News and press releases

VIENNA / TIRANA, 12 July 2020 – Albania’s OSCE Chairmanship has announced the opening of procedures for the selection of candidates to the positions of OSCE Secretary General, the Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), the High Commissioner on National Minorities, and the Representative on Freedom of the Media. The Chairmanship expresses regret that the 57 participating States could not reach consensus on the reappointment of the four officials currently holding these positions...

TIRANA/VIENNA, 11 July 2020 – Paying his respects to the Bosnian victims of the Srebrenica genocide in 1995, OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama said today that in remembering this atrocious crime, we must go beyond commemoration and words, and actively learn the lessons...

Summary Compared with the previous reporting period, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Members of the armed formations continued to deny the Mission passage at checkpoints along official crossing routes in Donetsk and Luhansk regions.* The Mission

WARSAW, 11 July 2020 – The importance of education and commemoration to promote tolerance and prevent the escalation of violence cannot be underestimated, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) said on the anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide in 1995...

From 4 to 10 July, members of the armed formations  again denied the SMM attempts to cross into non-government-controlled areas along official crossing routes: five times in Donetsk region and six times in Luhansk region, while one attempt to cross into government-controlled areas of Luhansk region

VIENNA, 10 July 2020 – “Srebrenica today is an example of resilience, truth and justice for the world. We all stand with you, the survivors and families of the victims, in solidarity and in sorrow, and we humbly pay our respects to your loved ones,” said Chair of the OSCE Permanent Council Igli Hasani and OSCE Secretary General Thomas Greminger today, honouring the victims of the Srebrenica genocide in 1995...

Summary Compared with the previous reporting period, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more in Luhansk region. An SMM mini-unmanned aerial vehicle spotted damage to civilian infrastructure near Horlivka. Members of the armed formations continued to deny the Mission

The OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe on 8 and 9 July 2020 donated various items and supplies to partners in the Tajik government as well as a number of civil society representatives in all regions of the country to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

An OSCE-supported online seminar on staying safe in cyberspace, conducted in the Kazakh language, was organized by the OSCE Programme Office in Nur-Sultan on 9 July 2020

The OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan co-hosted two online roundtable discussions on the main priority areas of the State Programme for the year 2020, which is part of the 2017-2021 National Action Strategy. The two events focused on the fields of rule of law and foreign policy, on 7 and 9 July respectively and were organized in co-operation with the Development Strategy Centre.

KYIV, 10 July 2020 – With more than 1,300 ceasefire violations involving the use of weapons that should have been withdrawn in accordance with the Minsk agreements recorded between 4 April and 20 June, the Chief Monitor of the OSCE Special Monitorinig Mission to Ukraine (SMM), Yaşar Halit Çevik, noted that it is the time for the sides to take the appropriate measures to turn their political commitments into deeds.

Summary Compared with the previous reporting period, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions. The SMM followed up on reports of a woman who died as a result of shrapnel injuries in Zhovanka, a government-controlled area of Zaitseve, Donetsk region. Members of the

COPENHAGEN, 9 July 2020 – The Vice-Chair of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s human rights committee, Michael Georg Link (Germany), and Secretary General Roberto Montella discussed today with European Parliament member Nacho Sanchez Amor the need for increased efforts by parliaments to combat fake election observation activities. The practice of state authorities and their proxy organizations arranging visits for international actors outside of the institutional international election observation platforms organized under the auspices of the OSCE/ODIHR, OSCE PA, PACE, NATO PA and the European Parliament is a growing challenge, they said...

COPENHAGEN, 9 July 2020 – Responding to reports that executions are set to resume on the federal level in the United States for the first time since 2003, the leaders of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s human rights committee renewed calls for universal abolition of the death penalty. Kyriakos Hadjiyianni (Cyprus), Michael Link (Germany), and Kari Henriksen (Norway), the Chair, Vice-Chair and Rapporteur, respectively, of the General Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions, regretted the decision and urged the U.S. government to reconsider.

The OSCE Transnational Threats Department (TNTD), the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities (OCEEA) and the OSCE Mission to Serbia organized a webinar on the exploitation of the COVID-19 pandemic by organized crime groups on 8 July 2020.

KYIV, 9 July 2020 – 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:...

COPENHAGEN, 8 July 2020 – OSCE matters ranging from the valuable work of the field operations and conflict resolution efforts to budgetary issues and political deadlock were in focus today during a bilateral meeting between OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Secretary General Roberto Montella and Albania’s Acting Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Gent Cakaj...

Young people represent the most vulnerable group exposed to violent extremism and radicalization, but also have the greatest potential to combat and prevent it. This was the conclusion of a two-day workshop on youth engagement to prevent and counter violent extremism (P/CVE) and radicalization, organized by the OSCE Mission to Montenegro and the Ministry of Sports and Youth on 6 and 7 July 2020 in Bečići...

THE HAGUE, 9 July 2020 – Pavee Point Traveller and Roma Centre from Ireland has been selected as the winner of the 2020 Max van der Stoel Award. The Award recognizes its efforts to strengthen the genuine integration of Ireland’s society by advocating and protecting the rights of the Traveller and Roma communities...

VIENNA, 8 July 2020 – Despite its high profits and catastrophic harm to victims, trafficking in human beings for the removal of organs is one of the least understood and addressed forms of human trafficking globally and needs urgent attention from the international community, an international group of experts concluded in a two-day online meeting held on 7 July...

VIENNA, 8 July 2020 – The online event on “The rise of artificial intelligence and how it will reshape the future of free speech”, organized by the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media (RFoM), concluded today in Vienna. It was followed by a call for feedback from all stakeholders...

Summary Compared with the previous reporting period, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and fewer in Luhansk region. Small-arms fire was assessed as directed at an SMM mini-unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) flying close to and over the areas close to the disengagement area

COPENHAGEN, 7 July 2020 – Some 40 members of parliament participated in a virtual meeting of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s Standing Committee today, hearing reports from the PA President, Treasurer, Secretary General, and holding debates on international issues in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Comprised of heads of national delegations and the elected members of the Bureau, the Standing Committee meets three times a year to guide the work of the Assembly and would have met in Vancouver this week had the 2020 Annual Session not been cancelled due to the pandemic...

Summary Compared with the previous 24 hours, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and fewer in Luhansk region. Members of the armed formations continued to deny the Mission passage at checkpoints along official crossing routes in Donetsk and Luhansk regions.* The Mission

VIENNA/TIRANA, 7 July 2020- Corruption is an issue that touches us all. We need to move from political declarations to effective action, said OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Albania’s Prime Minister and Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Edi Rama, when remotely opening a high-level conference “Good governance and the fight against corruption in the digital era” in Vienna...

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, 7 July 2020- Canada and Hungary, as the Depositaries of the Treaty on Open Skies, convened a Conference of States Parties to the Treaty on 6 July 2020. This Conference was organized following the receipt of the notification of intent to withdraw from the Treaty by United States of America on 22 May 2020...

COPENHAGEN, 6 July 2020 – Meeting virtually with officials of the European Union, members of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s Ad Hoc Committee on Migration have focused in recent days on the situation of vulnerable migrants, new asylum procedures in Europe, and providing assistance to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 amongst migrant and refugee populations.

Summary Compared with the previous reporting period, between the evenings of 3 and 4 July, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Compared with the previous 24 hours, between the evenings of 4 and 5 July, the Mission recorded fewer ceasefire violations in

VIENNA, 6 July 2020 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, expressed his serious dismay today at the court verdict against journalist Svetlana Prokopyeva in Russia...

“On behalf of the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), I would like to express our sincere condolences to the Serb families who lost their loved ones in the Birač region during the 1992-1995 armed conflict,” said Head of the OSCE Mission Kathleen Kavalec, on the occasion of the commemoration on 5 July 2020...

Summary Compared with the previous reporting period, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more in Luhansk region. The SMM observed recent impact craters in Kruta Balka and damage to residential buildings in Yasynuvata. Members of the armed formations continued to deny

Summary Compared with the previous reporting period, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and fewer in Luhansk region. Members of the armed formations continued to deny the Mission passage at checkpoints along official crossing routes in Donetsk and Luhansk regions.* The

To support the drafting of the new 2021-2024 Police Development Strategy and the 2021-2022 Action Plan, on 2 and 3 July 2020 in Bečići, the OSCE Mission to Montenegro facilitated a series of four working sessions, with 38 officials of the Interior Ministry and Police Directorate, to develop these strategic documents...

From 27 June to 3 July, members of the armed formations again denied the SMM attempts to cross into non-government-controlled areas along official crossing routes: seven times in Donetsk region and three times in Luhansk region, while further attempts to cross into government-controlled areas were also denied – twice in Donetsk region and four times in Luhansk region...

The OSCE Mission to Montenegro donated forensic equipment valued at €51,982 to the country's Forensic Centre and the Cyber Crime Unit within the Police Directorate on 3 July 2020...

Summary Compared with the previous reporting period, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and fewer in Luhansk region. The Mission saw damage to the SMM cameras near the Oktiabr mine caused by the detonation of an undetermined projectile. Members of the armed formations

VIENNA, 2 July 2020 – The press is in danger in too many places in the OSCE region, said OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, as he presented his biannual report to the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna today. The COVID-19 pandemic has only aggravated this situation, as it amplified existing trends and added a new layer of problems to the existing ones, including the dire economic situation many media are currently facing...

Collecting and making available sex-disaggregated data and analyses, ensuring financial resources for making the women, peace and security agenda a reality on the ground, as well as building knowledge and skills of local decision-makers and civil society actors are ways for international organizations and donors to contribute to the implementation of women, peace and security (WPS) resolutions beyond national capitals. These were the conclusions reached during the online event held on 1 July 2020.

At 19:10 on 30 June, the SMM lost video feeds from its two daylight cameras, located on top of one of two 50m concrete towers at the Oktiabr mine, about 1km east of the contact line, in a non-government-controlled area, about 1km south-west of Vesele (non-government-controlled, 9km north-west of Donetsk)...

Summary Compared with the previous reporting period, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Members of the armed formations continued to deny the Mission passage at a checkpoint along an official crossing route in Luhansk region.* The Mission continued

Ensuring accessibility for all voters at polling stations is essential and the responsibility of election commissions. This was the conclusion of representatives of the Montenegrin State Election Commission at a workshop organized by the Association of the Blind of Montenegro on 30 June in Podgorica...

COPENHAGEN/NAPLES/NEW YORK, 30 June 2020 – On the occasion of the International Day of Parliamentarism the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT), the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean (PAM) co-organized an online event on the role of parliamentarians in countering terrorism in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The objective of the event was to deepen co-operation in response to the ongoing threat posed by terrorism and violent extremism in the midst of the unprecedented crisis all nations face...

Summary Compared with the previous 24 hours, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Members of the armed formations continued to deny the Mission passage at checkpoints along official crossing routes in Donetsk and Luhansk regions.* The Mission continued

MOSCOW / PARIS / WASHINGTON, DC, 30 June 2020- The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group (Igor Popov of the Russian Federation, Stéphane Visconti of France, and Andrew Schofer of the United States of America) met separately and jointly via video conference on 29-30 June with Armenian Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan and Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov to discuss the public health situation in the region, current dynamics in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, and next steps in the peace process. Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office (PRCIO) Andrzej Kasprzyk also participated in these discussions.

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, 29 June 2020 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, expressed his concern today about the recently passed law on the Manipulation of Information in Kyrgyzstan.

Summary Compared with the previous reporting period, between the evenings of 26 and 27 June, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Compared with the previous 24 hours, between the evenings of 27 and 28 June, the Mission recorded more ceasefire violations

SARAJEVO, 29 June 2020 – The OSCE Mission to BiH delivered today, in Sarajevo, laptops and photo cameras to the BiH Central Election Commission’s (CEC) Financial Audit Department...

The disruption of labour mobility during the COVID-19 crisis and possible ways forward to address the post-pandemic recovery were the focus of an OSCE webinar held on 26 June 2020...