Central Europe

An OSCE-supported training seminar on methodology for the supervision and support of public prosecution in criminal cases related to trafficking in human beings concluded on 30 June 2021 in Kokshetau, Kazakhstan.

Some 16, prosecutors of the Akmola region, including 11 men and 5 women, participated in the two-day event.  The OSCE Programme Office in Nur-Sultan, in co-operation with the Law Enforcement Academy under the Prosecutor General’s Office, organized the seminar.

The seminar addressed the current state of combating trafficking in human beings, identification of victims, criminal prosecution of perpetrators, and challenges of public prosecution during judicial interrogation and trial processes. International experts from Lithuania and Ukraine presented legislative experience and best practices in combating all forms of human trafficking.

The event is part of the OSCE Programme Office’s long-standing efforts to support the host country in combating human trafficking and in implementing the OSCE Action Plan to Combat Trafficking in Human Beings.

Communication and Media Relations Section Alexandra Taylor

The OSCE organized a second workshop on social re-use of confiscated assets in Bosnia and Herzegovina on 29 June 2021.  Representatives of asset management agencies and civil society organizations in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as experts on social re-use of confiscated assets from international civil society organizations participated in the workshop.

The practice of re-using assets confiscated from organized criminal groups for social, rehabilitation or cultural purposes is gaining increasing attention in many OSCE participating States. Enabling communities that have suffered from the presence of criminal groups to re-use the confiscated assets contributes in increasing citizens’ trust in public institutions and the rule of law. 

Nevertheless, often raising the awareness of the civil society organization on the importance of social re-use remains a key element. In line with that, participants at the workshop had the opportunity to learn from internationally active civil society organizations how the confiscated assets can be re-used, and why the pro-active approach of civil society organizations is crucial.

Representatives of civil society organizations and asset management agencies discussed also the main challenges they are facing, while identifying potential areas of improvement necessary to allow an enhanced process of social re-use of confiscated assets.

This series of workshops on social re-use of confiscated assets in South-Eastern Europe is organized within the project “Strengthening the fight against transnational organized crime in South-Eastern Europe through improved regional co-operation in asset seizure, confiscation, management and re-use”. The OSCE Transnational Threats Department and the Office of the Co-ordinator of the OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities are jointly implementing the project with the financial support from the United States, Italy, Germany and the United Kingdom.

SDGs SDGs:  16 - Peace, justice and strong institutions

Summary

• In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded 394 ceasefire violations, including one explosion. In the previous 24 hours, it recorded one ceasefire violation in the region.
• In Luhansk region, the Mission recorded 48 ceasefire violations. In the previous 24 hours, it recorded 46 ceasefire violations in the region.
• People assessed as probable members of the armed formations displayed aggressive behaviour towards the SMM near Petrivske, Donetsk region.
• The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske. A mini-unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) spotted people inside the disengagement area near Petrivske during daytime.
• 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 Mission’s freedom of movement continued to be restricted, including at two checkpoints of the armed formations in southern Donetsk region. Its UAVs again experienced multiple instances of GPS signal interference.

491262 Marina Živaljević

To support further organizational development of the Regional Youth Co-operation Office (RYCO), the OSCE Mission to Montenegro organized of a meeting for six RYCO Local Branch Offices and RYCO Headquarters from 21 to 25 June.

Around 20 RYCO staff members met to discuss programmatic issues with respect to the new RYCO Strategy 2022-2024. They discussed how to implement RYCO’s work plan for the second half of 2021 and how local branch offices can register in their respective jurisdictions.

Opening the meeting, Edin Koljenović, Head of the RYCO Local Branch Office in Montenegro said such meetings are crucial for internal consolidation and planning upcoming activities. “We are happy that our local partners, especially the OSCE Mission to Montenegro, have recognized this need and supported us in this endeavour,” said Koljenović.

Albert Hani, newly elected RYCO Secretary General said that RYCO Local Branch Offices are the driving force in implementing RYCO’s mission and bringing change to the region. He pointed out the need to further foster exchanges among the Local Branch Offices.

This organizational meeting was part of the overall assistance that the Mission provides to the Montenegrin RYCO Local Branch Office in capacity-building and enhancing visibility.

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 slightly decreased at both BCPs compared to the previous week. 

OPERATIONAL REMARKS

The OM is currently operating with 22 permanent international Mission members, including the Chief Observer (CO) and a First Responder.[1] The Mission is supported administratively by a staff member and the Chief of Fund Administration based in Vienna.

Update on COVID-19 measures

Activities have been impacted by COVID-19 and measures undertaken by the OM to ensure the safety and duty of care of its Mission members and compliance with measures set by the host country authorities. The Mission is continuing to keep the situation under review, in close contact with the OSCE Secretariat and the Chairpersonship. Following the host country’s recommendations, the observers are adhering to distancing. Due to the preventive measures taken by the central and regional authorities, the OM is faced with certain difficulties, but is still able to continue to fulfil its mandate without any limitations in its observation and reporting activities. The vaccination process provided by the host country medical system continues on a voluntary basis. To date, 80 per cent of OM staff have now been vaccinated.

OBSERVATIONS AT THE BORDER CROSSING POINTS

Persons crossing the border

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

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

The average number of entries/exits slightly decreased from 9,717 to 9,649 per day at both BCPs compared to last week. During the reporting period, the majority of border crossings were to the Russian Federation, with an average net flow of 262 per day for both BCPs. The Donetsk BCP continued to experience much more traffic than the Gukovo BCP.

Responding to the COVID-19 situation, the host country closed its borders for the majority of foreigners starting from 18 March 2020. Among the exceptions of persons allowed to cross the border (which entered into force on 19 March) are Ukrainian citizens and stateless persons holding passports or identification documents proving permanent residence in certain areas of Luhansk and Donetsk regions of Ukraine. In addition, reportedly, due to the threat of the spread of COVID-19, starting from 10 April 2020, the organized passenger transport commuting between the non-government-controlled areas of Luhansk region of Ukraine and the Russian Federation was temporarily suspended and restored from 25 June.

Persons in military-style outfits

During the reporting period, the number of persons in military-style outfits crossing the border was one, compared to the three observed last week; the observed  person crossed into the Russian Federation while no persons were observed crossing into Ukraine. This individual crossed the border on foot.

Families with a significant amount of luggage

The OTs continued to report on families, sometimes with elderly persons and/or children, crossing the border at both BCPs with a significant amount of luggage, or travelling in heavily loaded cars. During this reporting week, five families were observed crossing into the Russian Federation while no families were observed crossing into Ukraine, compared to the previous reporting period when no families were observed crossing neither into the Russian Federation nor 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. During the reporting period, the OTs observed an increase in the overall number of buses crossing the border at both BCPs (411 compared to 386 observed during the previous week). There were 202 buses bound for the Russian Federation and 209 bound for Ukraine.

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

Among the bus connections observed by the OTs, the following “irregular” route or destination: “Sevastopol-Stakhanov” was noted.

Trucks

During the reporting period, the OTs observed an increase in the overall number of trucks crossing the border at both BCPs (844 compared to 769 during the previous reporting week); 495 at the Gukovo BCP and 349 at the Donetsk BCP, 474 of these trucks crossed into the Russian Federation, and 370 crossed into Ukraine. Most of the trucks observed by the OTs had Ukrainian licence plates issued in the Luhansk region; however, on a daily basis, the OTs also noted trucks registered in Belarus, Lithuania, Georgia, the Russian Federation, and trucks with “LPR” plates.

The OTs also continued to observe tanker trucks crossing the border in both directions. During the reporting period, the OTs observed a slight increase in the overall number of tanker trucks crossing the border at both BCPs (51 compared to 49 during the previous reporting week). These trucks were observed crossing the border at both BCPs. The trucks had the words “Propane” and “Flammable” written across the tanks in either Russian or Ukrainian. The majority of tanker trucks had hazard signs, indicating that they were transporting propane or a mix of propane and butane. All trucks underwent systematic inspection by Russian Federation officials, which could include an X-ray check. Due to the unfavorable 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 141 to 175. Of the total number of trucks scanned, 173 trucks (99 per cent) were bound for Ukraine, and the remaining two (one 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 saw minivans registered in the Russian Federation. During the reporting period, the OTs observed an increase in the overall number of minivans crossing the border at both BCPs (153 compared to 135 observed during the previous week); 88 crossed into the Russian Federation and another 65 into Ukraine.

Trains

The OTs continued to pick up the sound of trains on the railway tracks located approximately 150m south-west of the Gukovo BCP. During the reporting week, the OTs heard trains on 41 occasions; the OTs assessed that 21 trains were travelling to the Russian Federation and the remaining 20 trains were travelling to Ukraine (more details are provided in the sections “trends and figures at a glance” below).

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

Other observations

The majority of vehicles crossing the border had Ukrainian licence plates issued in the Luhansk region or Russian Federation licence plates. A significant number of vehicles with “LPR” plates were also observed crossing the border in both directions on a daily basis. The OTs also observed vehicles with Georgian, Polish and Lithuanian ordinary and transit licence plates.

On 24 June at 13:45, the OT at the Donetsk BCP observed a yellow ambulance type “Mercedes Sprinter” with “LPR” plates and two passengers on board, arriving at the BCP from the direction of Ukraine. The ambulance had an inscription “Medical Transportation” on the side (in Russian). After undergoing border and customs control procedures, the vehicle left for the Russian Federation at 14:15.   

On 24 June at 14:35, the OT at the Donetsk BCP observed an ambulance type “GAZelle” with “LPR” plates and two passengers on board, entering the BCP from Ukraine. The vehicle had the inscription “Urgent Medical Help” on the side (in Russian). After undergoing border and customs control procedures, the ambulance left for the Russian Federation at 15:30. The same day at 19:37, the same ambulance was observed crossing the border from the Russian Federation into Ukraine. The OT was unable to observe any other details from its position

On 24 June at 20:10, the OT at the Gukovo BCP observed a minivan type “Mercedes” with “LPR” plates, entering the BCP from the Russian Federation side. The vehicle had the Red Cross sign on the front and rear sides and red stripes with the inscription “Med-Taxi/ transportation of bedridden/lying (seated) patients” on the side (in Russian). The driver and a man were observed on board. After undergoing border and customs control procedures, the vehicle left for Ukraine at 20:55.  

On 25 June at 09:55, the OT at the Gukovo BCP observed a minivan with “LPR” plates with driver and one passenger on board, crossing the border from Ukraine into the Russian Federation. The van had the inscription “Med-Taxi/ transportation of bedridden/lying and seated patients” on the side (in Russian). The same day at 12:51, the same van was observed crossing the border from the Russian Federation into Ukraine.

For trends and figures at a glance covering the period from 25 May 2021 to 29 June 2021, please see the attachment here.

[1]First responders are OSCE staff or Mission members deployed for a short period of time.

[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 that correspond to driving licence C1).

The OSCE Presence in Albania organized a workshop, in hybrid format, on “Prevention and Investigation of Cybercrimes” on 29 June 2021 to support the country’s efforts in the fight against cybercrime.

The rapidly progressing digitalization of society, which has seen a sudden surge due to the COVID-19 pandemic, creates new vulnerabilities that cybercriminals exploit.

Vincenzo del Monaco, Head of the OSCE Presence in Albania, Albania’s Deputy Minister of Interior Besfort Lamallari, senior officials from the Albanian State Police, Security Academy, National Authority for Electronic Certification and Cyber-Security, Directorate for the Security of Classified Information, Albanian Intelligence Service, regional law enforcement agencies from Croatia, North Macedonia, Kosovo, Police Attachés from the diplomatic missions in Albania, as well as OSCE Missions in the region attended the event.

The workshop familiarized experts in the field on the latest developments in cybercrime prevention. Participants shared experiences on strategic documents that set priorities and policies in tackling this phenomenon, and enhance international co-operation in investigating cybercrime. The workshop also focused on sharing experiences among law enforcement agencies in the region, providing a forum for police liaison officers, accredited in Tirana, to offer their experiences in facilitating investigations of cybercrimes initiated by their respective authorities.

SDGs SDGs:  16 - Peace, justice and strong institutions

Summary

• In Donetsk region, between the evening of 25 and 27 June, the SMM recorded 73 ceasefire violations, including 26 explosions. In the previous reporting period, it recorded 83 ceasefire violations in the region.
• In Luhansk region, between the evening of 25 and 27 June, the Mission recorded 81 ceasefire violations, including nine explosions. In the previous reporting period, it recorded 17 ceasefire violations in the 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 Mission observed no change in the security situation in east and south-east Kherson region. It monitored a gathering at a checkpoint near Chonhar.
• The Mission’s freedom of movement continued to be restricted, including at a checkpoint of the armed formations in southern Donetsk region and in a border area outside government control in Luhansk region. Its unmanned aerial vehicles again experienced multiple instances of GPS signal interference.*

VIENNA, 28 June 2021 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Teresa Ribeiro, expressed her concerns today over the latest physical attacks against journalists in Turkey.

According to reports, on 22 June, Mustafa Uslu, a reporter for the İhlas News Agency (İHA), was beaten by four individuals, among whom was the nephew of a local politician, while preparing his equipment for an assignment in Kocaeli province. Uslu was immediately taken to the hospital with visible cuts and bruises. Police have reportedly detained a suspect pending an investigation, and provisionally released the remaining three suspects under judicial control.

On 21 June, three employees of a construction company assaulted İbrahim Akkuş, a journalist with the daily Yeniçağ Newspaper, Akkus was visiting a district municipality to follow-up on his earlier reporting concerning alleged irregularities of a recently constructed public hospital in Samsun province. Akkuş reportedly filed a criminal complaint to the police. Authorities identified and questioned the suspects and subsequently released them pending an investigation. According to media reports, Akkuş was previously threatened as a result of his reporting on the related issue.

Ribeiro also recalled the previous physical attacks against journalists Ahmet Atmaca from Demirören News Agency (DHA) and Hanifi Güzel from İHA, in the province of Gaziantep, that occurred earlier this month. Police have reportedly identified four suspects in connection with the attack on Atmaca, who were then released following questioning and pending judicial proceedings.

“The safety of journalists is an indispensable prerequisite for media freedom. This means that journalists must be able to perform their journalistic activities without being intimidated, threatened or attacked. I hope that the relevant authorities will investigate the cases thoroughly and swiftly bring all perpetrators to justice,” said Ribeiro.

Ribeiro reiterated that the OSCE Ministerial Council Decision on Safety of Journalists calls on participating States to “take effective measures to end impunity for crimes committed against journalists, by ensuring accountability as a key element in preventing future attacks, including by ensuring that law enforcement agencies carry out swift, effective and impartial investigations into acts of violence and threats against journalists, in order to bring all those responsible to justice, and ensure that victims have access to appropriate remedies.”

SDGs SDGs:  16 - Peace, justice and strong institutions

Summary

• In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded 83 ceasefire violations, including 59 explosions. In the previous reporting period, it recorded 363 ceasefire violations in the region.
• In Luhansk region, the Mission recorded 17 ceasefire violations, all explosions. In the previous reporting period, it recorded 1,491 ceasefire violations in the region.

• The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske. It again recorded ceasefire violations close to the disengagement area near Zolote and inside and close to the disengagement area near Petrivske.
• The SMM facilitated and monitored adherence to localized ceasefires to enable the operation and maintenance to 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 followed up on reports of an attack on a journalist in Ivano-Frankivsk.
• The SMM monitored a gathering in Kryvyi Rih, Dnipropetrovsk region.
• The Mission’s freedom of movement continued to be restricted, including at five checkpoints of the armed formations in southern Donetsk region. Its unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) again experienced multiple instances of GPS signal interference and a long-range UAV flight was cancelled due to dual GPS signal interference, assessed as caused by jamming, near its base in Stepanivka *

SDGs SDGs:  16 - Peace, justice and strong institutions

Summary

• In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded 363 ceasefire violations, including 122 explosions. In the previous reporting period, it recorded 179 ceasefire violations in the region.
• In Luhansk region, the Mission recorded 1,491 ceasefire violations, including 253 explosions. In the previous reporting period, it recorded 71 ceasefire violations in the region.
• The SMM followed up on reports of a man injured due to the detonation of an explosive object in Alchevsk, Luhansk region.

• The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske. It recorded a high number of ceasefire violations close to the disengagement area near Zolote, and some inside and near the disengagement area near Petrivske.
• In the past weeks, the SMM spotted minor earthworks near a trench in a government-controlled area and extensions to existing trenches in non-government-controlled areas, all in Luhansk region.
• The Mission facilitated and monitored adherence to localized ceasefires to enable the operation of critical civilian infrastructure.
• The SMM 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 Mission’s freedom of movement continued to be restricted including at a checkpoint of the armed formations near Bessarabka, in southern Donetsk region. Its unmanned aerial vehicles again experienced multiple instances of GPS signal interference.*

VIENNA, 25 June 2021 - The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Teresa Ribeiro, concluded today the Third Central Asia Judicial Dialogue. During the two-day online event, about 45 participants, including judges from all five Central Asian countries and international experts, discussed how to protect freedom of expression and freedom of the media while taking into account other human rights and encouraging the exchange of best practices among the judiciaries in the OSCE region.

The event offered two interactive sessions. The first session, held on 24 June, focused on the adjudication of defamation cases against journalists and bloggers in the region and in the broader OSCE area. Participants reviewed the current trends and practices, awards of damages decided by courts and the role of the textual expertise in such cases. Speakers presented the recent amendments to national legislations in the area of defamation and insult, as well as other laws with impact on the freedom of expression.

The second session focused on the legal protection of public figures and various articles often replacing criminal liability for libel including, but not limited to, the dissemination of ‘deliberately false information’. The session addressed the various measures provided by national legislations and judicial practices in Central Asia for the protection of the reputation of public figures, adjudication of cases involving the distribution of “deliberately false information” and others, which may restrict the media’s reporting on the matters of public interest.

“I am pleased with the decisions by several Central Asian authorities to decriminalize defamation, and with statements concerning changes in national legislations. However there are still criminal provisions affecting journalists’ reporting,” said Ribeiro.  “I hope that the Judicial Dialogue will raise awareness across the region of the relevant international human rights standards on freedom of expression and freedom of the media, which must be taken into account when deciding on cases concerning defamation and libel within national jurisdictions”.

The Judicial Dialogue, a platform initiated by the Office of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, has established itself across the region. This year’s expert group meeting followed the first and second meetings held in the previous years in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan and Samarkand, Uzbekistan respectively.  

491042

Experiences and lessons learned when implementing intelligence-led policing (ILP) in South-Eastern Europe were the focus of a workshop organized online by the OSCE on 23 June 2021.

The over 50 workshop participants comprised law enforcement authorities from around the South-Eastern Europe region, experts from the Strategic Police Matters unit of the OSCE Transnational Threats Department, and representatives from six OSCE field operations.

The workshop provided a regional overview of the status of ILP in South-Eastern Europe. It also served as an interactive platform for exchanging good practices and ideas and further fostering synergies for ILP implementation.

The representatives of the law enforcement authorities presented on ILP implementation and their experiences as well as shared upcoming plans, lessons learned, good practices, challenges, and other ILP-related information. The presentations were followed by a discussion among the workshop participants.

The workshop was organized in the framework of the OSCE project, “Building Intelligence-Led Policing Capacities on Regional and National Levels in the OSCE area”. The project aims to enhance the application of the mechanisms and tools of ILP for the prevention and reduction of crime. It currently involves 20 countries from around the OSCE region, however all OSCE participating States and Partners for Co-operation can request its capacity-building support.

491054 OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities

OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities Kairat Abdrakhmanov visited Serbia from 14 to 17 June 2021. This was his first official visit since taking up his mandate at the OSCE.

In meetings with President Aleksandar Vučić, President of the National Assembly Ivica Dačić, Foreign Minister Nikola Selaković and other Ministers, the High Commissioner welcomed the authorities’ efforts to promote the integration of Serbia’s diverse society, including through updated legislation and institutional mechanisms, such as the National Minority Councils, which represent the interests of different ethnic communities.

In Belgrade, he also welcomed the establishment of the Ministry of Human and Minority Rights and Social Dialogue. Commending Gordana Čomić, Minister of Human and Minority Rights and Social Dialogue, on the creation of the Ministry, Abdrakhmanov recognized its role as a vehicle for effective consultations with national minorities.

“Establishing a dedicated institutional framework to deal with matters of national minorities is a good example of how a State can allocate attention and resources to diversity governance,” said Abdrakhmanov.

The High Commissioner also met with the presidents of several National Minority Councils to hear their concerns, priorities and views.

The High Commissioner travelled to Vojvodina to assess how several arrangements and practices contribute to maintaining inter-ethnic peace in the province.

In Bujanovac, Abdrakhmanov met with local officials and visited the Bujanovac Department of the Subotica Faculty of Economics of the University of Novi Sad, which has been supported by the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities for ten years.

“The availability of quality, bilingual higher education in southern Serbia is an encouraging example of what can be achieved when the central government, academic institutions, minority representatives, local authorities and the international community work together towards strengthening social cohesion,” he said.

MOSCOW, 25 June 2021 — OSCE Secretary General Helga Maria Schmid concluded her four-day visit to Moscow. Throughout the visit, she highlighted the value of the OSCE as a bridge-builder and a platform for dialogue between the East and the West.

The Secretary General met with Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov, Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Federation Council, Grigoriy Karasin, and other senior Russian stakeholders.

Her bilateral discussions focused on crises and conflicts in the OSCE area, including the Transdniestrian settlement process, a sustainable and peaceful settlement to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, and addressing the consequences of the 2008 conflict in Georgia.  

Schmid reaffirmed the OSCE’s continued commitment to supporting efforts toward a peaceful resolution to the crisis in and around Ukraine which needs all signatories to live up to their Minsk agreements’ obligations and to implement the Paris Summit conclusions as agreed by the Normandy format.

The Secretary General underscored how the work of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine’s (SMM) - monitoring and impartially reporting facts from the ground - is crucial to helping to bring about peace and stability in eastern Ukraine. She also stressed that the SMM must have safe, secure and unhindered access on both sides of the contact line to do their job. 

Highlighting the importance of revitalising arms control in the OSCE region, Schmid said: “We need real dialogue both at the political and at the military level, to revive the spirit of transparency in military matters, and to help find common ground.” In her address to the IX Moscow Security Conference, she stressed the need for participating States to re-engage with the OSCE's arms control and confidence- and security-building measures, to reduce risks and enhance military transparency, predictability and stability.

Schmid also held talks with the Secretary General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), Stanislav Zas, and addressed the Permanent Council of the CSTO. Their discussions considered where co-operation between the two organizations might be intensified. “No country or organization alone can tackle growing transnational threats such as terrorism, organized crime, human trafficking or cyber-attacks,” Schmid said.

Schmid spoke at the Valdai discussion club on current trends in European security.

In the Secretary General’s meeting with representatives of the Women’s Union of Russia, she stressed the need to advance the role of women in all areas of public life. She also met with Russian civil society groups working to prevent violence against women.

491030 Marina Živaljević

Structuring and presenting information in an engaging manner on social media, was the focus of a workshop the OSCE Mission to Montenegro organized for 14 (9 women and 5 men) parliamentary staff on 23 and 24 June.

In order to improve transparency and promote greater citizen engagement, the Parliament of Montenegro opened social media channels on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram in October 2020. This workshop was an opportunity for parliamentary staff, through practical exercises, to learn how to create Facebook and Instagram posts using the Parliament’s logo, photographs and visual content. Participants discussed principles and techniques for ethical and professional use of social media, ensuring transparency and accountability of the institution while projecting an authentic presence in online media.

The international expert Danica Ilić explained that her main message during the workshop was that the Parliament is the highest institution for citizens in Montenegro. “That is why the Parliament needs to be where its citizens are — on social media, strengthening democratic side of conversations in the digital space,” said Ilić.

The Mission will continue providing expertise, knowledge sharing and capacity-building opportunities to the Parliament to promote their transparency and integrity in order to build public confidence.

490667 Kunduz Rysbek

Two three-day train-the-trainers (ToTs) seminars on information technologies, conflict mediation, and the basics of psychological support for victims of gender-based violence (GBV) took place in Osh city from 17 to 19 June, and in Tokmok, Chui province from 23 to 25 June 2021. Forty-five members of Women Initiative Groups (WIGs) from across Kyrgyzstan participated in the seminar.

The ToTs aimed to strengthen organizational capacity of WIGs in their grassroots efforts to prevent gender-based violence through improved knowledge and skills for assisting victims of GBV.

Representatives of local Mobile Police Reception (MPR) units participated in both ToT seminars, where they discussed with participants how best to collaborate and amplify the fight against GBV. The seminars take are part of the Human and Politico-Military cross-dimensional collaboration, based on which the WIGs will be able to report more efficiently on GBV cases on the ground, while patrolling units of MPR will be able to more aptly respond to or prevent GBV and domestic violence cases.

The respective MPR focal points established a network with the WIG’s leaders in the south, and introduced them to the MPR concept, patrolling schedules, algorithms of response to GVB cases in compliance with national legislation, and outlined further co-operation plans of MPR units and WIGs in rural areas.

Currently, 49 units of MPR and 28 WIGs have been operating across Kyrgyzstan since 2011 with the support of the OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek.

The OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek strives to continue supporting grassroots efforts for building safe and equal communities in Kyrgyzstan, which fully correspond to the OSCE commitments and the 2018 OSCE Ministerial Council Decision on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women.

VIENNA, 25 June 2021 — During her first official visit to Vienna, OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and Sweden’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Ann Linde will hold a joint press briefing with OSCE Secretary General Helga Maria Schmid following their meeting on 29 June 2021.

The briefing will focus on the work of the Swedish 2021 OSCE Chairpersonship and the OSCE since January when Linde took over as OSCE Chair and Schmid took office as OSCE Secretary General. They will speak about the steps taken over the last six months toward addressing ongoing crises and conflicts and strengthening security throughout the OSCE region. They will also discuss the Chairpersonship’s goals for the remainder of its tenure and the Secretary General’s vision for the OSCE.

Media are invited to attend the joint press briefing either in-person or online via ZOOM at 9:20 on Tuesday, 29 June in the Bibliotheksaal on the 5th floor at the Hofburg Conference Centre in Vienna. COVID-19 protective measures will be in place. 

Media representatives wishing to attend either in-person or online are required to register by sending an email to press@osce.org by 17:00 on Monday, 28 June. Please provide your name, media affiliation, and whether you wish to attend in-person or online.

Please note: in-person attendance requires adherence at all times to the following COVID-19 protective measures:

• Maintain adequate distance;
• An FFP2-mask must be worn at all times except when speaking;
• Proof of low epidemiological risk before entering the Hofburg premises understood in line with paragraph 1(2) of the Austrian COVID-19 opening regulation as of 10 June 2021:
  • Proof of a negative SARS-CoV-2-Antigentest within the last 24 hours if self-administered and officially registered or within the last 48 hours if administered by an authorized institution (e.g.a pharmacy or “Teststrasse”);
  • Proof of a negative molecular-biological SARS-CoV-2-Test (“PCR-Test”) within the last 72 hours;
  • Proof of recovery from COVID-19 within the last 180 days;
  • Proof of vaccination that was administered at least 22 days before.

491021 OSCE Centre in Ashgabat

A two-day seminar dedicated to fostering the role of the Ombudsperson, Media and Youth in promoting Aarhus Convention principles took place in an online format on 24 and 25 June 2021. The OSCE Centre in Ashgabat organized the event.

The seminar brought together representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection and other relevant ministries, agencies and non-governmental organizations of Turkmenistan.

Participants were familiarized with best practices of OSCE participating States such as Georgia, Kazakhstan, Montenegro and Serbia, in the implementation of effective approaches towards engagement of the Ombudsperson, Media and Youth in the promotion of Aarhus Convention principles and access to justice on environmental matters.

The event engaged representatives from the UNECE Aarhus Convention Secretariat, the Chair of the Aarhus Convention Task Force on Access to Justice, the OCEEA/OSCE Secretariat and the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia.

“The Aarhus Convention represents an important tool in achieving good environmental governance and environmental democracy. It grants the public rights and imposes on Parties and public authorities’ obligations regarding access to information, public participation and access to justice in environmental matters,” said Ivana Markovic Boskovic, Economic and Environmental Officer at the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat. “Since 2012, the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat has been supporting the host country in the implementation of the UNECE Aarhus Convention, through the Centre’s funded project — Aarhus Centre, hosted by the Tebigy Kuwwat non- government organization.”

This seminar is part of the project “Supporting the implementation of the Aarhus Convention and strengthening co-operation with Ombudsperson, Media and Youth on environmental issues.”

WARSAW, 25 June 2021 – OSCE countries need to honour their recent commitment to uphold the absolute prohibition of torture after acknowledging the practice to be “one of the most flagrant violations of human rights and human dignity”, said the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) on the occasion of tomorrow’s International Day in Support of Victims of Torture.

“A holistic approach is vital if we’re going to end torture throughout the OSCE region,” ODIHR Director Matteo Mecacci said. “We need strong legislation to criminalize and punish perpetrators. But we also need effective safeguards, particularly for people deprived of their liberty, and genuine redress for torture victims. Effective training of penitentiary staff is also a key element in the prevention of torture and ODIHR stands ready to assist OSCE countries in all these areas.”

People deprived of their liberty and confined behind closed doors are at particular risk of torture or other ill-treatment. All countries across the OSCE area need to ensure that anyone deprived of their liberty is treated with respect, which includes ensuring that conditions of detention take into account the different needs of women and men.

Welcoming the renewed commitment undertaken at last year’s annual meeting of OSCE foreign ministers on the prevention and eradication of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment to intensify efforts to stop torture and ensure that all victims can access justice, Mecacci said: “Failing to protect every single person in detention from torture sends the message that detention facilities are lawless areas and that perpetrators can act with impunity.”

In closed settings, the persistence of gender-based discrimination, fear of retaliation, and lack of access to complaint mechanisms or support services often prevent victims of torture from reporting and seeking protection and redress. Legal and procedural safeguards should be applied throughout all stages of detention, including access to legal counsel and to doctors whenever needed. Timely and proper medical documentation of torture and ill-treatment is key to investigating, prosecuting and punishing perpetrators.

Regular and independent monitoring plays an essential role in preventing and detecting incidents of torture and other ill-treatment and should be gender-sensitive, as recommended by ODIHR’s latest guidance for monitoring bodies.

All OSCE countries have agreed that victims of torture must have access to justice, including prompt, impartial and effective investigation, without suffering any retaliation for making complaints. Ensuring the views and specific needs of victims of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment are heard is crucial to fully restore their dignity.  

On 24 June 2021, twenty-eight participants, including 12 women and 16 men, from Parliament, local authorities, private companies and civic organizations participated in a roundtable discussion on the main ecological challenges of the region in Petropavl, northern Kazakhstan. The OSCE Programme Office in Nur-Sultan organized the event, in partnership with the Association of Environmental Organizations.

The roundtable discussion focused on major environmental challenges in the city of Petropavl and the surrounding region, and ways to tackle them considering the newly passed environmental code. The new legislation will enter into force on 1 July 2021. Participants also visited ecologically polluted areas outside the city and examined the situation at the Petropavl’s sewage facility, wastewater treatment plant and waste recycling site.

The event is the first in a series of three environmental monitoring visits outside the capital to identify ecological problems and bring them to the attention of local decision-makers. Another objective of the event was to explain the main provisions of the newly enacted environmental code to the invited stakeholders. Follow-up events will take place later this year in the Zhambyl and Pavlodar regions.

The event was part of the Programme Office’s long-term efforts to strengthen environmental security in Kazakhstan by promoting green economy and sustainable development principles.​