News and press releases

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...

SKOPJE, 18 August 2020- The OSCE Mission to Skopje announced today the list of the civil society organizations that received small grants under the Mission’s COVID Fund initiative, designed to support local organizations in addressing the needs of the most vulnerable and underserved communities during the COVID-19 crisis...

A six-day OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe-supported meeting of the working group to examine and discuss key issues for the development of the 2020-2030 Penal Reform Strategy’s Implementation Plan for Tajikistan concluded on 16 August 2020 in Varzob, Tajikistan...

Summary Between the evenings of 14 and 15 August, the SMM recorded 34 ceasefire violations in Donetsk region (in the previous reporting period, the Mission did not record any ceasefire violations). Between the evenings of 15 and 16 August, the SMM recorded 108 ceasefire violations in the region.

VIENNA / TIRANA, 17 August 2020- The OSCE Chairmanship continues to follow the situation in Belarus very closely, it said in a statement today...

Summary The SMM recorded no ceasefire violations in Donetsk or Luhansk region. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske. The SMM recorded a convoy traveling inside the disengagement area near Stanytsia Luhanska, and observed people

Summary The SMM recorded 36 ceasefire violations in Donetsk region, most of which occurred in areas east of Donetsk city, and 34 ceasefire violations in Luhansk region, most of which were assessed as a live-fire exercise outside the security zone. In the previous reporting period, the Mission

An OSCE-supported online seminar on the legal risks in the work of journalists and bloggers was organized by the OSCE Programme Office in Nur-Sultan on 13 August 2020.

Summary The SMM recorded no ceasefire violations in Donetsk or Luhansk regions. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske. Inside the disengagement area near Zolote, an SMM long-range unmanned aerial vehicle observed people during evening

COPENHAGEN, 13 August 2020 – Disturbed by reports of excessive force following Sunday’s presidential election in Belarus, including the use of rubber bullets, water cannons, stun grenades and mass arrests, OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President George Tsereteli called today for authorities in Minsk to halt the repressive tactics and fully uphold international human rights standards. He also stressed that protests should be nonviolent...

A two-day online high-level event focusing on the rights of young people, the Samarkand Forum on Human Rights, was held on 12 and 13 August 2020. The meeting, supported by the OSCE Project Co-Ordinator in Uzbekistan, was attended by representatives of the OSCE Secretariat, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and other OSCE field operations. The event was co-organized with the Government of Uzbekistan represented by the National Human Rights Centre of Uzbekistan, the UN Country Team and Friedrich Ebert Stiftung. The Samarkand Forum on Human Rights is the continuation of the Asian Forum which took place in 2018 in Samarkand.

Summary The SMM recorded four ceasefire violations in Donetsk region (compared with one in the previous reporting period) and one in Luhansk region (compared with none in the previous reporting period). The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and

COPENHAGEN, 12 August 2020 – To address challenges such as armed conflicts, climate change, widespread poverty and inequality, it is necessary to actively include youth, as well as women and minorities, in decision-making mechanisms, OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President George Tsereteli (Georgia) said Wednesday at the Samarkand Human Rights Web Forum...

Summary The SMM recorded one ceasefire violation in Donetsk region and none in Luhansk region. (In the previous reporting period the Mission recorded no ceasefire violations in both regions). The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske.

VIENNA / TIRANA, 11 August 2020- Ahead of tomorrow’s International Youth Day, the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Special Representative on Youth and Security, Keisi Seferi, said that amid the challenging times of the COVD-19 pandemic, this was an opportune moment to strengthen inclusive youth engagement for global action to the benefit of comprehensive security...

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 last in a series of three OSCE-supported webinars on promoting eco-volunteering and leadership in Kazakhstan concluded in Nur-Sultan on 7 August 2020...

Summary From 00:01 on 27 July until the end of the reporting period, the SMM has so far recorded a total of 256 ceasefire violations. In the two-day reporting period, the Mission recorded no ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Including the previous reporting period, the

WARSAW, 10 August 2020 – Amidst intimidation and disproportionate police force against protesters in Belarus following reports of serious administrative misconduct during yesterday’s presidential election, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) calls for dialogue and urges the authorities to refrain from violence and to honestly report detailed election results from all polling stations...

VIENNA / TIRANA, 10 August 2020 – Albania’s OSCE Chairmanship has expressed concern about developments in Belarus following the presidential elections held on 9 August, which the OSCE’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights was unable to observe. The Chairmanship has been following reports of protests and the use of force against protesters as well as detentions and obstruction of the work of journalists and media...

Summary From 00:01 on 27 July until the end of the reporting period, the SMM has so far recorded a total of 256 ceasefire violations. In the reporting period, the Mission recorded no ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions, for the second time since it began systematic data

COPENHAGEN, 7 August 2020- On the somber occasion of the 12th anniversary of the conflict erupted in August 2008, between Russian and Georgian forces, senior OSCE Parliamentary Assembly officials condemned the ongoing deterioration of the security, human rights and the humanitarian situation in the occupied territories of Georgia and reaffirmed its full support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia within its internationally recognized borders.

An OSCE-supported online seminar on access to information and open data was organized by the OSCE Programme Office in Nur-Sultan on 7 August 2020.

The OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe donated thermal cameras (CCTV cameras) to the Tajik Border Troops on 4 August 2020 in Dushanbe. The donated equipment will increase the technical capacity of the Tajik Border Troops to better detect and seize illicit items at the Tajik-Afghan green border and prevent illegal cross-border movements.

Summary The SMM recorded five ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and none in Luhansk region. (In the previous reporting period the Mission recorded no ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions). From 00:01 on 27 July until the end of the reporting period, the SMM has so far

Summary From 00:01 on 27 July until the end of the reporting period, the SMM has so far recorded a total of 251 ceasefire violations. For the first time since the Mission began systematic data collection, in the reporting period, it recorded no ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk

As part of the OSCE Mission to Montenegro’s technical support to the media, the Mission donated seven state-of-the-art mobile journalism sets to the public service broadcaster, Radio Television of Montenegro (RTCG), on 6 August 2020 in Podgorica...

Summary The SMM recorded three ceasefire violations in Donetsk region (compared with none in the previous reporting period) and two ceasefire violations in Luhansk region (compared with three in the previous reporting period). From 00:01 on 27 July until the end of the reporting period, the SMM

PODGORICA, 5 August 2020 – The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) today opened an observation mission for the 30 August parliamentary elections in Montenegro, following an invitation from the national authorities.

The OSCE Centre in Ashgabat organized an online roundtable discussion on gender mainstreaming in border and security management from 3 to 5 August 2020. The event brought together representatives of the State Border, Customs and Migration Services of Turkmenistan, and was held as part of an extra-budgetary project on strengthening the capacities of the State Border Service of Turkmenistan. The roundtable aimed to acquaint participants with best international practices in promoting gender aspects in law enforcement activities...

Summary The SMM recorded no ceasefire violations in Donetsk region (compared with one in the previous 24 hours) and three ceasefire violations in Luhansk region (compared with two in the previous 24 hours). From 00:01 on 27 July until the end of the reporting period, the SMM recorded a total of 246

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 provided practical assistance items worth of 50,000 euro to its partners in Tajik ministries, law enforcement agencies, local executive bodies and civil society in order to strengthen efforts to address the COVID-19 pandemic. The Office delivered and handed the items over to its partners in the Dushanbe, Sughd, Rasht, Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous and Khatlon regions from 22 July to 4 August 2020...

Summary Compared with the previous reporting period, between the evenings of 31 July and 1 August, the SMM recorded 15 ceasefire violations in Donetsk region (compared with nine during the previous reporting period) and no ceasefire violations in Luhansk region (compared with 93 during the previous

Summary The SMM recorded nine ceasefire violations in Donetsk region (compared with one during the previous reporting period) and 93 ceasefire violations in Luhansk region (compared with none during the previous reporting period). From 00:01 on 27 July until the end of the reporting period, the SMM

COPENHAGEN, 1 August 2020- On the forty-fifth anniversary of the signing of the Helsinki Final Act, Present and former Presidents of the OSCE PA issued the following statement...

WARSAW, 1 August 2020- The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) today joins the international community in marking 76 years since the Nazis murdered the remaining 3,000 Roma men, women and children in Zigeunerlager, the "Gypsy camp" at Auschwitz-Birkenau on 2 August 1944. While the number of Roma victims remains unknown, it is estimated that up to 500,000 Roma and Sinti people died under the Nazi regime, as well as its allies and collaborators...

TIRANA / VIENNA, 1 August 2020 – The further strengthening of the OSCE and its comprehensive approach to security is inextricably linked to full respect for and implementation of the fundamental principles and commitments enshrined in the Helsinki Final Act, said the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Prime Minister and Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of Albania, Edi Rama, on the day marking the 45th anniversary of the landmark document...

Summary The SMM recorded one ceasefire violation in Donetsk region (the same as during the previous reporting period) and again no ceasefire violations in Luhansk region. From 00:01 on 27 July until the end of the reporting period, the SMM recorded a total of 123 ceasefire violations. The Mission

COPENHAGEN, 31 July 2020 –The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President, George Tsereteli, expressed his deep concerns about recent reports of ceasefire violations in Donetsk region right after the agreement of the Trilateral Contact Group regarding additional measures to strengthen the ceasefire as of 27 July 2020. President Tsereteli underlined the importance of maintenance of cessation of military actions and urged sides to respect ceasefire orders and to fulfil their commitments foreseen by the Minsk Agreements...

Recognizing that human rights will be key to building back sustainable and equal societies in the post-pandemic recovery, the OSCE Mission to Moldova organized online webinars on human rights in times of COVID-19 for a coalition of public agencies, which promote and protect rights of national minorities in Moldova, from 27 to 30 July 2020...

Summary The SMM recorded one ceasefire violation in Donetsk region (compared with ten in the previous reporting period) and again no ceasefire violations in Luhansk region. From 00:01 on 27 July until the end of the reporting period, the SMM recorded a total of 122 ceasefire violations. The Mission

To mark the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, an online roundtable discussion on combating this crime in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic was co-organized by the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan and partners on 29 July 2020. The event brought together 90 representatives and experts in the field of combating human trafficking and forced labour from more than 50 government agencies and non-governmental organizations, as well as international organizations...

ERGNETI, 30 July 2020- The 96th Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM) took place today in Ergneti, co-facilitated by Ambassador Marek Szczygieł, Head of the EU Monitoring Mission in Georgia (EUMM) and Ambassador Rudolf Michalka, Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office for the South Caucasus. In the wake of COVID-19, this first regular meeting of the Ergneti IPRM since August 2019 was accompanied by all the necessary precautionary health measures, and was held in a positive and constructive atmosphere...

SARAJEVO, 30 July 2020 – The Head of the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), Kathleen Kavalec and the BiH Minister for Human Rights and Refugees, Milos Lucic today signed a Memorandum of Understanding on mutual co-operation in promoting the freedom of expression and media in the country...

On 30 July at 06:37 (Moscow time), the ninety-fifth Russian convoy arrived at the Donetsk Border Crossing Point (BCP). A total of nine vehicles were checked by Russian Federation border guards and customs officers prior to their crossing into Ukraine. All nine vehicles had crossed back into the Russian Federation by 11:47 on 30 July...

VIENNA / WASHINGTON, D.C. / WARSAW, 30 July 2020- On the occasion of World Day Against Trafficking in Persons today, high-level OSCE officials have highlighted the need to redouble efforts to combat human trafficking, particularly against the backdrop of the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic...

To mark the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons on 30 July 2020, the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine together with Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine, the International Organisation for Migration’s Mission in Ukraine and the NGO A21 organized an open-air exhibition entitled “Expectations vs Reality” in Kyiv...

ODIHR and UN Women launch report on human trafficking The ODIHR and UN Women policy recommendations aim to tackle emerging human trafficking during an post COVID-19 To mark World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the United

We, the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), Office of the High Representative, Delegation of the European Union to BiH and EU Special Representative in BiH and US Embassy in BiH welcome and commend today’s unanimous adoption of the Law on Peaceful Assembly by the Brcko District Assembly...