Central Europe

491788 OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan

On 5 July 2021, the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan, Pierre von Arx, met with Akmal Burkhanov, the Director of the Anti-corruption Agency in Uzbekistan, to discuss co-operation on implementation of a joint 2021-2022 project and to sign a joint work plan.

Burkhanov spoke about the Decree of the President of Uzbekistan on improvements in combating corruption and expressed a willingness to continue intensive co-operation between the OSCE and national stakeholders in the implementation of strategic milestones of the working plan.

Von Arx informed Burkhanov about OSCE activities and the joint project planned for the forthcoming year on protecting whistle-blowers of corruption offences, supporting improvements on open datasets to lead to greater transparency of state institutions and promoting zero-tolerance for corruption among the public to fight corruption.

“I am glad my Office can provide support to the Anti-corruption Agency in the process of its further development,” said Von Arx.

491785 Office of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Ton van den Brandt

On 2 July 2021, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media (RFoM), Teresa Ribeiro, met with Ambassador of Iceland, Kristín A. Árnadóttir, to discuss the current state of media freedom and freedom of expression in Iceland and the OSCE region.

Ribeiro and Árnadóttir addressed several issues, including the safety of journalists, as well the pressure and various threats that media professionals face because of their work.

They also exchanged views on the RFoM’s priorities, concluding to continue good co-operation between the Office of the Representative and the authorities of Iceland.

Communication and Media Relations Section Alexandra Taylor

OSCE Men for Gender Equality, an informal group of staff from the OSCE Secretariat, conducted a fundraiser from March 8 to April 7 in support of efforts to respond to gender-based violence that raised EUR 3,000.

The fundraiser was prompted by reports across the OSCE area of an increase in gender-based violence since the outbreak of Covid-19, and was aimed at raising awareness about violence against women among OSCE staff, and funding for a shelter doing inspiring work.

OSCE Men for Gender Equality chose to donate the funds in their entirety to ‘Woman’s Safe House’, a shelter in Montenegro working to protect survivors of domestic violence and mitigate its psychological effects. The funds were received on 14 June by the shelter, which planned to immediately utilize them to furnish a prefabricated house previously donated by the OSCE Mission to Montenegro that increased the capacity of the shelter to accommodate women and child victims of violence from 13 to 18 places.

“With this donation from OSCE Men for Gender Equality, we will be able to equip the prefabricated house with educational content for children, small household appliances, kitchenware, carpets, curtains, bedding, and material for occupational workshops, ensuring that it can effectively and comfortably accommodate child and women victims of violence”, said a representative of Woman’s Safe House. “The donation is also significant, as it will enable us to contribute to making an access path to the shelter for people with disabilities.”

OSCE Men for Gender Equality was delighted to be able to make a small contribution to the important work of Woman’s Safe House, and will continue to take tangible action to speak out against gender-related inequalities and combat gender-based violence in the OSCE area.

From 24 June to 2 July 2021, the OSCE Presence in Albania organized an online training course for businesses on whistleblowing and whistleblowers protection. The course highlighted whistleblowing as a relevant mechanism in maintaining integrity and controlling corruption. The event was organized in collaboration with the High inspectorate for Declaration and Audit of Assets and Conflict of interest (HIDAACI).

The training targeted about 150 companies operating in different sectors, such as construction, manufacturing, telecommunication, and service that have a responsible unit to manage whistleblowing practices as per legal provisions in place, applicable for both public and private sector.

The course aimed to raise awareness and understanding of whistleblowers, develop capacities, and guide those responsible on drafting internal regulations to safeguard whistleblowers’ rights. It also provided practical information on available internal and external reporting mechanisms, ways to prevent and address retaliation and promote good international practices.

Participants discussed about different forms of whistleblowing, and explored the concept of corruption and fraud, collusion and other forms of corruption involving the business sector. 

The Presence has been providing support to HIDAACI and the business sector since 2018. Three-hundred and fifty private companies were offered training courses on whistleblowing.

SDGs SDGs:  16 - Peace, justice and strong institutions 17 - Partnerships for the goals

VIENNA, 5 July 2021 – Thirty years on from the 1990 Bonn Document, the OSCE hosted a conference reviewing how to continue contributing to European peace, security and prosperity through a market-based economy and environmental protection.

Today’s high-level conference gathered over 150 representatives from OSCE participating States, Partners for Co-operation, experts and academics to re-examine how participating States are continuing to fulfil their commitments to the Bonn Document. Their discussions focused on digital transformation, opportunities for women’s economic empowerment and the implications of climate change for the economy and security, amongst other topics.

“Looking back at the past 30 years, there are valuable lessons to be learned,” said OSCE Secretary General Helga Maria Schmid. “First, investing in dialogue and awareness-raising produces concrete results so that people see their lives change for the better. Second, we should not underestimate how economic and environmental considerations contribute to conflict prevention. Third, using a cross-dimensional perspective helps us effectively address transnational threats like corruption and organized crime, or global challenges such as climate change,” said Schmid.

The digital transformation is rapidly changing the way we live and work and COVID-19 has accelerated that process. “Only a comprehensive and rules-based approach will allow new technological innovations to make our economies and societies more resilient and inclusive,” said Schmid.

Janine Alm Ericson, Swedish State Secretary to the Minister for International Development Cooperation, said ”by acting now and working together towards more sustainable, inclusive and gender-equal development, we have a chance to curb economic and environmental security risks and build more sustainable, peaceful and democratic societies.”

Miguel Berger, State Secretary of Germany’s Foreign Office, said: “The challenges we face in the field of climate change and environmental degradation are complex and co-operating is essentially the only way to tackle them successfully. Indeed, that the OSCE is not an economic organization. However, with its comprehensive concept of security, it offers an excellent platform for our debates. The OSCE can make important contributions to economics and environmental co-operation.”

Today’s discussions highlighted how the role of the OSCE’s Economic and Environmental Dimension has changed during the past 30 years, contributing more than ever to conflict prevention, stability and security through its confidence building measures and its potential role in assisting participating States to find solutions to transnational challenges.

“Looking to the future, the OSCE will help States with connectivity, digitalization, good governance, and equal opportunities for women, climate change and the environment,” Schmid concluded.

SDGs SDGs:  16 - Peace, justice and strong institutions

Summary

• In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded 164 ceasefire violations, including 136 explosions. In the previous reporting period, it recorded 927 ceasefire violations in the region.
• In Luhansk region, the Mission recorded 52 ceasefire violations, including eight explosions. In the previous reporting period, it recorded 111 ceasefire violations in the region.
• The SMM followed up on reports of a woman injured due to shelling in non-government-controlled Horlivka, Donetsk region.
•  The SMM’s camera at the Oktiabr mine near non-government-controlled Donetsk city was damaged due to gunfire.
• The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske.
• The SMM facilitated and monitored adherence to localized ceasefires to enable the operation of critical civilian infrastructure.
• The Mission continued following up on the situation of civilians, including at four entry-exit checkpoints and the corresponding checkpoints of the armed formations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
• The SMM’s freedom of movement continued to be restricted, including at checkpoints of the armed formations in Olenivka, Donetsk region and in Chornukhyne, Luhansk region. Its unmanned aerial vehicles again experienced instances of GPS signal interference.

SDGs SDGs:  16 - Peace, justice and strong institutions

At 15:45 on 2 July, the SMM arrived at its camera system at the Oktiabr mine (non-government-controlled, 9km north-west of Donetsk city) to conduct scheduled maintenance of a malfunctioning camera. During the maintenance, the Mission saw a hole in the front and the back of the housing of one of the cameras which was assessed as caused by a recent impact of a bullet from small-arms fire.

The camera in question began to malfunction on the afternoon of 18 June when the SMM lost the ability to rotate it. On the evening of 28 June, the video feed from, and the connection with the camera were lost.

The SMM successfully replaced the damaged camera and will conduct further analysis.

The camera system at the Oktiabr mine is located on a mast on the roof of a 50m-high concrete tower and about 1km east of the contact line in a non-government-controlled area, about 1km south-west of Vesele (non-government-controlled, 9km north-west of Donetsk).

Previously, on 17 April, two men in military-type clothing attached a metal frame with an object that appeared to be a camera dome to the mast of the SMM’s camera system, after which the SMM temporarily disabled the system to avoid possible interference. (See SMM Spot Report 19 April 2021). Earlier, in June 2020, the camera system was damaged by an undetermined projectile (see SMM Spot Report 1 July 2020).

The SMM again notes that technical assets are an inseparable part of the Mission’s operational infrastructure; as such they are included in the specification of OSCE Permanent Council Decision No. 1117 that the SMM shall have safe and secure access throughout Ukraine. Unrestricted and unconditional access to all areas, including by technical means, is essential to ensure the effective monitoring and reporting of the security situation, as well as other mandated tasks. The mandate also tasks the Mission to report on any restrictions of its freedom of movement or other impediments to fulfilment of its mandate.

SDGs SDGs:  16 - Peace, justice and strong institutions

Summary

• In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded 927 ceasefire violations, including 40 explosions. In the previous reporting period, it recorded 78 ceasefire violations in the region.
• In Luhansk region, the Mission recorded 111 ceasefire violations, including 17 explosions. In the previous reporting period, it recorded 84 ceasefire violations in the region.
• The SMM followed up on reports of a man injured due to small-arms fire near Avdiivka, Donetsk region, and three men injured due to the detonation of explosive objects near Slovianoserbsk, Luhansk region.
• The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske.
• The SMM facilitated and monitored adherence to localized ceasefires to enable the operation of critical civilian infrastructure.
• The Mission continued following up on the situation of civilians, including at four entry-exit checkpoints and four corresponding checkpoints of the armed formations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
• The SMM monitored border areas outside government control in Donetsk region and observed no change in the security situation.
• The Mission’s freedom of movement continued to be restricted, including at a checkpoint of the armed formations in southern Donetsk region. Its UAVs again experienced instances of GPS signal interference.

PARIS, 2 July 2021 – Valiant Richey, OSCE Special Representative for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, concludes his five-day visit to France today. He highlighted that France has demonstrated strong commitment to fight trafficking in human beings, while noting that more efforts in implementation are needed. 

Richey engaged with high-level representatives from all the ministries involved in the implementation of the second national action plan against trafficking in human beings. Ambassador Jean-Claude Brunet, Special Representative in charge of the fight against organized crime and Elisabeth Moiron-Braud, Secretary General of the Interministerial Mission for the Protection of Women against Violence and the Fight against Human Trafficking (MIPROF) accompanied Richey throughout his visit. 

Their discussions confirmed France’s attention to trafficking in human beings within a broader focus on human rights, feminist diplomacy and organized crime. However, the meetings also revealed the need for a clear national referral mechanism, increase resources dedicated to victim assistance, and improve understanding of existing laws that aim to combat exploitation, especially of children.

“Understanding the seriousness of human trafficking and prioritizing the best interest of victims at all times is critical in advancing the implementation of the French anti-trafficking strategy at national and local levels,” said Richey. “More robust implementation of existing laws supported by adequate funding and resources is needed.”

The OSCE delegation also met with law enforcement, prosecutors and judges, the Independent National Rapporteur on the fight against trafficking and exploitation of human beings, and representatives of civil society and the private sector. The increasing phenomenon of exploitation of children in prostitution, particularly of French children on the Internet, was key topic of discussion. Richey urged authorities to take all available steps to address the issue.

During visits to a shelter and a support organization for victims of human trafficking in Paris and in Lyon, Richey met with victims who shared the challenges they had faced and asked him to be their voices. Throughout the discussions in Paris and Lyon, Richey echoed the victims’ plea for more protection and assistance. Richey also met with a Member of Parliament to discuss the implementation of the law of March 27, 2017 relating to the due diligence against exploitation and forced labor.

Richey urged officials to keep trafficking in human beings high on the political agenda and to strengthen the country’s response through improved awareness-raising, and guidance on the policiesand procedures regulating victim identification and assistance. 

“I was delighted to learn about the major steps taken by France to discourage demand and adapt its judicial response to the new trends in child trafficking and the misuse of technologies,” said Richey. “My Office offers its support in implementing innovative solutions to respond to the scale of the crime.”

On 2 July 2021, the OSCE Presence in Albania, in partnership with the Delegation of the European Union to Albania, organized a kick-off event with civil society organizations introducing a European Commission funded project titled “Supporting a more effective administration of justice in corruption and organized crime cases in Albania through trial monitoring”.

The three-year project will support Albania’s judges and prosecutors in establishing a solid track record in processing cases of corruption, in line with international standards.

Under this project, the Presence will monitor selected court cases in line with the OSCE/ODIHR trial monitoring methodology tailored for this project, and supporting the implementation of proposed policy measures by relevant stakeholders. Through a close co-operation with civil society and media, the project will highlight the relevance of monitoring the performance of judges and prosecutors in processing cases of corruption and organized crime, and raise awareness among citizens.

This project is part of a broader regional project implemented by the OSCE that focuses on supporting a more effective administration of justice with regard to serious corruption and organized crime cases in the Western Balkans.

During the event, representatives of the EU Delegation and of the Presence reiterated the crucial role that civil society and media play in raising awareness among citizens on judicial response to organized crime and corruption, and expressed their continued commitment to further advancing the rule of law in Albania.

491563 Kunduz Rysbek

The OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek organized a three-day roundtable discussion on updating the 2021–2025 National Action Plan (NAP) on the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1540 on Effective Measures against the Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction. The event took place from 1 to 3 July 2021 in Kyrgyzstan’s Issyk-Kul province.

More than 30 representatives of inter-agency working groups from relevant ministries and state agencies of Kyrgyzstan responsible for implementing the NAP participated. International experts from Biological Weapons Convention Implementation Support Unit (BWC ISU), the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), and the Export Control and Related Border Security (EXBS) also attended the roundtable.

The roundtable discussion served as a platform for developing key recommendations and inputs based on the implementation of the 2017–2019 NAP. Participants discussed the existing challenges and ways to ensure further inter-agency co-operation in implementing the commitments of resolution 1540. They also shared suggestions on further implementing a number of international commitments in the area of chemical weapons, nuclear safety, radiation protection, and biological and toxin weapons. 

The discussion was organized in close partnership with the Ministry of Economy and Finance of Kyrgyzstan, within the framework of their continued co-operation in fulfilling resolution 1540 commitments.The OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek will continue providing support; including drafting recommendations to effectively implement resolution 1540. 

The final recommendations on further measures will feed into the development of the updated NAP in accordance with specific national needs. 

491572

A new OSCE publication on the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine’s (SMM) first five years of operation was launched on 2 July 2021.

The publication, ‘A Peaceful Presence: The First Five Years of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine’, features stories and first-hand accounts about the SMM’s journey as seen through the eyes of the Mission’s staff, its leadership and those who worked to establish, deploy and support the Mission. It also identifies lessons learned and best practices for the OSCE as well as the peace operations of other international organizations.

“The SMM’s evolution from its earliest days was both complex and complicated, putting the Mission and the Secretariat on a steep learning curve,” said Tuula Yrjölä, Director of the OSCE Conflict Prevention Centre, during her open remarks at an OSCE event to mark the publication’s launch. “The publication offers a comprehensive analysis of the Mission’s first five years, providing a wealth of valuable lessons to inform future operations, not only for the OSCE but also for the international community at large.”

Some of the topics covered by the publication include the evolution of the Mission and its rapid deployment, its expansion and new responsibilities in the wake of the Minsk agreements, as well as how it has carried out its daily monitoring and dialogue facilitation work on the ground. It also examines the Mission’s ground-breaking use of sophisticated monitoring technology, and how it was able to overcome significant challenges, such as the abduction of mission monitoring officers and the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight 17 over eastern Ukraine.

“The SMM has never been an ordinary mission. Not only did it monitor and report on the facts in an impartial manner, it was a peace operation that made a real difference on the ground in containing the escalation of violence and enabling the peace process to move forward,” said Ertuğrul Apakan, who served as SMM Chief Monitor during the Mission’s first five years. “This study is about how an OSCE civilian crisis response operation performs in a complex and high-risk security environment. It is also a recognition of the dedicated work of OSCE monitors, its men and women, to whom I all pay tribute.”

491596 OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities visits Moscow and Kazan

OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities Kairat Abdrakhmanov visited the Russian Federation for the first time since taking up his mandate from 23 June to 1 July 2021.

Abdrakhmanov met with the authorities to discuss the situation of national minorities living in Russia as well as Russia’s concerns about national minorities residing in other countries, and took stock of inter-ethnic relations in the Republic of Bashkortostan.

In Moscow, the High Commissioner met with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Head of the Nationalities Committee of the State Duma Valery Gazzaev to discuss minority issues, with a particular emphasis on language, education and citizenship. He also exchanged views with representatives of the specially designated Federal Agency for Ethnic Affairs, of the Ministry of Culture and of the Public Chamber. He also took the opportunity to meet with experts in the field of inter-ethnic relations, including representatives of academia, civil society and the religious community.

On 29 June, the High Commissioner visited Ufa, the capital of the Republic of Bashkortostan, where the state languages are Bashkir and Russian, where he was able to assess inter-ethnic relations first-hand. Abdrakhmanov discussed the impact of recent changes to the education policy with the Head of the Republic of Bashkortostan Radiy Khabirov, the Chairperson of the State Assembly (Kurultai) Konstantin Tolkachev and other local authorities.

“The Republic of Bashkortostan has a long tradition of promoting constructive and harmonious relations between the different peoples living in the Volga and Ural regions. It is important that changes in language and education policy at the federal level take the area’s specific situation into account, including regarding the teaching of Bashkir and other languages,” said Abdrakhmanov.

The High Commissioner also visited a specialized multilingual school and the Ufa State University, where he met with teachers and students and discussed issues related to integration.

SARAJEVO, 2 July 2021 - The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Delegation of the European Union to in Bosnia and Herzegovina organized today an online kick-off event with representatives of civil society organizations and journalists to present the EU funded regional project “Supporting a More Effective Administration of Justice in Corruption & Organized Crime Cases in the Western Balkans through Trial Monitoring”. 

This regional Project was born out of a 2018 Sofia Summit Declaration agreement to introduce trial monitoring in the field of serious corruption and organized crime.

The aim of this Project is to support a more effective judicial response to high level corruption and organized crime in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the region. The Project will contribute to the fight against widespread systemic corruption and organized crime that threatens long-term stability and prosperity in the region. The Mission joins OSCE Field Operations in Tirana, Podgorica, Skopje and Pristina in participating in the Project, in close co-ordination with European Union Delegation.

Through the objective assessment of a number of parameters, the Project’s trial monitoring will collect objectively verifiable and triangulated information about the administration of justice in connection with organized crime and corruption cases. The data collected during the monitoring process will be processed and analysed to define systemic problems and their probable root causes. This information will enable the OSCE and the relevant local institutions to identify successes in the fight against organized crime and corruption and determine where to direct further assistance. A public report, scheduled for late 2023, will document the Project’s findings and recommendations.

This Project will support judiciaries to better process the most egregious cases of organized crime and corruption, contributing to ending impunity for grand corruption and organized crime.

Joana Karapataqi, OSCE Presence in Albania

On 1 and 2 July, the OSCE Presence in Albania organized a concluding workshop with the Alliance of Women Parliamentarians and the Subcommittee on Gender Equality and Prevention of Violence against Women, in view of the end of the current Albanian legislature.

In the last four years, the work of these parliamentary bodies, in close co-operation with the Presence, has led to positive developments in advancing gender issues in the Assembly, and in Albanian society. The main achievement of this joint work was the approval of the Gender Action Programme (GAP) “Towards a Gender Sensitive Parliament” by the Assembly’s steering body, the Conference of Chairpersons, on 29 June 2020.

Sihana Nebiu, Head of the Presence’s Democratization Department and Gender Focal Point of the Presence in Albania, reiterated the importance and focus on supporting gender equality efforts and gender mainstreaming. Gender equality remains a priority of the Presence also in the next legislature.

The Presence has supported and jointly organized various activities with the Alliance of Women Parliamentarians and the Sub-Committee on Gender Equality and Prevention of Violence against Women to establish cross-party dialogue focusing on women Parliamentarians, and Albanian women in general. The Presence and Assembly continue to work together as partners in promoting agendas of gender equality and mainstreaming, respecting human rights and freedoms, as well as women rights within the framework of the “Support to Parliament and Civic Education” project (PACEP), supported by the Presence and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).

SDGs SDGs:  16 - Peace, justice and strong institutions

Summary

• In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded 78 ceasefire violations, including 43 explosions. In the previous reporting period, it recorded 90 ceasefire violations in the region.
• In Luhansk region, the Mission recorded 84 ceasefire violations, including 36 explosions. In the previous reporting period, it recorded 135 ceasefire violations in the region.
• An SMM long-range unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) was lost due to dual GPS signal interference assessed as jamming near government-controlled Stepanivka, Donetsk region.
• The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske. It recorded ceasefire violations inside the disengagement area near Petrivske.
• The SMM facilitated and monitored adherence to localized ceasefires to enable the operation of critical civilian infrastructure.
• The Mission continued following up on the situation of civilians, including at five entry-exit checkpoints and four corresponding checkpoints of the armed formations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
• The SMM monitored border areas outside government control in Donetsk region and observed no change in the security situation.
• The Mission’s freedom of movement continued to be restricted, including at a checkpoint of the armed formations in southern Donetsk region. Its UAVs again experienced instances of GPS signal interference.

PARIS, 1 July 2021 – The OSCE has pledged to improve gender equality by taking action on Gender Based Violence, Economic Justice and Rights and Technology & Innovation.

The commitments come as part of the Generation Equality Forum in Paris, the largest global gathering on gender equality since the World Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995. The OSCE Secretary-General, Helga Schmid, joined the Forum at the invitation of the French government and UN Women, also meeting with its host, President Emmanuel Macron.

“It has been inspiring to hear from civil society, youth representatives, governments and business, who all share a fierce and heartfelt commitment to overcome disparities and improve gender equality.

The COVID-19 pandemic has undoubtedly set us back - impacting girls’ access to education, hindering women’s economic empowerment, and sparking a worrying rise in domestic violence. So it is high time we renew our commitment and accelerate progress, to build a more equal future. The OSCE is determined to play its part,” Schmid said.

Specifically, OSCE Executive Structures committed at the Forum to:

-          Implement activities in all areas of our mandates and build capacity of our staff to prevent and combat gender-based violence/violence against women and girls, including trafficking in human beings.

-          Contribute to closing the gender digital gap by 2026, by ensuring that 80% of all its technology and innovation projects, programs and activities are fully gender mainstreamed.

-          Provide capacity-building to OSCE participating States to strengthen legal and policy frameworks that combat violence faced by women and girls through digital technologies.

-          Recommend policy and legal frameworks that ensure women’s access to the labour market, with special attention on State-supported maternal, child and elderly care services;

-          Promote an enabling business environment for women’s entrepreneurs, including access to credit and fiscal incentives as well as legal and other support services; especially in the digital economy;

-          Support policies and services in the social and economic sphere which address the specific needs of women in vulnerable situations and from socially marginalized groups, including survivors of violence and human trafficking, as well as women belonging to minority groups.

The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) has independently joined the Action Coalitions on Gender-Based Violence and on Feminist Movements and Leadership.

In addition, the OSCE has become a Catalytic Member of the Forum’s Compact on Women, Peace and Security and Humanitarian Action. The OSCE will target two priority areas of the Compact, bringing together women mediators and peacebuilders, and partnering with women’s networks to advance their leadership.

The actions undertaken are in line with the 2004 OSCE Action Plan for the Promotion of Gender Equality.

SDGs SDGs:  16 - Peace, justice and strong institutions

On 29 June at 21:00, an SMM long-range unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) took off and conducted a flight over government-controlled areas of Donetsk region. While attempting to land around 23:30-23:35 at its base in Stepanivka (government-controlled, 54km north of Donetsk), the UAV experienced dual GPS signal interference, assessed as caused by jamming, resulting in an intermittent loss of spatial control.

At 23:35, during a second landing attempt at the base, the UAV again experienced dual GPS signal interference, assessed as caused by jamming, this time resulting in a permanent loss of spatial control. A few minutes later, the aircraft became uncontrollable and began descending rapidly from an assessed altitude of about 50-100ft. It crashed in a field about 4km west-north-west of its base at 23:45. The SMM subsequently observed a fire at the crash site.

On the morning of 30 June, the Mission visited the area of the crash site and saw that the UAV airframe was destroyed, but SMM recovered the camera pod and external GPS tracker. The SMM also launched two mini-UAVs to fly over the crash site. However, due to GPS signal interference assessed as caused by probable jamming, neither were able to reach it. The Mission is making efforts to recover the remains of the UAV wreckage.

The Mission again highlights that, since 21 March 2021, the SMM’s long-range UAVs have been experiencing increased levels of GPS signal interference during take-off and landing, affecting both of their GPS receivers, in areas near their base in Stepanivka (See SMM Spot Reports of 7 April 2021, 9 April 2021, 24 April 2021, 6 May 2021 and 17 May 2021). The Mission notes that, in each case, the source of GPS signal interference could have originated from anywhere within the radius of tens of kilometres from the UAVs’ positions.

The SMM yet again notes that OSCE Permanent Council Decision No. 1117 specifies that the SMM shall have safe and secure access throughout Ukraine. Unrestricted and unconditional access to all areas is essential to ensure effective monitoring and reporting of the security situation, the ceasefire, the withdrawal of weapons, demining and disengagement. The mandate also tasks the Mission to report on any restrictions of its freedom of movement or other impediments to fulfilment of its mandated tasks.

These incidents significantly hinder the Mission’s ability to conduct effective monitoring and reporting of the security situation. Long-range UAVs are an essential part of SMM operations, especially at night, and in areas where the Mission’s monitoring and freedom of movement are restricted. While the SMM cannot identify the precise source of jamming, it has observed the presence of jamming equipment on both sides of the contact line.

SDGs SDGs:  16 - Peace, justice and strong institutions

Summary

• In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded 90 ceasefire violations, including 47 explosions. In the previous reporting period, it recorded 394 ceasefire violations in the region.
• In Luhansk region, the Mission recorded 135 ceasefire violations, including nine explosions. In the previous reporting period, it recorded 48 ceasefire violations in the region.
• The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske.
• The SMM facilitated and monitored adherence to localized ceasefires to enable the operation of critical civilian infrastructure.
• The Mission continued following up on the situation of civilians, including at three entry-exit checkpoints and the corresponding checkpoints of the armed formations in Luhansk region.
• The Mission observed a gathering in Kyiv related to accountability for alleged activities of foreign nationals in non-government-controlled areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
• The Mission’s freedom of movement continued to be restricted, including at four checkpoints of the armed formations in southern Donetsk region and at a border crossing point outside government control near Izvaryne, Luhansk region. Its unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) again experienced multiple instances of GPS signal interference.

GENEVA, 30 June 2021 - The 53rd round of the Geneva International Discussions (GID) took place on 29 and 30 June 2021, with requisite COVID-19 pandemic measures in place.

An information session on “Comprehensive / Human Security” was held, at which the participants exchanged views on the multifaceted and complex nature of security.

As before, this comprehensive perspective was reflected in the 53rd round, where participants met in two separate working groups focused on security and humanitarian issues. The overall security situation on the ground was assessed as relatively calm and stable, although participants reviewed a number of issues, including detentions, missing persons, freedom of movement, and the specific security situation in certain areas.

There was particular focus on the core agenda item of non-use of force and international security arrangements. Participants had a substantive and frank exchange of views on the matter, and reviewed the potential for more focused discussions within the GID framework.

Participants reiterated the importance of, and their commitment to, the GID process, addressing the security and humanitarian consequences on conflict-affected populations as mandated by the six-point ceasefire agreement of 2008, amongst other topics. Possible joint efforts to address the post-pandemic needs of communities, and to mitigate the pandemic’s impact on humanitarian and socio-economic situations, were also discussed. In this regard, the Co-Chairs noted the constructive co-operation between the participants.

The Co-Chairs welcomed the continued functioning of the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM) in Ergneti, and emphasized the need to resume regular meetings of the Gali IPRM as soon as possible.

Aspects of the “Women, Peace and Security” (WPS) framework were also discussed. In this context, the Co-Chairs explored ways to intensify engagement within the GID framework to address the different ways the conflict affects women and men, as well as to promote inclusive processes.

Due to a walkout by some participants, a substantive discussion on the core issue of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and refugees could not take place.

The Co-Chairs again called on all participants to increase efforts to build trust and confidence among them, to address all elements of comprehensive security, and to ensure constructive cooperation with international humanitarian and human rights organizations.

The participants agreed to hold their next meeting in Geneva on 12 and 13 October 2021.