OSCE

BRATISLAVA / VIENNA / WARSAW, 25 November 2019 – On the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and the start of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence, OSCE leaders called on participating States to step up efforts to end gender-based violence in all spheres of life, including violence and harassment at home and in the workplace.

A recently released OSCE-led survey on violence against women was carried out in seven countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia, Moldova and Ukraine. The research was also conducted in Kosovo. It shows that three in 10 women surveyed have experienced physical and/or sexual violence. Many of the women surveyed saw workplace sexual harassment to be a common occurrence, demonstrating the urgency of the focus placed by this year’s 16 Days campaign on sexual harassment in the workplace.

OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and Slovakia's Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Miroslav Lajčák said: “When it comes to gender-based violence, we are saying all the right things, and we are doing more than ever. But it is not enough. Gender-based violence is still rife – in homes, in the workplace, in both peace and conflict settings. These 16 days are not just about saying the right things, but about focusing on concrete actions still left to take to turn the tide on gender-based violence.”

Gender-based violence hinders progress towards comprehensive security for all. It not only affects the personal safety and security of its victims, but can also prevent them from being active members of society or from using their skills and knowledge to their full potential.

OSCE Secretary General Thomas Greminger said: “As a regional security organization, the OSCE has a responsibility to combat violence against women and girls as a major human rights violation, and as a barrier to achieve security, stability and sustainable peace.” Greminger also noted the devastating impact of violence and sexual harassment in the workplace: “Zero tolerance to any form of gender-based violence is paramount to achieving equality in all spheres of life.”

The continued prevalence of gender-based violence in the OSCE area has a devastating effect on the lives of persons affected by it. Taking many forms, from sexual to economic and psychological, it cuts across geographical, cultural and class boundaries. It is a grave violation of human rights and its negative effects do not stop with the survivor but have a lasting impact on the community and on wider society.

“Many countries now have strong legislation to combat violence against women, and this is essential to ensure perpetrators are brought to justice,” said ODIHR Director Ingibjörg Sólrún Gísladóttir. “But once the violence has occurred, no form of compensation can make up for the harm that has been done to survivors. That’s why we need to increase our work with governments, law enforcement and the judiciary, and civil society, so that instead of combating the after-effects of sexual violence, we prevent it from happening in the first place.” 

TIRANA, 25 November 2019 – Today, on the first day of the Annual 16 Days of Activism on against Gender-Based Violence, the OSCE is launching an awareness raising campaign in Albania entitled “End the Silence”. The campaign will take place during the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence.

We will launch a social media campaign that can be followed on the OSCE Presence in Albania’s Twitter and Facebook accounts as well as on the OSCE's Instagram account. In December, we will deliver posters to police stations across the country with the aim of raising awareness of violence against women and the role of police in combating it.

The campaign is based on the key findings of the 2018 OSCE-led Survey on the Well-being and Safety of Women, for which more than 15,000 women were interviewed, in 7 OSCE participating States: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Moldova and Ukraine. The research was also conducted in Kosovo. Over 1,800 women in Albania took part in the survey. Violence against women is a serious violation of human rights, yet it remains a widespread phenomenon all over the world.

According to the results of OSCE research violence against women also persists in Albania. 19% of women have experienced physical violence and 4% say they have experienced sexual violence by an intimate partner. More than half (62%) have experienced psychological violence by a partner. 34% of women have experienced sexual harassment since the age of 15, and 17% experienced it in the 12 months prior to the survey.

Women rarely report incidents of violence to the relevant authorities. Only 3% of womenwho have experienced violence at the hands of their current partner reported what they considered their most serious incident to the police and almost half the women interviewed in Albania (48%) think that domestic violence is a private issue that should be handled within the family. Shame, fear, economic dependence and distrust of institutions are the main barriers that women identify as reasons for not reporting violence.

Violence against women occurs in private and public spaces: at home, at work, in schools and universities, on the streets and on public transport as well as online. It can happen to any woman and will seriously affect her well-being and prevent her from fully participating in society.

Violence against women is a result of gender inequality, which is based on harmful existing norms and attitudes. In order to change the perception that sexual harassment or violence against women is normal and that it is a private matter, we all can and must support and encourage women to report any cases of violence and get the help they need. In Albania, help is available through National Hotline, www.hotlinealbania.org on 116 – 117.

PODGORICA, 25 November 2019 – To mark 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence, the OSCE is launching a campaign titled ”End the Silence" in South-Eastern Europe and Eastern Europe, based on the results of the OSCE-led Survey on the Well-being and Safety of Women, which was conducted in 2018.  The Montenegro survey and this campaign are supported by the OSCE Mission to Montenegro.  

On 25 November, the start of the 16 Days of Activism, we are launching a social media campaign that can be followed on the OSCE Mission to Montenegro’s Facebook account https://www.facebook.com/osce.montenegro/, as well as on the OSCE’s Instagram account https://www.instagram.com/osceorg. In December, we will deliver posters to police stations across the country with the aim of raising awareness on violence against women and the role of police in combating it.

The OSCE Survey interviewed more than 15,000 women and covered seven OSCE participating States: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Moldova and Ukraine. The research was also conducted in Kosovo. Over 1,200 in Montenegro took part in the research.

The survey found that women of all ages and from all parts of Montenegro have experienced either physical or psychological violence. Almost one in ten women surveyed reported they have experienced physical and/or sexual violence at the hands of a non-partner since the age of 15, and almost one in five women have experienced physical and/or sexual violence at the hands of an intimate partner. Psychological violence at the hands of a partner has affected more than two in five of women.

While most women are aware of specific services for women who have suffered violence, few have accessed those services or have reported the violence they have endured to the police. Shame, economic dependence, fear of retaliation by the perpetrator and distrust of the services are some of the main barriers to reporting.

Gender-based violence is not only an individual but also a social problem. Violence does not only impact women’s personal safety and security, but it also prevents them from participating fully in society and contributing their skills, knowledge and competencies.

The data from this survey is not only for policy and lawmakers, but for citizens, law enforcement agencies and NGOs.

The OSCE Mission to Montenegro is committed to promoting gender equality with the Parliament, the Ministry for Human and Minority Rights and the municipalities, and stands ready to continue further this co-operation.

It is important to support women who need help. Use the hotlines – report and end the silence.  Call 080 111 111.

Mirvete Islam, OSCE Mission to Skopje Ilona Kazaryan

Skopje, 25 November 2019 – Contributing to the annual 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) will launch a new campaign titled ‘End the Silence’. It aims to raise awareness about the issue of violence against women (VAW), focusing primarily on the rights of women.

The theme ‘End the Silence’ underlines one of the main obstacles to combating VAW: many women consider domestic violence a private matter and very few women who have experienced violence talk about it. Even fewer report it to the authorities.

The campaign also highlights two important ideas for combating violence against women: the victims are never to be blamed and law enforcement authorities are responsible for protecting them in accordance with the law.

On 25 November, the start of the 16 Days of Activism, we will launch a social media campaign that can be followed on the OSCE Mission to Skopje’s Twitter @OSCE_Skopje and Facebook @OSCE.Skopje accounts, as well as on the OSCE's Instagram account https://www.instagram.com/osceorg.

In December, we will deliver 300 posters to all police stations across the country to raise awareness of violence against women and the role of police in combating it.

The campaign is based on key findings of the 2018 OSCE-led Survey on the Well-being and Safety of Women, for which more than 15,000 women were interviewed. It covered seven OSCE participating States: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Moldova and Ukraine. The research was also conducted in Kosovo. Over 1,900 women in North Macedonia took part in the survey.

According to the OSCE’s research, violence against women remains widespread worldwide, including in North Macedonia, affecting women of all ages, regardless of their income or background.

Based on the survey, almost half the women (45%) in the country have experienced psychological, physical, or sexual violence by an intimate partner. As the survey shows, three out of five (60%) women think violence against women is common and almost three out of ten think it is very common in North Macedonia.

The Head of the OSCE Mission to Skopje, Clemens Koja, believes that silence and stigma have allowed cases of violence against women and girls to remain under-reported and unaddressed.

“The time has come to stop this. Violence against women and girls is unacceptable, discriminatory and must be condemned, fought and prevented at all costs. Thus, I am calling on all men and boys to fully engage and take responsibility for achieving gender equality. We should all commit to take a stand for zero tolerance for gender-based violence,” said Koja.

According to the OSCE-led survey, very few women report violence to the police, or seek help from a victim support organization, indicating shame, financial dependency, mistrust of institutions and fear of reprisals, as well as traditional beliefs that domestic violence is a private matter, as reasons. Only 2% actually reported their most serious incident to the police.

For the OSCE, violence against women is not a private matter. Our campaign encourages women to report any cases of violence contacting 0800-100-600 and seek help at the SOS Center 011 / 2645-328 (operational during workdays from 10 am to 8 pm).

SDGs SDGs:  16 - Peace, justice and strong institutions

KYIV, 25 November 2019 – “Gender inequality and violence against women and girls remain core problems of our times. This concerns us all, and we all need to redouble our efforts to address them in line with OSCE commitments,” Ambassador Yaşar Halit Çevik, Chief Monitor of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine, and Ambassador Henrik Villadsen, the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine (PCU), said today on the occasion of International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.

“Peace — built and sustained by all, men and women — is a foundational objective of the OSCE,” Çevik said. “It is one we in the OSCE SMM continue to adhere to.” 

“Comprehensive response to domestic violence starts with understanding the scope of the problems, involves strengthening legislation and law enforcement measure. OSCE PCU stands ready to support Ukraine to enhance recent positive gains made towards achieving the policy of zero tolerance to gender based violence,” Villadsen said.

PRISHTINË/PRIŠTINA, 22 November 2019 – The OSCE Mission published today a report on the Well-being and Safety of Women in Kosovo, which provides detailed data on the patterns of violence against women, attitudes towards gender roles and the impact of violence in the lives of the women affected.

The survey shows that nearly two-thirds of women in Kosovo think that violence against women and girls is common in their communities, while over a quarter think that violence is very common.

“Violence against women is a form of gender-based violence that inhibits many women from fully taking part in political, economic and public life in a society. This is one of the most widespread human rights violations – which cuts across all generations and communities in Kosovo and worldwide,” the Head of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, Jan Braathu, said.

“Many of the statistics in the Survey should be a call to action for all of us. The biggest responsibility for action falls on the shoulders of the relevant institutions, however, it also tasks every individual – men and women alike – with an active role in preventing all forms of gender-based violence,” said Braathu,

The survey aims to raise awareness on the particular challenges of women and girls, and to advocate for more comprehensive policies to prevent and combat violence against women. Its results provide evidence for informed decision-making that will contribute to reducing violence against women in Kosovo and will lead to improvement of services for survivors.

Recommendations focus on the enactment of gender sensitive legislation and their implementation, improvement of multi-agency cooperation and adequate training, improvement of specialized services and support for women, and education, information dissemination and awareness raising. The report also recommends the removal of discriminatory language and stereotypes in school textbooks.

The full report can be found here

TASHKENT, 25 November 2019 –The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) today opened an election observation mission for the 22 December parliamentary elections in Uzbekistan. The deployment follows an invitation from the country’s authorities.

The mission is led by Tana de Zulueta and consists of a core team of 11 experts based in Tashkent as well as 30 long-term observers, who will be deployed throughout the country from 3 December. ODIHR will also request OSCE participating States to provide 250 short-term observers, who will arrive a few days before the elections.

The mission will assess the elections for their compliance with OSCE commitments and other international obligations and standards for democratic elections, as well as with national legislation. Observers will closely monitor fundamental aspects of the election such as voter registration, campaign activities, the work of the election administration and relevant government bodies, election-related legislation and its implementation, and the resolution of election-related disputes. The mission will also monitor the media coverage of the campaign.

Meetings with representatives of state authorities, political parties, civil society, the media and the international community form an integral part of the observation.

On election day, the ODIHR EOM will join efforts with a delegation from the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly to observe the opening of polling stations, voting, the counting of ballots and the tabulation of results.

An interim report will be published to update the public and media during the course of the observation. The day after the election, ODIHR’s preliminary findings and conclusions will be presented at a press conference, to which journalists are already cordially invited. A final report on the observation will be issued approximately two months after the end of the election process.

The ODIHR election observation mission and the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan operate separately under their respective mandates.

For further information, please visit https://www.osce.org/odihr/elections/uzbekistan/428690  

or contact Amirouche Nedjaa, Media Analyst, at +998 93 5907759 (Tashkent mobile), or at Amirouche.Nedjaa@odihr.uz  

or

Katya Andrusz, ODIHR Spokesperson, at +48 609 522 266 (Warsaw mobile), or at katya.andrusz@odihr.pl

Kunduz Rysbek

The Alternative Report to the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) Committee was presented at a round table that concluded on 21 November in Bishkek.

Under the CEDAW Convention, the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic periodically prepares  official reports to the UN CEDAW Committee on the implementation of its obligations to eliminate all forms of discrimination against women.

In addition, the country's independent civil society organizations prepare an Alternative Report for the UN CEDAW Committee. This year, the preparation and presentation of the Alternative Report was implemented by the Council of NGOs, an informal consortium of seven non-governmental organizations, with the support of the OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek.

The Alternative Report not only serves as an advocacy tool for gender equality, but also provides a basis for the UN CEDAW Committee to formulate and provide recommendations to the government.

Participants of the round table included representatives of state agencies, public organizations, and independent experts who shared recommendations that will be incorporated into the final version of the document.

The aim of the round table was to present the most acute issues addressed by the Alternative Report such as bride abduction and forced marriage, documentation of women migrants, representation of women in decision-making positions, the most pressing issues that women and girls face in rural areas and much more.

The Alternative Report had previously been presented in all provinces of Kyrgyzstan by ensuring the regional comprehensiveness of recommendations, which were then addressed in the Report.

439979 Communication and Media Relations Section

To mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on 25 November 2019, the Strategic Police Matters Unit of the OSCE’s Transnational Threats Department (SPMU) is launching a regional awareness-raising campaign against gender-based violence in Bulgaria, Hungary and Romania.

The campaign is the last phase of the project Effective Criminal Justice Strategies and Practices to Combat Gender-based Violence in Eastern Europe, which has been implemented over the past two years in the three countries.

The campaign targets both first responder police officers and the public, including victims and perpetrators.

“It is important to realize that no chain is stronger than its weakest link. This means that the fight against gender-based violence must go beyond the justice system and engage society and civil society,” said Jan Mill, SPMU Adviser on Police Reform and the project manager.

As part of the campaign, first responder police officers will be equipped with pocket-sized guides to aid in recognizing the causes, signs, signals and effects of gender-based violence helping them to taking a sensitized approach when working with victims and perpetrators.

Posters, TV and radio spots will also be issued nationally with the aim of raising awareness among the public to encourage the reporting of cases and contribute to a cultural change about how gender-based violence is perceived.

"Domestic violence, whether emotional, physical or of any other nature, causes trauma to the victims and other family members,” said Angela Chirvăsuță, Domestic Violence Prevention Special Officer at the Romanian Police. “The Romanian police is intervening to protect vulnerable groups and to raise awareness among citizens so to change the mentalities that perpetuate abusive behaviour in the family."

The campaign will also promote the free helplines available in the three countries as support services available to those experiencing gender-based violence.

The campaign will run for three weeks and all materials are entirely in the respective official languages of the three countries.

Agnes Nemeth, Head of Crime Prevention Department at the Hungarian Police Directorate General for Crime, said: “The police encourages citizens to take action to end the violence. We need to collaborate with citizens in helping the victims. Our mission would be limited without our co-operation with society.”

The main promoters of the campaign are:

Bulgaria: The Ministry of Interior, the Directorate General of the National Police, the National Institute of Justice and the Supreme Cassation Prosecutor's Office

Hungary: The Directorate General of the National Police and OKIT – the National Crisis Management and Information Telephone Service

Romania: The General Inspectorate of the Romanian Police, the National Agency for Equal Opportunities, the Anais Association and the Sensiblu Foundation

The project Effective Criminal Justice Strategies and Practices to Combat Gender-based Violence in Eastern Europe is financially supported by the European Union’s Rights, Equality and Citizenship Programme (2014-2020) and the governments of Germany and Austria.

Colin McCullough, OSCE Programme Office in Nur-Sultan

The OSCE Programme Office in Nur-Sultan supported a workshop on the application of environmental legislation and compliance with the provisions of the Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-Making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters (Aarhus Convention) on 25 November 2019 in Semey, Eastern Kazakhstan.

The event brought together some 44 representatives from government, judiciary, academia and nongovernmental sectors who discussed the application of Kazakhstan’s environmental legislation in civil cases and problematic issues linked to compliance with the Aarhus Convention. The participants reviewed administrative and economic offences in the area of environmental governance, including the judiciary application of the environmental legislation in Kazakhstan.

The OSCE Programme Office in Nur-Sultan organized the workshop in partnership with Kazakhstan’s Supreme Court and the Ministry of Ecology, Geology and Natural Resources.

The Aarhus Convention, launched in 1998, enhances the role of citizens and civil society organizations in environmental matters and is based on the principle of a participative democracy. It grants the public rights and imposes on Parties and public authorities’ obligations to ensure the access to information, public participation in environmental decision-making and access to justice in environmental matters

The event is part of the Programme Office’s multi-year activities to promote good environmental governance and to assist the host country in meeting its commitments under the Aarhus Convention.

Anna Vorobeva OSCE Mission to Moldova

CHISINAU, 25 November 2019 - On the occasion of the annual 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence  campaign, the OSCE will launch the campaign "End the Silence" in the Republic of Moldova and across South-Eastern and Eastern Europe. Its aim is to raise awareness about gender-based violence, in partiuclar the issue of violence against women and girls. Gender-based violence concerns all of society, and governments have a responsibility to prevent and combat it.

On 25 November, the start of the 16 Days of Activism, we will launch a social media campaign that can be followed on the OSCE Mission to Moldova’s Twitter https://twitter.com/OSCEMoldova and Facebook https://www.facebook.com/OSCEMoldova/ accounts as well as on the OSCE's Instagram account https://www.instagram.com/osceorg. In December, we will deliver posters to police stations across the country to raise awareness of violence against women and the role of police in combating it.

The campaign is based on the results of the OSCE-led Survey on the Well-being and Safety of Women, which was conducted in 2018 in seven OSCE participating States: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia, Moldova and Ukraine. The research was also conducted in Kosovo. Over 1,800 women in Moldova took part in the survey.Violence against women and girls (VAWG) affects women and girls throughout all areas of the Republic of Moldova, regardless of income or origin. Women who experience violence rarely contact the police. Only 11% of women reported the most serious incident of current partner violence to the police. And although some women know the names of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) active in the field of violence against women, they rarely seek help from them. Similarly, almost half of the victims did not talk to anyone about the worst case of sexual harassment. Those who spoke about their experience chose to speak to a family member or a friend rather than to a specialized service or organization.

There are a number of obstacles that prevent women from contacting  the police, including shame, fear, distrust in institutions, as well as lack of long-term and practical support, such as housing assistance and financial support. They may also consider the incident as too minor, fear the aggressor or wish to keep the incident a secret. „The OSCE as a whole has strong commitments on combating gender-based violence, which is considered both a threat to individuals and a broad security concern. The OSCE Mission to Moldova facilitates the exchange of good practices between both banks of the Dniester/Nistru river as a confidence building measure and as a way to build more secure, resilient and tolerant communities,” said Head of the OSCE Mission to Moldova Claus Neukirch.

Violence against women and girls is a result of gender inequality, which is based on harmful existing norms and attitudes. Contrary to social stereotypes, violence against women is not a private matter.

We all can and need to support and encourage women to report any cases of violence and get the help they need. In the Republic of Moldova, a support hotline is available at: 0 8008 8008

439850 Kunduz Rysbek

The International Conference on Islam and Orthodox Christianity – religions of peace, supported by the OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek, took place on 21 November 2019 in Bishkek.

The event was opened by the President of Kyrgyzstan, Sooronbai Zheenbekov, and brought together representatives of government agencies, religious leaders, academics and independent experts working on religious issues and the prevention of violent extremism and radicalization that lead to terrorism. Representatives came from Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and other countries of Central Asia, as well as embassies and international organizations based in Bishkek. 

The aim of the conference was to analyse historical processes and examine the current state of interaction between Islam and Orthodox Christianity. Participants discussed the common spiritual and cultural values of the two religions and their place and role in building peace and harmony.

President Zheenbekov emphasized that the conference served as a uniting platform for discussion and for the development of recommendations on the future interaction between different religions and beliefs, while also taking into account new challenges across the globe. "Religion has a powerful potential to mobilize the masses, therefore, our states are obliged to prevent its use for destructive purposes," said President Zheenbekov.

Speaking of the 1975 Helsinki Final Act, which stipulates respect for freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief for all, the Head of the OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek Pierre von Arx recalled the 1999 OSCE Summit. At that time, the Heads of States, including Kyrgyzstan, agreed on a Charter for European Security and committed to countering violations of freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief.

“Kyrgyzstan’s 2014–2020 State Policy in the sphere of religion is an excellent basis for enhancing the State’s relationship with different confessions, while promoting peace, respectful relations and inter-ethnic harmony,” said von Arx. “The OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek is proud to be supporting the State Committee for Religious Affairs in developing the next strategic document in this area.”

The conference is a continuation of the first and second international scientific–practical conference "Islam in a modern secular state" that took place in Bishkek in 2017 and 2018, where participants agreed to work on a concept of interfaith dialogue.

SDGs SDGs:  16 - Peace, justice and strong institutions

Summary

• Compared with the previous reporting period, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more in Luhansk region.
• The SMM continued to monitor the situation in disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske.
• The Mission observed a weapon in violation of the withdrawal lines in a non-government-controlled area of Donetsk region.
• The SMM continued to facilitate repairs to and the operation of critical civilian infrastructure on both sides of the contact line.
• The SMM monitored public gatherings commemorating November 2013 events at Maidan.
• Restrictions of the SMM’s freedom of movement continued, including at checkpoints near non-government-controlled Sosnivske, Zaichenko, Starolaspa and Bezimenne.

TASHKENT, 22 November 2019 – On the occasion of the formal opening of the election observation mission deployed by the OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) to observe the 22 December parliamentary elections in Uzbekistan, the mission will hold a press conference in Tashkent on Monday, 25 November.

What:

• An opening press conference by the ODIHR observers to the parliamentary elections in Uzbekistan.
• An introduction to the role of the mission in the elections and its planned activities.
• The press conference is open to all and no accreditation is required to enter, but only questions from journalists will be taken.
• English-Uzbek interpretation will be provided.

Who:

• Tana de Zulueta, Head of the ODIHR Election Observation Mission

When:

• 15:00 on 25 November 2019

Where:

• Silk Road B Hall, Wyndham Tashkent Hotel, Amir Temur Str. C4 # 7/8, Tashkent, Uzbekistan

For more details, contact:

Katya Andrusz, ODIHR Spokesperson: +48 609 522 266, Katya.Andrusz@odihr.pl

Amirouche Nedjaa, Media Analyst with the ODIHR Election Observation Mission: +998 93 5907759, Amirouche.Nedjaa@odihr.uz   

Ulvi Akhundlu, ODIHR Election Adviser: +48 695 808 813, Ulvi.Akhundlu@odihr.pl

SDGs SDGs:  16 - Peace, justice and strong institutions

Summary

• Compared with the previous reporting period, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and again no ceasefire violations in Luhansk region.
• Inside the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area, the Mission observed workers from government-controlled areas installing metal rails on both sides of the road north of the newly constructed section of the bridge and workers from non-government-controlled areas welding railings on the southern edge of the newly constructed section of the bridge.
• The SMM continued to monitor the situation at the Petrivske disengagement area.
• The Mission observed ongoing demining activities and the dismantling of a military position in the Zolote disengagement area.
• The Mission observed weapons in violation of the withdrawal lines on both sides of the contact line in Luhansk region.
• The SMM observed two convoys of trucks with Russian Federation licence plates in non-government-controlled Donetsk and Luhansk cities.
• The Mission facilitated repairs to and the operation of critical civilian infrastructure.
• Restrictions of the SMM’s freedom of movement continued, including at checkpoints near non-government-controlled Zaichenko and Novoazovsk.

439946 Communication and Media Relations Section

A three-day workshop organized by the OSCE aimed at strengthening the capacities of key officials from Belarus and Kazakhstan in identifying potential corruption risks in the law-making process concluded on 22 November 2019 in Vienna.

The workshop provided 12 representatives of the Belarus State Control Committee and Prosecutor General’s Office, and Kazakhstan’s Anti-Corruption Agency and Fund for the Development of Parliamentarism with a comprehensive overview of tools and mechanisms used in anti-corruption analysis and the evaluation of draft laws. The participants also learned how to identify corruption risk factors and to produce final review reports.

The Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities organized the workshop in response to the requests received from the relevant authorities of Belarus and Kazakhstan.

VIENNA, 22 November 2019 – How best to ensure the full enjoyment of the freedom of peaceful assembly by people in the OSCE area and beyond, including through participating States’ full implementation of existing OSCE commitments was the focus of the third Supplementary Human Dimension Meeting held under the auspices of Slovakia’s 2019 OSCE Chairmanship. The two-day meeting concluded today in Vienna.

Representatives and experts of OSCE participating States, Partners for Co-operation, and OSCE executive Structures, as well as international and civil society organizations discussed current and emerging trends in this area, the challenges and opportunities for freedom of peaceful assembly given fast-paced technological progress, as well as worrying violations of and excessive restrictions on the freedom of peaceful assembly.

Addressing the event’s opening session, the Chair of the OSCE Permanent Council and Permanent Representative of Slovakia to the OSCE, Ambassador Radomír Boháč stressed that the freedom of peaceful assembly is an integral part of democracy.

“Peaceful demonstrations are a way for people, especially the most vulnerable, to make their concerns and ideas heard. It is a form of public discourse. And freedom of assembly can also be a driver of political and societal change. This was the case in former Czechoslovakia, where peaceful demonstrations changed the fate of the country,” he said.

Ingibjörg Sólrún Gísladóttir, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), said: “The importance of the right to freedom of peaceful assembly as a legitimate and empowering means of expressing public opinion cannot be overestimated. Some governments wish to balance this right with the need to maintain security by prohibiting demonstrations. However, over-restrictive legislation of this kind usually fails to solve problems, and at the same time can create new challenges that are more difficult to resolve.”

In his keynote address, Alexandru Tanase, Member of the Council of Europe’s Venice Commission and a former Justice Minister and former President of the Constitutional Court of Moldova said that the right to freedom of peaceful assembly “is closely related to other cornerstones of democracy and pluralism, such as the freedom of expression and the freedom of association. In democratic societies, free assembly is one of the instruments by which people can bring about social change.”

In 2019, the Slovak OSCE Chair, with the support of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, has organized three Supplementary Human Dimension Meetings. The other two meetings focused on upholding the principles of tolerance and non-discrimination, including in the promotion and protection of freedom of religion or belief, and effective multilateralism.

439892 Marina Živaljević

The OSCE Mission to Montenegro organized a training course for senior representatives from the State Election Commission and Municipal Election Commissions on how to train polling station staff on polling station procedures on 21 and 22 November 2019 in Podgorica.

Around 25 representatives from election management bodies on state and local level discussed lessons learned from 2016 and 2018 elections and deliberated on how to improve their work for the upcoming election year.

Đorđije Vukčević, Chairman of the State Election Commission, said that the 2016 training, organized with the assistance of the OSCE Mission to Montenegro, created within the State Election Commission a pool of trainers and educators.  “The trainers did a good job, as was confirmed in ODIHR reports. This model also worked well in the 2018 elections.” Vukčević added that this workshop was a further opportunity to identify steps necessary to ensure professional administration of the 2020 parliamentary elections, adding that two more OSCE workshops – on media communication and lessons learned – are expected by the end of the year.

The Head of the OSCE Mission to Montenegro, Maryse Daviet, said that the Municipal Election Commission presiding officers and secretaries play a central role in the elections. “Your role is vital to ensure that each voter has confidence that their vote is casted in secrecy and counted.  It is through your work that citizens will gain confidence in the election process,” said Daviet. She added that the 2020 parliamentary election are drawing near and that polling station presiding officers and staff need to be fully briefed on the rules for these elections. “This workshop is designed to assist Municipal Election Commissions in training polling station staff working at local and general elections in Montenegro,” said Daviet.

Bujar Basha, OSCE Senior Election Adviser, said he was happy with the progress achieved in training polling station staff. “Congratulations to everyone who contributed towards addressing OSCE/ODIHR recommendations in the sphere of training,” said Basha.

The workshop was part of the Mission’s 2019 project on elections that aims to improve the transparency of the work of the State Election Commission.

439871 Colin McCullough, OSCE Programme Office in Nur-Sultan

The annual OSCE-supported International Youth Legal Forum, focusing on the link between human rights and transnational threats to security, concluded on 22 November 2019 in Nur-Sultan.

Some 50 university students from Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, the Russian Federation, Ukraine, representatives of academia, and international and national legal experts discussed issues related to strengthening respect for human rights while addressing transnational threats and challenges

The three-day event included a panel discussion and a competition among law students, where they presented their own views regarding actions that need to be taken to combat transnational threats, such as terrorism, cybercrime and trafficking in human beings. The participants also debated international human rights obligations relating to the enjoyment of a safe and sustainable environment.

The OSCE Programme Office in Nur-Sultan organized the forum in co-operation with the Maxut Narikbayev KAZGUU University. It is the 13th year that the Programme Office has supported the Youth Legal Forum, which is part of its long-standing efforts to promote human rights education and awareness-raising among youth.

OSCE Centre in Ashgabat

The creation of a mechanism for consultations with the representatives of the national minorities was the focus of an OSCE-organized study visit, from 18 to 21 November 2019, to Lithuania for representatives of the Ombudsperson’s office, the Ministry of Education, the Institute of State, Law and Democracy and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan.

Representatives held meetings in the Department of National Minorities under the Government of Lithuania, House of National Minorities, the Seimas (Parliament) and the Municipality of Visaginas. They discussed the legislative framework related to the rights of minorities and the activities of relevant institutions aimed at fostering national cultures and promoting the integration of national minorities in the society.

“The OSCE attaches special importance to the participation of national minorities in public life which is a meaningful precondition for a peaceful and democratic society and an essential aspect of good governance,” said Natalya Drozd, Head of the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat.

“The study visit is a part of the Centre’s support for the implementation of the provisions of the 2016–2020 National Human Rights Action Plan,” said Drozd. ”We strongly believe that the visit provided a unique opportunity for a first-hand experience in the area of addressing national minorities’ issues and the exchange of views between the two countries,” added Drozd.

Representatives participated in events hosted by the Department of National Minorities on the occasion of the International Day for Tolerance, including a ceremony to honour and award nominees for their contribution in consolidating and strengthening multinational civil society and intercultural dialogue.

Representatives from Turkmenistan also visited the Polish Culture House and the Belarus Pranciskus Skorina Gymnasium in Vilnius.

The visit was organized in close co-operation with the Department on National Minorities under the Government of Lithuania as a joint initiative of the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat and the Office of the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities.