OSCE

YEREVAN / BAKU, 17 October, 2019 - 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), together with the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office (PRCIO) Andrzej Kasprzyk, visited the region from 14 to 17 October.

The Co-Chairs met with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in Yerevan on 15 October and with President Ilham Aliyev in Baku on 17 October, and held consultations with the respective Foreign Ministers and Defence Ministers in both capitals. During their visit, the Co-Chairs also met with the de facto authorities in Nagorno-Karabakh. In Baku, the Co-Chairs met with the Chairman of the Azerbaijani Community of Nagorno-Karabakh. While in Nagorno-Karabakh, the mediators were briefed on humanitarian issues by the local representative of the International Committee of the Red Cross.

The two leaders briefed the Co-Chairs on their recent conversation during the CIS summit in Ashgabat and presented their ideas on how to advance the settlement process. The Co-Chairs welcomed the prospect of implementing specific humanitarian and security measures to prepare the populations for peace and reduce tensions.

The Co-Chairs once again stressed the critical importance of monitoring missions led by the PRCIO, in accordance with his mandate and longstanding practice. The Co-Chairs called on the sides to continue to support fully the activities of the PRCIO and his team and to ensure that any obstacles potentially interfering with monitoring missions are removed immediately.

The Foreign Ministers confirmed their intention to meet again under Co-Chair auspices before the end of the year.

The Co-Chairs will travel soon to Vienna to brief the OSCE Permanent Council and the members of the Minsk Group.

436160 Kunduz Rysbek

Assisting the ongoing criminal justice reform in Kyrgyzstan is a priority of the OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek and the Kyrgyz Government, with the aim to strengthen the rule of law.

A series of training courses on capacity building will be held from 16 to 18 October and from 23 to 25 October in Bishkek and Osh. Staff of the Kyrgyz Prosecutor General’s Office (PGO) will participate in order to learn the basic tools and mechanisms of application of the criminal legislation in the country.

The courses will be conducted by the Training Centre for Prosecutors and Investigators under the PGO, and supported by the OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek and the International Development Law Organization Branch Office in Kyrgyzstan.

The courses aim to examine real-life cases where practitioners face challenges in the application of the criminal legislation that entered into force in 2019, as well as the recently introduced Unified Registry of Crimes and Misdemeanors; which stores and shares data on the pre-trial proceedings in an online database. Participants will also get acquainted with common errors that may arise during the implementation of the new criminal legislation, and identify ways of their legal and practical resolution.

The legal and technical bases of the Unified Registry were developed and adopted in 2017 and 2018 by the PGO with the support of the OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek.

436241 Marina Živaljević

On 14 October, the OSCE Mission to Montenegro, in co-operation with the Parliamentary Committee on Gender Equality, organized a workshop for 15 parliamentary staff from eight committees and the Bureau of Financial Affairs. The workshop focused on gender mainstreaming in budget planning, in policy development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, with special emphasis on gender analysis.  

Maria Risteska, a lead expert and trainer at the workshop, said that by using gender-responsive budgeting as a tool, the gap between policy formulation and implementation can be closed. “The Parliament has an important role in reviewing and adopting policies and legal documents. Conducting gender analysis and assessing if gender perspective is included in policy and legal acts, as well as measuring the impact such documents have on gender relations between women and men, will lead to better use of resources, better governance and improved democracy,” said Risteska.

In order to ensure support and an adequate follow-up of the process, on 15 October the expert Risteska, together with Nada Drobnjak, President of the Parliamentary Committee for Gender Equality and Ana Krušić, Mission’s Senior Programme Assistant, met with the President of the Senate of the State Audit Institution Milan Dabović, where further actions were discussed and the parties agreed to continue to work together to support the introduction of gender analysis in performance auditing.

Gender-responsive budgeting is a recognized tool to enhance transparency, accountability, and the effectiveness and efficiency of public expenditures. It also creates a more equitable distribution of public finances between men and women. The Mission will continue to work with the Montenegrin state institutions to support developing approaches to implementing gender-responsive budgeting.

Public Affairs Unit, OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights Katya Andrusz

Experts from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) presented the final report and recommendations of the observation mission to the 2019 local elections in Albania during a visit to Tirana from 14 to 17 October 2019.

The ODIHR experts met with representatives of the Ministry of European and Foreign Affairs, the Central Election Commission, the Ministry of Interior, the media regulator, as well as representatives of political parties, the media, civil society organizations and the international community.

In these meetings, ODIHR reiterated that voting was conducted in a generally peaceful and orderly manner, but overall, the elections were held with little regard for the interests of the electorate. The experts noted that the legal framework could provide a sound basis for democratic elections, if implemented impartially and with genuine political will.

The absence of political agreement since the 2017 parliamentary elections prevented progress on the electoral reform, leaving most prior recommendations made by ODIHR unaddressed, including those concerning the de-politicization of the election administration, transparency of campaign finance and effectiveness of election dispute resolution. The experts, therefore, urged the government and other stakeholders to take steps to implement a previously initiated reform.

The discussion also touched upon other priority recommendations, such as addressing the misuse of administrative resources, ensuring vote secrecy, as well as following up on the issue of electoral violations.

“The week’s meetings were constructive and provided ODIHR and national stakeholders the opportunity to directly discuss the report’s findings and recommendations,” said Ambassador Audrey Glover, Head of ODIHR’s Election Observation Mission to the local elections. “We look forward to the next steps that the authorities will take to follow up on the recommendations and to identify ways ODIHR can offer assistance.”

The authorities and other stakeholders discussed ODIHR’s potential engagement in providing legal and technical expertise to assist in implementing these recommendations, including a review of draft amendments to the electoral code, continued participation in discussions on electoral reforms and the provision of technical assistance to the institutions engaged in the electoral process.

VALLETTA, 16 October 2019 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, participated today in ceremonies commemorating the two-year anniversary of the brutal assassination of leading investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, during a visit to Malta. He met with the family of the journalist at the memorial, near the city of Bidnija, where she was killed.

“I am here to pay tribute to Daphne Caruana Galizia and call for justice two years after her murder. Daphne was a courageous and dedicated journalist who has become a symbol for all investigative journalists who are threatened because of their work. We owe it to her, her family and the entire Maltese society to uncover all the facts and circumstances into her death,”  Desir said. “Today is a painful reminder that more needs to be done to protect journalists, combat impunity of crimes committed against them and, crucially, that we need to be persistent in seeking justice,” said Désir.

Daphne Caruana Galizia died on 16 October 2017, when a bomb in her car was detonated as she was driving from her home in Bidnija, Malta. The prominent investigative journalist was known for her reporting on sensitive issues, including corruption. For many years, she had been subject to severe harassment and threats for her work.

Noting the public inquiry launched by the Maltese authorities in September, the Representative reiterated his call that any investigation into her assassination must be fully independent, impartial, and in line with international human rights law and OSCE commitments (see previous statement here: https://www.osce.org/representative-on-freedom-of-media/431774).

“Every effort must be made to bring the perpetrators and masterminds of this heinous crime to justice and to end impunity for crimes committed against journalists. This is of paramount importance, given the implications for our democratic values, safety of journalists and media freedom,” said Désir.

During his visit, Désir met with Foreign Minister Carmelo Abela, Minister of Justice Owen Bonnici, and Attorney General Peter Grech, to discuss the ongoing investigation into the journalist's murder, the need to ensure no impunity of all those involved in this crime, the Public Inquiry, the protection of journalists, and the SLAPP litigations which impede media freedom. The Representative also calls for the end of the civil defamation lawsuits continuing against Daphne Caruana Galizia and her heirs, two years after her death, and for the reform of the related legislation.

The Representative recalled the OSCE Ministerial Council Decision on Safety of Journalists, adopted last December, which calls on OSCE participating States to “take effective measures to end impunity for crimes committed against journalists, by ensuring accountability as a key element in preventing future attacks, including by ensuring that law enforcement agencies carry out swift, effective and impartial investigations into acts of violence and threats against journalists, in order to bring all those responsible to justice.”

See the Representative’s previous statements here: https://www.osce.org/fom/360956; https://www.osce.org/representative-on-freedom-of-media/399746; https://www.osce.org/fom/354561.    

The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media observes media developments in all 57 OSCE participating States. He provides early warning on violations of freedom of expression and media freedom and promotes full compliance with OSCE media freedom commitments. Learn more at www.osce.org/fom, Twitter: @OSCE_RFoM and on www.facebook.com/osce.rfom.

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.
• Inside the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area, the SMM continued observing workers from government-controlled areas conduct construction work at the broken section of the bridge and members of the armed formations clearing of vegetation.
• Inside the disengagement areas near Zolote and Petrivske, the SMM continued seeing military and military-type presence. It continued observing clearing of vegetation by the Ukrainian Armed Forces inside the Zolote disengagement area.
• The Mission monitored adherence to the ceasefire to facilitate the operation of and repairs to critical civilian infrastructure along the contact line.
• The SMM monitored events related to the Defender of Ukraine Day.
• Restrictions of the Mission’s freedom of movement continued, including at a checkpoint of the armed formations near Verkhnoshyrokivske and at a border crossing point in non-government-controlled Dovzhanske.

BELGRADE, 16 October 2019 – OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President George Tsereteli and Secretary General Roberto Montella are in Belgrade this week for a series of meetings and engagements. The PA President and Secretary General met with President of the Serbian National Assembly Maja Gojković, Prime Minister Ana Brnabić, Foreign Minister Ivica Dačić, representatives of the political opposition, civil society, and the Serbian Delegation to the OSCE PA.

President Tsereteli has participated in the Inter-Parliamentary Union’s 141st Assembly, which he addressed, and lauded Serbia for the hosting of this productive IPU Session which saw the participation of many speakers of parliament. He also recalled Serbia’s successful OSCE Chairmanship in 2015 and the hosting of the OSCE PA Annual Session in 2011.

In a meeting with Prime Minister Brnabić Tuesday, Tsereteli emphasized the excellent co-operation with the OSCE Mission to Serbia, notably in the field of legislative reform. Brnabić highlighted the efforts made by the authorities in view of the upcoming elections, with the adoption of a number of noteworthy decisions.

“Meaningful dialogue with the political opposition ahead of the elections centered on concrete reforms is vitally important for Serbia,” said President Tsereteli today. “The OSCE Mission to Serbia is an essential partner in this regard and the OSCE PA also stands ready to offer its support in efforts to implement electoral, media and judicial reforms in the country.”

On Monday, Tsereteli and Montella visited the OSCE Mission to Serbia, meeting with Head of Mission Ambassador Andrea Orizio and senior staff. They also held meetings with representatives of civil society organizations.

Discussions touched on challenges in the rule of law, the fight against corruption, and organized crime. The independence of the judiciary was also raised as a challenge by the opposition and by civil society, with the Mission’s work to increase the independence and accountability of the judicial system noted.

“Hearing about the important work of the OSCE Mission to Serbia is a reminder of the importance of all OSCE field operations,” Montella said. “I encourage the Serbian leadership to showcase its positive co-operation with this Mission as an example to other countries in the OSCE area that could benefit from this sort of engagement.”

Tsereteli and Montella also met opposition party leaders, including Boris Tadić, President of the Social Democratic Party (SDS); Nebojša Zelenović, President of the Together for Serbia Party; Čedomir Jovanović, President of Liberal Democratic Party (LDP); and Zoran Živković, MP and President of the New Party. Opposition leaders raised the lack of political dialogue and the need to fulfill conditions to ensure elections in accordance to international standards and in accordance to the expectations of the people.

Media-related challenges also emerged as a key priority with civil society and the opposition noting challenges over the lack of transparency in ownership structures as well as political and economic influence. President Tsereteli encouraged Serbia to continue implementing the Five-year Media Strategy noting that the OSCE Mission stood ready to assist in the design and implementation of legislation stemming from the Strategy.

In a meeting with Speaker Gojković on Tuesday, the sides discussed co-operation between the OSCE Mission and OSCE PA and the important role of the Serbian Delegation to the OSCE PA, notably with the appointment of Stefana Miladinović as the new Special Rapporteur on Digital Agenda. Tsereteli also called for fostered dialogue and political inclusiveness in light of the upcoming elections, and praised the Speaker’s efforts in this direction.

Tsereteli, Montella and Orizio also visited Serbia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday. Meeting with Foreign Minister and former OSCE Chair-in-Office Ivica Dačić, Tsereteli emphasized important role of Serbia in the region and its constructive engagement to make the OSCE stronger. Dačić reiterated that the government stands ready to engage with the opposition and aim at a more constructive dialogue.

The President and the Secretary General underscored the PA’s commitment to the region including through the activities of the Special Representative on South East Europe Mark Pritchard. Montella encouraged the interlocutors to make the best use of the OSCE Mission as it provides valuable expertise across many areas subject of reforms.

Government representatives noted that several opposition parties had announced that they would boycott the 2020 elections. Efforts are undergoing to establish a meaningful dialogue with the opposition as well as advancing electoral reforms based on OSCE/ODIHR’s recommendations. In this context the President encouraged to speed up ongoing electoral reforms.

For photos of the visit to Serbia, please visit the OSCE PA’s Flickr page.

President Tsereteli’s speech to the IPU Assembly is available on YouTube and can be downloaded in PDF format here.

GENEVA/STRASBOURG/VIENNA, 16 October 2019 - "Government of Malta remains far behind in its obligation to ensure that investigations in the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia are conducted in a prompt, effective, independent and impartial manner,” said today in a joint statement Harlem Désir, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Dunja Mijatović, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, David Kaye, UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Freedom of Opinion and Expression, and Agnes Callamard, UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions.

“Two years have passed. No convictions, no trials of ringleaders and masterminds. On the contrary, posthumous libel suits continue to target the family of Daphne Caruana Galizia and makeshift memorials of her are frequently removed. This only adds to the sorrow and pain of her family and loved ones.

To date, three men have been charged with the murder; after almost 20 months, they were finally ordered to stand trial. However, ending impunity requires holding accountable not only those who carried out the murder, but everyone complicit in it, including the masterminds behind it. Those masterminds remain unaccountable for now.

The tragic anniversary of her murder reminds us of the costs borne by journalists, particularly those who seek to hold the powerful to account. Investigative journalism embodies the central values of access to information and robust reporting and debate to democratic society. Journalism, as Daphne Caruana Galizia and countless others around the world have practiced it, is a service in the public interest. Attacks on journalists not only deny their right to life. They deny the public’s right to know.

On the anniversary of the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia that shook people in Europe and beyond we urge the Government of Malta to uphold its obligations to respect and ensure freedom of expression and press freedom, and to investigate the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia, in accordance with the standards of international human rights law, such as those of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and of the European Convention on Human Rights.

We call on the authorities to do their utmost and to speed up the process of establishing accountability and shed the full light on this horrendous crime. This must become Malta’s top political priority.

The echo of the explosion that killed Daphne Caruana Galizia is still ringing in our memory with the ultimate question: When will justice be served, and bring a little comfort to her loved ones? The Government of Malta owes an answer to Daphne, her family, Maltese society and all journalists around the world.”

MINSK, 15 October 2019 – The Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office in Ukraine and in the Trilateral Contact Group, Ambassador Martin Sajdik, made the following statement to the press after the meeting of the TCG ‎and its working groups in Minsk on 15 October 2019:

“At the end of last week I spent two days in the east of Ukraine. In particular, I  got a first-hand update on the situation in Stanytsia Luhanska. I was impressed by the pace of the repair works at the bridge across the Siverskyi Donets river.

On October 4, a temporary bypass bridge was opened there. I personally walked across it and was able to observe the restoration of the broken span of the main bridge.

I witnessed the great achievement that facilitates crossing the line of contact for civilians. Let me remind you that the launch of the repair works was preceded by three years of negotiations.

I regret to say that I cannot give a positive assessment of adherence to the ceasefire, as the number of violations has recently risen sharply.

For this reason, I strongly appeal to the sides and call on them, while realising their political and humanitarian responsibilities to the civilian population, to do everything necessary to ensure a sustainable ceasefire.

The security situation in the conflict zone, as well as the issues of the renewal of the disengagement of forces and hardware in the Zolote and Petrivske areas, were today the main topics of discussion in the TCG and the Security Working Group. The sides failed to renew the disengagement of forces and hardware in Zolote and Petrivske on October 7, 2019 as per the agreement reached at the previous meeting. However, the sides confirmed their commitment to implement this decision. I hope that in the very near future we shall witness its implementation.

The Economic Working Group, among other topics, discussed issues of mobile communications and water supply across the contact line in certain areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions (CADR and CALR) as well as pension payments.

The Humanitarian Working Group continued discussions on an exchange of detainees. Issues of the search for missing persons were also addressed.

In the focus of the Political Working Group today was the legal realization of a special status for CADR and CALR, in particular taking into account the decentralization process in Ukraine. The issues of amnesty and modalities of local elections in CADR and CALR were also discussed”.

SDGs SDGs:  16 - Peace, justice and strong institutions

Summary

• Compared with the previous 24 hours, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
• Civilians, including children, injured from hand grenades and landmines in non-government-controlled areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
• Small-arms fire was assessed as directed at SMM mini-unmanned aerial vehicles near government-controlled Novotroitske and Berezove.
• Inside the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area, the SMM continued observing clearing of vegetation by members of the armed formations.
• Inside the disengagement areas near Zolote and Petrivske, the SMM continued seeing military and military-type presence and hardware.
• The Mission monitored adherence to the ceasefire to facilitate the operation of and repairs to critical civilian infrastructure along the contact line.
• SMMsThe SMM monitored events related to the Defender of Ukraine Day.
• Restrictions of the Mission’s freedom of movement continued, including at a checkpoint of the armed formations near Bezimenne, Zaichenko, Novoazovsk, and at a border crossing point near non-government-controlled Izvaryne.

This report is for the media and the general public.

Weekly Update, 15 October 2019

For the period from 09:00, 8 October 2019 to 09:00, 15 October 2019 (Moscow time)

SUMMARY

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.

OPERATIONAL REMARKS

The OM is currently operating with 22 permanent international staff members, including the Chief Observer (CO). The Mission is supported administratively by a staff member and the Chief of Fund Administration based in Vienna.

OBSERVATIONS AT THE BORDER CROSSING POINTS

Persons crossing the border

                                                                                                                                                                                          

The profile of persons crossing the border can be categorized as follows:

1. Adults travelling on foot or by car with little or no luggage;
2. Persons in military-style outfits;
3. Families (often including elderly persons and/or children) travelling on foot or by car with a significant amount of luggage.

The average number of entries/exits decreased from 11,302 to 11,284 per day at both BCPs compared to last week[1].

During the reporting period, the majority of border crossings were to Ukraine, with an average net flow of nine per day for both BCPs.

The Donetsk BCP continued to experience much more traffic than the Gukovo BCP.

Persons in military-style outfits

During the reporting period, the number of persons in military-style outfits crossing the border in both directions at both BCPs was ten this week compared to 14 last week: five of them crossed into the Russian Federation, and five into Ukraine (90 per cent of this category’s crossings occurred at the Donetsk BCP). They continued to cross the border individually or in groups. Most individuals crossed on foot, however, some made use of private vehicles, buses or minivans, making it more difficult for the observer teams (OTs) to observe their movement across the border, especially since some of the private vehicles had tinted windows, and buses and minivans had drawn curtains.

Families with a significant amount of luggage

The OTs continued to report on families, sometimes with elderly persons and/or children, crossing the border at both BCPs with a significant amount of luggage, or travelling in heavily loaded cars. During this reporting week, eight families were observed crossing into the Russian Federation and five were observed crossing into Ukraine, compared to the previous reporting period when three families were observed crossing to the Russian Federation and four to Ukraine.

Bus connections                                         

Regular local and long-distance bus connections continued to operate between Ukraine (mostly from/to the Luhansk region) and the Russian Federation. In addition to regular bus connections, the OTs continued to observe bus connections on irregular routes. Often the buses did not state their route; instead they had a sign on the windshield stating “irregular”.

During the reporting period, the OTs observed a decrease in the overall number of buses crossing the border at both BCPs (450 compared to 511 observed during the previous week). There were 221 buses bound for the Russian Federation and 229 bound for Ukraine.

On some occasions, the OTs noticed the bus drivers removing the itinerary signs from the windshields of their buses, while some buses did not display their route at all. The majority of long-distance buses commuting between the Luhansk region and cities in the Russian Federation had Ukrainian licence plates issued in the Luhansk region and “LPR” plates.

Trucks

During the reporting period, the OTs observed 937 trucks (exactly like during the previous reporting week) crossing the border in both directions at both BCPs (407 at the Gukovo BCP and 530 at the Donetsk BCP); 499 of these trucks crossed to the Russian Federation and 438 crossed to Ukraine. Most of the trucks observed by the OTs had Ukrainian licence plates issued in the Luhansk region; however, on a daily basis, the OTs also noted trucks registered in Belarus and the Russian Federation and also with “LPR” plates. Moreover, during the reporting week, trucks with licence plates from Georgia and Uzbekistan were also observed.

The OTs also continued to observe tanker trucks crossing the border in both directions. During the reporting week, the number of tanker trucks increased slightly from 65 to 67. These trucks were observed crossing the border at both BCPs. The trucks had the words “Propane” and “Flammable” written across the tanks in either Russian or Ukrainian. The majority of tanker trucks had hazard signs, indicating that they were transporting propane or a mix of propane and butane.

All trucks underwent systematic inspection by Russian Federation officials, which could include an X-ray check. Due to the unfavourable observation position at the Gukovo BCP, the OTs continued to be unable to observe any X-ray checks.

Compared to the previous week, the total number of X-ray checks at the Donetsk BCP increased from 150 to 173; 129 trucks (75 per cent) were bound for Ukraine, the remaining 44 trucks (25 per cent) crossed into the Russian Federation.

Minivans

The OM continued to observe passenger and cargo minivans[2] crossing the border in both directions at both BCPs. The OTs observed minivans predominantly with Ukrainian licence plates issued in the Luhansk region; however, the OTs also frequently saw minivans registered in the Russian Federation. Compared to the previous week, the number of cargo minivans decrease from 154 to 112 vehicles; 60 crossed into the Russian Federation and another 52 into Ukraine.

Trains

The OTs continued to pick up the sound of trains on the railway tracks located approximately 150m south-west of the Gukovo BCP. During the reporting week, the OTs heard trains on 6 occasions; the OTs assessed that 5 trains were travelling to the Russian Federation and 1 to Ukraine (more details are provided in the sections “trends and figures at a glance” below).

The OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine was regularly informed about the train bound for Ukraine.

Visual observation was not possible because of the line of trees located between the train tracks and the BCP.

Other observations

The majority of vehicles crossing the border had Ukrainian licence plates issued in the Luhansk region, or Russian Federation licence plates. A significant number of vehicles with “LPR” plates were also observed crossing the border in both directions on a daily basis. The OTs also observed cars with “DPR” plates and licence plates from Belarus, Georgia, Lithuania and Poland.

On 9 October at 15:14, the OT observed a jeep bearing the "FSB - Border Service" inscription entering the Donetsk BCP from the Russian Federation with its siren and flashing light turned on. The vehicle parked near by the entering queue to Ukraine. From the car two military men bearing automatic rifles went quickly to the main building accompanied by a service dog. After a minute a police car arrived from the Russian Federation with two policemen on board and drove quickly behind the main building. At 15:34 the two vehicles returned towards the Russian Federation with all the officers previously observed.

On 10 October at 10:42, the OT at the Donetsk BCP observed a helicopter type Mi-17/Mi-8 flying from the east of the BCP which then turned in a northerly direction.On 11 October at 10:45, a helicopter was observed at the Gukovo BCP flying from the north in an easterly direction. On both occasions, the helicopters were white with blue and grey stripes painted on the underside and flew only inside the airspace of the Russian Federation.

On 11 October at 12:11, the OT at the Donetsk BCP observed an ambulance bearing Ukrainian licence plates crossing from Ukraine into the Russian Federation.

On 13 October at 14:25, the OT observed an ambulance entering the Donetsk BCP from the Russian Federation which parked in front of the border checking area. At 14:15 the vehicle drove back towards the Russian Federation.

For trends and figures at a glance covering the period from 3 September to 8 October 2019, please see the attachment here. 

[1] Based on data received from the Regional Representation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation.

[2] Cargo minivans: light commercial vehicles with a maximum authorized mass of more than 3.5 t and not more than 7.5 t; with or without a trailer with a maximum mass of less than 750 kg (small cargo vehicles which correspond to driving licence C1).

MINSK, 15 October 2019 – Following an invitation from the country’s authorities, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) today opened an election observation mission (EOM) for the 17 November early parliamentary elections in Belarus.

The mission is led by Corien Jonker and consists of a core team of 11 experts based in Minsk and 30 long-term observers, who will be deployed throughout the country from 23 October. In addition, ODIHR will request that OSCE participating States provide 400 short-term observers, who will arrive several days before the elections.

The mission will assess whether the elections are held in line 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, candidate 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. As part of the observation, 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 delegations from the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe 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. A final report on the observation will be issued approximately two months after the end of the election process.

For further information, please visit www.osce.org/odihr/elections/belarus/429278 or contact Kira Kalinina, Media Analyst, at +375 29 660 5217 (Minsk mobile), or at kira.kalinina@odihr.by

or

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

COPENHAGEN, 15 October 2019 – A new report issued by the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s Ad Hoc Committee on Countering Terrorism (CCT) provides a comprehensive look at the state of implementation of a key UN Security Council Resolution on addressing the threat posed by foreign terrorist fighters returning or relocating from conflict zones.

The report, “Strengthening Border Security and Information Sharing in the OSCE Region: A Parliamentary Oversight Exercise,” details more than 20 responses from parliaments on efforts at the national level to develop Advance Passenger Information (API), Passenger Name Records (PNR) and biometric data management systems, in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 2396. It explores efforts to develop efficient inter-agency operational frameworks for processing data at the national level and effective schemes for exchanging information at the international level.

“By improving practices on exchanging information and enhancing co-operation on border security, governments can help ensure that their citizens – and the citizens of other countries – are kept safe from violent extremists,” said CCT Chair Abid Raja (MP, Norway). “It is a grim reality that foreign terrorist fighters returning or relocating to their countries of origin, or to third countries, pose a serious threat to public safety. This OSCE PA report on border security intends to highlight progress made and inspire other countries to redouble their efforts to counter this threat, including through the identification of several promising practices.”

Makis Voridis (MP, Greece), who served as CCT Chair from 2017 to 2019 and oversaw the commission of the OSCE PA report, explained that holding governments to account for commitments they have freely agreed to is an essential task that parliamentarians are well suited for.

“As parliamentarians, we can help ensure that our governments live up to their international obligations,” Voridis said. “By asking questions of our governments about what they have done to implement commitments made at the international level, we can add real value to this process and help identify shortcomings and areas that need further attention.”

Among the report’s key findings:

• The challenges faced during the implementation of API, PNR, biometric data management systems originate from the complex and novel nature of the field. These include legal, operational as well as resource and infrastructure-related matters.
• The need to better integrate and facilitate information exchanges across different national databases, including those managed by customs, borders and law enforcement authorities, is a top priority.
• Legislation providing independent oversight mechanisms and the opportunity for citizens to redress proves critical for complying with international human rights law in the context of API, PNR and biometric information systems.
• The lack of harmonized approaches towards personal data protection and the right to privacy has the potential to complicate effective law enforcement co-operation on information sharing and border security.

The report notes that some of the most critical challenges in setting up and maintaining modern systems for API, PNR and biometrics often relate to staff expertise, human resources development and IT capabilities. IT software and hardware components present high maintenance and upgrading costs that are critical for the timely and reliable data transmission between private airlines and law enforcement authorities.

National parliaments are ideally positioned to pass comprehensive legislation and oversee the implementation of relevant counter-terrorism policies and measures on border security and information sharing, the report concludes. It recommends that governmental decrees enacted to regulate this technical field should be increasingly replaced by comprehensive legislation adopted by national parliaments to ensure wide political participation and full democratic control over the legislation.

Furthermore, governments in the OSCE region should set up clear operational frameworks to facilitate smooth inter-agency co-operation and co-ordination at the national level and co-operation should be further strengthened between national authorities and private companies involved in the implementation of modern API, PNR and biometrics (i.e. air carriers and travel agencies), the report notes.

Finally, governments should work in synergy with the UN and the OSCE on these issues, in order to ensure a harmonized approach in compliance with international human rights law and OSCE commitments.

The full report is available here.

For background on the work of the OSCE PA's Ad Hoc Committee on Countering Terrorism, please click here.

435956 Anna Vorobeva OSCE Mission to Moldova

An OSCE-supported workshop to discuss practical ways to improve the national legal and institutional mechanisms of rehabilitation and compensation of crime victims in Moldova took place from 9 to 11 October 2019 in Chisinau. Thirty-five representatives of the justice, prosecution, health and finance state institutions, as well as relevant parliamentary committees participated in the event. The workshop was organized in cooperation with the National Institute of Justice.

The workshop provided the participants with an opportunity to analyse the existing national and international provisions regulating the rights of the victim in criminal proceedings. They also discussed protection norms applicable to minors, victims of trafficking and of domestic violence.

Discussions highlighted a victim-centred rehabilitation and compensation model from Portugal, where the legal and institutional framework is similar to the Moldovan context. Together with Moldovan and Portuguese experts, the participants elaborated on ways to replicate the Portuguese model in Moldova.

“This seminar came at the right moment, when we are trying to shift our approach from defending interests of the state to protecting rights of victims of different crimes,” said Vasile Schiopu, the head of the Ungheni Court of Appeal. “In Portugal, a person is entitled to compensation from the state for the injuries suffered from the moment a criminal investigation starts. It is the state’s obligation to seek redress and restore the victim’s rights, not vice versa, as is the situation in our country.”  

During the workshop, a representative of the Moldovan Ministry of Health, Labour and Social Protection presented a new National Referral System, which offers a holistic approach to social assistance to victims of all serious crimes. The system is based on the OSCE/ODIHR standards and is considered one of the best practices in the OSCE region.

The National Committee for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings recently raised, as one of its key priorities, the need to align Moldova’s legal and institutional framework on compensation and rehabilitation of victims of crimes with the European human rights standards. The Committee is the highest decision-making body in the country in this area, and the Mission has an observer status therein.

In recent years, the Mission, through its Human Rights Programme, has been strengthening the capacities of government officials in combatting exploitation and trafficking in human beings on both banks of the Dniestr/Nistru River.  In 2018, the Mission initiated a dialogue and an experience exchange between Moldovan and Portuguese state agencies responsible for the rehabilitation and compensation of victims of crimes.

436046 Marina Živaljević

A regional meeting on establishing registration procedures for local branch offices of the Regional Youth Co-operation Office (RYCO) was held on 14 October 2019 in Podgorica.

More than 20 representatives of the ministries of foreign affairs and sports/youth from Belgrade, Podgorica, Skopje, Sarajevo, and Pristina, together with representatives from RYCO attended.

The meeting concluded with a draft document that defined specific steps on how each local branch office could register as a legal entity.

Nikola Janović, Minister of Sports and Youth, said that today’s work is to improve the institutional and legal functioning of RYCO. “The Western Balkan countries understand the challenges young people face, and together we can contribute to their improvement. I believe that this meeting will help overcome some of the key challenges facing the regional office,” said Minister Janović.

The Head of the OSCE Mission to Montenegro Maryse Daviet said that the Mission is there to support further growth of RYCO. “The Mission has built a close partnership with the Montenegrin institutions and the RYCO branch office since RYCO initiation. We appreciate these partnerships,” said Daviet.

Fatos Mustafa, RYCO Deputy Secretary General, said that although there has been a lot of progress in the work of the Office, there are still challenges ahead. “While much has happened at the regional level, we still lack concrete procedures at the contracting party level, to ensure that what we are doing is not just ‘doing an activity and finishing it’, but a matter of building stronger and closer partnerships of our offices with contracting party-level partners, from Government institutions to other national and international stakeholders,” said Mustafa.

Edin Koljenović, Head of the RYCO Local Branch Office in Montenegro welcomed the participants saying he was pleased that Montenegro, after recent regional capacity building training, hosted RYCO’s event again.

RYCO was founded in 2016 at the Western Balkans Sixth Summit in Paris as an independent institutional mechanism to promote the spirit of reconciliation and co-operation among youth in the region through exchange programmes.

SDGs SDGs:  16 - Peace, justice and strong institutions

Summary

• Compared with the previous reporting period, between the evenings of 11 and 12 October, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more in Luhansk region.
• Between the evenings of 12 and 13 October, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk region, compared with the previous 24 hours.
• Inside the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area, the SMM saw continued construction works at the broken section of the bridge.
• Inside the Zolote disengagement area, the SMM saw continued clearing of vegetation along road T-1316.
• Inside the Petrivske disengagement area, the SMM saw strengthening of positions and presence of armoured combat vehicles.
•   it to go here from the other two DAs?t only not punished, on the contrary welcomed and encouraged, as they help to improve theThe Mission observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines in government-controlled areas of Donetsk region.
• The SMM continued to observe anti-tank mines south of the bridge in Shchastia and observed possible unexploded ordnance in Novohryhorivka.
• Restrictions of the Mission’s freedom of movement continued, including at a checkpoint of the armed formations near Petrivske, Zaichenko, Verkhnoshyrokivske, and Novoazovsk, and at a border crossing point in non-government-controlled Voznesenivka.*

WARSAW, 14 October 2019 – The Polish parliamentary elections were administratively prepared well, but clear media bias as well as intolerant rhetoric detracted from the otherwise competitive process, international observers concluded in a preliminary statement published today.

“These elections were well organized ahead of the vote, but while voters stepping into the polling booth had numerous options available to them, their ability to make an informed choice was undermined by a lack of impartiality in the media, especially the public broadcaster,” said Ambassador Jan Petersen, Head of the ODIHR election observation mission. “The use of discriminatory rhetoric by a number of leading political figures is of serious concern in a democratic society.”

There was overall confidence in the election administration, which worked professionally and transparently, and met all legal deadlines related to the technical preparation of the elections. The legal requirement for women to comprise at least 35 per cent of candidates was fulfilled. But at the same time, most women candidates had little visibility and issues of gender equality did not feature highly during the campaign.

Election day was orderly, although the secrecy of the vote was not always enforced. Timely publication of preliminary results ensured transparency.

Nevertheless, shortfalls were identified in a number of areas. Bias in the media compromised voters’ ability to make a balanced decision ahead of election day. At the same time, freedoms of expression and the media are undermined by criminal penalties for defamation and limited access to public information.

In general, the campaign environment was highly polarized and became increasingly negative, while campaign messages containing nationalist and homophobic rhetoric gave rise to a sense of threat.

Some 30 million voters were eligible to cast a ballot, including in a place of temporary stay anywhere in the country. For the first time in parliamentary elections, the law allowed for citizen observation of the elections, addressing a previous ODIHR recommendation. However, regulations on campaigning by public officials and on the use of state resources in election campaigns remain insufficient, and campaign financing rules do not ensure adequate transparency or oversight. In addition, observers noted a lack of trust in the ability of prosecutors and courts to handle election-related complaints independently, following the merger of the functions of the prosecutor general with the minister of justice and other judicial reforms.

The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) deployed a Limited Election Observation Mission (LEOM) to Poland on 10 September and will remain until 22 October. Its assessment includes the election’s compliance with OSCE commitments and other international obligations and standards, as well as with national legislation.

435923 OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities visits Ukraine, discusses minority issues in Kyiv and assesses inter-ethnic relations in Kherson region Language and identity in Ukraine

OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities Lamberto Zannier visited Ukraine on 9 and 10 October 2019. Zannier discussed the integration of Ukraine’s diverse society with Education and Science Minister Hanna Novosad and Culture, Youth and Sport Minister Volodymyr Borodianskyi. He also met with other relevant agencies in the new government and members of several Verkhovna Rada committees.

In his meetings with representatives of national minorities and civil society, the High Commissioner discussed education, language and other issues, including upcoming legislation in this field.

“Inclusive legislation and institutions are crucial for the internal stability of Ukraine, and in its bilateral relations,” said Zannier. He also welcomed the creation of a dedicated State Service to deal with inter-ethnic relations and religious issues.

435929 Munira Shoinbekova, OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe

Some 100 girls from different regions of Tajikistan participated in a sports festival to mark the International Day of the Girl on 11 October 2019. The event took place at the Central Republican Stadium of Dushanbe. The girls took part in different sporting activities followed by a football game. The festival aimed at influencing and changing stereotypical social norms that prevent girls from playing sports. It showed that girls can and are able to play any sport and no restrictions should be made based on gender.

“The achievements in sports prepare girls to achieve their goals in life,” said Dilorom Nusratullaeva, Head of the Women’s Football Department of the Football Federation of Tajikistan.

The festival was organized by the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe in co-operation with the Football Federation of Tajikistan and the Committee of Youth Affairs and Sports.

The United Nation declared 11 October as International Day of the Girl in 2012. It acknowledges the challenges girls face and empowers them to reach their full potential and the fulfilment of their rights.

SDGs SDGs:  16 - Peace, justice and strong institutions

Summary

• Compared with the previous reporting period, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and no ceasefire violations in Luhansk region.
• Inside the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area, the SMM saw continued dismantling works at the broken section of the bridge.
• The SMM again observed illumination flares signalling readiness to renew disengagement in both the Zolote and Petrivske disengagement areas by the armed formations, however, the activities related to the renewal of the disengagement did not commence.
• The Mission observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines in government-controlled areas of Donetsk region and non-government-controlled areas of both Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
• The SMM monitored a peaceful protest in Odessa.
• Restrictions of the Mission’s freedom of movement continued, including at a checkpoint of the armed formations near Zaichenko.*