OSCE

Colin McCullough, OSCE Programme Office in Astana

An OSCE-supported five-day training seminar on countering cybercrime for representatives of Kazakhstan’s governmental institutions and law-enforcement agencies concluded on 26 October 2018 in Astana.

Fifteen officials took part in the Advanced Computer and Network Intrusion Course led by experts from the United States. The participants represented the Interior Ministry, the Prosecutor General’s Office and its Law Enforcement Agencies Academy, the Justice Ministry’s Forensic Centre, Kazakhstan’s Agency for Civil Service Affairs and Anti-corruption, and the State Revenue Committee of the Finance Ministry.

The course provided participants with the skills to respond to most network intrusion investigations. They learnt about log analysis and specifics of using the Windows command line and Linux. They were taught to investigate computers of both victims and suspects involved in cybercrimes. 

All participants had previously completed the OSCE-supported train-the-trainers programme for the Basic Investigation of Computers and Electronic Crimes Programme and Computer and Network Intrusion Course. Following the training seminar on countering cybercrime they will teach the additional skills they learnt to their peers in respective ministries and government structures  

The event was co-organized by the OSCE Programme Office in Astana, the Office of the International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Office of the United States Embassy in Astana, the Law Enforcement Agencies Academy of the General Prosecutor’s Office and the L.Gumilev Eurasian National University.  

The training seminar is part of the OSCE Programme Office’s activities to combat transnational threats, money laundering and the financing of terrorism and prevent the abuse of the Internet for criminal purposes.

OSCE Centre in Ashgabat

An OSCE-organized joint Turkmen-Afghan workshop on combating illicit trafficking in cultural property concluded on 25 October 2018 in Ashgabat.

The three-day workshop brought together border officials from Turkmenistan and Afghanistan,  experts from the OSCE Secretariat, the OSCE Border Management Staff College (BMSC), UNESCO, EUROPOL and an international expert on combating illicit trafficking in cultural property.

“Illicit trafficking in cultural property is a threat to security, the identity of nations and the diversity of cultural expression,” said Natalya Drozd, Head of the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat. “Combating illicit trafficking in cultural property is high on the agenda of the OSCE Italian Chairmanship in 2018 and it is our firm belief that this workshop will provide a platform for the exchange of best practices in combating this serious crime.”

The opening session of the joint Turkmen-Afghan workshop was attended by Deputy Head of the State Border Service of Turkmenistan, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General, Head of the UN Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia (UNRCCA), Ambassadors of Germany and Italy, as well as the Counsellor/Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of Japan and the First Secretary of the Embassy of Afghanistan.

The high-level speakers emphasized the gravity and extent of illicit trafficking in cultural property. They also highlighted the importance of regional and international co-operation to effectively address this dangerous phenomenon.

Experts from the OSCE Secretariat and BMSC, the UNESCO Office in Kabul and EUROPOL elaborated on their activities in the area of preventing illicit trafficking in cultural property.

Dr. Maria Acetoso of the UNESCO Office in Kabul stressed the importance of protecting cultural heritage. “Nations stay alive when their cultural heritage stays alive. These priceless words were inscribed on the front of the Kabul Museum in 2003,” she said.

Vernon Rapley, an international expert from the United Kingdom, touched upon the transnational aspects of illicit trafficking in cultural property. The expert emphasized the need for education and community involvement, and the need for sharing information to address the phenomenon.

During the joint workshop, participants visited the State Museum of the Cultural Centre of Turkmenistan in Ashgabat and the historical-archaeological  monument Old Nisa (UNESCO World Heritage Site).

The workshop was organized with financial support from the governments of Germany, Italy and Japan.

WARSAW, 28 October 2018 – Ingibjörg Sólrún Gísladóttir, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), today joined United States and international leaders in condemning Saturday’s attack on a Pittsburg synagogue and offering condolences to the families of 11 people killed in the shooting.

Gísladóttir denounced all manifestations of anti-Semitism and other forms of intolerance, while calling for greater efforts to ensure inclusion and security for members of all communities.

“Saturday's deadly attack is a tragic reminder that the scourge of anti-Semitism persists in the OSCE region, sometimes with deadly consequences,” the ODIHR Director said.  “All OSCE participating States have committed to taking firm action to address anti-Semitism and hate crime, and I welcome the fact that the authorities in the United States have brought hate crime charges against the suspect.”

She stressed that political leaders in the United States and across the OSCE region have to deliver the clear message that hate crimes and racism are unacceptable.

“This terrible crime underlines that all leaders have a responsibility not just to refrain from, but to actively counter racist and nationalistic rhetoric that appears to have played a role in this case,” Gísladóttir said. “They have a responsibility to counter anti-Semitic, racist and xenophobic discourse with messages of respect, tolerance and inclusion.”

Media reports describe the suspect in the attack, which also left six others wounded, as having a history of anti-Semitic and racist social media posts.

The attack comes three days after the brutal murder of and suspected hate crime against two black shoppers in a supermarket in Kentucky by a white man who had attempted to enter a predominately black church before entering the supermarket.

The ODIHR Director also reminded governments across the OSCE region of their responsibility to take all appropriate measures to meet the security needs of all communities targeted by hate crime and discrimination.

“Governments have to assess the security needs of targeted communities and take all necessary steps to prevent such horrible crimes from happening,” she said.

read more

VIENNA, 28 October 2018 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Désir today welcomed the results of yesterday’s referendum in Ireland calling for a removal of blasphemy provisions from the national Constitution.

The Irish Constitution of 1973 previously stated that “the publication or utterance of blasphemous, seditious, or indecent matter is an offence which shall be punishable in accordance with law”. The Defamation Act of 2009 defines blasphemy as a “matter that is grossly abusive or insulting in relation to matters held sacred by any religion, thereby causing outrage among a substantial number of the adherents of that religion”.

“This is a positive step forward on freedom of expression and I congratulate the Irish people on this decision,” said Désir. “I call on the 16 OSCE participating States where blasphemy remains a criminal offense to follow Ireland’s example as these laws are incompatible with international standards on freedom of expression.”  

“Even if not applied in practice, criminal or over-broad prohibitions on blasphemy have a chilling effect on the free exchange of ideas and information, and can be used to suppress critical speech within and beyond the OSCE region,” Désir stated.

The Representative previously expressed concerns about the Irish blasphemy law in 2009 and 2010. The full statements are available at: //www.osce.org/fom/50925 and //www.osce.org/fom/51819.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.

read more

This report is for the media and the general public.

At 01:18 on 27 October, while flying over an area near Kalynove (non-government-controlled, 72km east of Donetsk), an SMM long-range unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) spotted a surface-to-air missile system (9K33 Osa) and a fuel truck east of Nyzhnokrynske (non-government-controlled, 66km east of Donetsk). The UAV was immediately re-directed north towards Saurivka (non-government-controlled, 72km east of Donetsk). At 01:36, the UAV spotted a convoy of seven trucks on a dirt road near the border with the Russian Federation where there are no border crossing facilities, driving in a south-westerly direction towards Manych (non-government-controlled, 76km east of Donetsk). The UAV was then re-directed south towards Nyzhnokrynske in order to continue observing the convoy. At 01:53 the SMM lost all communications with the UAV while it was flying at an altitude of about 7.000ft over an area south-east of Nyzhnokrynske. For about 35 minutes before communications were lost, the UAV had experienced signal interference, assessed as jamming, at intervals in areas near Saurivka and Nyzhnokrynske. The UAV did not return to its ground control station near Stepanivka (government-controlled, 54km north of Donetsk) and is considered lost.

Since 7 August 2018, the SMM has observed convoys, including trucks, on seven occasions on the same abovementioned unpaved road in the area near the border (for the latest observations, see SMM Daily Report 18 October 2018).

read more

This report is for the media and the general public.

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions, compared with the previous reporting period. The SMM observed damage to a civilian property in the Trudivski area of Donetsk city’s Petrovskyi district. It recorded small-arms fire inside the Zolote disengagement area. The SMM saw weapons in violation of withdrawal lines near Khoroshe. The SMM’s access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas.* The Mission continued to facilitate the operation of the Donetsk Filtration Station. It facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to the Petrivske pumping station near Artema, power lines in Berehove, houses in Marinka, Krasnohorivka and Avdiivka, as well as to enable demining activities near Nyzhnoteple.

In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations[1], including fewer explosions (about 90), compared with the previous reporting period (about 200 explosions).

On the evening of 25 October, while in Svitlodarsk (government-controlled, 57km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard 13 undetermined explosions 5-7km at southerly directions as well as about 210 bursts and shots of heavy-machine-gun and small-arms fire 1-7km at directions ranging from south-east to south-west. The following day, while in the same location, the SMM heard about ten bursts of heavy-machine-gun fire 2-3km south-east.

On the evening of 25 October, the SMM camera at the Donetsk Filtration Station (DFS) (15km north of Donetsk) recorded 15 undetermined explosions 0.5-3km at southerly directions and about 30 projectiles in flight (mostly from west to east) 1-4km at south-westerly directions. The same camera also recorded an undetermined explosion 100-150m south.

During the day on 26 October, positioned on the eastern edge of Kamianka (government-controlled, 20km north of Donetsk), the SMM heard 34 undetermined explosions and about 45 bursts and shots of small-arms and heavy-machine-gun fire, all 2-8km at directions ranging from east-south-east to north-west.

In Luhansk region, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations, including ten explosions, compared with the previous reporting period (60 explosions).

During the day on 26 October, positioned about 1km north-east of Kriakivka (government-controlled, 38km north-west of Luhansk), the SMM heard five explosions assessed as outgoing (120mm) mortar rounds 2-3km south-west.

Positioned on the northern edge of Sentianivka (formerly Frunze, non-government-controlled, 44km west of Luhansk), the SMM heard five undetermined explosions 6-8km north-west.

The SMM observed damage to a civilian property in the Trudivski area of Donetsk city’s Petrovskyi district (non-government-controlled, 15km south-west of Donetsk city centre). At 41 Bezlisna Street, in the kitchen of an apartment on the ground floor of a two-storey house, the SMM saw a west-north-west-facing shattered window, fresh shrapnel damage to the furniture and several holes in the room’s north-north-east-, east-south-east- and south-south-west-facing walls. It also saw scorch marks on the kitchen floor. The SMM assessed the damage as caused by a (30mm) round fired from a west-south-westerly direction. In the bedroom of the same apartment, the SMM saw a hole in the north-facing window and pieces of shrapnel on the floor; it could not assess the calibre of the weapon used or the direction of fire. A resident of the apartment (a man, aged 46) and his neighbour (a woman, aged 59) told the SMM that they had heard gunfire in the area on 24 October around 14:00.

The SMM continued to monitor and to pursue full access to the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska (government-controlled, 16km north-east of Luhansk), Zolote (government-controlled, 60km west of Luhansk) and Petrivske[2] (non-government-controlled, 41km south of Donetsk), as foreseen in the Framework Decision of the Trilateral Contact Group relating to disengagement of forces and hardware of 21 September 2016. The SMM’s access remained restricted, but the Mission was able to partially monitor them.*

Positioned about 3km north of Pervomaisk (non-government-controlled, 58km west of Luhansk), the SMM heard 12 shots of small-arms fire 2-3km north-west, assessed as inside the Zolote disengagement area.

Positioned near the Stanytsia Luhanska and Petrivske disengagement areas, the SMM observed a calm situation.

The SMM continued to monitor the withdrawal of weapons in implementation of the Memorandum and the Package of Measures and its Addendum.

In violation of withdrawal lines in a non-government-controlled area, on 25 October, an SMM long-range unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) spotted three tanks (T-72) near Khoroshe (36km west of Luhansk).

The SMM observed weapons that could not be verified as withdrawn, as their storage did not comply with the criteria set out in the 16 October 2015 notification from the SMM to the signatories of the Package of Measures on effective monitoring and verification of the withdrawal of heavy weapons. In government-controlled areas beyond the respective withdrawal lines, the SMM saw eight self-propelled howitzers (2S19 Msta-B, 152mm), of which two for the first time, four anti-tank guns (MT-12 Rapira, 100mm) and three anti-tank guided missile systems (9P149 Shturm-S, 130mm). It noted that two self-propelled howitzers (2S19), eight towed howitzers (2A36 Giatsint-B, 152mm) and four anti-tank guns (MT-12) continued to be missing.

The SMM observed armoured combat vehicles[3] and other indications of military-type presence in the security zone. In government-controlled areas, on 25 October, an SMM long-range UAV spotted an armoured reconnaissance vehicle (BRDM variant) near Novozvanivka (70km west of Luhansk), two armoured personnel carriers (APC) (BTR-variant) near Lopaskyne (23km north-west of Luhansk) and three infantry fighting vehicles (IFV) (BMP-1) and an APC (MT-LB) near Shchastia (20km north of Luhansk). On 26 October, the SMM saw an IFV (BMP-2) in Zaitseve (62km north-east of Donetsk).

In non-government-controlled areas, on 25 October, an SMM long-range UAV spotted six probable IFVs (BMP variant) near Burchak-Mykhailivka (14km east of Luhansk), two APCs (one MT-LB and one BTR variant) and an armoured reconnaissance vehicle (BRDM-2) in Luhansk city as well as two probable APCs (BTR variant) and a TORN radio intelligence system on a truck (KamAZ) near Khoroshe.

The SMM continued to facilitate and monitor adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to the Petrivske pumping station near Artema (government-controlled, 26km north of Luhansk), power lines in Berehove (non-government-controlled, 23km east of Luhansk), as well as to residential houses, which have sustained damage since the beginning of the conflict, in Marinka (government-controlled, 23km south-west of Donetsk), Krasnohorivka (government-controlled, 21km north-west of Donetsk) and Avdiivka (government-controlled, 17km north of Donetsk). The SMM also monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable demining activities near Nyzhnoteple (government-controlled, 26km north of Luhansk). The SMM continued to facilitate the operation of the DFS.

The SMM continued monitoring in Kherson, Odessa, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Chernivtsi and Kyiv.

*Restrictions of SMM’s freedom of movement or other impediments to fulfilment of its mandate

The SMM’s monitoring and freedom of movement are restricted by security hazards and threats, including risks posed by mines, unexploded ordnance (UXO) and other impediments – which vary from day to day. The SMM’s mandate provides for safe and secure access throughout Ukraine. All signatories of the Package of Measures have agreed on the need for this safe and secure access, that restriction of the SMM’s freedom of movement constitutes a violation, and on the need for rapid response to these violations. They have also agreed that the Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination (JCCC) should contribute to such response and co-ordinate mine clearance. Nonetheless, the armed formations in parts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions frequently deny the SMM access to areas adjacent to Ukraine’s border outside control of the Government (for example, SMM Daily Report 26 October 2018). The SMM’s operations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions remain restricted following the fatal incident of 23 April 2017 near Pryshyb; these restrictions continued to limit the Mission’s observations.

Denials of access:

Regular restrictions related to disengagement areas and mines/UXO:

• The SMM was prevented from accessing parts of the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area, with the exception of the main road, due to the possible presence of mines and UXO. A Ukrainian Armed Forces officer of the JCCC informed the SMM that no demining had taken place during the previous 24 hours. The SMM did not consider it safe to proceed and informed the JCCC.[4]
• The SMM was prevented from accessing secondary roads in the Zolote disengagement area due to the possible presence of mines and UXO. A Ukrainian Armed Forces officer of the JCCC informed the SMM that no demining had taken place during the previous 24 hours. The SMM did not consider it safe to proceed and informed the JCCC.5
• The SMM was prevented from accessing secondary roads south of the Zolote disengagement area due to the possible presence of mines and UXO. A member of the armed formations informed the SMM that no demining had taken place during the previous 24 hours. The SMM did not consider it safe to proceed.
• The SMM did not travel across the bridge in Shchastia due to the presence of mines. A Ukrainian Armed Forces officer of the JCCC said there were mines on the road south of the bridge. The SMM informed the JCCC. 5

Other impediments:

• An SMM mini-UAV lost its GPS signal due to signal interference while flying over an area near Dachne (non-government-controlled, 47km west of Luhansk). The SMM was unable to recover its UAV.[5]

[1]           For a complete breakdown of the ceasefire violations, please see the annexed table.

* Please see the section at the end of this report entitled “Restrictions of the SMM’s freedom of movement or other impediments to fulfilment of its mandate”.

[2]           Due to the presence of mines, including on a road between Bohdanivka and Petrivske, the SMM’s access to its camera in Petrivske remains limited, and thus the SMM has not been able to access observations from the camera since 22 June 2018.

[3]           This hardware is not proscribed by the provisions of the Minsk agreements on the withdrawal of weapons.

[4]           The SMM informed Ukrainian Armed Forces officers of the JCCC. Russian Federation Armed Forces officers of the JCCC withdrew from the JCCC as of 18 December 2017.

[5] The interference could have originated from anywhere within the radius of several kilometres of the UAV’s position. 

read more

VIENNA, 27 October 2018 - Today, following a court decision to impose an extremely high fine on The New Times online news outlet, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, called on authorities of the Russian Federation to protect freedom of the media and preserve pluralism of opinion in the country as an essential element of an open and democratic society.

On 26 October the Tverskoi District Court of Moscow issued a fine of 22 million 250 thousand rubles (nearly 297 thousand euro) against The New Times and 30 thousand rubles against its chief editor Yevgenia Albats (nearly 400 euro), judging the media outlet had failed to respect financial reporting obligations under the so-called 'foreign agents' law. The fine comes after the editor interviewed an opposition politician for a local radio station. According to news reports, the fine may force The New Times to close soon.

“The exceptionally high fine imposed on The New Times is an unprecedented decision, which is detrimental to freedom of the media in the Russian Federation,” Désir said. "I call on the authorities to repeal this decision and hope it will be overturned on appeal. I reiterate my call on the authorities to amend the existing legislation on 'foreign agents,' in order to avoid such situations in the future." 

The Representative recalled that one of the important commitments of OSCE participating States is to preserve media freedom and pluralism of the media. 

"The Russian Federation should avoid unnecessary and disproportionate measures that may weaken media pluralism. That is why the law on "foreign agents" needs to urgently change."

Russian legal regulations on the “foreign agents” law have been raised by the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media with the authorities on numerous occassions in the past (see https://www.osce.org/representative-on-freedom-of media/386669, https://www.osce.org/fom/368161, www.osce.org/fom/357111, https://www.osce.org/fom/142391 and https://www.osce.org/fom/100569).

read more

This report is for the media and the general public.

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more in Luhansk region, compared with the previous reporting period. The Mission followed up on reports of civilian casualties as a result of a mine explosion near Zalizne. The SMM’s access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas as well as near Verkhnoshyrokivske and Novoazovsk, near the border with the Russian Federation.* The Mission continued to facilitate the operation of the Donetsk Filtration Station. The SMM also facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to power lines near Zolote-5/Mykhailivka, as well as to enable demining in Zolote-2/Karbonit and Novotroitske. The Mission observed a convoy of trucks marked, “Humanitarian Aid from the Russian Federation”, in a non-government-controlled area of Donetsk region.

In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations,[1] including, however, more explosions (about 200), compared with the previous reporting period (140 explosions).

On the evening of 24 October, while in Svitlodarsk (government-controlled, 57km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard about 60 undetermined explosions and about 230 bursts and shots of heavy-machine-gun and small-arms fire, all 2-8km at directions ranging from south-east to south-west. The following day, while in the same location, the SMM heard about 40 undetermined explosions and about 20 bursts of heavy-machine-gun fire, all 2-6km at directions ranging from south-east to south-west.

On the evening and night of 24-25 October, the SMM camera at the Donetsk Filtration Station (DFS) (15km north of Donetsk) recorded an undetermined explosion 0.5-1km south-west as well as about 25 undetermined explosions and about 30 projectiles in flight (mostly from westerly to easterly directions), all 1-4km at south-westerly directions.

During the day on 25 October, positioned in Manuilivka (non-government-controlled, 65km east of Donetsk), the SMM heard about 40 undetermined explosions and about 30 bursts of small-arms fire, all 3-8km west (assessed as live-fire training outside the security zone). (The SMM observed five tanks in the same area. See below.)

In Luhansk region, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations, including 60 explosions, compared with the previous reporting period (45 explosions).

During the day on 25 October, positioned on the south-eastern edge of Kalynove-Borshchuvate (non-government-controlled, 61km west of Luhansk), the SMM heard about 50 undetermined explosions and 120 bursts of heavy-machine-gun fire, all 7-10km south-west.

The SMM followed up on reports of civilian casualties near Zalizne (government-controlled, 42km north-east of Donetsk). On 24 October, at a hospital in Toretsk (government-controlled, 43km north of Donetsk), the SMM saw a man (aged 31) with a small bandage on his left wrist and another man (aged 39) with no visible injuries. They told the SMM that on the afternoon of 23 October near Zalizne, while one of them had been driving a truck and the other an excavator (a few metres behind the truck) in a field, as part of repair works to water pipelines in the area, they had heard a loud explosion and immediately later felt a blast. Medical staff at the same hospital told the SMM that the two men had been admitted with “shell shock” on the afternoon of 23 October. An employee of the Voda Donbassa water company told the SMM by telephone that on the afternoon of 23 October, he had heard an explosion about 1km away from the location of the drivers near Zalizne, gone to the scene and seen them slightly injured and in shock as a result of a mine blast. He added that he had seen damage to the lower part of the cargo area of the truck. (On the afternoon of 23 October, while monitoring the ceasefire and facilitating the abovementioned repair works, the SMM heard a loud undetermined explosion in the area. See SMM Daily Report 24 October 2018.)

The SMM continued to monitor and to pursue full access to the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska (government-controlled, 16km north-east of Luhansk), Zolote (government-controlled, 60km west of Luhansk) and Petrivske[2] (non-government-controlled, 41km south of Donetsk), as foreseen in the Framework Decision of the Trilateral Contact Group relating to disengagement of forces and hardware of 21 September 2016. The SMM’s access remained restricted, but the Mission was able to partially monitor them.*

During the day on 25 October, positioned in the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area and near the Zolote and Petrivske disengagement areas, the SMM observed calm situations.

The SMM continued to monitor the withdrawal of weapons in implementation of the Memorandum and the Package of Measures and its Addendum.[3]

Beyond withdrawal lines but outside designated storage sites in non-government-controlled areas, on 24 October, an SMM mini-unmanned aerial vehicle spotted 31 tanks (23 T-64 and eight T-72) in a training area near Kruhlyk (31km south-west of Luhansk) (for previous observations in the area see SMM Daily Report 17 October 2018). On 25 October, the SMM observed five tanks (type undetermined) in a training area near Manuilivka (see above).

The SMM observed armoured combat vehicles and an anti-aircraft gun[4] in the security zone. In government-controlled areas, the SMM saw an anti-aircraft gun (ZU-23, 23mm) near Hirske (63km west of Luhansk), two armoured personnel carriers (APC) (BTR-60) and an armoured reconnaissance vehicle (BRDM-2) near Makarove (19km north-east of Luhansk), two infantry fighting vehicles (BMP-2) near Zaitseve (62km north-east of Donetsk) and an APC (BTR-80) near Novotroitske (36km south-west of Donetsk).

The SMM continued to facilitate and monitor adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to power lines near Zolote-5/Mykhailivka (non-government-controlled, 58km west of Luhansk) as well as to facilitate the operation of the DFS. The SMM also monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable demining in Zolote-2/Karbonit (government-controlled, 62km west of Luhansk) and in agricultural fields in Novotroitske.

The SMM observed a convoy of trucks marked “Humanitarian Aid from the Russian Federation” in a non-government-controlled area of Donetsk region (for previous observations of a similar convoy, see SMM Daily Report 28 September 2018). On the morning of 25 October, the SMM saw a convoy of 45 vehicles escorted by two cars with “DPR” plates heading west near Makiivka (12km north-east of Donetsk). The convoy consisted of 38 covered cargo trucks (28 with Russian Federation licence plates and ten with white-on-black plates), including 14 with “Humanitarian aid from the Russian Federation” in Cyrillic written on them, and seven vehicles marked “MChS” with white-on-black plates (four covered cargo trucks, two cars and a minibus).

The SMM continued monitoring in Kherson, Odessa, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Chernivtsi and Kyiv.

*Restrictions of SMM’s freedom of movement or other impediments to fulfilment of its mandate

The SMM’s monitoring and freedom of movement are restricted by security hazards and threats, including risks posed by mines, unexploded ordnance (UXO) and other impediments – which vary from day to day. The SMM’s mandate provides for safe and secure access throughout Ukraine. All signatories of the Package of Measures have agreed on the need for this safe and secure access, that restriction of the SMM’s freedom of movement constitutes a violation, and on the need for rapid response to these violations. They have also agreed that the Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination (JCCC) should contribute to such response and co-ordinate mine clearance. Nonetheless, the armed formations in parts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions frequently deny the SMM access to areas adjacent to Ukraine’s border outside control of the Government (for example, SMM Daily Report 22 October 2018). The SMM’s operations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions remain restricted following the fatal incident of 23 April 2017 near Pryshyb; these restrictions continued to limit the Mission’s observations.

Denials of access:

• At a checkpoint about 600m west of Verkhnoshyrokivske (formerly Oktiabr, non-government-controlled, 29km north-east of Mariupol), three members of the armed formations again prevented the SMM from traveling east. They, citing orders from their superiors, demanded to see the SMM’s patrol plan, which the Mission refused to show. The SMM saw civilian vehicles crossing the checkpoint.
• At a checkpoint near Novoazovsk (non-government-controlled, 40km east of Mariupol), four armed members of the armed formations again prevented the SMM from passing through to the city, citing an “ongoing operation”.

Regular restrictions related to disengagement areas and mines/UXO:

• The SMM was prevented from accessing parts of the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area, with the exception of the main road, due to the possible presence of mines and UXO. A Ukrainian Armed Forces officer of the JCCC informed the SMM that no demining had taken place during the previous 24 hours. The SMM did not consider it safe to proceed and informed the JCCC.[5]
• The SMM was prevented from accessing secondary roads in the Zolote disengagement area due to the possible presence of mines and UXO. A Ukrainian Armed Forces officer of the JCCC informed the SMM that no demining had taken place during the previous 24 hours. The SMM did not consider it safe to proceed and informed the JCCC.6
• The SMM was prevented from accessing secondary roads south of the Zolote disengagement area due to the possible presence of mines and UXO. A member of the armed formations informed the SMM that no demining had taken place during the previous 24 hours. The SMM did not consider it safe to proceed.

[1]           For a complete breakdown of the ceasefire violations, please see the annexed table.

* Please see the section at the end of this report entitled “Restrictions of the SMM’s freedom of movement or other impediments to fulfilment of its mandate”.

[2]           Due to the presence of mines, including on a road between Bohdanivka and Petrivske, the SMM’s access to its camera in Petrivske remains limited, and thus the SMM has not been able to access observations from the camera since 22 June 2018.

[3] The paragraph on weapons withdrawal in SMM Daily Report 24 October 2018 should have read: “The SMM revisited a permanent storage site in a non-government-controlled area of Donetsk region, whose location was beyond the respective withdrawal lines, and noted that 11 tanks (seven T-72 and four T-64) continued to be missing.”

[4]           This hardware is not proscribed by the provisions of the Minsk agreements on the withdrawal of weapons.

[5]           The SMM informed Ukrainian Armed Forces officers of the JCCC. Russian Federation Armed Forces officers of the JCCC withdrew from the JCCC as of 18 December 2017.

read more

SDGs SDGs:  7 - Affordable and clean energy 17 - Partnerships for the goals

MALAGA, Spain, 26 October 2018 - Growing economic and human interconnectedness have triggered developments that Europe and the Mediterranean region can only successfully govern if countries join forces in action-oriented dialogue and co-operation, say participants at 2018 OSCE Mediterranean Conference closing today in Malaga.

“The challenges we are facing are global. They are greater than Europe. Greater than Mediterranean. Greater than Africa. We must realize that the Mediterranean does not divide us. The Mediterranean unites us. It binds us,” said Miroslav Lajčák, Slovak Minister of Foreign and European Affairs.

Lajčák said that it has taken humanity a long time to understand how energy use impacts our planet, our security and our economies. “The issue lies at the heart of both the UN 2030 Agenda and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. That´s why Slovakia has identified the energy security and connectivity as the first priority in the Economic and Environmental Dimension of our 2019 OSCE Chairmanship.”

“Let me be clear. Governments can provide the structure, the incentives, the framework. But it’s the private sector that will need to help us go beyond the finish line,” said Lajčák.

OSCE Secretary General Thomas Greminger said that during today’s session, he sensed broad-based support towards a more substantive Mediterranean Partnership, more fully anchored to the OSCE agenda. “There also seems to be strong support for taking a fresh look at the Partnership in the direction of action-oriented dialogue,” he said.

“Perhaps no other field than energy in which the interdependence of the Euro-Mediterranean region is more manifest, for both regional prosperity and security. Energy co-operation stands out as an area in which the OSCE and its Mediterranean Partnership have the potential to develop further co-operation,” said Greminger.

Josep Borrell, Spanish Foreign Minister, said that the Mediterranean Partnership is not only a partnership of governments but also of citizens. “Energy and energy security affect everybody. Energy poverty is a reality in the region, Spain included. To tackle this problem the Spanish government has taken relevant measures in this field,” said Borrell. 

“In order to develop the great potential of our region in energy issues we must continue to the reinforce Euro-Mediterranean co-operation. We have to develop a shared vision and common priorities,” he added. 

Borrell said that Spain firmly believes in multilateralism and considers the Mediterranean Partnership essential for security and co-operation in our region. 

Italian Deputy Foreign Minister Guglielmo Picchi recalled the importance Italy attaches to the strengthening of co-operation among the 57 OSCE participating States and the Mediterranean partners. Particularly on those matters on which the respective agendas focus, like the handling of migration flows, fight to human trafficking and to terrorism and energy co-operation.

“The Mediterranean Security dimension poses challenges that must be tackled and opportunities to be seized. To this end, we need a strengthened partnership and a long-term vision,” said Picchi.  He underlined the tangible commitment of Italy in the OSCE for projects and initiatives directed to strengthen cooperation links with countries of the Mediterranean “South Shore”. “At the Milan Ministerial Council in December, we plan to translate our Chairmanship’s engagement into concrete commitment," said Picchi.

On the margins of the conference, Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) Secretary General Nasser Kamel and OSCE Secretary General Greminger signed today a Memorandum of Understanding for programmatic co-operation. 

“The OSCE and the UfM are complementary organizations: overlapping membership, shared commitment to co-operation and peace, with the OSCE more focused on security and UfM on economic-social issues. We look forward to closer co-operation and co-ordination over the coming months. Concrete work lays ahead of us,” said Greminger.

read more

TBILISI, 26 October 2018 – The international observers monitoring the presidential election in Georgia will present their preliminary post-election statement at a news conference on Monday, 29 October, in Tbilisi.

The mission is a joint undertaking of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA), the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), the NATO Parliamentary Assembly (NATO PA) and the European Parliament (EP).

The statement will be delivered by Kristian Vigenin, Special Co-ordinator and leader of the short-term OSCE observer mission, followed by Andrej Hunko, Head of the PACE delegation, Margareta Cederfelt, Head of the OSCE PA delegation, Rasa Juknevičienė, Head of the NATO PA delegation, Laima Liucija Andrikiene, Head of the EP delegation, and Ambassador Geert-Hinrich Ahrens, Head of the ODIHR election observation mission.

The International Election Observation Mission comprises some 400 observers from 40 countries, including 284 long- and short-term observers deployed by ODIHR, 54 parliamentarians and staff from the OSCE PA, 31 from PACE, 17 from the NATO PA and 12 from the EP.

Journalists are invited to attend the press conference on Monday, 29 October, at 14:30 at the Radisson Blu Iveria Hotel, Ballroom 2, 1 Rose Revolution Square, Tbilisi

Live stream of the press conference will be available at: www.facebook.com/osce.odihr and www.oscepa.org.

For further information, contact:

Thomas Rymer, ODIHR, +995 591 616 398 or +48 609 522 266, thomas.rymer@odihr.pl

Iryna Sabashuk, OSCE PA, +995 591 716 350 or +45 60 10 81 73, iryna@oscepa.dk

Bogdan Torcatoriu, PACE, +995 591 716 338 or +33 6 50 39 29 40, bogdan.torcatoriu@coe.int

Henrik Bliddal, NATO PA, +32 475 752 725, hbliddal@nato-pa.int

Karl Minaire, EP, +995 599 070 453 or +32 477 85 45 78, karl.minaire@europarl.europa.eu

read more

401108 Communication and Media Relations Section

A dedicated team of first responders in Catania, Italy, shared their practices in tackling trafficking of migrants through a multi-agency approach that combines effective investigative measures with victims’ protection, at an OSCE workshop held in this Sicilian port town on 11 October.     

The event was the final in a series of OSCE workshops leading to the development of guidelines for better co-ordinated and victim-centred identification of human trafficking cases among mixed migration flows.

Co-organized by the Office of the OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings and the 2018 Italian OSCE Chairmanship, the workshop took place with the active support and participation of Prosecutor Lina Trovato, who co-ordinates the day-to-day operations of the local team of anti-trafficking practitioners, as well as by Heracles Moskoff, National Anti-trafficking Co-ordinator of Greece.

“The consultations we have had so far with a wide range of practitioners from across the OSCE region reaffirm the need for a coherent, multi-disciplinary response to human trafficking of migrants, starting with the reception and identification phase,” said OSCE Acting Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, Valiant Richey. “Our job is to elevate role model practices such as the one in Catania, and make them accessible to all our participating States and Partners for Co-operation so that multiagency approaches become uniform and widely adopted”.

Participants included representatives from law enforcement, migration agencies, public social services and civil society organizations providing assistance to victims. Particular emphasis was placed on the safeguards required to effectively counter cases of child trafficking in mixed migration flows, including legal guardianship for the protection of unaccompanied minors.

Sharing his country’s most promising practices in adopting a more comprehensive anti-trafficking strategy, Heracles Moskoff noted how critical it is for presumed victims to have access to health and welfare services regardless of their willingness to co-operate in criminal proceedings.   

The OSCE will publish its guidelines for victim-centred identification of human trafficking cases, which aim to prevent potential victims of trafficking from being exploited by trafficking syndicates, later this year. 

The critical role of the security sector in countering trafficking in human beings and strengthening the rule of law was the focus of the first of four two-day workshops organized by the OSCE Mission to Montenegro and the Montenegrin National Coordinator’s Office in Berane on 23 and 24 October.

Additional workshops are planned in Bijelo Polje on 25 and 26 October, Budva on 30 and 31 October and Podgorica on 1 and 2 November.

Some 50 practitioners, representatives of the State Prosecutor’s Office, the Police Directorate, and the judiciary will participate in the four workshops. They will strengthen their capacities to ensure that the rights of human trafficking victims are respected by exploring mechanisms to identify victims and investigate and process cases, including by examining relevant case studies.

These workshops are a part of the Mission’s ongoing efforts to support the government in the area of protecting, identifying, and/or assisting potential victims of trafficking in human beings. It is currently supporting the development of the Strategy for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings 2019-2024 and the Action Plan for 2019.

read more

The critical role of the security sector in countering trafficking in human beings and strengthening the rule of law was the focus of the first of four two-day workshops organized by the OSCE Mission to Montenegro and the Montenegrin National Coordinator’s Office in Berane on 23 and 24 October.

Additional workshops are planned in Bijelo Polje on 25 and 26 October, Budva on 30 and 31 October and Podgorica on 1 and 2 November.

Some 50 practitioners, representatives of the State Prosecutor’s Office, the Police Directorate, and the judiciary will participate in the four workshops. They will strengthen their capacities to ensure that the rights of human trafficking victims are respected by exploring mechanisms to identify victims and investigate and process cases, including by examining relevant case studies.

These workshops are a part of the Mission’s ongoing efforts to support the government in the area of protecting, identifying, and/or assisting potential victims of trafficking in human beings. It is currently supporting the development of the Strategy for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings 2019-2024 and the Action Plan for 2019.

read more

The critical role of the security sector in countering trafficking in human beings and strengthening the rule of law was the focus of the first of four two-day workshops organized by the OSCE Mission to Montenegro and the Montenegrin National Coordinator’s Office in Berane on 23 and 24 October.

Additional workshops are planned in Bijelo Polje on 25 and 26 October, Budva on 30 and 31 October and Podgorica on 1 and 2 November.

Some 50 practitioners, representatives of the State Prosecutor’s Office, the Police Directorate, and the judiciary will participate in the four workshops. They will strengthen their capacities to ensure that the rights of human trafficking victims are respected by exploring mechanisms to identify victims and investigate and process cases, including by examining relevant case studies.

These workshops are a part of the Mission’s ongoing efforts to support the government in the area of protecting, identifying, and/or assisting potential victims of trafficking in human beings. It is currently supporting the development of the Strategy for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings 2019-2024 and the Action Plan for 2019.

read more

The critical role of the security sector in countering trafficking in human beings and strengthening the rule of law was the focus of the first of four two-day workshops organized by the OSCE Mission to Montenegro and the Montenegrin National Coordinator’s Office in Berane on 23 and 24 October.

Additional workshops are planned in Bijelo Polje on 25 and 26 October, Budva on 30 and 31 October and Podgorica on 1 and 2 November.

Some 50 practitioners, representatives of the State Prosecutor’s Office, the Police Directorate, and the judiciary will participate in the four workshops. They will strengthen their capacities to ensure that the rights of human trafficking victims are respected by exploring mechanisms to identify victims and investigate and process cases, including by examining relevant case studies.

These workshops are a part of the Mission’s ongoing efforts to support the government in the area of protecting, identifying, and/or assisting potential victims of trafficking in human beings. It is currently supporting the development of the Strategy for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings 2019-2024 and the Action Plan for 2019.

read more

400973 Communication and Media Relations Section

Members of the OSCE Mediterranean Points of Contact Network on border security and management completed an intensive and interactive five-day training course on various topics related to migration and border security. The course was held from 22 to 26 October 2018 at the premises of the International Co-operation Division of the Spanish National Police in Madrid.

Organized by the Border Security and Management Unit of the OSCE Transnational Threats Department, in close co-operation with the Spanish National Police (La Policia Nacional), the training course brought together 22 members of the Network, which was created in 2017. The high-level participants represented the border and customs services of Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia.

Due to their long-standing and successful co-operation with the OSCE and the central role of Spain in the Mediterranean region in the field of border security and management, experts from the Spanish National Police shared their good practices on how to address challenges regarding migration flows at the borders as well as cross-border threats linked to terrorism and organized crime.  

The participants covered differences between the smuggling and trafficking of human beings, the respective legal frameworks in the Mediterranean region and interviewing techniques to be used when working with human trafficking victims. They also engaged in practical exercises on maritime border protection, the identification of potential foreign terrorist fighters at border crossings, the international protection of migrant children, and mainstreaming gender in the security sector.

Experts from FRONTEX, Italy’s Guardia di Finanza, the International Organization for Migration, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, the Spanish Red Cross, and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime together with staff from the OSCE’s Border Security and Management Unit conducted the course.

This training course was the fifth activity of a multi-year OSCE initiative aimed at strengthening co-operation mechanisms between the border security and management agencies of the OSCE participating States and the Mediterranean Partners for Co-operation.

LVIV, 23 November 2018 - A regional workshop to foster dialogue and encourage international co-ordination and co-operation in combating illicit trafficking in weapons, ammunition and explosives among border security and management agencies and international stakeholders was organized in Lviv, Ukraine, from 23 to 25 November 2018.

The event, hosted by the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, gathered some 35 national representatives from Belarus, Estonia, Germany, Lithuania, Moldova, Poland and Ukraine as well as from the international organizations such as Europol, Interpol, OSCE and UNODC.

“Only effective co-operation among border and law enforcement agencies of neighboring states together with international institutions ensures a common security space and proper response to cross-border organized crime and terrorist activities,” stressed Lieutenant-General Vasyl Servatiuk, First Deputy Head of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine.

Robin Mossinkoff, Head of the OSCE Conflict Prevention Centre’s Forum for Security Support Section, underlined that combating the illicit trafficking of small arms and light weapons (SALW) in all its aspects needs to constitute a major element of any action addressing the problem of their destabilizing accumulation and uncontrolled spread.

“Germany considers the proliferation of weapons, ammunition and explosives to be a serious threat to national and regional security and prosperity,” noted Uwe Koch, Desk Officer at the Disarmament and Arms Control Directorate General, Federal Foreign Office of the Federal Republic of Germany. He continued: “The presence of representatives from numerous countries and international organizations reaffirms the importance of the subject.”

The regional workshop was financially supported by Germany and France and organized jointly by the OSCE Secretariat’s Conflict Prevention Centre and Transnational Threats Department.

read more

This report is for the general public and the media. 

SUMMARY

On 25 October at 07:02 (Moscow time), the eightieth[1] Russian convoy arrived at the Donetsk Border Crossing Point (BCP). A total of 25 vehicles were checked by Russian Federation border guards and customs officers prior to their crossing into Ukraine. All 25 vehicles had crossed back into the Russian Federation by 15:27 on 25 October.

DETAIL

Leaving the Russian Federation

On 25 October at 07:02, the Observer Mission observed the arrival of a Russian convoy at the gate of the Donetsk BCP. A Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations (MES) team co-ordinated and led the movements of the convoy. The convoy consisted of 19 cargo trucks and six support vehicles, including one ambulance. Four cargo trucks bore the inscription “Humanitarian aid from the Russian Federation” (in Russian) and three trucks, like the support vehicles, had the sign of MES on the side doors. The majority of the drivers had a MES logo on their t-shirts. At 07:02 the vehicles entered the customs control area and queued in three lines. Once the convoy arrived, the vehicles were visually checked from the outside by Russian Federation border guards and customs officers. The Russian MES staff rolled up/opened the tarpaulins of the trucks and the border guards and customs officials performed a visual observation from the outside.

Three Ukrainian border guards and two customs officers were observed accompanying their Russian counterparts; they also performed a visual observation of the vehicles from the outside (without entering the trucks’ cargo space). They had clipboards in their hands and were taking notes. One service dog was present during the procedure. By 07:35 all of the vehicles had left the BCP towards Ukraine.

Returning to the Russian Federation

At 15:06, the convoy returned and queued in the customs area. The tarpaulins of the trucks were opened and Russian Federation border guards and customs officers visually checked the returning convoy from the outside. Ukrainian representatives – three border guards and two customs officers – were present during this check. The Ukrainian officials also performed visual checks of the opened trucks from the outside. By 15:27 all 25 vehicles had crossed back into the Russian Federation.

[1] According to the statement of the Russian Federation officials, this convoy is considered to be the eighty-second Russian convoy which was sent to Ukraine. As two of these convoys did not cross through the “Donetsk” or “Gukovo” BCPs, the Observer Mission did not record them. Hence, based on the Observer Mission’s counting, this convoy is considered the eightieth convoy that has crossed into Ukraine.

read more

401291 Public Affairs Unit, OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights

One hundred women leaders gathered to explore challenges and ways forward towards women’s empowerment and leadership at the second International Forum of Women Leaders in Minsk on 25 and 26 October 2018.

The event to help advance gender equality in the OSCE region was co-organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR). The Forum was part of the Office’s Promoting Democratization and Human Rights in Belarus project, funded by the European Union.

Women state officials, parliamentarians, entrepreneurs, academics, civil society activists and gender experts from 21 OSCE participating States, including all member states of the Commonwealth of Independent States, took part in the event. Discussions focused on topics such as women’s participation in politics and the economic sphere, combating violence against women, strengthening women's networks and coalition building, and equal opportunities at universities.

“In the 21st century, women from all backgrounds should live a life free from violence at home and in the community. They should be able to participate on an equal footing with men in politics, business, education, family or non-family life. They should have every opportunity to achieve their goals. Equality is all we are asking for – is that too much?” said Katarzyna Gardapkhadze, First Deputy Director of ODIHR.

Irina Kostevich, Minister of Labor and Social Protection of Belarus, said: “Gender policy is not a policy in the interest of one socio-demographic group, such as women. It is a policy that aims for equality, an equal balance of rights and responsibilities of both women and men. And we should be moving forward along this path together in the interest of present and future generations.”

Ambassador Andrea Wiktorin, Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Belarus, said: “The EU's strategic engagement for gender equality focuses on five priority areas: equal market participation and economic independence; reduction of pay and pension gaps; equality in decision-making; combating gender-based violence; and promoting gender equality across the world. The EU has made significant progress in gender equality over the decades and stands ready to support Belarus in this regard."

The Forum was co-organized with the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection, the Belarusian State University, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Belarus, and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in Belarus.

SDGs SDGs:  7 - Affordable and clean energy 17 - Partnerships for the goals

MALAGA, Spain, 25 October 2018 – Energy is the fuel that powers economic growth, and as such plays a vital role in the national security of each OSCE participating State and Mediterranean Partner for Co-operation, said participants at today’s opening of the OSCE Mediterranean Conference in Malaga, Spain.

The conference is hosted by Spain, in co-operation with Slovakia as Chairmanship of the Mediterranean Contact Group and the OSCE Secretariat.

Representatives of the OSCE participating States, the six OSCE Mediterranean Partners for Co-operation (Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Morocco,Tunisia) and several international organizations are meeting in Malaga on 25 and 26 October to discuss the importance of energy for economic growth and co-operation.

Secure and affordable energy is essential for growth that will allow the region to prosper and meet challenges such as jobs creation.

“Only by establishing open and competitive energy markets can prices be lowered, the security of supply improved, and competitiveness increased,” said Lukáš Parízek, Slovak State Secretary of Foreign and European Affairs and Special Representative of the Slovak Foreign Minister for the OSCE Chairmanship of 2019. “It is important to develop new routes for transporting energy, improve integration of the Mediterranean energy markets, and strengthen regional co-operation between companies, regulatory bodies, public authorities and financial institutions,” he said. 

Lukáš Parízeksaid that the objective of the Slovak Chairmanship of the Mediterranean Contact Group wasto help the OSCE’s Mediterranean Partners find ways to ensure secure energy supplies, a competitive energy industry and improved energy efficiency, while maintaining environmentally sound conditions and protecting their energy infrastructure.

Fernando Valenzuela, Spanish Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, said that the promotion of multilateralism, co-operation and dialogue and strong focus on Mediterranean co-operation regarding energy issues, are foreign policy priorities for the Spanish Government.  “Enhanced energy co-operation with our Mediterranean Partners on the south bank is crucial not only to ensure the supplies, transit and connections that we all need but to foster and further develop European and Mediterranean energy security,” said State Secretary Valenzuela.

Vuk Žugić,Co-ordinator for OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities, said that energy is a critical topic that deserves the widest and most comprehensive dialogue possible: “Guaranteeing sustainable and reliable energy at affordable prices is an indispensable condition for prospering economies, peace and security, throughout the OSCE area and beyond.” 

Žugić noted that renewable energy is playing an increasingly important role in the energy mix of many countries in the region, which are making an effort to reduce their CO2 emissions.

“By reinforcing the connection between peace, security and development, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development provides an overarching framework for action; it also has clearly defined goals [Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)] that are in sync with the energy-related political commitments of OSCE participating States – in particular SDG 7, which is to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all,” said Žugić.

Held since 1994, the OSCE Mediterranean Conference, has become an important high-level exercise for strengthening long-term co-operation between the OSCE and its Mediterranean Partners for Co-operation, offering a unique platform to address issues of common interest for joint security. 

read more