OSCE

On 15 October over 2,000 participants from 21 countries gathered at the fourth annual International Entrepreneurship Forum in Dushanbe. High-level government officials, financial institutions, businesses, diplomats and representatives of international organizations discussed the development of entrepreneurship and investment, as well as contemporary economic trends.

In his speech to the Forum, President of Tajikistan, Emomali Rahmon, highlighted the investment opportunities in the country, the need to develop entrepreneurship and embrace modern communication technologies and innovative economic processes.

Addressing the Forum, Edward Safaryan, the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe’s Economic Officer highlighted the OSCE’s contribution to entrepreneurship and business development. “We are supporting the realisation of new business ideas through a network of Business Resource Centres operating in Garm, Shaartuz and Kulyab.”  Safaryan added that the establishment of Business Resource Centres was the result of joint work by the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe and the State Committee on Investment and State Property Management of the Republic of Tajikistan.

Safaryan also referred to the Office’s recent initiative of organizing three start-up weekends, during which young people had the opportunity to work with mentors to shape and present their business ideas for further development and implementation. He stressed that “private initiatives driven by the younger generation of entrepreneurs” deserve to be supported in order to stimulate young people’s interest in business.

During the Forum, several agreements on investments and collaboration, including in the food and beverage industry, textile production, urban infrastructure and agribusiness were concluded.

This report is for the media and the general public.

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, compared with the previous reporting period. Small arms were again fired near an SMM patrol and towards an SMM unmanned aerial vehicle near Mykolaivka Druha. The Mission observed weapons in violation of the agreed withdrawal lines on both sides of the contact line. The SMM recorded ceasefire violations near the Stanytsia Luhanska and Zolote disengagement areas. The SMM’s access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas as well as near Yuzhna-Lomuvatka, Novoazovsk, Zaichenko and Siedove, near the border with the Russian Federation.* The Mission continued to facilitate the operation of the Donetsk Filtration Station. It also facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to and maintenance of critical infrastructure in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, repairs to the phenol sludge reservoir near Zalizne, as well as demining in the area of Zolote-2/Karbonit. In Kyiv, the SMM monitored a gathering in relation to electoral legislation.

In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations,[1]including about 260 explosions, compared with the previous reporting period (about 420 explosions).

While conducting a mini-unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) flight on the morning of 16 October near Mykolaivka Druha (government-controlled, 55km north of Donetsk), an SMM patrol heard three bursts of small-arms fire 1km south-east, followed four minutes later by five shots of small-arms fire approximately 100-200m south-east, assessed as aimed at the UAV. The SMM landed the UAV, which was undamaged, and departed the area.*

On the evening of 15 October, the SMM camera at the Donetsk Filtration Station (DFS) (15km north of Donetsk) recorded 13 explosions (one assessed as an impact of an undetermined weapon and the remainder undetermined) and about 85 projectiles in flight (mostly in vertical flight), all 1-4km at directions ranging from south-south-east to south-south-west. 

On the evening and night of 15-16 October, the SMM camera 1.5km north-east of Hnutove (government-controlled, 20km north-east of Mariupol) recorded about 30 undetermined explosions and about 280 projectiles in flight (mostly from north to south and south to north), all 2-5km at directions ranging from east-north-east to south-east.

On the evening and night of 15-16 October, the SMM camera in Chermalyk (government-controlled, 31km north-east of Mariupol) recorded 13 explosions (one assessed as an impact of an undetermined weapon and the remainder undetermined) and about 210 projectiles (mostly from west-north-west to east-south-east and from east-north-east to west-south-west), all 1-4km at southerly and easterly directions.

On the evening of 15 October, while in Svitlodarsk (government-controlled, 57km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard 38 undetermined explosions and about 30 bursts of heavy-machine-gun fire, all 2-6km south-east and south-south-east.

In Luhansk region, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations, including about 20 explosions, compared with the previous reporting period (about 60 explosions). 

Positioned on the north-western outskirts of Holubivske (non-government-controlled, 51km west of Luhansk) for about 25 minutes, the SMM heard 13 undetermined explosions and about 15 bursts of heavy-machine-gun fire, all 3-5km north-east.

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.*

On the evening of 15 October, positioned on the eastern edge of Stanytsia Luhanska, the SMM heard six undetermined explosions 5-7km south-south-east and five shots of anti-aircraft gun (ZU-23-2, 23mm) fire 3-5km south-west, all assessed as outside the disengagement area.

On the evening of 15 October, the SMM camera in Zolote recorded three projectiles in flight from south to north 2-4km east (assessed as outside the disengagement area), followed about 15 minutes later by two projectiles from east-north-east to west-south-west 2-4km south-south-east and a projectile from north-east to south-west 2-4km south (all unable to assess whether inside or outside the disengagement area). On the morning of 16 October, positioned on the northern edge of the Zolote disengagement area, the SMM saw a wheeled military-type vehicle (type unknown) inside the disengagement area, in its north-eastern part.

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 linesin a non-government-controlled area, on 14 October, aerial imagery revealed the presence of 20towed howitzers (undetermined variants) and 19 self-propelled howitzers (undetermined variants) in a training area about 2km south-east of Buhaivka (37km south-west of Luhansk).

In violation of withdrawal linesin government-controlled areas, on 15 October, an SMM mini-UAV spotted six tanks (T-64) near Loskutivka (72km west of Luhansk). On 16 October, the SMM saw two towed howitzers (a probable D-30 Lyagushka, 122mm and a 2A65 Msta-B, 152mm) near Smolianynove(61km north-west of Luhansk).

Beyond the respective withdrawal lines but outside designated storage areas in non-government-controlled areas, on 14 October, aerial imagery revealed the presence of 16 tanks (undetermined variants) and four surface-to-air missile systems (undetermined variants) in a training area about 2km south-east of Buhaivka, 12 tanks (undetermined variants) in a training area near Shymshynivka (27km south-west of Luhansk), 30 tanks (undetermined variants) in a training area near Kruhlyk (31km south-west of Luhansk), 20 tanks (undetermined variants) in a training area near Myrne (28km south-west of Luhansk) and 59 tanks (undetermined variants) in a training area near Manuilivka (65km east of Donetsk) (for previous observations in these areas, see SMM Daily Report 4 October 2018).

Beyond the respective withdrawal lines but outside designated storage areas in government-controlled areas, on 16 October, the SMM saw four tanks (T-64) in Rubizhne (84km north-west of Luhansk),five anti-tank guided missile systems (9P148 Konkurs, 135mm) near Novookhtyrka (55km north-west of Luhansk) and a towed howitzer (2A36 Giatsint-B, 152mm) near Rodynske (59km north-west of Donetsk).

The SMM observed armoured combat vehicles (ACV) and an anti-aircraft gun[3] in the security zone. In non-government-controlled areas, on 14 October, aerial imagery revealed the presence of an ACV near Svobodne (73km south of Donetsk), in a zone within which deployment of heavy armaments and military equipment is proscribed according to Point 5 of the Memorandum of 19 September 2014, and an ACV near Novoselivka (37km north-east of Donetsk). On 15 October, an SMM long-range UAV spotted an armoured personnel carrier (APC) (BTR-80) near houses in Petrivske, aninfantry fighting vehicle (IFV) (BMP-2) near Petrivske, an APC (BTR variant) andtwoIFVs (BMP-1) near Bila Kamianka (51km south of Donetsk)and anIFV (BMP-1) near Styla (34km south of Donetsk). On the same day, an SMM mini-UAV spotted an ACV near Bezimenne (100km south of Donetsk). On 16 October, an SMM mini-UAV spotted five IFVs (BMP variants) near Lobacheve (13km east of Luhansk). On 16 October, the SMM saw an IFV (BMP-1) being towed by a truck near Pervomaisk (58km west of Luhansk).

In government-controlled areas, on 15 October, an SMM long-range UAV spotted three armoured reconnaissance vehicles (BRDM-2), a probable ACV and an IFV (probable BMP-2) near Nevelske (18km north-west of Donetsk), an IFV (BMP-2) and an ACV near Slavne (26km south-west of Donetsk) and six ACVs (type undetermined) near Bohdanivka (41km south-west of Donetsk). It also spotted two IFVs (BMP-2), an APC (MT-LB) and three ACVs near Starohnativka (51km south of Donetsk), two ACVs near Novohryhorivka (55km south of Donetsk), three ACVs and an IFV (BMP-1) near Mykolaivka (40km south of Donetsk), an IFV (BMP-1) near Novohnativka (40km south of Donetsk), an armoured reconnaissance vehicle (BRDM-2) in Olhynka (40km south-west of Donetsk) and an IFV (BTR-4) near Novobakhmutivka (28km north of Donetsk).On 16 October, an SMM mini-UAV spotted an ACV near Ozarianivka (formerly Pershe Travnia, 52km north of Donetsk). On the same day, the SMM saw an IFV (BTR-4)near Novobakhmutivka and an anti-aircraft gun (ZU-23) near Lebedynske (16km north-east of Mariupol).

The SMM continued to observe mines. On the asphalt road between Pyshchevyk (government-controlled, 25km north-east of Mariupol) and Verkhnoshyrokivske (formerly Oktiabr, non-government-controlled, 85km south of Donetsk), about 1.5 km east of Pyshchevyk, the SMM saw for the first time an anti-tank mine (TM-62M) without fuse as well as more than 15 anti-tanks mine fuses scattered (two of them recently and the remainder partly burned) on the southern part of the main road.

The SMM saw demining activity. At the intersection of roads P-22 and T-1309, 4km south-west of Shyrokyi (government-controlled, 38km north-east of Luhansk), the SMM saw people wearing clothing bearing the logo of an international demining organization carrying out demining activities.

The Mission facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to the phenol sludge reservoir near Zalizne (formerly Artemove, government-controlled, 42km north-east of Donetsk), to the Petrivske pumping station near Artema (government-controlled, 26km north of Luhansk), to electrical infrastructurein Betmanove (formerly Krasnyi Partyzan, non-government-controlled, 23km north-east of Donetsk)and to water distribution infrastructure in Krasnyi Lyman (non-government-controlled, 30km north-west of Luhansk). It also monitored adherence to the ceasefire to facilitate demining in the area of Zolote-2/Karbonit (government-controlled, 62km west of Luhansk). The SMM continued to facilitate the operation of the DFS, including through monitoring adherence to the ceasefire.

The SMM visited a border area not under government control. While at a border crossing point near Novoazovsk (40km east of Mariupol) for about ten minutes, the SMM saw three cars (two with Ukrainian and one with Russian Federation licence places) entering Ukraine and two cars (with Ukrainian licence plates) exiting Ukraine.

In Kyiv, the SMM monitored a gathering in favour of the adoption of a new electoral code before the next parliamentary elections. Around 150 people (mixed ages and genders) carrying flags of various political movements and paper signs with messages critical of the current electoral system blocked entrances to the Parliament building at 18 Mykhaila Hrushevskoho Street and 3A Sadova Street. The SMM observed about 50 police officers and 75 National Guard officers standing around the premises of the Parliament and near Mariinskyi Park. The protest ended peacefully.

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

*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, seebelow). 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 in Yuzhna-Lomuvatka (non-government-controlled, 60km west of Luhansk), a member of the armed formations denied the SMM passage, citing “demining and engineering works ongoing in the area”. 
• At a checkpoint near Siedove (non-government-controlled, 33km north-east of Mariupol), near the border with the Russian Federation, two armed members of the armed formations denied the SMM access to the village, citing an “event going on in the area”.
• At a checkpoint near Novoazovsk, two members of the armed formations again prevented the SMM from passing through, citing “orders from their superiors”.
• At a checkpoint about 1km north of Zaichenko (non-government-controlled, 26km north-east of Mariupol), two armed members of the armed formations again denied the SMM passage south to Zaichenko and Sakhanka (non-government-controlled, 24km north-east of Mariupol).

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.

Delay:

• At a checkpoint north of Slovianoserbsk (non-government-controlled, 28km north-west of Luhansk), an armed member of the armed formations denied the SMM passage, citing the need to obtain a “permission”. After 16 minutes, the SMM was allowed to proceed but was told “not to launch any UAV flights within 200m of any armed formations positions”.

Conditional access:

• At a checkpoint near Horlivka (non-government-controlled, 39km north-east of Donetsk), two members of the armed formations allowed the SMM to proceed only after visually inspecting its trailer.

Other impediments:

• During the evening of 15 October, an SMM long-range UAV temporarily lost its GPS signal on five occasions, assessed as due to jamming[5], near Stepanivka (government-controlled, 54km north of Donetsk), Zoloti Pisky (government-controlled, 12km north-west of Donetsk), between Novolaspa (non-government-controlled, 50km south of Donetsk) and Petrivske, between Bohdanivka and Buhas (government-controlled, 44km south-west of Donetsk) and between Liubivka (non-government-controlled, 20km south of Donetsk) and Semenivka (government-controlled, 24km north-west of Donetsk).
• In the morning of 16 October, an SMM long-range UAV temporarily lost its GPS signal, assessed as due to jamming7, near Stepanivka.
• In the morning of 16 October, an SMM mini-UAV temporarily lost its GPS signal, assessed as due to jamming7, near Starohnativka. 
• Onthe morning of 16 October, whileconducting a mini-UAV flight near Mykolaivka Druha, the SMM heard three bursts of small-arms fire 1km south-east, followed four minutes later by five shots of small-arms fire approximately 100-200m south-east, assessed as aimed at the UAV.
• Staff at a school in Pervomaisk refused to provide the SMM information without prior approval from senior members of the armed formations.

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

[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 in a radius of several kilometres of the UAV’s position.

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KYIV, 17 October 2018 – Principal Deputy Chief Monitor of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine Alexander Hug will hold his regular news briefing on Thursday, 18 October.

He will talk about the security situation throughout Ukraine and the Mission’s recent activities.

Journalists are invited to attend the news briefing tomorrow, 18 October, at 14:15 (Kyiv time), at the Ukrainian Crisis Media Centre, at the Ukrainian House, 2 Khreshchatyk Street, Kyiv.

Live streaming of the news briefing will be available at http://uacrisis.org/ru/stream/#eng

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PRISHTINË/PRIŠTINA, 17 October 2018 – The 2018 OSCE Italian Chairmanship, the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, and the Italian Embassy in Prishtinë/Priština today began an advanced anti-corruption training programme for law enforcement agencies in Kosovo.

The three-day training will be delivered by senior anti-corruption experts from Italy: the Head of the Guardia di Finanza Anti-Corruption Special Unit, Gaetano Luigi Cosimo Scazzeri; the Guardia di Finanza Expert on Anti- MoneyLaundering seconded to the Italian OSCE Chairmanship, Roberto Magni; and the Chief Prosecutor of the Italian Province of Asti, Alberto Perduca.

Officers of the Kosovo Police, the Police Inspectorate, the Anti-Corruption Agency, the Financial Intelligence Unit and judicial institutions will hear about Italy’s experience in fighting corruption, such as: preventive and repressive activities; tracking of financial flows in money laundering investigations; international legal tools for investigations into corruption cases; investigative techniques; and criminal asset recovery.

The Italian OSCE Chairmanship has identified anti-corruption as one of its key priorities.

On the second day of training course, a joint press conference will be organized, at which Italian Ambassador Piero Sardi, OSCE Mission Head Jan Braathu, Justice Minister Abelard Tahiri and Anti-Corruption Agency Director Shaip Havolli, and the Italian experts conducting the training programme, will address the journalists.

Media are cordially invited to cover the press conference tomorrow, Thursday, 18 October 2018, at the Italian Embassy in Prishtinë/Priština, starting at 16:00 hrs.

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The OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe contributed to the development of regional economic connectivity by supporting the annual International Economic Forum “Sughd-2018” which took place on 11 October 2018 in Khujand, northern Tajikistan. This year, the forum was dedicated to the achievements and tenth anniversary of the Free Economic Zones (FEZs) in Tajikistan.

At the International Economic Forum, the Government of Tajikistan hosted 500 entrepreneurs and foreign business entities from the Islamic Republic of Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Ukraine and Uzbekistan to discuss co-operation and perspective projects.

A special session was dedicated to maximising the potential of FEZs, with best practices shared by neighbouring countries, as well as visit to three local companies operating in the Sughd FEZ. The Forum concluded with the signing of a memorandum of collaboration between Sughd FEZ and its counterpart in Ontustik, Kazakhstan.  

Edward Safaryan, Economic Officer at the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe, said in his opening remarks: “Tajikistan’s FEZs host leading local companies that are capable to move the country’s international economic growth forward. The OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe is proud to support the country’s FEZs to expand their potential.”

The annual International Economic Forum was organized and co-ordinated by the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade of Tajikistan. It was supported by the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe, UNDP Tajikistan and the mobile phone operator Megafon Tajikistan.   

The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina, in co-operation with the Regional Association of Women Entrepreneurs, organized a one-day Women’s Entrepreneurship Fair on 17 October 2018 in Sarajevo.

The fair gathered 30 female entrepreneurs from Sarajevo and Istocno Sarajevo with the aim of empowering women entrepreneurs, strengthening their co-operation, and promoting their products and businesses.

“As part of this event, a group of successful female entrepreneurs will offer their insights into what it takes to launch, sustain and grow a small business. We hope to improve the links between women-led businesses in the area, to connect them with potential markets, and to promote their impressive collection of products and services,” said Bruce G. Berton, Head of the OSCE Mission to BiH.

Adrijana Rac, Project Assistant at the City Development Agency Istocno Sarajevo, said that there is a need to support women and give impetus to their business ideas, as the entrepreneurial spirit exists but needs encouragement to grow. “The fair is an excellent opportunity for co-operation among and economic empowerment of women,” she added.

VIENNA, 17 October 2018 – Greater international co-operation can counter the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, said speakers at today’s meeting of the OSCE Forum for Security Co-operation (FSC), which focused on the implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1540 within the OSCE region.

Opening the discussions, Chairperson of the FSC and Permanent Representative of Sweden to the OSCE Ambassador Ulrika Funered said that 2019 will mark 15 years since the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 1540 regarding the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction by non-state actors.

“We can probably all agree that the Resolution’s implementation remains of the utmost importance and relevance, not least due to the fact that terrorist organizations have continuously shown interest in the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and, in the case of Daesh, also used them,” she said. “It is my hope that we can use the upcoming anniversary of the Resolution’s adoption to further enhance the OSCE’s work to support its implementation in our region.”

Ambassador Funered added that Sweden, in its current role as Vice-Chair of the 1540 Committee, has consistently underlined the importance of co-operation with regional and sub-regional actors in the implementation of Resolution 1540.

Ambassador Jan Eliasson, Chair of the Governing Board of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), former Deputy Secretary-General of the UN and former Foreign Minister of Sweden, noted that Resolution 1540 underlines the importance of implementing the resolution through regional organizations.

“It is evident that proliferation is not a problem reserved for the periphery caused by alien groups with unacceptable ideologies. It is a problem here at home. Europe has a duty, we have a duty, to get our house in order and help each other to address the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction,” he said. “Regional organizations are indispensable assistance providers. We need to seek a balance between internal and external capacity-building within regions in order to be credible. This applies to the OSCE and other regional organizations.”

Ana Hinojosa, Director of the Compliance and Facilitation Directorate at the World Customs Organization, said: “International terrorism organizations use traditional supply chains to support and facilitate their activities, for example the smuggling of armaments and ammunition, or to acquire strategic goods for proliferation of improvised explosive devices or worse. Given this fact, the security of any country, or in this case the European states, is literally only as strong as its weakest link. Reinforcing the capacities within the customs and border agencies in the security arena is an important part of strengthening those links.”

Ali Rached, Policy Analyst at the Counter Terrorism Directorate of INTERPOL’s General Secretariat, provided an overview of the Organization’s Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy and how this supports the implementation of Resolution 1540. He described how INTERPOL’s facilitation of information-sharing and cross-border inter-agency co-operation as well as the Organization’s multilateral and bilateral global partnerships work to counter the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction by non-state actors.

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Enhancing the political and electoral participation of persons with disabilities was at thecentre of discussions during a conference co-organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the Balkans Independent Disability Framework on 16 and 17 October 2018 in Belgrade.

The event brought together 70 participants (43 women and 27 men), including prominent activists in the field of disability rights, current and former parliamentarians with disabilities, academics, representatives of disabled people’s organizations and experts from other international organizations, including the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. ODIHR invited practitioners and experts in the field from Latvia, Slovenia, Ukraine and the United Kingdom.

The event helped to raise awareness about the limited participation of persons with disabilities in political and electoral life across the Western Balkan region and identify measures to facilitate more diverse and inclusive democratic institutions and decision-making processes. 

Key topics discussed included co-operation and partnership between persons with disabilities and government institutions, as well as related good practices, challenges and recommendations; inter-parliamentary lobby groups and political parties; the inclusion of women and youth with disabilities in political life; and the right to vote, including methods of advocacy for the implementation of ODIHR election observation recommendations.

“Full and effective participation of persons with disabilities, including women and youth, in all aspects of public and political life is crucial in any democratic society,” said Tiina Kukkamaa-Bah, Chief of the ODIHR Democratic Governance and Gender Unit. “It signifies respect for the human rights of all individuals and ensures that voices of all community members are equally valued and heard.”

Goran Kustura, Secretary-General of the National Council of Slovenian Organizations of Persons with Disabilities, said: “Electoral participation of persons with disabilities is not just about removing barriers and making polling stations and voting materials accessible. These are only the first steps. They should be accompanied by policymaking that includes grassroots movements and umbrella associations, and persons with disabilities themselves administering elections and running for office.”

The event was organized as part of  ODIHR’s projects “Our right to Participate – Promoting the Participation of Persons with Disabilities in Political and Public Life” and “Support to Elections in the Western Balkans”, forming part of the Office’s assistance to the participating States in promoting inclusive democratic societies and following up on ODIHR electoral recommendations. The Support to Elections in the Western Balkans project is funded by the European Unionand the Austrian Development Agency.

MINSK, 17 October 2018 – The Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office in Ukraine and in the Trilateral Contact Group (TCG), Ambassador Martin Sajdik, made the following statement to the press after the meeting of the TCG ‎and its Working Groups in Minsk on 16 October 2018:

“As you know, in early October, Ukraine prolonged the validity of the law on the special status of certain areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

For my part, I welcome this fact as evidence of Ukraine’s commitment to the Minsk agreements and the peaceful resolution of the conflict.

Unfortunately, along with these good news, there are bad ones, too.

In the recent period, the number of ceasefire violations has sharply increased; this inevitably leads to new civilian casualties. You probably already know about the death of two women - a mother and daughter - last week in certain areas of Luhansk region.

In this regard, I once again solemnly urge all the sides to prevent such a development and to show full restraint.

This issue was in the focus of the Security Working Group today. The Group discussed additional measures to ensure a comprehensive and sustainable ceasefire. It considered as well the issues of disengagement of forces and hardware, and practical steps to implement "humanitarian demining".

The Humanitarian Working Group further considered questions related to the exchange of detainees and the search for missing persons. One of the discussion topics concerned also the possibility to improve crossing conditions at the contact line via entry-exit checkpoints.

The Economic Working Group focused on the issues related to water deliveries in the "Karbonyt" and "Voda Donbasa" supply systems, including further steps to carry out repair works on the South Donbas water pipeline, in Avdiivka’s industrial zone.

The Political Working Group continued working on its regular agenda issues, such as the implementation of the so-called ‘Steinmeier formula’.

Today, the Principal Deputy Head of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, Alexander Hug, participated in our meetings for the last time. He is leaving his position at the end of October. On behalf of all the TCG participants, I would like to express deep gratitude for all his hard work.”

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VIENNA, 17 October 2018 – Security threats, migration, conflict prevention and regional engagement were the focus of the League of Arab States - OSCE high-level workshop held today in Vienna.

The League of Arab States was led by Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit. The meeting provided a platform for an exchange of information and expertise, exploring the ways in which the two organizations could enhance co-ordination more effectively, including by supporting the UN agenda.

OSCE Secretary General Thomas Greminger said that the OSCE values enhanced dialogue and co-ordination with international and regional organizations based in OSCE’s neighbouring regions. He offered intensified engagement in the field of security to those countries and groups of countries that express interest in the OSCE’s decades-old experience in fostering co-operation in Europe. “The sharing of best practices has been the cornerstone of our co-operation with the League of Arab States,” he said.

“Multilateralism is not only a concept which we need to safeguard in an unfavourable environment.  It is also a practice which we can concretely support by leveraging partnerships with other international organizations, and thereby tangibly contribute to reinforcing the international order,” Greminger said.

Greminger regretfully noted that old and new divisions – national, cultural, economic, even ethnic – are being cited as reasons for justifying a confrontational rather than co-operative path. “Xenophobia and racism have come back to the mainstream, especially in the context of large-scale movements of people from neighbouring regions, for which European societies have generally been unprepared,” he said.

He called for the OSCE to double its engagement with its Partners for Co-operation, including in the Mediterranean region, to address a growing set of common challenges and reinforce trust among societies on both shores. “The OSCE looks forward to strengthening co-operation with all six OSCE Mediterranean Partners for Co-operation, focusing on those areas in which the Partners see added value from an interaction with the organization,” said Greminger.

The LAS and OSCE held a similar workshop in 2014 in Cairo, leading to intensified contacts and closer co-ordination.

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This report is for the media and the general public.

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, compared with the previous 24 hours. In Zolote-5/Mykhailivka, the SMM continued to follow up on two fatalities caused by shelling. The Mission observed damage caused by shelling in a residential area of Zolote-4/Rodina. The SMM heard and saw explosions and heard small-arms fire near the SMM inside the Zolote disengagement area. The Mission recorded ceasefire violations near the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area and saw newly dug trenches in the Petrivske disengagement area. The SMM’s access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas as well as near Zaichenko, Verkhnoshyrokivske, Bezimenne, Volnovakha and at a railway station in Voznesenivka, near the border with the Russian Federation.* The SMM facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable demining in Zolote‑2/Karbonit. The Mission monitored events related to the Defender of Ukraine Day in Dnipro. In Kyiv, the SMM followed up on reports that a large number of people had been detained near the Pecherska Lavra.

In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations,[1] including, however, fewer explosions (about 420), compared with the previous 24 hours (about 570 explosions).

On the evening and night of 14-15 October, the SMM camera at the Donetsk Filtration Station (DFS) (15km north of Donetsk) recorded 24 undetermined explosions and 37 projectiles in flight (mostly from north-north-west to south-south-east), all 0.5-4km south-south-east, south and south-south-west.

On the evening and night of 14-15 October, the SMM camera 1.5km north-east of Hnutove (90km south of Donetsk) recorded 30 undetermined explosions and about 590 projectiles in flight (including about 360 from south to north and south-west to north-east), four bursts and two illumination flares, all 2-4km east-north-east, east and east-south-east. 

On the evening and night of 14-15 October, the SMM camera in Chermalyk (government-controlled, 31km north-east of Mariupol) recorded 23 undetermined explosions and about 210 projectiles in flight (almost half evenly from easterly directions to westerly directions and westerly directions to easterly directions), all 2-4km south-east, south-south-east and south. 

On the evening of 14 October, while in Svitlodarsk (government-controlled, 57km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard two undetermined explosions and about 250 bursts and 75 shots of heavy-machine-gun and small-arms fire, all 2-6km at directions ranging from east to south-west. The following day, the SMM heard 185 undetermined explosions and about 565 and 15 bursts and shots of heavy-machine-gun and small-arms fire, all 1-7km at directions ranging from north-east to south-west. 

In Luhansk region, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations, including, however, fewer explosions (about 60), compared with the previous 24 hours (about 180 explosions). 

Positioned on the south-east edge of Popasna (government-controlled, 69km west of Luhansk), the SMM heard 31 undetermined explosions and two bursts of small-arms fire, all 10-15km north-east. 

Positioned in Zolote-5/Mykhailivka (non-government-controlled, 58km west of Luhansk), the SMM heard two undetermined explosions 7-10km north-north-west and about 120 shots of small-arms fire 2-3km north-north-west.

The SMM continued to follow up on reports of a woman and a girl killed by shelling in Zolote-5/Mykhailivka. Medical staff from a morgue in Kadiivka (formerly Stakhanov, non-government-controlled, 50km west of Luhansk) told the SMM that on 13 October a woman (47 years old) had died as a result of shrapnel wounds to the chest, stomach, arms and legs and a girl (17 years old) had died as a result of shrapnel wounds to the head, body and limbs. (See SMM Daily Report 15 October 2018.)

The SMM observed fresh damage in a residential area as a result of shelling. In Zolote‑4/Rodina (government-controlled, 59km west of Luhansk), at 64 Vilna Street, the SMM saw that two of the house’s west-facing windows were covered by pieces of wood. The SMM also observed five holes, assessed as shrapnel damage, in the exterior western walls of the main house. The SMM also saw two holes, assessed as shrapnel damage, on the water boiler in the bathroom inside the house. About 20m east of the east-facing front door, the SMM saw a crater on an asphalt road, assessed as caused by a 120mm mortar round. The SMM was not able to assess the direction of fire. About 2m west of the house, the SMM observed an outhouse with a hole in the centre of its roof, and debris from the roof on the floor of the outhouse. The SMM assessed the damage to have been caused by a projectile (type undetermined). A man (about 60 years old) told the SMM that his house had been damaged by shelling around 18:00 on 13 October. 

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.*

On the evening of 14 October, the SMM camera positioned at the Prince Ihor Monument south-east of the Stanytsia Luhanska bridge (15km north-east of Luhansk) recorded an undetermined explosion 2-3km east-north-east (assessed as outside the disengagement area). 

During the night of 14-15 October, the SMM camera in Stanytsia Luhanska recorded a projectile in flight from east-south-east to west-north-west 2-4km east (assessed as outside the disengagement area).

On 15 October, the SMM observed a grey mini-unmanned aerial vehicle (DJI Inspire 2), flying at an altitude of around 25m and approaching the SMM camera site at the Prince Ihor monument from a southern direction. Two men wearing camouflaged trousers whom the SMM saw operating the UAV about 100m south of the camera site told the SMM that they were recording for a film.  

On the evening of 14 October, the SMM camera in Zolote recorded two undetermined explosions (one assessed as outside the disengagement area and the other unable to determine whether inside or outside) and nine projectiles in flight (almost all from north-east to south-west) (four assessed as inside the disengagement area and the rest unable to determine whether inside or outside), all 1-3km east-south-east, south-east and south-south-east. The following day, the same camera recorded 11 projectiles (all from north-east to south-west) (assessed as inside the disengagement area) 2-4km south-east. 

Positioned on the southern edge of the Zolote disengagement area on 15 October, the SMM heard a whistling sound and heard and saw three explosions assessed as impacts of automatic-grenade launcher rounds 300-400m north-north-east (assessed as inside the disengagement area).The SMM also heard 36 shots and bursts of small-arms fire 2-2.5km north-north-east (assessed as inside the disengagement area).

During the day on 15 October, positioned about 2km north of Petrivske, the SMM observed newly dug trenches, including one approximately 200m long, inside the Petrivske disengagement area.

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

Beyond the respective withdrawal lines but outside designated storage sites in government-controlled areas,on 14 October, an SMM mini-UAV spotted a surface-to-air missile system (9K35 Strela-10) near Chervonyi Zhovten (40km north of Luhansk). 

Beyond the respective withdrawal lines but outside designated storage sites in non-government-controlled areas, on 14 October, an SMM mini-UAV spotted 21 tanks (11 T-64 and ten T-72), 12 mortars (2B11 Sani, 120mm), nine self-propelled howitzers (2S1 Gvozdika, 122mm), 12 towed howitzers (D-30 Lyagushka, 122mm), six anti-tank guns (MT-12 Rapira, 100mm) and a surface-to-air missile system (9K35), all at a known training area near Myrne (28km south-west of Luhansk). On 15 October, the SMM saw one tank (T-64) at a known training area near Kruhlyk (31km south-west of Luhansk) and nine towed howitzers (2A65 Msta-B, 152mm) in Chervona Poliana (39km south-west of Luhansk). 

The SMM observed armoured combat vehicles, anti-aircraft guns[3], a UAV anda jet airplane in the security zone. In government-controlled areas, on 13 October, an SMM long-range UAV spotted an armoured reconnaissance vehicle (BRDM-2) near Novotroitske (36km south-west of Donetsk) and an armoured personnel carrier (APC) (MT-LB) near Troitske (30km north of Donetsk). The same day, an SMM mini-UAV spotted two infantry fighting vehicles (IFV) (BMP-2) near Hnutove. On 14 October, an SMM long-range UAV spotted an APC (MT-LB) and two IFVs (BMP-2) near Troitske (69km west of Luhansk), ten IFVs (nine BMP-1 and a BMP-2) and an anti-aircraft gun (ZU-23, 23mm) near Novozvanivka (70km west of Luhansk), an IFV (BMP-1) near Popasna, an armoured reconnaissance vehicle (BRDM-2) near Zolote, an APC (BTR-80) and four IFVs (three BMP-1 and a BMP-2) near Orikhove (57km north-west of Luhansk), five IFVs (BMP-1) near Novotoshkivske (53km west of Luhansk), seven IFVs (two BMP-1, three BMP-2 and two undetermined types) and two armoured reconnaissance vehicle (BRDM-2) near Prychepylivka (50km north-west of Luhansk), an armoured reconnaissance vehicle (BRDM-2), an APC (BTR-80) and an IFV (BMP-1) near Krymske (42km north-west of Luhansk) and an IFV (BMP-1) and an anti-aircraft gun (ZU-23) mounted on an armoured personnel carrier (MT-LB) near Lobacheve (17km north-west of Luhansk).On 15 October, positioned north-west of Pyshchevyk (25km north-east of Mariupol), the SMM observed a jet airplane (type undetermined) flying from south-east to north-east, assessed as over the entry-exit checkpoint in Pyshchevyk but could not determine the altitude. 

In non-government-controlled areas, an SMM mini-UAV spotted an IFV (BMP-1) near Sentianivka (44km west of Luhansk) on 12 October. The following day, a mini-UAV spotted an IFV (BMP-1) near Lobacheve (13km east of Luhansk). On 14 October, an SMM long-range UAV spotted two armoured reconnaissance vehicles (BRDM-2) and an IFV (BMP-1) near Sokilnyky (38km north-west of Luhansk),an APC (MT-LB) near Rozsadky (62km north-east of Donetsk) and an APC (BTR-80) near Pervomaisk (58km west of Luhansk). On 15 October, the SMM observed a UAV flying near the Prince Ihor Monument south-east of the Stanytsia Luhanska bridge (see above).

The SMM continued to observe explosive remnants of war. On a road about 2.5km east of Staromarivka (62km south of Donetsk), the SMM again observed five tail fins of 82mm mortar  rounds embedded in the asphalt. 

On 13 October, the Mission facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable demining in the area of Zolote-2/Karbonit (government-controlled, 62km west of Luhansk) as well as the operation of the DFS.

The SMM visited a border area not under government control. While at a border crossing point near Voznesenivka (formerly Chervonopartyzansk, 65km south-east of Luhansk), for 30 minutes, the SMM saw ten cars (five with Ukrainian, two with Russian Federation, two with Georgian licence places as well as one with “LPR” plates) exiting Ukraine and two cars (one with Ukrainian and one with Russian Federation licence plates) and a bus (with Russian Federation licence plates) with Gukovo-Sverdlovsk written on a sign in the window and 15 passengers entering Ukraine. 

In Dnipro, on 14 October, the SMM monitored events related to the Defender of Ukraine Day (see SMM Daily of 15 October 2018). The SMM saw about 3,000 people (men and women, different age groups) gathered in front of the Regional Administration Building, some holding flags of Ukraine, the Yarosh State Initiative, Right Sector and C14 (Sich). The SMM saw around 20-25 police officers and observed a calm situation. 

In Kyiv,the SMM followed up on reports that, on 14 October, about 100 individuals had been present near Pecherska Lavra at 15 Lavrska Street and later had been taken to a police station. On 15 October, a security guard of Pecherska Lavra told the SMM that at around 16:00 on 14 October, he had seen that about 120 young men standing on the premises of the monastery had been detained by police officers securing the area. (Earlier on 14 October, the SMM saw about 300 police and National Guard officers present in the area.) According to a public statement by a police representative, “police detained about 100 persons, among then some minors, near Pecherska Lavra on 14 October.” Later on 14 October, the press service of the police informed that all those detained had been released. On 15 October, the Mission saw two police cars parked in front of Pecherska Lavra and noted a calm situation. 

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

*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, seebelow). 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 1km north of Zaichenko (non-government-controlled, 26km north-east of Mariupol), an armed member of the armed formations again stopped the SMM and denied it passage south to Zaichenko and southward to Sakhanka (non-government-controlled, 24km north-east of Mariupol).
• At a checkpoint about 600m west of Verkhnoshyrokivske (formerly Oktiabr, non-government-controlled, 29km north-east of Mariupol), three armed members of the armed formations again prevented the patrol from traveling west, citing “security reasons.”
• At a compound near Bezimenne (non-government-controlled, 30km east of Mariupol), a member of the armed formations denied the SMM access, citing “orders” from a superior. 
• A Ukrainian Armed Forces officer denied the SMM access to a military compound near Volnovakha (government-controlled, 53km south of Donetsk). 
• At the Chervona Mohyla railway station in Voznesenivka, two armed members of the armed formations prevented the SMM from entering the railway station and told the SMM to leave the area. 

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 both times.[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 both times.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.
• At a checkpoint of the armed formations south of the bridge in Shchastia (government-controlled, 20km north of Luhansk), the SMM was prevented from proceeding north due to the presence of mines and UXO. A member of the armed formations told the SMM that no demining had taken place. The SMM did not consider it safe to proceed.

Other impediments:

• During the evening of 14 October, an SMM long-range UAV temporarily lost its GPS signal, assessed as due to jamming[5], in government-controlled areas near Svitlodarsk.

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

[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 in a radius of several kilometres of the UAV’s position.

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This report is for the media and the general public.

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 increased 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 Vienna-based staff member.

OBSERVATIONS AT THE BORDER CROSSING POINTS

Persons crossing the border                                                                                                                                     

The profile of the people 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 people and/or children) travelling on foot or by car with a significant amount of luggage.

The average number of entries/exits increased from 10,317 to 10,689 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 minus 31 for both BCPs.

The Donetsk BCP continued to experience 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 decreased to 31 (compared to 33 last week); 17 of them crossed into the Russian Federation, and 14 into Ukraine (81 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 have tinted windows, and buses and minivans have drawn curtains.

Families with a significant amount of luggage

The OTs continued to report on families crossing the border, sometimes with elderly people and/or children, 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 ten families were observed crossing the border into the Russian Federation and 11 into 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 do not state their route; instead they have a sign on the windshield stating “irregular”.

During the reporting period, the OTs observed an increase in the overall number of buses crossing the border at both BCPs (426 compared to 335 observed during the previous week). There were 215 buses bound for the Russian Federation and 211 bound for Ukraine.

Among the bus connections observed by the OTs, the following “irregular” routes or destinations were noted: Pervomaisk- Kyiv, Rovenky-Kyiv, Sevastopol and Stakhanov- Kharkiv.

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

Trucks

During the reporting period, the OM observed a decrease in the overall number of trucks crossing the border in both directions and at both BCPs. Compared to the previous week, the total number of trucks went from 834 to 806 (320 at the Gukovo BCP and 486 at the Donetsk BCP); 456 of these trucks crossed into the Russian Federation and 350 crossed into Ukraine. Most of the trucks observed by the OTs had Ukrainian licence plates issued in the Luhansk region.

Among them, the OTs also continued to observe tanker trucks crossing the border in both directions. During the reporting week, the number of tanker trucks increased to 72 (compared to 50 during the previous reporting period). 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 undergo systematic inspection by Russian Federation officials, which may 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 decreased from 81 to 63: of the total number of trucks scanned, 34 trucks (54 per cent) were bound for Ukraine; the remaining 29 trucks (46 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 increased from 143 to 163 vehicles; 91 crossed into the Russian Federation and another 72 into Ukraine.

Trains

The OTs continued to pick up the sound of trains running on the railway tracks located approximately 150 metres south-west of the Gukovo BCP. During the reporting week, the OTs heard trains on 13 occasions, compared to 20 last week; the OTs assessed that ten trains were travelling to the Russian Federation and the rest to Ukraine. The OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine was regularly informed about the trains 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, as were vehicles with “DPR” plates. One trailer with Danish licence plates was observed during the reporting period.

During the reporting period, the OTs observed ambulances on three occasions. All observations were made in Donetsk BCP. On 9 October at 07:43, the OT observed an ambulance with the inscription “Children’s resuscitation” on board (written in Russian) with “LPR” plates entering the BCP from Ukraine. The vehicle then proceeded into the Russian Federation without any further observations. On the same day at 13:41, the OT observed an ambulance with Russian Federation licence plates entering the BCP from the Russian Federation side. The vehicle stopped inside the checkpoint for approximately 30 minutes and then continued into Ukraine.

On 10 October at 06:14, the OT noticed a minivan with “LPR” plates passing the BCP from the direction of Ukraine into the Russian Federation. The vehicle had a red cross emblem.

On 13 October at 17:52, the OT in Donetsk BCP observed how a vehicle with Russian Federation licence plates and stickers from the “National Liberation Movement” (НОД - Национально-освободительное движение) travelled from the Russian Federation to Ukraine. The OT were able to observe two persons inside the vehicle categorized as “persons in military style outfits”.

On 14 October at 18:10, the OT at the Donetsk BCP observed how one vehicle (black Toyota Land Cruiser) with Russian Federation licence plates arrived at the BCP from the Russian Federation. The vehicle was escorted by police to the entrance of the BCP. The vehicle then passed, without the escort, into Ukraine without stopping inside the BCP.

For trends and figures at a glance covering the period from 9 October to 16 October 2018, 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).

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VIENNA/MADRID, 16 October 2018 – Representatives of the 57 OSCE participating States, the six OSCE Mediterranean Partners for Co-operation – Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia – and several international organizations will meet in Malaga, Spain, on 25 and 26 October to discuss the importance of energy for economic growth and co-operation.

Fernando Martín Valenzuela Marzo, Spanish State Secretary for Foreign Affairs at the Foreign Affairs Ministry, Lukáš Parízek, Slovak State Secretary and Special Representative of the Foreign Affairs Ministry, representing Slovak Chairmanship of the OSCE Mediterranean Contact Group, Vuk Žugić, Co-ordinator for OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities and Senator Pascal Allizard, Vice-President at the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly will deliver opening speeches.

Josep Borrell Fontelles, Spanish Foreign Affairs Minister, Miroslav Lajčák, Slovak Foreign Affairs Minister, Thomas Greminger, OSCE Secretary General, Guglielmo Picchi, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Italian 2018 OSCE Chairmanship, José Domínguez Abascal, Spanish Secretary of State for Energy, Ministry for the ecological transition and Nasser Kamel, Secretary General of the Union for Mediterranean will open the high-level political session.

Together with the ministers and other high-level delegates they will exchange views on how energy can contribute to economic growth and co-operation in the Mediterranean and how OSCE participating States and their Mediterranean Partners can make their collaboration even more relevant, substantial and action-oriented in the years to come.

Following the high-level segment, closing remarks will be open to media on Friday at 13:30.

The OSCE has been holding annual conferences with its Mediterranean Partners for Co-operation since 1995. In accordance with OSCE convention, the Mediterranean Contact Group is chaired by the upcoming OSCE Chairmanship.   

The Conference will take place at the Gran Hotel Miramar, Paseo Reding, 22-24, Malaga.

The following events will be open to media representatives:

Thursday, 25 October:

09:30 – 09:30            Opening remarks

Friday, 26 October:

09:00  – 09:30           Family photo

13:30 – 14:00            Closing remarks

14:00  – 14:30           Press conference

Media representatives who wish to attend the Conference or are interested in an interview or background briefing are kindly requested to apply for accreditation by 22 October, Monday, 17:00, by sending an email to the Spanish Foreign Affairs Ministry at the following address: telecomunicaciones.oid@maec.es and attaching the letter of his/her media organization or a press card.

Discussions can also be followed on Twitter at @OSCE or by using the hashtag #OSCEMed.

The agenda and more information about the event are available here.

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Best practices in dealing with violent extremism and radicalization that lead to terrorism (VERLT), particularly the challenge of returning foreign fighters, is the focus of a three-day international conference that opened in Ohrid on 16 October 2018.

The conference, which brings together domestic and international experts from the region and also Austria, Hungary, Romania, Slovenia and Turkey, is organized by the OSCE Mission to Skopje in co-operation with the country’s Ministry of Internal Affairs.

“Acts of terrorism, radicalization to violent extremism and the phenomenon of returning foreign fighters are international challenges for law enforcement agencies,” said the Head of the OSCE Mission to Skopje, Ambassador Clemens Koja, in his opening remarks. “It is important that we look at those challenges with a ‘whole of society’ approach.  All stakeholders, governments, local authorities, civil society and communities have an important role to play.  Work in our communities at a local level is essential and we hope this conference will provide an opportunity to look at the management of crisis situations caused by violent extremism, and encourage a multi-agency approach in dealing with these situations.”

The country’s Deputy Interior Minister Agim Nuhiu added: “The appearance of foreign fighters is a top priority on the agenda of the international community today, and is a real challenge for international and national legislation because of its new, but also specific nature. This relatively new occurrence in our region and beyond deserves considerable attention, and I believe this international conference is an excellent opportunity to see the whole picture.”

The OSCE Mission previously assisted the government in preparing the National Strategy on Counter-Terrorism and the National Strategy on Countering Violent Extremism and their respective Action Plans in March 2018. The Mission is supporting the implementation of the plans by organizing training courses and international conferences like this one as well as public events at the local level.

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BRUSSELS / VIENNA, 16 October 2018 - The World Customs Organization (WCO) and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) agreed to deepen their co-operation in addressing emerging and evolving security threats under a Working Arrangement document signed today by the Organizations’ Secretaries General Kunio Mikuriya and Thomas Greminger, respectively.

The Working Arrangement covers different areas of mutual interest, such as supporting customs administrations in securing and facilitating legitimate trade; preventing and combating different forms of transnational organized crime, particularly the illicit trafficking in cultural objects; implementing different procedures and systems to strengthen security at borders, notably Advance Passenger Information (API) systems; as well as working together in other areas, such as gender mainstreaming, combatting corruption and enhancing the professional integrity of customs staff.

“The WCO and the OSCE have been working hand-in-hand in different areas of common interest for many years. This Working Arrangement is an opportunity to revise existing co-operation by providing a more comprehensive and structured approach. Moreover, in specific domains, such as illicit trafficking of cultural objects and implementation of the Advance Passenger Information (API) systems, we expect to see concrete projects and outputs in the nearest future,” said WCO Secretary General Mikuriya.

OSCE Secretary General Greminger said: “As the world’s largest regional arrangement under Chapter VIII of the United Nations Charter, the OSCE brings together 57 participating States from Vancouver to Vladivostok and 11 Partners for Co-operation in the Mediterranean and Asian area. Our strengthened co-operation with the WCO will foster economic development, conflict prevention efforts and the respect for fundamental freedoms, within the framework of the OSCE’s comprehensive approach to security.”

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A ten-day OSCE regional course for some 30 military and civilian experts entitled Becoming an Intelligent Customer for Safe Demilitarization Operations began on 16 October 2018 in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

Participants from Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan will enhance their awareness of and skills for adhering to international guidelines and best practices for the safe, effective and efficient demilitarization of conventional ammunition and explosives. An expert from the United Kingdom will share experiences and best practices in this regard.

The theoretical part of the course is being held at Kazakhstan's Ministry of Defence Partnership for Peace Training Centre (KAZCENT) in Almaty. A practical exercise will be conducted at a military facility in Kapshagay.

The course is organized by Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Defence, the OSCE Programme Office in Astana and the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe, in co-ordination with the OSCE Integrated Co-operation on Explosive Hazards Programme.

It is part of the OSCE’s long-term support to the development of a co-operative mechanism among states in Central Asia to address concerns and challenges stemming from the disposal of explosive hazards.

KYIV, 15 October 2018 - Chief Monitor of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM) Ertugrul Apakan called today for restraint and full adherence to the agreed ceasefire in eastern Ukraine.

“The Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine has observed another spate of violence which again is taking the lives of innocent civilians,” Apakan said on the eve of the meetings of the Trilateral Contact Group (TCG) and its working groups in Minsk. He expressed his sympathy to the families of the civilians who recently lost their lives in eastern Ukraine as a result of the conflict and urged those responsible to deliver on the commitments they have undertaken.

The Chief Monitor emphasized that last week the SMM observed a sharp deterioration of the security situation in eastern Ukraine. The level of violence has reached the number of almost 13,000 ceasefire violations for the past week in comparison with July this year, when the Mission recorded less than 17,000 ceasefire violations for the entire month.

“We still observe forward movement and weapons in violation of withdrawal lines. Instead of de-mining activities, we still observe the laying of new mines. Eighteen civilians this year lost their lives due to mines and unexploded ordnance,” Apakan stressed.

The Chief Monitor reiterated the SMM’s readiness to continue facilitating dialogue and to monitor and verify the implementation of the Minsk agreements. “Fighting must stop so that civilians may start returning to normality. Resuming their everyday lives without fear of shelling and landmines is an important step to sustainable peace,” he said.

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This report is for the media and the general public.

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and fewer in Luhansk region between the evenings of 12 and 13 October, compared with the previous reporting period. Between the evenings of 13 and 14 October, the Mission recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, compared with the previous 24 hours. In Zolote-5/Mykhailivka, the SMM followed up on reports of civilian casualties and observed damage caused by shelling. The Mission also observed damage caused by shelling and gunfire in residential areas of Yasynuvata and Chermalyk. It recorded ceasefire violations inside the Zolote disengagement area and near the Stanytsia Luhanska and Petrivske disengagement areas. The SMM’s access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas as well as near Zaichenko, Novoazovsk and Leonove, near the border with the Russian Federation.* The Mission observed weapons in violation of the agreed withdrawal lines on both sides of the contact line. The SMM facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable demining in Zolote‑2/Karbonit. The Mission monitored events related to the Defender of Ukraine Day in different cities as well as a march on the occasion of the anniversary of the founding of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army in Kyiv.

In Donetsk region, between the evenings of 12 and 13 October, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations,[1] including 270 explosions, compared with the previous reporting period (235 explosions); about 55 per cent of the ceasefire violations were recorded north-east of Hnutove (government-controlled, 20km north-east of Mariupol). Between the evenings of 13 and 14 October, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations, including about 570 explosions, compared with the previous 24 hours.

On the evening and night of 12-13 October, the SMM camera at the Donetsk Filtration Station (DFS) (15km north of Donetsk) recorded four undetermined explosions and 35 projectiles in flight (mostly from west to east), all 0.5-5km at southerly directions. The following evening and night, the camera recorded 60 explosions assessed as impacts 0.5-1km south-south-west as well as about 50 undetermined explosions and about 40 projectiles (mostly from west to east and from north-west to south-east), all 0.5-4km at southerly directions.

On the evening and night of 12-13 October, the SMM camera 1.5km north-east of Hnutove recorded 30 explosions (two assessed as outgoing rounds, one as an impact and the remainder undetermined) and about 980 projectiles in flight (including 645 from south-west to north-east and 285 from north-west to south-east), all 2-4km east-north-east, east and east-south-east. The following evening and night, the camera recorded about 90 explosions (28 assessed as impacts and the remainder undetermined) and about 630 projectiles (including about 380 from south to north and about 250 from north to south), all 1-5km east-north-east, east and east-south-east.

On the evening and night of 12-13 October, the SMM camera east of Lomakyne (government-controlled, 15km north-east of Mariupol) recorded about 70 undetermined explosions, four airbursts, about 100 projectiles in flight (mostly from north-west to south-east), six muzzle flashes and three bursts, all 2-4km north-east and east-north-east.

On the evening and night of 13-14 October, the SMM camera in Chermalyk (government-controlled, 31km north-east of Mariupol) recorded 75 undetermined explosions and about 190 projectiles in flight (the majority from west-south-west to east-north-east), all 2-4km at directions ranging from south-east to south-south-west.

On the evening of 13 October, while in Svitlodarsk (government-controlled, 57km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard 36 undetermined explosions and about 50 bursts of heavy-machine-gun fire, all 4-7km at south-easterly directions, and 24 undetermined explosions 4-6km at westerly directions.

In Luhansk region, between the evenings of 12 and 13 October, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations, including about 30 explosions, compared with the previous reporting period (about 270 explosions). Between the evenings of 13 and 14 October, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations, including about 180 explosions, compared with the previous 24 hours.

On 14 October, positioned on the northern edge of Popasna (government-controlled, 69km west of Luhansk), the SMM heard 28 undetermined explosions 10-15km north-east. Shortly thereafter, positioned on the eastern edge of Popasna, the SMM heard 24 undetermined explosions 10-15km north-east and three undetermined explosions 5-8km east-north-east.

The same day, while in Kadiivka (formerly Stakhanov, non-government-controlled, 50km west of Luhansk), the SMM heard about 50 explosions assessed as outgoing artillery rounds 10-15km north-north-east and north-north-west.

The SMM followed up on reports of a woman and a girl killed by shelling and damage caused by shelling in Zolote-5/Mykhailivka (non-government-controlled, 58km west of Luhansk). At 26 Poshtova Street on 14 October, accompanied by members of the armed formations, the SMM saw a fresh crater in the yard of a house as well as shrapnel damage and two broken windows on the north-eastern- and north-north-eastern-facing sides of the house, assessed as caused by a projectile fired from a northerly direction. In the same yard, the SMM also saw shrapnel damage to the north-north-west-facing side of a summer kitchen and two broken windows (one north-north-west-facing and the other north-north-east-facing). A man (in his twenties) told the SMM that he had heard a loud explosion between 17:00 and 18:00 on 13 October while he had been in the backyard of the abovementioned house. He added that immediately after he had seen a woman and her daughter lying in the yard with wounds to their chest and legs, respectively. At a morgue in Kadiivka, medical staff told the SMM that the bodies of a woman (47 years old) and a girl (17 years old) had been brought to the morgue on the evening of 13 October. (For previous observations in the area, see SMM Daily Report 10 October 2018.)

The SMM observed damage caused by shelling and gunfire in residential areas. In Yasynuvata (non-government-controlled, 16km north-east of Donetsk) on 13 October, on the third-floor of a three-storey residential building at 22 Hoholia Street, the SMM saw a hole in the north-west-facing side of the building, assessed as caused by a bullet fired from a westerly direction. Six residents of the building separately told the SMM that they had heard bullets flying overhead in the early evening of 12 October. (For previous observations in the area, see SMM Daily Report 10 August 2018 and SMM Daily Report 20 August 2018.)

In Chermalyk on 14 October, the SMM saw a fresh crater in a field 30-40m south-south-west of a house at 69 Zamozhna Street, assessed as caused by a round of an undetermined weapon fired from a northerly direction. The SMM also saw shattered south-south-west-facing windows of the house. A resident of the house (a woman in her fifties) told the SMM that she had heard an explosion at around 18:30 on 13 October while she had been at home.

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.*

On the evening of 12 October, the SMM camera in Zolote recorded six projectiles in flight from west-north-west to east-south-east, followed by 11 projectiles from north-east to south-west, all 2-4km east-south-east and south-east (unable to assess whether inside or outside the disengagement area). The following day, positioned in Pervomaisk (non-government-controlled, 58km west of Luhansk), the SMM heard five undetermined explosions and 45 bursts of heavy-machine-gun fire, all 3-5km north-north-east (unable to assess whether inside or outside the disengagement area). During the day on 14 October, positioned about 1.5km south-west of Molodizhne (non-government-controlled, 63km west of Luhansk), the SMM heard four undetermined explosions 7-9km north-east (assessed as outside the disengagement area) and 12 bursts of heavy-machine-gun fire 4-6km north-east (assessed as inside the disengagement area). The same day, positioned on the north-eastern edge of Katerynivka (government-controlled, 64km west of Luhansk), the SMM heard 18 undetermined explosions 3-5km east (assessed as outside the disengagement area). Positioned on the northern edge of the Zolote disengagement area, the SMM saw two armed Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers walking west inside the area.

On 12 October, inside the Petrivske disengagement area, an SMM mini-unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) spotted well-maintained trenches near previously observed positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, about 1.2km east of the western edge of the area and about 800m north of its southern edge (see SMM Daily Report 2 October 2018).

During the day on 13 October, positioned about 2km north of Petrivske, the SMM heard 12 undetermined explosions and four bursts of small-arms fire during a 17-minute period, all 2-6km south and south-east (assessed as outside the disengagement area). The following day, positioned at the same location, the SMM heard three shots of small-arms fire 2-3km east-north-east (assessed as outside the disengagement area).

On the evening of 13 October, the SMM camera in Stanytsia Luhanska recorded a projectile in flight from north-east to south-west 1-3km south-west (unable to assess whether inside or outside the disengagement area). The following day, positioned in the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area, 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 non-government-controlled areas, on 11 October, an SMM mini-UAV spotted a multiple launch rocket system (BM-21 Grad, 122mm) and three self-propelled howitzers (2S1 Gvozdika, 122mm) near Perevalsk (38km west of Luhansk). The same day, an SMM mini-UAV spotted 13 self-propelled howitzers (2S1), 14 towed howitzers (D-30 Lyagushka, 122mm) and six anti-tank guns (MT-12 Rapira, 100mm) about 2km south-east of Buhaivka (37km south-west of Luhansk). On 13 October, the SMM saw a convoy of five towed howitzers (2A36 Giatsint-B, 152mm) being transported by military-type trucks heading west in Kadiivka.

In violation of withdrawal lines in a government-controlled area, on 13 October, the SMM saw a surface-to-air missile system (9K35 Strela-10) moving west near Orikhove-Donetske (44km north-west of Luhansk).

Beyond the respective withdrawal lines but outside designated storage sites in non-government-controlled areas, on 11 October, an SMM mini-UAV spotted three tanks (T-64) and a self-propelled mortar (2S9 Nona-S, 120mm) near Perevalsk. (The UAV also spotted 54 infantry fighting vehicles (IFV) (46 BMP-1 and eight BMP-2) in the same location.) The same day, an SMM mini-UAV spotted 16 tanks (T-64) and five surface-to-air missile systems (9K35) about 2km south-east of Buhaivka.

Beyond the respective withdrawal lines but outside designated storage sites in government-controlled areas, on 12 October, an SMM mid-range UAV spotted a surface-to-air missile system (9K37) about 3km north-west Klishchiivka (60km north of Donetsk). On 13 October, the SMM saw a tank (T-64) near Pokrovsk (formerly Krasnoarmiisk, 55km north-west of Donetsk). On 14 October, the SMM saw a surface-to-air missile system (9K33 Osa) near Novookhtyrka (55km north-west of Luhansk) and a surface-to-air missile system (9K33) about 4km north-north-east of Hrechyshkyne (45km north-west of Luhansk).

The SMM observed armoured combat vehicles (ACV), anti-aircraft guns[3] and a UAV in the security zone. In government-controlled areas, on 13 October, the SMM saw an IFV (BTR-4) near Novobakhmutivka (28km north of Donetsk), two IFVs (BMP-1) near Popasna, two anti-aircraft guns (ZU-23, 23mm) – one mounted on an armoured personnel carrier (APC) (MT-LB) and the other on a military truck – accompanying a surface-to-air missile system (9K35) near Orikhove-Donetske (see above) and an armoured reconnaissance vehicle (BRDM-2) and an APC (MT-LB-variant) near Muratove (51km north-west of Luhansk).

In non-government-controlled areas, on 13 October, the SMM observed an unmarked, dark-coloured, rectangular-shaped UAV flying near Lozove (52km north-east of Donetsk). On 14 October, the SMM saw an anti-aircraft gun (ZU-23) as part of the convoy in Kadiivka (see above).

The SMM continued to observe mines. An SMM mid-range UAV again spotted 35 anti-tank mines laid across the road north of the Petrivske disengagement area between Bohdanivka (government-controlled, 41km south-west of Donetsk) and Viktorivka (non-government-controlled, 42km south-west of Donetsk).

On 13 October, the Mission facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable demining in the area of Zolote-2/Karbonit (government-controlled, 62km west of Luhansk) as well as the operation of the DFS.

The SMM visited three border areas not under government control. On 13 October, while at a border crossing point near Dovzhanske (84km south-east of Luhansk) for 35 minutes, the SMM saw seven cars (four with Ukrainian, two with Russian Federation and one with Georgian licence plates), two trucks with Ukrainian licence plates (one with an empty trailer and the other with an covered cargo area) and a bus with “LPR” plates exiting Ukraine, and two cars with Ukrainian licence plates entering Ukraine.

The same day, while at a border crossing point near Uspenka (73km south-east of Donetsk) for 15 minutes, the SMM observed 60 cars (licence plates not visible) queuing to exit Ukraine and no traffic or pedestrians entering Ukraine. On 14 October, while at the same border crossing point for about an hour, the SMM saw 28 cars (14 with Ukrainian, six with Russian Federation and one with Polish licence plates, and seven with “DPR” plates), 11 trucks (eight with Ukrainian and two with Russian Federation licence plates, and one with “DPR” plates) and 12 pedestrians queuing to exit Ukraine, and four pedestrians entering Ukraine.

On 14 October, while at a border crossing point near Ulianivske (61km south-east of Donetsk) for about 20 minutes, the SMM observed no traffic or pedestrians entering or exiting Ukraine.

In Kyiv, on 14 October, the SMM monitored events related to the Defender of Ukraine Day and a pre-announced “traditional Ukrainian Insurgent Army march” on the occasion of the anniversary of the founding of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army. (See SMM Daily Report 16 October 2017.) The SMM saw about 10,000 people (men and women, different age groups) gather at Shevchenko Park and later walk to European Square. Some of them were holding flags of National Corps, Svoboda, Sokil, Right Sector and C14 (Sich), and about 300 young men were wearing Natsionalni Druzhyny insignia. There were about 200 police officers present. The SMM noted that the number of participants had increased to about 15,000 along the way to European Square and that the march ended without incidents. The SMM also monitored events related to the Defender of Ukraine Day in other cities.

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

*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, see below). 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:

• On 13 October, at a checkpoint about 1km north of Zaichenko (non-government-controlled, 26km north-east of Mariupol), an armed member of the armed formations again stopped the SMM and denied it passage south to Zaichenko and southward to Sakhanka (non-government-controlled, 24km north-east of Mariupol).
• On 13 October, six armed members of the armed formations again prevented the SMM from passing through a checkpoint near Novoazovsk (non-government-controlled, 40km east of Mariupol), citing an order “not to allow the SMM to enter the town”.
• On 14 October, four members of the armed formations (two armed) again denied the SMM passage through a checkpoint 5km north of a border crossing point in Leonove (formerly Chervonyi Zhovten, non-government-controlled, 82km south of Luhansk).

Regular restrictions related to disengagement areas and mines/UXO:

• On 13 and 14 October, 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 both times.[4]
• On 13 and 14 October, 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 both times.5
• On 13 and 14 October, 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.

Other impediments:

• On five separate occasions, an SMM long-range UAV temporarily lost its GPS signal, assessed as due to jamming[5], in government-controlled areas near Mykolaivka (40km south of Donetsk), Starohnativka (51km south of Donetsk) and Marinka (23km south-west of Donetsk), in a non-government-controlled area near Novolaspa (50km south of Donetsk) and in the Donetsk airport area.

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

[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 in a radius of several kilometres of the UAV’s position.

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A manual designed to assist law enforcement officers in South-East Europe in launching controlled delivery operations to combat the trafficking of illicit drugs and their precursors has been updated by the Strategic Police Matters Unit of the OSCE Transnational Threats Department in co-operation with the Southeast European Law Enforcement Center (SELEC).

The updated Controlled Delivery Manual for South-East European Countries provides practitioners from 17 SELEC countries and observers with the contact details of authorized officers in these countries who are responsible for controlled deliveries.

The Manual describes the legislation or rules governing controlled deliveries in each country of the region and explains how to request such a measure. It outlines the role of foreign authorities in a controlled delivery, clarifies the possibility of substitution, the duration of such measures, and the contact details of respective authorities as well as other relevant information.

This Manual is designed for the use by law enforcement agencies and judiciaries. It can be obtained upon request to the OSCE or to SELEC.

The OSCE Mission to Montenegro, in partnership with the Human and Minority Rights Ministry and the Department for Gender Equality of Montenegro, organized a series of workshops on “Developing Guidelines to Implement Gender Equality Local Action Plans(LAP)“ in Montenegrin municipalities of Nikšić, Plužine, Bijelo Polje and Bar from 8 to 12 October 2018.

These workshops were a follow-up from the 2017 series, in which the Mission supported the development of a model Local Action Plan for Gender Equality to strengthen efforts to mainstream gender at the local level.

Practical guidelines and suggestions to customize the model Local Action Plans in order to meet the needs of each individual municipality were discussed at the workshops.

”Municipalities are the place where the needs of the entire community are served and where the community members can be part of the actual decision-making process”, said Lia Magnaguagno, Democratization Program Manager of the OSCE Mission to Montenegro.

During the workshops, the participants combined their knowledge and experience to finalize their respective Local Action Plans and adapt them to the specific needs of their municipalities.

The OSCE Mission continues to support the network of municipal gender equality focal points, encouraging the strengthening of existing mechanisms and local capacities, especially through the preparation of the Local Action Plans.