OSCE

398747 Colin McCullough, OSCE Programme Office in Astana

An OSCE Programme Office in Astana-supported seminar on the protection of freedom of expression and policies to counter hate speech on the Internet, co-organized with the NGO Legal Media Centre, took place on 5 October 2018 in Uralsk, Kazakhstan.

Some twenty journalists, representatives of civil society and university students discussed the relationship between media and hate speech policies as well as ways to enhance co-operation between government, civil society and media organizations. Together with national experts from Kazakhstan, participants examined a number of electronic resources and print media examples to analyse the vocabulary journalists use. These real-life case studies offered the participants an insight into the damaging effects of stereotypes in the media.

The event aimed to equip journalists with the tools to counter hate speech in the media and on the Internet, including mechanisms to reduce the potential harm from a malicious Internet environment and destructive behaviour such as trolling, cyber-bullying and hate speech.

The seminar was a follow-up to similar events held in Kostanay and Karaganda earlier this year.

The event is part of the Office’s activities aimed at promoting media freedom and freedom of expression in line with OSCE principles and commitments.

PODGORICA, 5 October 2018 – The OSCE Mission to Montenegro and the OSCE Mission to Skopje, in co-operation with the Media Association of South East Europe, will host the conference Media Sustainability and Successful Media Business Models on 9 and 10 October 2018, beginning at 09:30, at Hotel Centre Ville in Podgorica.

The conference will focus on business challenges and the sustainability of traditional media; best practices for cutting losses in media outlets; networking and investing in media capacities, as well as on regulatory practices related to media. It will also highlight the growing influence of new media and social networks and their role in advertising programmatic media content.

This event aims to encourage discussion, explore diverse experiences in the field and provide media outlets with an overview of possible solutions to some of the most important financial media challenges, contributing to media sustainability.

Relevant stakeholders from Montenegro and the region, including representatives of media outlets and media institutions, international organisations and diplomatic missions, as well as EU experts will attend the conference.

Keynote speakers on 9 October, 09:30

• Duško Marković, President of the Government of Montenegro,
• Harlem Desir, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media,
• Ambassador Maryse Daviet, Head of the OSCE Mission to Montenegro,
• Ambassador Clemens Koja, Head of the OSCE Mission to Skopje,
• Željko Ivanović, President of the Assembly of the Media Association of South East Europe (MASE)

Keynote speaker on 10 October, 10:00

• Aleksandar Bogdanović, Montenegrin Minister of Culture

Media wishing to attend are requested to send an e-mail to Marina.Zivaljevic@osce.org by 8 October, 15:00.

The full agenda can be accessed here. 

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This report is for the media and the general public.

The SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more in Luhansk region, compared with the previous reporting period. The Mission continued to follow up on reports of injuries caused by an explosion in Donetsk city. The SMM recorded ceasefire violations inside the Stanytsia Luhanska disengagement area. Its access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas, as well as near Yuzhna-Lomuvatka.* The Mission continued to facilitate the operation of the Donetsk Filtration Station. It also facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs and maintenance to power lines in Raivka, the phenol sludge reservoir near Zalizne, the Krasnohorivka gas distribution station, as well as to enable demining in the area of Zolote-2/Karbonit.

In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations,[1] including 60 explosions, compared with the previous reporting period (about 175 explosions).

On the evening and night of 2-3 October, the SMM camera 1.5km north-east of Hnutove (government-controlled, 20km north-east of Mariupol) recorded an undetermined explosion, ten muzzle flashes and about 130 projectiles in flight (mostly from west-south-west to east-north-east and from north to south), all 1-5km at directions ranging from north-east to south-east.

On the evening of 2 October, while in Horlivka (non-government-controlled, 39km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard 23 undetermined explosions 4-5km south-south-west. During the day on 3 October, while at the same location, the SMM heard an undetermined explosion 3-4km south-south-west. The same day, positioned on the north-west edge of Horlivka, the SMM heard two undetermined explosions and about 15 bursts and shots of heavy-machine-gun of small-arms-fire, all 1-3km south-west and west.

In Luhansk region, the SMM recorded a similar number of ceasefire violations, including, however, more explosions (about 105), compared with the previous reporting period (about 50 explosions).

On the evening and night of 2-3 October, the SMM camera in Kriakivka (government-controlled, 38km north-west of Luhansk) recorded about 70 undetermined explosions, two muzzle flashes and 14 projectiles in flight from west-north-east to east-south-east, all 2-5km south-south-west and south-west.

The SMM continued to follow up on reports of injuries caused by an explosion in non-government-controlled Donetsk city on 29 September. (See SMM Daily Report 3 October 2018.) At Kalinina Hospital in Donetsk, on 3 October, medical staff told the SMM that a man (aged 32) had been admitted to the hospital on 29 September with injuries caused by an explosion on the premises of the “communist party” and had been released the same day.

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 (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 2 October, positioned on the eastern edge of Stanytsia Luhanska, the SMM heard three bursts of heavy-machine-gun fire 3-4km south-south-west, assessed as inside the disengagement area.

The same evening, the SMM camera in Zolote recorded an undetermined explosion 3-5km east, assessed as outside the disengagement area.

During the day on 3 October, positioned on the north-eastern edge of Katerynivka (government-controlled, 64km west of Luhansk), inside the Zolote disengagement area, the SMM heard five explosions assessed as artillery rounds 8-15km south-west, assessed as outside the disengagement area.

During the day on 3 October, positioned near the Petrivske 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 1 October, aerial imagery available to the SMM revealed the presence of three tanks (undetermined variants) in a training area 1km north of Svobodne (73km south of Donetsk). On 2 October, an SMM long-range unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) spotted 14 towed howitzers (D-30 Lyagushka, 122mm), 13 self-propelled howitzers (2S1 Gvozdika, 122mm) and six anti-tank guns (MT-12 Rapira, 100mm) in a training area near Buhaivka (37km south-west of Luhansk).

Beyond withdrawal lines but outside designated storage sites in government-controlled areas, on 2 October, an SMM long-range UAV spotted four surface-to-air missile systems (9K37) at the railway station in Rubizhne (84km north-west of Luhansk), and an SMM mid-range UAV spotted five tanks (T-72) north of Druzhne (63km south of Donetsk).

Beyond withdrawal lines but outside designated storage sites in non-government-controlled areas, on 1 October, aerial imagery available to the SMM revealed the presence of 27 tanks (undetermined variant) and four surface-to-air-missile systems (undetermined variants) in a training area near Buhaivka, 11 tanks 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), 18 tanks (undetermined variants) in a training area near Myrne (28km south-west of Luhansk) and 43 tanks (undetermined variants) in a training area near Manuilivka (65km east of Donetsk). On 2 October, an SMM long-range UAV spotted 17 tanks (undetermined variants) near Buhaivka and 31 tanks (T-72) near Kruhlyk.

In a non-government-controlled area, on 1 October, aerial imagery available to the SMM revealed the presence of nine pieces of self-propelled artillery (undetermined variants) and 20 pieces of towed artillery (undetermined variants) in a training area near Buhaivka, as well as 32 pieces of towed artillery (undetermined variants) in a training area near Myrne.

The SMM observed armoured combat vehicles and an anti-aircraft gun[2] in the security zone. In government-controlled areas, on 2 October, an SMM long-range UAV spotted an anti-aircraft gun (ZU-23, 23mm) north-west of Zaitseve (50km north-east of Donetsk) and an infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) (BMP-2) near Hladosove (51km north-east of Donetsk). On 3 October, the SMM saw two IFVs (a BMP-1 and a BMP-2) near Troitske (69km west of Luhansk).

In a non-government-controlled area, on 3 October, an SMM mini-UAV spotted two IFVs (BMP-1) in Debaltseve (58km north-east of Donetsk).

The SMM observed the presence of unexploded ordnance (UXO) and mine hazard signs. In Uzhivka (formerly Leninske, non-government-controlled, 24km north-east of Mariupol), the SMM observed the tailfin of a 120mm mortar round embedded in the road at the eastern entrance to the village.

In Tavrycheske (non-government-controlled, 35km north-east of Mariupol), the SMM noted that a previously observed tailfin of a 120mm mortar round was no longer present. Earlier, the SMM had told members of armed formations in the village that it had observed UXO (see SMM Daily Report 20 September 2018), and on 3 October, two armed members of the armed formations informed the SMM that the tailfin had been removed.

Along road E58 about 4km north-west of Shyrokyne (20km east of Mariupol), the SMM observed two wooden sticks with red and white ribbons tied around them, assessed as improvised mine hazard signs.

The SMM facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to power lines between Raivka (non-government-controlled, 16km north-west of Luhansk) and Dovhe (non-government-controlled, 22km north-west of Luhansk), to the phenol sludge reservoir near Zalizne (government-controlled, 42km north-east of Donetsk) and to the Krasnohorivka gas distribution station between Marinka (government-controlled, 23km south-west of Donetsk) and Oleksandrivka (non-government-controlled, 20km south-west of Donetsk). The SMM continued to facilitate the operation of the DFS, including through monitoring adherence to the ceasefire.

The SMM also facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable demining in the area of Zolote-2/Karbonit (government-controlled, 62km west of Luhansk).

Near Mykhailivka (government-controlled, 37km north-west of Donetsk), the SMM saw about 50 people (mostly men, aged 35-50) walking back and forth across the road, blocking it. Some of them told the SMM that they worked at the nearby Kotliarevska coal mine and were protesting because of “unpaid salaries and other benefits”. The SMM observed a police vehicle parked nearby. The gathering had dispersed by late afternoon.

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

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

The SMM’s monitoring and freedom of movement are restricted by security hazards and threats, including risks posed by mines, 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 SMM Daily Report 2 October 2018). The SMM’s operations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions remain restricted following the fatal incident of 23 April 2017 near Pryshyb; these restrictions continued to limit the Mission’s observations.

Denial of access:

• A member of the armed formations prevented the SMM from passing through a checkpoint near Yuzhna-Lomuvatka (non-government controlled, 60km west of Luhansk), citing demining activities.

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.[3]
• 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.4
• 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:

• The SMM temporarily lost communication with its long-range UAV due to signal interference while flying in a non-government-controlled area between Zelenopillia (73km south of Luhansk) and Bobrykove (71km south of Luhansk).

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

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

[3] 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.

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VIENNA, 4 October 2018 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, expressed his deep concern today about a decision by Ukraine’s parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, that calls for sanctions against two Ukrainian television channels, which would eventually terminate their activities. 

“I would like to reiterate that freedom of expression and freedom of the media are fundamental commitments of the OSCE participating States, which should be respected and fulfilled,” said Désir. “Any restrictions imposed on these rights, including in the name of protecting national security or countering propaganda, should be strictly limited in scope, proportional, and provide for adequate safeguards against abuse through an independent court system. I am deeply concerned about any future decision of terminating or potentially blocking the regular functioning of media in Ukraine.”

The Verkhovna Rada today adopted a resolution proposing that the National Security Council of Ukraine introduce personal and economic sanctions against seven legal entities, which own and control the Ukrainian television channels 112 and NewsOne. The resolution, among other things, broadly suggests cancelling or suspending the broadcast licences granted to these legal entities, banning their use of radio frequencies, and restricting or terminating the provision of telecommunication services and the use of telecommunication networks by these legal entities.

The Representative recalled that the best and most effective mechanism to neutralize the impact of propaganda is the existence of an open, diverse and dynamic media environment.

If propaganda amounts to incitement to hatred and violence, proper and proportionate measures may be applied using available judicial and human rights instruments.

“I call on the Ukrainian authorities to refrain from taking disproportionately restrictive measures toward the media without following the proper judicial procedures, which would adversely impact the free flow and access to information, and impede the expression of diversity of opinions,” said Désir.

The Representative has intervened on the issue of sanctions deployed against media outlets on a number of occasions in the past. His statement is available at: https://www.osce.org/representative-on-freedom-of-media/382522.

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

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

International rule of law standards related to the use of e-justice mechanisms were the topic of a seminar organized on 4 October 2018 in Minsk for participants from across Belarus.

The seminar was organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the Institute for Re-training and Continuing Education of Judges and Personnel of Prosecutor’s Offices, Courts and Justice Institutions (IRCE) at the Belarusian State University.  It was the third in a series of seminars on rule of law issues co-organized as part of the two-year, European Union-funded project “Promoting Democratization and Human Rights in Belarus”.

The training event involved 34 participants (20 women and 14 men), most of them economic court judges. They learned about the various ways in which digital information and communication technologies are being used in the administration of justice in various OSCE participating States, as well as the related international standards.

“There is a wide diversity of practice across the OSCE region when it comes to e-justice. It is important to ensure that e-justice mechanisms safeguard the rights to a fair trial and effective remedy, and that they protect and promote adequate access to justice for all,” said Ghenadie Barba, Chief of the Rule of Law Unit at ODIHR.

Snezhana Leshchanka, the Institute’s Deputy Director for Science and Methodology, said: “The seminar has provided IRCE trainees with deep knowledge in the field of e-justice within the framework of their qualification upgrading, which will contribute to the effectiveness of court practice in the country.”

“For the European Union, e-justice is a key element for effective justice and therefore crucial to safeguarding the rule of law,” said Berend de Groot, Head of Co-operation of the EU Delegation to Belarus, in his opening remarks.

In addition to the training of some 200 legal professionals during thematic seminars, the project’s rule of law activities will also include exchange visits on rule of law and other justice-related issues.

VIENNA, 7 October 2018 – On the 12th anniversary of the killing of Novaya Gazeta journalist Anna Politkovskaya, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, recalled the need to guarantee journalists’ safety, and insisted that the Russian authorities intensify their efforts to end impunity for crimes committed against journalists.

“Politkvoskaya’s murder remains a grim reminder that journalists’ safety needs to be adequately addressed in the Russian Federation,” Désir said. “Despite the progress and assurances that have been made so far by the authorities on this case, I urge Russia to complete a full investigation, to ensure full accountability for those who commissioned the crime.”

Politkovskaya was shot and killed in Moscow on 7 October 2006. In 2003, she received the OSCE Prize for Journalism and Democracy for her courageous professional work in support of “human rights and freedom of the media”.

The Representative noted the decision of the European Court of Human Rights, on 17 July 2018, which ruled that the length of the investigation, along with the “absence of tangible results”, indicated that the investigation has been ineffective.

“Failing to end impunity for crimes committed against journalists is a stain on the media freedom situation in any country, and it must urgently be stamped out,” Désir said.“I reiterate my calls on the Russian authorities to fully investigate all other deaths of journalists and to hold the perpetrators and instigators of these crimes to account.”

In June 2014, sentences were handed down to five individuals for the murder of Polikovskaya, a development which was welcomed by the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media (see www.osce.org/fom/119640). However, the investigation was unable to name those who commissioned the crime.   

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

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I welcome today’s decision by the Verkhovna Rada to prolong the effect of the law on the special status of certain areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions until the end of 2019. ‎This is a clear confirmation of Ukraine's commitment to the Minsk Agreements, a positive step in support of the peaceful settlement of the conflict in the east of the country. I am grateful to the Members of Parliament for this timely and important decision.

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398639 Public Affairs Unit, OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights

Practical measures that can advance parliamentary openness were discussed during an event co-organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) on 4 October 2018 in Bishkek, on the margins of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s Autumn Meeting.

The event, organized in co-operation with the parliament of Kyrgyzstan and the Open Parliament e-Network (OPeN), was attended by some 40 women and men representing the Parliamentary Assembly. The participants highlighted some of the steps taken by national parliaments within the OSCE region to advance their levels of transparency and accountability, and in designing specific open parliament strategies in the framework of the Open Government Partnership platform, which brings together governments and civil society leaders in an effort to make governments more inclusive, responsive and accountable.

“Parliaments are best placed to serve their communities when they promote transparent and inclusive processes which are able to strengthen people’s trust in legislative and decision-making procedures,” said Marcin Walecki, Head of ODIHR’s Democratization Department.

The issues discussed included the need to advocate for greater access to parliamentary information, which can be achieved through an increased collaborative dialogue between national parliaments and civil society organizations involved in parliamentary monitoring.

Sophio Katsarava, member of the Georgian parliament, said: “To strengthen the capacity of citizens to participate in parliamentary processes, parliaments should actively engage with civil society organizations in order to co-create sustainable action plans towards full parliamentary openness.”

VIENNA, 4 October 2018 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Désir today welcomed the arrests of four suspects in Kolarovo and Komarno on 27 and 28 September, and the statement by Slovakia’s General Prosecutor that they are getting closer to fully resolving the double murder of the investigative journalist Jan Kuciak and his fiancée, Martina Kušnirova.

“I commend the progress in the investigation and praise the work of the police and prosecutor after the arrest of four suspects in the appalling murder of Jan Kuciak and Martina Kusnirova,” said Désir. “This is another important step and the investigation must persevere until all those involved, especially those who ordered this murder, face justice.”

Following police raids and subsequent arrests of four people, the General Prosecutor of the Slovak Republic Jaromír Čižnár made a statement on 1 October stating that they have ‘very strong’ proof concerning suspects in the murder of Jan Kuciak.

Kuciak was an investigative reporter who contributed to the news portal aktuality.sk.

The OSCE Representative met with Slovakia’s Prime Minister and Minister of Interior just after the murders to urge the authorities to pursue a full, transparent and swift investigation. The OSCE RFOM has monitored the case and made several public statements: https://www.osce.org/representative-on-freedom-of-media/373699; https://www.osce.org/representative-on-freedom-of-media/374116; https://www.osce.org/representative-on-freedom-of-media/397850.

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

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398582 Participants of the OSCE workshop on e-commerce concluded in Chisinau, 4 October 2018. Communication and Media Relations Section

A four-day national workshop on trade facilitation for e-commerce bringing together more than 50 representatives from public authorities of Moldova and relevant businesses concluded on 4 October 2018 in Chisinau.

The workshop was organized by the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities (OCEEA) in response to needs identified by the Moldovan authorities in the area of export facilitation and to security and revenue challenges associated with a growing volume of e-commerce and small, low-value consignments.

Senior representatives from the Customs Service, the Post of Moldova, the Ministry of Economy and Infrastructure, the National Bank of Moldova, the National Agency of Road Transport, the Consumer Protection Agency, the Economic Council to the Prime Minister/National Trade Facilitation Committee, the National Investment Agency, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, private businesses, as well as the EU High Level Adviser to Moldovan Customs,  discussed potential solutions for customs, postal operators and private stakeholders for the application of international standards in e‑commerce processes. They discussed the facilitation of cross-border e-commerce and tackling associated risks for safety and security.

The workshop was facilitated by international experts from the World Customs Organization (WCO), the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), the European Commission Directorate-General for Taxation and Customs Union, DHL, as well as local experts.

“I must emphasize the strategic priorities to further advance in trade facilitation and paperless trade, which are attracting investments, innovative ideas and technologies, which cannot be achieved without consolidating a conducive business environment,” said Iuliana Drăgălin, Moldovan State Secretary of the Economy and Infrastructure Ministry. “Moldova’s Government has always emphasized the importance of government-business partnerships and a multi-stakeholder approach, which brings together representatives from governments, business, international organizations and e-commerce operators.” 

Topics on the agenda included models for revenue collection, new tools for advanced electronic data exchange and data sharing among authorities, pre-arrival processing, simplifications to facilitate exports by micro and small enterprises, as well as tools to tackle safety and security aspects of e-commerce on technical and legislative levels. The workshop concluded with a summary document containing recommendations for Moldova.

Jonas Grätz, Economic Adviser at the OCEEA, said that a large number of active participants showed that interest in Moldova to explore new solutions to tackle security challenges and reap the economic benefits of growing cross-border e-commerce is great: “It is reassuring that the workshop concluded with a summary document including concrete recommendations that can be followed up upon by the authorities, the private sector, and donors.”

This activity is a part of the OSCE extra-budgetary project Promoting Connectivity in the OSCE, funded by Germany, Switzerland and Austria. Moldova is one of the beneficiary countries alongside Belarus and Kazakhstan. 

SDGs SDGs:  17 - Partnerships for the goals

VIENNA, 4 October 2018 – OSCE Secretary General Thomas Greminger and UN Under-Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Office (UNOCT) Vladimir Voronkov today agreed to strengthen co-operation between the two organizations in addressing key challenges and supporting international efforts related to preventing and countering terrorism.

In the Memorandum of Understanding signed by Greminger and Voronkov in Vienna today, the OSCE and the UNOCT agreed, in line with their mandates, to explore and enhance co-operation on shared priority areas, including preventing violent extremism when conducive to terrorism, countering terrorist financing, border security and management, promoting rule of law-compliant responses to terrorism, countering the use of the Internet for terrorist purposes and enhancing the protection of critical infrastructure. They also agreed to strengthen efforts to work together in providing technical assistance to national authorities in these fields, upon the request of a state.

“From the outset, both organizations have worked in tandem in the field of preventing and countering terrorism. The signing of this Memorandum marks an important milestone in strengthening our co-operation and joint actions,” said Greminger. “We look forward to reinforcing our collaboration by launching and implementing joint projects for the benefit of our stakeholders.”

Voronkov emphasized that one of the top priorities of the UN is to strengthen international counter-terrorism co-operation at global, regional and national levels. Stressing that the OSCE is a vital regional partner for the UN, he said that, “We now need to focus on the practical implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding that was just signed to deliver real impact on the ground together.”

To ensure a closer working relationship, the OSCE Secretariat and the UNOCT have agreed to ensure optimum co-ordination between their work, as well as exploring joint projects to support the balanced implementation of the four pillars of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions, the UN Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism, as well as principles and commitments of the OSCE.

The two organizations plan to elaborate joint activities in a forthcoming biennial action plan.

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NEW YORK, United States of America, 3 October 2018 – Regional organizations play a crucial role in preventive diplomacy and the promotion of resilient societies, concluded participants in a panel discussion hosted by the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities and the Italian Permanent Representation to the United Nations yesterday in New York.

Panellists from various regional organizations, including the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, the League of Arab States, the European Union, the Organization of American States and the OSCE, as well as the United Nations, gathered to answer the call of UN Secretary-General António Guterres for more work on conflict prevention.

“Preventing conflicts is the priority of our time,” said the Italian Permanent Representative,  Ambassador Mariangela Zappia, representing Italy’s 2018 OSCE Chairmanship. Opening the event, Zappia observed the need “to shift the paradigm from crisis management to conflict prevention and sustainable peace” and underlined the importance of regional co-operation under Chapter VIII of the United Nations Charter.

“The nature of conflict has changed dramatically over the last few decades,” said the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities, Lamberto Zannier. “Today, we increasingly face acute crises and hybrid conflict characterized by internal strife at the heart of our society. History has shown the potential for danger when issues such as language policy, education and historical memory are manipulated for political gains.”

Participants agreed that more efforts should be made to prevent crises and wars, recognizing this as a priority for regional organizations and multilateral diplomacy in general. They shared experiences of how they have helped their members work towards achieving more stable and resilient societies and noted with interest the OSCE High Commissioner’s thematic work in this field.

Rosemary A. DiCarlo, UN Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, welcomed the initiative, highlighting that the gathering of regional organizations in New York to discuss preventive diplomacy “represents a unique opportunity to promote a shared message of co-operation and dialogue. It is the responsibility of the United Nations and regional organizations to critically examine and tailor our tools to the world around us.”

Participants welcomed the initiative to intensify co-operation and continue exchanging experience on longer-term measures to prevent future conflicts.

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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. It followed up on reports of a woman injured by a bullet in Maiorsk and injuries caused by an explosion in Donetsk city. The SMM recorded ceasefire violations inside the Zolote disengagement area. Its access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas as well as near Novolaspa.* The Mission continued to facilitate the operation of the Donetsk Filtration Station. It also facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs and maintenance to power lines in Zolote-5/Mykhailivka and Olenivka, as well as to the phenol sludge reservoir near Zalizne and the Krasnohorivka gas distribution station. In Kyiv, the SMM monitored a gathering in front of the Parliament building.

In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations,[1] including about 175 explosions, compared with the previous reporting period (205 explosions).

On the evening and night of 1-2 October, the SMM camera at the Donetsk Filtration Station (DFS) (15km north of Donetsk) recorded 66 explosions (65 undetermined and one assessed as an airburst), about 70 projectiles in flight (mostly from north to south and from south to north), three illumination flares, four muzzle flashes and 17 bursts, all 0.5-5km at southerly directions.

On the evening of 1 October, the SMM camera at entry-exit checkpoint in Maiorsk (government-controlled, 45km north-east of Donetsk) recorded 26 undetermined explosions and about 40 projectiles in flight (mostly from south-west to north-east and from north-east to south-west), all 0.5-4km at easterly directions.

On the evening of 1 October, while in Svitlodarsk (government-controlled, 57km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard 37 undetermined explosions and about 390 bursts and shots of heavy-machine-gun and small-arms fire, all 4-8km east and south-east. On the following day, while in the same location, the SMM heard eight explosions (seven undetermined and one assessed as the impact of a 120mm mortar round) and five bursts of heavy-machine-gun fire, all 3-6km east and south-east.

During the day on 2 October, positioned about 2km south of Sofiivka (formerly Karlo-Marksove, non-government-controlled, 40km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard six undetermined explosions assessed as live-fire training inside the security zone, in violation of the decision of the Trilateral Contact Group as of 3 March 2016 that prohibits the conduct of live-fire training (exercises) in the security zone.

In Luhansk region, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations, including about 50 explosions, compared with the previous reporting period (130 explosions).[2]

On the evening of 1 October, the SMM camera in Kriakivka (government-controlled, 38km north-west of Luhansk) recorded five undetermined explosions and about 50 projectiles in flight (mostly from east-south-east to west-north-west and from west-north-west to east-south-east), all 2-5km south-south-west and south-west.

On the morning of 2 October, positioned 1.5km south-west of Molodizhne (non-government-controlled, 63km west of Luhansk) the SMM heard 23 undetermined explosions and five bursts of heavy-machine-gun fire, all 10-15km south-west.

The SMM followed up on reports of a civilian casualty in Maiorsk. At a hospital in Bakhmut (formerly Artemivsk, government-controlled, 67km north of Donetsk), the SMM saw a woman (aged 58) with a large wound on the right side of her head. She told the SMM that on the evening of 28 September, while outside her apartment block in Maiorsk, she had heard the sound of shelling and of bullets flying around and had been hit in the head. Medical staff at the same hospital told the SMM that the woman had been admitted to the hospital on 29 September with a gunshot wound to the right side of her head.

The SMM continued to follow up on reports of injuries caused by an explosion in non-government-controlled Donetsk city on 29 September. (See SMM Daily Report 1 October 2018.) At the Institute of Emergency and Reconstructive Surgery in Donetsk city, the SMM saw a man (aged 40-45) and a woman (aged 30) with burns on their faces. The man told the SMM that he had been in the office of the “communist party” with other people, including the woman, when a loud explosion had occurred. Medical staff at the same hospital told the SMM that they had both been admitted on 29 September and that the man was suffering from burns on his face, hearing impairment, and pain in both eyes and right arm, while the woman was suffering from burns on her face and injuries to one of her eyes. Medical staff at the Donetsk Trauma Hospital said that another man (aged 30-40) had suffered injuries in the same incident.

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 (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 morning of 2 October, positioned on the northern edge of the Zolote disengagement area, the SMM heard seven explosions assessed as impacts of mortar rounds (type undetermined) 2km north and five explosions assessed as outgoing mortar rounds (type undetermined) 2km east, all assessed as outside the disengagement area. During the day, positioned on the north-eastern edge of Katerynivka (government-controlled, 64km west of Luhansk), inside the Zolote disengagement area, the SMM heard a burst of heavy-machine-gun fire and two shots of small-arms fire, all 0.6-1km south and assessed as inside the disengagement area.

During the day on 2 October, positioned near the Stanytsia Luhanska and Petrivske disengagement areas, the SMM observed calm situations.

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

Beyond withdrawal lines but outside designated storage sites in government-controlled areas, the SMM saw four surface-to-air missile systems (9K37) at the railway station in Rubizhne (84km north-west of Luhansk) and a surface-to-air missile system (9K33 Osa) near Novookhtyrka (55km north-west of Luhansk).

The SMM observed armoured combat vehicles and an anti-aircraft gun[3] in the security zone. In a government-controlled area, an SMM mini-unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) spotted two armoured reconnaissance vehicles (BRDM-2) north of Shumy (41km north of Donetsk). The SMM also saw an armoured reconnaissance vehicle (BRDM variant) and an infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) (probable BMP-1) on the northern edge of Shchastia (20km north of Luhansk).

In a non-government-controlled area, on 1 October, an SMM mini-UAV spotted an IFV (BMP-1) and two armoured personnel carriers (one BTR-70 and one MT-LB with an anti-aircraft gun (ZU-23, 23mm) mounted on top) in a compound in the north-western outskirts of Luhansk.

The SMM facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to power lines in Zolote-5/Mykhailivka (non-government-controlled, 58km west of Luhansk) and Olenivka (non-government controlled, 23km south-west of Donetsk), as well as to the phenol sludge reservoir near Zalizne (government-controlled, 42km north-east of Donetsk) and to the Krasnohorivka gas distribution station between Marinka (government-controlled, 23km south-west of Donetsk) and Oleksandrivka (non-government-controlled, 20km south-west of Donetsk). The SMM continued to facilitate the operation of the DFS, including through monitoring adherence to the ceasefire.

In Kyiv, the SMM saw about 300 men (aged 17-30) gathered in front of the Parliament building at 5 Hrushevskoho Street. Most of them were wearing insignias of and carrying flags of the Nationalni Druzhyny, National Corps and Svodoba. At the site, one of the participants gave a speech in support of the adoption of the draft law “On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of Ukraine (regarding the legal status of foreigners and stateless persons who participated in the protection of Ukraine's territorial integrity and inviolability)”. The SMM saw about 200 police and National Guard officers, including some in riot gear, securing the entrance of the Parliament building. After about four hours, the gathering dispersed without incidents.

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 SMM Daily Report 2 October 2018). The SMM’s operations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions remain restricted following the fatal incident of 23 April 2017 near Pryshyb; these restrictions continued to limit the Mission’s observations.

Denial of access:

• At a checkpoint near Novolaspa (non-government controlled, 50km south of Donetsk), an armed member of the armed formations prevented the SMM from proceeding to the village, citing “security reasons”.

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 member of the Ukrainian State Border Guard Service 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 positioned on the southern side of the Zolote disengagement area 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 Zaichenko (non-government-controlled, 26km north-east of Mariupol), an armed member of the armed formations again stopped the SMM and denied it passage westward to Pikuzy (formerly Kominternove, non-government-controlled, 23km north-east of Mariupol) and southward to Sakhanka (non-government-controlled, 24km north-east of Mariupol), citing “security reasons”. The patrol was allowed to pass after about 20 minutes.

Other impediments:

• On 1 October, an SMM mini-UAV, which was flying over an area south-west of Zhovte (non-government-controlled, 17km north-west of Luhansk), spotted two men wearing military-style clothing pointing an assault rifle (probable AK-47 or AK-74) at the UAV and another man (also wearing military-style clothing) firing at the UAV. (See SMM Daily Report 2 October 2018.)
• At a school in Horodyshche (non-government-controlled, 57km south-west of Luhansk), a man who introduced himself as its director said that he could not provide information to the SMM without written permission from other members of the armed formations.

[1] Please see the annexed table for a complete breakdown of the ceasefire violations as well as a map of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions marked with locations featured in this report.

[2] The paragraph on ceasefire violations in SMM Daily Report 2 October 2018 should have read: “In Luhansk region, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations, including 130 explosions, compared with the previous 24 hours (about 30 explosions)”.

[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.

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WASHINGTON D.C., 3 October 2018 – The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) today officially opened a limited election observation mission for the mid-term congressional elections to be held in the United States on 6 November. The mission's deployment follows an invitation from the United States Government.

The mission is led by Tana de Zulueta and consists of 13 international experts based in Washington D.C. and 36 long-term observers to be deployed throughout the country in teams of two, from 10 October. The observers are drawn from 16 OSCE participating States.

Observers will assess these elections for compliance with international obligations and standards for democratic elections, including the commitments agreed to by all the OSCE participating States, and with national legislation. The mission will analyse the legal framework and its implementation and will follow campaign activities, the work of the election administration and relevant government bodies, including voter registration, and the resolution of election disputes. As part of its observation, the ODIHR mission will analyse and assess the media coverage of the campaign.

The mission will meet with representatives of relevant federal and state authorities and of political parties, as well as with representatives of the judiciary, civil society and the media. For election day, the mission will join efforts with a delegation from the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA).

The mission will publish one interim report in the course of its work. A statement of preliminary findings and conclusions will be presented at a press conference the day after the elections. A final report will be published approximately two months after the completion of the election process.

As a participating State in the OSCE, the United States has committed itself to conducting elections in line with OSCE standards and inviting international election observers. ODIHR has observed and assessed elections in the United States since 2002.

For further information, please contact Pietro Tesfamariam, Mission Media Analyst at (+1) 202 553 1247

 or pietro.tesfamariam@odihr-elections.us

or

Thomas Rymer, ODIHR Spokesperson, at +48 609 522 266 or Thomas.Rymer@odihr.pl.

Additional information on the observation mission for the United States general elections can be found at: http://www.osce.org/odihr/elections/usa.

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398483 Ukrainian civil servants participate in an excercise to identify the key elements of national human rights strategies and action plans during the ODIHR workshop. Kyiv, 3 October 2018. Public Affairs Unit, OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights

Monitoring the implementation of national human rights strategies and action plans was the focus of a workshop for Ukrainian civil servants organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) from 1 to 3 October 2018 in Kyiv.

The participants – 11 men and 9 women – were representatives of the Ministry of Justice and other ministries working on the National Human Rights Strategy and the related Action Plan. Representatives from a number of civil society organizations also participated.

“With this workshop we build the capacities of national actors to integrate a human rights-based approach into their monitoring work, and we stimulate dialogue and co-operation between state and civil society actors,” said Marc van Gool, ODIHR Human Rights Adviser.

Yevhenii Shakotko, an expert working on human rights at the Ministry of Justice, said: “Among other things, ODIHR’s checklist for assessing the impact of legislation on human rights, which was presented at this workshop, will help its participants do their work more effectively.”

The participants also learned how to effectively mainstream gender into human rights monitoring.

The workshop was part of ODIHR’s project, ongoing since 2015, aimed at enhancing effective mechanisms for dialogue among civil society and key government stakeholders to address human rights issues in the country, in line with OSCE commitments and other international standards.

The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) organized two panels – on war crimes and on trafficking in human beings and gender-based violence – at the three-day Annual Prosecutorial Conference on Criminal Matters, held on 1-3 October 2018 in Neum, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The panel on war crimes focused on challenges in transferring war crimes cases from the BiH Court to courts and prosecutor’s offices on the entity .The panel on trafficking in human beings and gender-based violence focused on improving the practices of BiH prosecutors’ offices in tackling cases in these areas.

“Trafficking in human beings is a complex crime and a serious human rights violation with many gender-related aspects. This panel was an opportunity to emphasize the importance of having improved and more efficient practices in tackling this issue, as well as of gender-based violence issues,” said Boris Topić, Anti-trafficking Officer in the OSCE Mission to BiH.

The OSCE Mission to BiH used this opportunity to present the latest relevant OSCE reports to over 200 prosecutors and judges from all over Bosnia and Herzegovina: Assessment report: Migrant and Refugee Situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Report of the OSCE Special Representative and Coordinator on Combating Trafficking in Human Beings on Identifying and Protecting Human Trafficking Victims in Mixed Migration Flows as well as the Training Manual for Judges and Prosecutors on Trafficking in Human Beings.

The OSCE Mission to BiH will continue to advocate for the strengthening of victim-centred criminal justice responses to human trafficking cases, in line with international standards.

MINSK, 3 October 2018 - Ambassador Martin Sajdik, Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office in Ukraine and in the Trilateral Contact Group, and Ambassador Ertuğrul Apakan, Chief Monitor of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission, issued yesterday the following statement:

“We are deeply saddened that three children lost their lives, and two others were injured in recent days in Horlivka and Staromyhailivka in the east of Ukraine. There have been too many cases involving the death or injury of children as a result of ongoing violence and in particular the indiscriminate laying of mines and other explosive devices along the contact line. This situation cannot continue; all areas where mines and improvised explosive devices present a life-threatening risk for the civilian population, in particular for children and teenagers, must be demined without delay out of humanitarian considerations.

We urgently appeal to the sides to proceed with the rapid and full humanitarian demining of populated areas and entry-exit crossing points and, using adequate means of communication, to keep the population clearly informed of risk areas as well as areas where demining has been completed. We recall that mine action is a commitment that has been undertaken by all the sides to the Minsk agreements.”

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MINSK, 2 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 2 October 2018:

“Last weekend was one of the saddest ones in recent times. As you know, on September 30, 2018, three children were killed and one was injured as a result of a mine blast near Horlivka. On the same day, another teenager was injured by shelling in Staromyhailivka.

Obviously, urgent measures for ‘humanitarian demining’ shall be taken. In this regard, OSCE Special Monitoring Mission Chief Monitor Ertugrul Apakan and I issued a joint statement.

In the statement, we call on the sides - I am quoting now only partially - “to proceed with the rapid and full humanitarian demining of populated areas and entry-exit check points”. We also recall that “mine action is a commitment that has been undertaken by all the sides to the Minsk Agreements.”

This set of questions was today in the focus of the Trilateral Contact Group and its Security Working Group. The Working Group also discussed additional measures to strengthen the ceasefire.

The Economic Working Group continued the discussion of topical 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 Humanitarian Working Group further considered issues related to the exchange of detainees and the search for missing persons. One of the discussion topics was also the possibility to improve contact line crossing conditions on the side of certain areas of Luhansk region at the Stanytsia Luhanska check point.

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

Today was also the last time when President Leonid Kuchma participated in our meetings as head of the Ukrainian delegation to the TCG. To work with him has been a great honour and immense pleasure for all of us.

On behalf of all the participants of the TCG and on my own behalf, I would like to express our sincere gratitude to President Kuchma for his invaluable contribution to our work.

I personally learned a lot from this wise politician devoted to his country, and, first of all, a trustworthy person. I am sincerely grateful for that”.

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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 decreased at both BCPs compared to the previous week.

OPERATIONAL REMARKS

The OM is currently operating with 22 permanent international staff members, including the Chief Observer (CO). The Mission is supported administratively by a 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 decreased from 10,836 to 10,636 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 29 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 increased to 40  (compared to 26 last week); 12 of them crossed into the Russian Federation, and twenty-eight into Ukraine (93 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, six families were observed crossing into the Russian Federation and six were observed crossing into Ukraine, compared to the previous reporting period when six families were observed crossing the border into the Russian Federation and four 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 a slight increase in the overall number of buses crossing the border at both BCPs (409 compared to 391 observed during the previous week). There were 215 buses bound for the Russian Federation and 194 bound for Ukraine.

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

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 an increase 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 880 to 903 (284 at the Gukovo BCP and 619 at the Donetsk BCP); 493 of these trucks crossed into the Russian Federation and 410 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 decreased to 60 (compared to 75 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 increased from 95 to 124: of the total number of trucks scanned, 87 trucks (70 per cent) were bound for Ukraine; the remaining 37 trucks (30 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 decreased from 191 to 156 vehicles; 72 crossed into the Russian Federation and another 84 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 17 occasions, compared to 24 last week; the OTs assessed that 9 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 and with Czech, Lithuanian, Georgian and Belarusian licence plates.

During the reporting period the OTs observed ambulances on three occasions: twice at the Donetsk BCP on 27 September and on 2 October, and once at the Gukovo BCP on 25 September. Only in one case, on 27 September, did an ambulance (with Ukrainian licence plates and the inscription “Urgent medical help”) cross the border from Ukraine to the Russian Federation. On the remaining occasions, the ambulances arrived from the Russian side, parked within the BCP areas and, after a short stay, travelled back to the Russian Federation. On all occasions, the OTs could only observe medical personnel on board the vehicles.

On 26 September, at both BCPs (in Donetsk 15:28 and in Gukovo at 15:45), the OTs observed a military type helicopter flying over the BCP area, along the border line (in Donetsk flying from north-west to south-east and in Gukovo from north-east to east), without leaving the Russian airspace.

Convoy

On 27 September at 06:33 (Moscow time), the seventy-ninth[3] Russian convoy arrived at the Donetsk Border Crossing Point (BCP). A total of 16 vehicles were checked by Russian Federation border guards and customs officers prior to their crossing into Ukraine. All 16 vehicles had crossed back into the Russian Federation by 14:01 on 27 September (for more details see: https://www.osce.org/observer-mission-at-russian-checkpoints-gukovo-and-donetsk/397661).

For trends and figures at a glance covering the period from 4 September to 2 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).                       

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

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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. Small-arms fire was directed at an SMM unmanned aerial vehicle near Zhovte. The Mission followed up on reports of a girl injured by shelling in Staromykhailivka and children killed and injured by an explosion in Horlivka. The SMM recorded a ceasefire violation near the Zolote disengagement area. Its access remained restricted in all three disengagement areas as well as near Zaichenko, Tavrycheske, Bezimenne, Sosnivske, and Novoazovsk near the border with the Russian Federation.* The SMM observed weapons in violation of agreed withdrawal lines on both sides of the contact line. The Mission continued to facilitate the operation of the Donetsk Filtration Station. It also facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs and maintenance to the phenol sludge reservoir near Zalizne, to the Krasnohorivka gas distribution station and to high-voltage powerlines near Zhovte. In Kyiv region, the SMM observed an incident during a court hearing for a journalist and followed up on reports of damage to the offices of the Russian Federation Trade Representation and of a member of parliament.

In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations,[1] including 205 explosions, compared with the previous 24 hours (about 100 explosions).

On the evening and night of 30 September-1 October, the SMM camera at the Donetsk Filtration Station (DFS) (15km north of Donetsk) recorded an undetermined explosion, about 60 projectiles (mostly in vertical flight) and an illumination flare in flight from east to west, all 1-4km south-south-west.

On the evening and night of 30 September-1 October, the SMM camera 1.5km north-east of Hnutove (government-controlled, 20km north-east of Mariupol) recorded 22 undetermined explosions, about 330 projectiles in flight (mostly from north to south and from south to north) and a muzzle flash, all 2-4km at easterly directions.

On the evening of 30 September, while in Svitlodarsk (government-controlled, 57km north-east of Donetsk), the SMM heard about 50 undetermined explosions and about 160 bursts and shots of heavy-machine-gun and small-arms fire, all 3-8km south-east, south-south-east and south.

In Luhansk region, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations, including, however, fewer explosions (six), compared with the previous 24 hours (about 30 explosions).

On the evening 30 September, the SMM camera in Kriakivka (government-controlled, 38km north-west of Luhansk) recorded two explosions assessed as impacts 3-5km south-south-west, as well as two undetermined explosions, about 130 projectiles in flight (mostly from east-north-east to west-south-west and from east-south-east to west-north-west) and an illumination flare in flight from west-north-west to east-south-east, all 1-5km south-south-west and south-west.

The same evening, while in Kadiivka (formerly Stakhanov, non-government-controlled, 50km west of Luhansk), the SMM heard about 120 undetermined explosions and about 200 bursts of heavy-machine-gun fire, all 10-15km north-west and north-north-west.

The SMM followed up on reports of a girl injured by shelling in Staromykhailivka (non-government-controlled, 15km west of Donetsk). On 1 October, medical staff at the Kalinina Hospital in Donetsk city told the SMM that a 16-year-old girl had been admitted the previous day with a wound caused by shelling and had been transferred the same day to the city’s Children’s Clinical Centre. Medical staff added that the girl was not in serious condition. Medical staff at the clinical centre told the SMM that the girl had been admitted on 30 September after having been injured by shelling. According to the girl’s mother, with whom the SMM spoke over the telephone, her daughter told her that at around 16:30 on 30 September, she had heard a whistling sound near their home on Leninabadska Street in Staromykhailivka and then seen her abdomen bleeding.

The SMM continued to follow up on reports of children killed and injured by an explosion in Horlivka (non-government-controlled, 39km north-east of Donetsk). (See SMM Daily Report 1 October 2018.) On 1 October, medical staff at a morgue in Horlivka told the SMM that the bodies of three boys (12, 13 and 14 years old) had been brought to the morgue on 30 September. They added that the boys had died from shrapnel and blast-wave injuries and organ damage.

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 (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 29 September, an SMM long-range unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) spotted a military truck, assessed as belonging to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, inside the Petrivske disengagement area, about 1.2km east of the western edge of the area and about 800m north of its southern edge (for previous observations, see SMM Daily Report 1 October 2018).

On the evening of 30 September, the SMM camera in Zolote recorded a projectile in flight from west-north-west to east-south-east 2-4km east-south-east (unable to assess whether inside or outside the disengagement area).

During the day on 1 October, positioned near all three disengagement areas, the SMM observed calm situations.

The SMM continued to monitor the withdrawal of weapons in implementation of the Memorandum and the Package of Measures and its Addendum.[2]

In violation of withdrawal lines in a government-controlled area, on 29 September, an SMM long-range UAV spotted a surface-to-air missile system (9K35, Strela-10) on the south-eastern edge of Starohnativka (51km south of Donetsk).

In violation of withdrawal lines in a non-government-controlled area, on 29 September, an SMM mid-range UAV spotted a tank (T-64) parked near a residential building in Verkhnoshyrokivske (formerly Oktiabr, 85km south of Donetsk).

Beyond withdrawal lines but outside designated storage sites in a government-controlled area, the SMM saw a surface-to-air missile system (9K37) loaded on a flatbed truck near the railway station in Rubizhne (84km north-west of Luhansk). (See SMM Daily Report 1 October 2018.)

The SMM revisited a permanent storage site whose location was beyond the respective withdrawal lines in a government-controlled area of Donetsk region and noted that the site continued to be abandoned and the following weapons were missing: 53 tanks (T-64) and seven mortars (five 2B9 Nona-S, 120mm, and two PM-38, 120mm).

The SMM observed armoured combat vehicles (ACVs), an anti-aircraft system[3] and other indications of military-type presence in the security zone. In government-controlled areas, on 29 September, an SMM long-range UAV spotted an infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) (BMP variant) near residential houses in Pyshchevyk (25km north-east of Mariupol), two IFVs (BMP-2) near Hnutove, a self-propelled anti-aircraft system (ZSU-23-4, 23mm) and an IFV (BMP variant) near Starohnativka, an armoured reconnaissance vehicle (BRDM-variant) near Nevelske (18km north-west of Donetsk) and two IFVs (BMP-1) and two armoured personnel carriers (APC) (MT-LB) on the eastern edge of Avdiivka (17km north-east of Donetsk). On 30 September, an SMM long-range UAV spotted an ACV near Krymske (42km north-west of Luhansk). On 1 October, the SMM saw an armoured reconnaissance vehicle (BRDM-2) near Petrivka (27km north of Luhansk).

In non-government-controlled areas, on 30 September, an SMM long-range UAV spotted a probable IFV (BMP-1) near Smile (31km north-west of Luhansk). On 1 October, the SMM saw two APCs (BTR variants) and an armoured reconnaissance vehicle (BRDM-2) in Luhansk city, as well as a convoy of about 30 military-type vehicles, including three APCs (two BTR-80 and one BTR-60) and two armoured command vehicles (undetermined types), near Oleksandrivsk (10km west of Luhansk) travelling towards Luhansk city.

The SMM facilitated and monitored adherence to the ceasefire to enable repairs to the phenol sludge reservoir near Zalizne (government-controlled, 42km north-east of Donetsk), the Krasnohorivka gas distribution station between Marinka (government-controlled, 23km south-west of Donetsk) and Oleksandrivka (non-government-controlled, 20km south-west of Donetsk) and high-voltage powerlines near Zhovte (non-government-controlled, 17km north-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 outside of government control. While at a pedestrian border crossing point near Novoborovytsi (79km south of Luhansk) for about 20 minutes, the SMM did not observe the presence of the armed formations or pedestrians entering or exiting Ukraine.

On 28 September in Zhytomyr, west of Kyiv, the SMM monitored a hearing in the trial of a journalist charged with treason who is currently under house arrest. The SMM observed approximately 30 young men, most of whom had Sich insignia on their clothes, present in the courtroom. The SMM heard the young men verbally insulting the journalist and his defence team and saw small objects being thrown at them. Later, ten police officers in riot gear entered the courtroom, at which point the disruptions ceased. The judges ruled for the journalist’s house arrest to be extended by two months.

Also in Kyiv, the SMM followed up on reports that the premises of the Trade Representation of the Russian Federation had been spray-painted on 28 September. At 8A Shcherbakivskoho Street, on 29 September, the SMM saw remnants of cleaning agents on the gate and fence of the building housing the representation and, in front of the building, graffiti critical of the Russian Federation spray-painted on the pavement. Two women (aged 50-60), who said that they had been in a nearby shop at the time of the incident, told the SMM that, in the late afternoon of 28 September, a group of about 15-20 young men with covered faces had sprayed some graffiti on the fence and the pavement.

The SMM also followed up on reports that the office of a member of parliament had been damaged on the night of 29-30 September. At 16 Marshala Tymoshenko Street in Kyiv, on 30 September, the SMM saw that the glass of a window on the ground floor of the building had been shattered and the window had been covered with red paint. The SMM saw two young men attempting to remove the paint and noted that the entrance door to the building was locked.

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.

Denial of access:

• At a checkpoint north of Zaichenko (non-government-controlled, 26km north-east of Mariupol), armed members of the armed formations again stopped the SMM and denied it passage westward to Pikuzy (formerly Kominternove, non-government-controlled, 23km north-east of Mariupol) and southward to Sakhanka (non-government-controlled, 24km north-east of Mariupol), citing “security reasons”.
• At a checkpoint north of Novoazovsk (non-government-controlled, 40km east of Mariupol), armed members of the armed formations again prevented the SMM from proceeding to the city or towards the border with the Russian Federation.
• At a checkpoint north of Tavrycheske (non-government-controlled, 35km north-east of Mariupol), armed members of the armed formations denied the SMM passage.
• At a checkpoint near Bezimenne (non-government-controlled, 30km east of Mariupol), armed members of the armed formations prevented the SMM from proceeding west, citing “security reasons”.
• At the entrance to Sosnivske (non-government-controlled, 35km north-east of Mariupol), a car (Lada), which had come from the opposite direction, stopped and blocked the road, preventing the SMM from entering the village. An armed member of the armed formations then stepped out of the car and told the SMM that it would not be allowed to travel further “for the safety of the SMM”.

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 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 positioned on the southern side of the Zolote disengagement area 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 on the southern side of the bridge in Shchastia (government-controlled, 20km north of Luhansk), a member of the armed formations told the SMM that mines had not been cleared on the road leading north toward Shchastia. The SMM did not consider it safe to proceed.

Other impediments:

• While conducting a mini-UAV flight near Zhovte, the SMM heard about 50 shots of small-arms fire where the UAV was flying, about 2km south of the SMM’s position, assessed as aimed at the UAV. The SMM landed the UAV safely and departed the area. (See SMM Daily Report 5 July 2018.)
• On two occasions, the SMM temporarily lost communication with its mini-UAV due to signal interference while flying near Bohdanivka (government-controlled, 41km south-west of Donetsk).[5]

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

[2] The paragraph on weapons observed in violation of withdrawal lines in SMM Daily Report 1 October 2018 should have read: “In violation of withdrawal lines, on 28 September, an SMM long-range unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) spotted a mortar (probable 82mm) within a known position of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Petrivske disengagement area.”

[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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