 and 30 May, the Mission

An OSCE-supported three-day online training webinar on parallel financial investigations and the role of cryptocurrencies during cybercrime investigations, concluded on 28 May 2021...

On 19 May 2021, the OSCE Mission to Montenegro published a report on Police Reform in Montenegro 2011-2019: An Assessment and Recommendations for Good Governance in Policing, authored by the independent expert Novak Gajić.

KYIV, 31 May 2021 — OSCE Secretary General Helga Maria Schmid concluded a five-day official visit to Ukraine yesterday.

Summary In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded 383 ceasefire violations, including 77 explosions. In the previous reporting period, it recorded 91 ceasefire violations in the region. In Luhansk region, the Mission recorded 32 ceasefire violations, including three explosions. In the previous reporting

Summary In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded 91 ceasefire violations, including 14 explosions. In the previous reporting period, it recorded 63 ceasefire violations in the region. In Luhansk region, the Mission recorded two ceasefire violations. In the previous reporting period, it recorded 347

On 26 May 2021, the practices of managing assets, in particular vehicles and properties of citizens residing outside of their country of citizenship, was the focus of an OSCE-supported event in Belgrade, hosted by the Directorate for Management of Confiscated Assets of Serbia’s Justice Ministry with the Balkan Asset Management Interagency Network (BAMIN) and the Agency for Administration of Seized and Confiscated Asset of Albania, currently holding BAMIN Presidency...

GENEVA, 28 May 2021- The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group (Igor Popov of the Russian Federation, Stephane Visconti of France, and Andrew Schofer of the United States of America) released the following statement today:

On 27 and 28 May, thirty civil servants of the administration of the Parliament of Kyrgyzstan underwent the first training course in a series of capacity-building exercises in Bishkek. The training course aims to further develop analytical skills that are essential in collecting, processing, and conducting analysis of strategic documents and reports for policy formulation.

VIENNA/SARAJEVO/PODGORICA, 27 May 2021- The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Teresa Ribeiro, Head of the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina Kathleen Kavalec and Acting Head of the OSCE Mission to Montenegro Siv-Katrine Leirtroe urge the authorities in Montenegro and BiH to swiftly investigate and prosecute those responsible for recent death threats against journalist and columnist Dragan Bursać and Editor in Chief of antenam.net Darko Šuković...

The democratic control of armed and security forces in the context of the Mediterranean region was the focus of a seminar organized online by the OSCE Conflict Prevention Centre and the Republic of Albania on 27 and 28 May 2021...

Summary In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded 63 ceasefire violations, including 16 explosions. In the previous reporting period, it recorded 76 ceasefire violations in the region. In Luhansk region, the Mission recorded 347 ceasefire violations, including 134 explosions. In the previous reporting

From 25 to 27 May, the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan (PCUz), in collaboration with Uzbekistan’s State Committee on Statistics (UZSTAT), held a series of workshops on improving open data system quality...

VIENNA, 26 May 2021- To better understand and frame the gender aspects of human trafficking, the Office of the Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings launched today a breakthrough study: Applying gender-sensitive approaches in combating trafficking in human beings...

PODGORICA, 26 May 2021 — OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs Ann Linde concluded her official visit to Montenegro today. She highlighted the importance of the country’s democratic development as vital to further enhancing security and stability...

SARAJEVO, 26 May 2021- The OSCE Mission to BiH and the Swedish Embassy in BiH on behalf of the OSCE 2021 Swedish Chairpersonship, the OHR, the EU Delegation to BiH/EUSR, the German Embassy in BiH, the U.S. Embassy to BiH, and the British Embassy to BiH strongly condemn the latest attacks on the personal and professional integrity of Banja Luka-based political analyst and journalist Tanja Topić by the Chairman of the BiH Presidency Milorad Dodik...

Summary In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded 76 ceasefire violations, including 22 explosions. In the previous reporting period, it recorded 214 ceasefire violations in the region. In Luhansk region, the Mission recorded 49 ceasefire violations, including 37 explosions. In the previous reporting

BELGRADE, 26 May 2021 — OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs Ann Linde concluded her visit to Serbia yesterday. She reiterated the OSCE’s strong partnership with Serbia in its strategic reform priorities...

CHISINAU, 25 May 2021 — The Special Representative of the Swedish OSCE Chairperson-in-Office for the Transdniestrian Settlement Process, Thomas Mayr-Harting, has concluded a three-day official visit to Moldova today.

Summary In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded 214 ceasefire violations, including 31 explosions. In the previous 24 hours, it recorded 134 ceasefire violations in the region. In Luhansk region, the Mission recorded 51 ceasefire violations, including 31 explosions. In the previous 24 hours, it

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 decreased at both BCPs compared to the previous week...

The Scholarship for Peace and Security training programme launched on 24 May 2021 with participation by some 150 young professionals from 60 OSCE participating States and Partners for Co-operation.

On 25 May 2021, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) organized an online awareness-raising seminar on improving the ability to recognize, investigate and prosecute hate crimes, involving criminal justice authorities and civil society in Armenia. The event launched

ULAANBAATAR, 25 May 2021 – The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) today formally opened a special election assessment mission (SEAM) for the 9 June presidential election in Mongolia, following an official invitation from the national authorities...

Summary In Donetsk region, between the evenings of 21 and 23 May, the SMM recorded 601 ceasefire violations, including 323 explosions. In the previous reporting period, it recorded 197 ceasefire violations in the region. In Luhansk region, between the evenings of 21 and 23 May, the Mission recorded

STOCKHOLM, 23 May 2021 — The OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs Ann Linde condemned the circumstances of the arrest of journalist Raman Pratasevich in Minsk on 23 May 2021.

Summary In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded 197 ceasefire violations, including 128 explosions. In the previous reporting period, it recorded 815 ceasefire violations in the region. In Luhansk region, the Mission recorded 337 ceasefire violations, including 308 explosions. In the previous reporting

Summary In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded 815 ceasefire violations, including 13 explosions. 774 of these ceasefire violations were assessed as a live-fire exercise near non-government-controlled Sofiivka (formerly Karlo-Marksove). In the previous reporting period, it recorded 118 ceasefire

Learning how to identify and stop imposters at a border crossing was the focus of an online OSCE training course held on 19 and 20 May 2021. Over 200 participants from 29 OSCE participating States and Partners for Co-operation took part in the course. They comprised members of the OSCE Border Security and Management National Focal Points (NFP) Network and selected representatives of border and customs services.

Ninety youth leaders and volunteers to their communities from all over Uzbekistan participated on 20 May 2021 in an OSCE Day, held in a hybrid format, dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the children's organization Kamalak. The OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan organized the event in co-operation with the Child’s Rights Ombudsperson and the Youth Union...

On 20 May 2021, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Teresa Ribeiro, concluded an official two-day visit to Germany.

Summary In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded 118 ceasefire violations, including 92 explosions. In the previous reporting period, it recorded 196 ceasefire violations in the region. In Luhansk region, the Mission recorded one ceasefire violation; an undetermined explosion. In the previous reporting

On the morning of 20 May, an SMM patrol travelling from non-government-controlled Donetsk city, consisting of two vehicles, one trailer and four mission members, arrived at the checkpoint of the armed formations near Olenivka (non-government-controlled, 23km south-west of Donetsk) to conduct an exchange of trailers with a second SMM patrol arriving from government-controlled areas...

From 19 to 21 May 2021, the OSCE Project Co-ordinator Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan (PCUz) will conduct a third training course for 28 female representatives of local authorities from the Bukhara, Navoiy, Khorezm regions and the Republic of Karakalpakstan...

The OSCE Mission to Montenegro congratulates the citizens of Montenegro on 15th anniversary of Independence Day on 21 May...

KYIV, 19 May 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 were held through video conferencing:

Summary In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded 196 ceasefire violations, including 67 explosions. In the previous reporting period, it recorded 52 ceasefire violations in the region. In Luhansk region, the Mission recorded 37 ceasefire violations, including eight explosions. In the previous reporting

VIENNA, 19 May 2021 — Enhancing conflict prevention and resolution efforts through an inclusive ‘whole-of-OSCE approach’ was the topic of an online Conflict Cycle Seminar for delegations of OSCE participating States and Partners for Co-operation hosted on 17-19 May by the Swedish OSCE Chairpersonship, in collaboration with the OSCE Secretariat...

STOCKHOLM/VIENNA, 19 May 2021 — During the Stockholm Media Freedom conference, participants addressed some of the most pressing issues facing democratic societies today. Among the topics were safety of journalists and the role of independent media in democratic processes — all with a view on how OSCE participating States can increase public trust in independent media through the implementation of OSCE commitments. The situation of female journalists was especially highlighted throughout the conference.

The OSCE Project Co-Ordinator in Uzbekistan (PCUz) organized a series of training courses for civil society representatives and members from the Association of Disabled People of Uzbekistan on topics related to the physical accessibility to courts and polling stations of persons with disabilities. The courses started online on 17 May 2021. The series will be conducted through 10 June...

Innovative approaches to evidence-based lawmaking to prevent and combat violence against women was the topic of an event organized by the OSCE Secretariat’s Gender Issues Programme, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly on 19 May 2021.