Central Europe

Željka Šulc

On the occasion of the Month of Roma Women’s Activism, the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) will support the campaign of Roma women’s network “Success”.

Every year from 8 March to 8 April, the Roma women’s network “Success” marks the Month of Roma Women’s Activism. The network brings together a group of seven Roma organizations dedicated to improving the legal, social and economic status of Roma women and children. This year’s slogan is: “It is my right, not a privilege”. The aim of the campaign is to raise awareness of citizens about the importance of Roma culture and identity as well the authorities’ obligation to protect and fulfil the rights of Roma as the largest and most marginalized national minority in BiH.   

Despite the progress achieved, Roma women in BiH and the Western Balkans experience double discrimination: as members of the Roma minority and as women.

“Roma women still face widespread marginalization and exclusion from decision-making processes – at home, in the community, as well as at the political level. They can be leaders of social change, but they have to be given the opportunity. There is a need to create equal opportunities that allow Roma women and girls to achieve their full potential,” said Kathleen Kavalec, Head of the OSCE Mission to BiH. “For this reason, I welcome this campaign and call on everyone to join our efforts to reject stereotypes and prejudice and to support the inclusion of Roma as equal members of society.”

The OSCE Mission to BiH remains committed to working with national minorities and authorities in BiH to ensure increased national minority inclusion and greater realization of their human rights.

PODGORICA/VIENNA, 8 March 2021 – The key findings and recommendations of a study “Increasing and supporting the participation of women at all levels in the Montenegrin Police” will be presented in an online event on Wednesday, 10 March.

The study, carried out by the OSCE’s Transnational Threats Department/Strategic Police Matters Unit (TNTD/SPMU), in close collaboration with the OSCE Mission to Montenegro and the Montenegrin Police Directorate, assesses the status of women’s participation in the Montenegrin Police and explores the views and experiences of female and male employees, of various level of seniority, in the Montenegrin Police.

Introductory remarks will be delivered by Ambassador Alena Kupchyna, Co-ordinator of OSCE’s Activities to address Transnational Threats, the Montenegrin Minister of Interior, Sergej Sekulović, representative of the Police Directorate of Montenegro, Counsellor Maria Gratschew, Swedish OSCE 2021 Chairpersonship, Ambassador of Italy in Podgorica, Luca Zelioli, Ambassador of Slovakia in Podgorica, Boris Gandel and Acting Head of the OSCE Mission to Montenegro, Siv-Katrine Leirtroe.

Following introductory remarks, the key findings and recommendations of the study will be presented, as well as six videos promoting women in the Police.

Media wishing to view the livestream event, from 09:00 to 10:40, are requested to send an email to marina.zivaljevic@osce.org by 16:00 on 9 March. Registration is mandatory for viewing the event.

Please use the following suggestion for your registration: MEDIA/six digits max for your media outlet/Name Surname. E.g. MEDIA/TVCG/Marko Marković. Details for attendance will be provided following registration.

For more information, please contact Marina Živaljević, National Public Affairs Officer in the OSCE Mission to Montenegro, at +382 67 626 010 or via e-mail: marina.zivaljevic@osce.org.

STOCKHOLM/VIENNA/WARSAW, 8 March 2021 – The role of women as leaders, particularly in peace building and conflict prevention, is essential to achieve prosperous and peaceful societies, and to guarantee the strength of our democracies, say OSCE officials on the occasion of International Women’s Day.

OSCE leaders from the Chairpersonship, the Secretariat, the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights and the Parliamentary Assembly highlighted the need for increased efforts and resources to advance women’s leadership. They also stressed the critical role of women’s empowerment to ensure that post-COVID-19 recovery efforts are inclusive and provide an opportunity to increase women’s participation in decision-making in public life.

“The economic empowerment of women and girls is essential for their meaningful involvement and equal participation in decision-making processes, including in conflict resolution and peace building. Promoting women’s leadership is an important aspect when we aim to increase women’s and girls’ full and effective participation in decision-making processes. The OSCE has an important role to play in its efforts to strengthen women’s leadership in our societies,” said the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs Ann Linde.

“As our societies deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, implementing the OSCE’s strong commitment to women’s equal participation is more important than ever. We need to prioritize our efforts to promote women’s leadership, through professional training and mentoring, through supporting women’s peacebuilding networks and through ensuring a gender-sensitive work environment,” said Secretary General Helga Maria Schmid.

The officials stressed that gender equality is a prerequisite for inclusive peace, sustainable economic development and democratic governance.

Within the OSCE, women are taking the lead. In the Secretariat, institutions and field operations, women working across all three dimensions of security are making leading contributions to the OSCE’s work for peace and security through conflict prevention, conflict management, and conflict resolution.

“The OSCE today is based on the principle of gender equality and this has not only shown that  women make strong and capable leaders, but that they make our institutions better: more inclusive, effective, and efficent,” said ODIHR Director Matteo Mecacci. “But we have a long way to go. Men in leadership positions have an important role to play in levelling up the playing field and in defeating age-old prejudices, not just for the good of women but for the success of our societies.”

OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Special Representative on Gender Issues Hedy Fry said: “On International Women’s Day, let’s celebrate women leaders in peace building and conflict prevention efforts in the OSCE region and beyond. With women’s participation, peace efforts are more successful, yet women accounted for only 3 per cent of mediators, 4 per cent of signatories, and 13 per cent of negotiators from 1992 to 2018. Women should be equal participants, and all women – of different ages, ethnicities, and citizenship status – should be included.”

SDGs SDGs:  16 - Peace, justice and strong institutions

KYIV, 8 March 2021 — International Women’s Day provides a timely reminder of women’s ongoing and critical contributions to sustainable peace and security.

“While we witness daily the crippling impact that the conflict has on women and girls, men and boys, we also see the important work they all do in addressing community needs and crossing divides,” said Yaşar Halit Çevik, Chief Monitor of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine. “Their contributions are important and their perspectives are vital to achieving peace and stability.”

Çevik highlighted that the SMM continues to incorporate a gender perspective in its activities. “We are striving to make the Mission most effective in implementing its Mandate, and gender mainstreaming is key to that,” the Chief Monitor explained. “Mixed patrols, for example, give us greater access to different interlocutors. And by looking at the different experiences and security needs of all members of society, we can provide a fuller picture of the actual situation on the ground.”

The OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine (PCU) assists Ukraine in elaborating and promoting policies that eliminate gender imbalance and support participation of women, including in spheres of life traditionally dominated by men — from politics to military service, justice and law enforcement. Notably, for the past year, the Co-ordinator supported the production of reference guides, “Gender Policy in Legal Documents” and “Guidebook on Gender Integration in the Ukrainian Armed Forces”, to strengthen local expertise. 

“Women make a significant contribution in building a secure, stable and prosperous future for Ukraine. It is in the best interest of all of society to lift barriers where women’s roles are limited due to stereotypes or traditional norms,” said Henrik Villadsen, OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine.

Practical assistance is also provided by the PCU to curb violations of women’s rights. The PCU offers training courses to legal professionals and civil society on gender aspects of criminal and constitutional justice, assists in the development of gender competencies framework for judges and helps law enforcement officers improve response to domestic violence. All of the PCU’s projects include and take into account gender perspectives.

SDGs SDGs:  16 - Peace, justice and strong institutions

On the morning of 7 March, an SMM long-range unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) was flying over government-controlled areas of Donetsk region.

At about 12:00 Kyiv time, while the UAV was near Opytne (government-controlled, 12km north-west of Donetsk), it experienced a dual GPS technical failure.

The SMM commanded the UAV to return towards its base at Stepanivka (government-controlled, 54km north of Donetsk), and initiated an orbit manoeuvre in an effort to regain a GPS signal. The Mission gradually lost spatial control of the UAV, and at approximately 13:30 it commanded the aircraft to conduct an emergency landing, which was not successful.

At about 14:00, during a second landing attempt from an altitude of about 3,500ft, the aircraft became uncontrollable and began descending rapidly. It crashed at 14:02 in a field about 1.5km east of Romanivka (government-controlled, 41km north of Donetsk).

It is premature to draw conclusions about the causes of the incident. The Mission is prioritising efforts to locate the crash site, and will report relevant findings.

SDGs SDGs:  16 - Peace, justice and strong institutions

Summary

• In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded 59 ceasefire violations. In the previous reporting period, it recorded 11 ceasefire violations in the region.
• In Luhansk region, the Mission recorded 46 ceasefire violations. In the previous reporting period, it recorded 36 ceasefire violations.
• The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske. It spotted people inside the latter two areas.
• It spotted anti-tank mines for the first time near Yasne, Donetsk region.
• The SMM facilitated and monitored adherence to localized ceasefires to enable maintenance and operation of critical civilian infrastructure.
• The Mission continued following up on the situation of civilians, including at five entry-exit checkpoints and three corresponding checkpoints of the armed formations in Luhansk region.
• In Odessa, the SMM observed a march to mark International Women’s Day and a counter-protest.
• The Mission’s freedom of movement continued to be restricted.

480497 Public Affairs Unit, OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights Katya Andrusz

The parliamentary elections in Georgia were competitive and administered efficiently despite challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Nevertheless, widespread allegations of pressure on voters and the blurring of the line between state and ruling party reduced public confidence in some areas of the process. These are some of the main conclusions from the 31 October 2020 parliamentary elections, as detailed in the final report published by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR).

The report offers 30 recommendations to improve the conduct of elections and increase the transparency of and public confidence in the electoral process.

Key recommendations include:

• Revising the legal framework – in a public procedure, following a broad, inclusive and timely consultation – in order to ensure better compliance with OSCE commitments and international standards
• Reconsidering the composition of the election administration so as to increase its impartiality and independence together with a more balanced political representation
• Taking prompt and effective steps to properly investigate allegations of voter and campaign staff intimidation in order to ensure public confidence in the electoral process
• Simplifying electoral dispute resolution rules so that citizens are entitled to lodge a complaint seeking remedy in case their electoral rights are violated
• Clarifying the vote recount and annulment criteria in order to provide for a transparent, fair and uniform practice in handling post-election complaints
• Reviewing the existing system for allocation of free air-time and of funds for advertising in order to enable equal campaign opportunities
• Reconsidering undue restrictions on active and passive suffrage rights

The ODIHR Limited Election Observation Mission for the 31 October 2020 parliamentary elections in Georgia commenced its work on 25 September 2020 and remained in the country until 11 November.

All 57 countries across the OSCE region have formally committed to follow up promptly on ODIHR’s election assessments and recommendations.

SDGs SDGs:  16 - Peace, justice and strong institutions

Summary

• In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded 11 ceasefire violations. In the previous reporting period, it recorded 102 ceasefire violations in the region.
• In Luhansk region, the Mission recorded 36 ceasefire violations. In the previous reporting period, it recorded no ceasefire violations.
• The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske.
• The SMM facilitated and monitored adherence to localized ceasefires to enable maintenance and operation of critical civilian infrastructure.
• The Mission continued following up on the situation of civilians, including at three entry-exit checkpoints and three corresponding checkpoints of the armed formations in Luhansk region.
• The Mission’s freedom of movement continued to be restricted.*

480458 Communication and Media Relations Section

The OSCE held an online workshop on international co-operation in asset recovery and cross-border collaboration for 11 criminal justice practitioners from Bosnia and Herzegovina from 3 to 5 March 2021.

The workshop focused on the exchange of evidence and global intelligence and aimed to boost the capacity of criminal investigators in addressing transnational criminal cases, in particular relating to asset tracing, freezing, confiscation and repatriation.

In addition to formal legal assistance requests, the workshop examined regional and international tools and mechanisms that can be used before the formal start of the mutual legal assistance process, which enables international collection and sharing of information and evidence.

Following theoretical sessions, participants conducted simulated investigations of transnational criminal cases where they applied theoretical, strategic and practical skills gained at the workshop.

The workshop, jointly organized with the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina, was part of the training courses organized in the framework of the OSCE extra budgetary 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”. This project is jointly implemented by the OSCE Transnational Threats Department and the Office of the OSCE Co-ordinator of Economic and Environmental Activities, with financial support from the United States, Italy, Germany and the United Kingdom.

480482

Twenty border officers from Tajikistan’s Border Troops completed a three-week operational planning course on 5 March 2021 in the Hamadoni district of the Khatlon region. The course was organized by the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe in co-operation with the Border Troops and funded by the European Union. 

Participants of the course, who were mainly Tajik border officers serving along the border with Afghanistan, enhanced their skills in operational planning, briefing techniques, information and risk management, gender awareness as well as command and control skills. The officers also learned how to react to threats emanating from outside the state borders, read topographic maps and interact and co-ordinate their joint operations to efficiently protect the border with border patrols.

Colonel Rajabzoda Nasim Holmurod, First Deputy Chairman-Commander of the Border Troops of the State Committee for National Security of the Republic of Tajikistan noted that the training course was aimed at developing skills required for patrolling Tajikistan’s border with Afghanistan that presents a challenging environment given its mountainous terrain and difficult climatic conditions. “I am confident that the skills and knowledge gained during the training process will be effectively applied in the future daily service in the operational tasks of protecting the state borders of the Republic of Tajikistan.”

Valeriu Chiveri, Head of the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe thanked the leadership of the Border Troops of Tajikistan for the fruitful co-operation with the Programme Office in organizing this training course for Tajik border officers. “I am glad that this course took place in such a legendary border detachment. The programme on operational planning was designed for the heads of special units to learn how to collect necessary data in a timely manner and analyze the situation as well as make expedient decision and plan their activities.”

Petra Gašparova, Deputy Head of the EU Delegation to Tajikistan said: “The 18-month EU-funded project “Stabilization of Tajikistan’s southern border region with Afghanistan” is a very special project, since it combines support to both civilian and military actors. It is the first project of this kind implemented outside Africa and the Middle East. It is my great pleasure to congratulate the officers of the Tajik Border Troops on the successful conclusion of this first training cycle. More trainings are foreseen and we hope to include also members of the Afghan Border Services in the next rounds, since joint training is important to build confidence and enhance operational cross-border co-operation.”

This was the first in a series of training courses within the project funded through the European Union’s Foreign Policy Instrument. The project aims to increase the professional capacity of Tajik and Afghan Border Services to better tackle illicit activities in border areas. The project also aims to strengthen the capacity of the Committee on Emergency Situations and Civil Defense to respond to natural disasters in border regions.

ERGNETI - On 5 March 2021, the 98th Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM) was held in Ergneti, co-facilitated by Ambassador Marek Szczygieł, Head of the EU Monitoring Mission in Georgia (EUMM) and Ambassador Annika Söder, Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office for the South Caucasus.  Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ergneti IPRM was accompanied by all necessary precautionary health measures.

The new co-facilitator of the IPRM, Ambassador Söder, opened the meeting by expressing her gratitude for the warm welcome she has received from the participants, and encouraged everyone to contribute to a productive meeting. The two co-facilitators then commended the commitment of the participants to the IPRM and praised the effective use of the EUMM-managed Hotline for raising and addressing issues of concern.  

Further, the co-facilitators reiterated their serious worries regarding the deepening socio-economic hardships of the conflict-affected population, which stem from the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the closure of the crossing points along the administrative boundary line (ABL). The co-facilitators called upon all the participants to respond positively to the humanitarian and security needs of the vulnerable communities, in particular elderly, women and children.

The discussions in the IPRM were conducted in a constructive atmosphere, allowing the participants to discuss all issues pertaining to stabilisation and normalisation, including the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, ‘borderisation’ processes along the ABL, and the security situation in the Chorchana-Tsnelisi area. Pertinent detention cases and other humanitarian issues featured prominently throughout the discussion.

All participants agreed to continue their dialogue through regular IPRM meetings and the EUMM-managed Hotline.

The participants agreed to plan for a subsequent meeting on 23 April 2021.

SKOPJE, 5 March 2021- With an aim to enhance professional standards of online media, the OSCE Mission to Skopje supported the Council of Media Ethics (CMEM) in developing ethical guidelines for online media outlets, publicized in Skopje today.

The Guidelines, drafted after a broad consultation with the media community in North Macedonia, will help in developing a solid and credible online media self-regulation system, and strengthen independent, professional and accountable reporting online.

“Ethical standards need to be applied across all media platforms as ethical challenges of journalism are valid both offline and online," said Clemens Koja, Head of the OSCE Mission to Skopje.

The Executive Director of the Council of Media Ethics, Marina Tuneva, said that in all democratic societies, self-regulation is the best way to increase accountability of online media and prevent unnecessary media legislation. The fast-changing circumstances in which both traditional and online media work requires continuous upgrade of an ethical framework.

"We hope that this self-regulatory instrument will motivate online media to embrace the value of professional and accountable journalism in their work,” said Tuneva. “The Guidelines are intended to serve as a tool helping to resolve dilemmas on how to deal with aspects related to journalistic content published online. These aspects are not included or explained in detail in the current ethical framework.” 

“A crucial task of our Council is to foster and restore public trust in journalism. In this regard, we will continue advocating for the application of ethical standards across all media platforms," concluded Tuneva.

The Guidelines, available at https://semm.mk/en/pravna-ramka-3/2015-11-01-07-10-08/kodeks/851-guidelines-for-ethical-reporting-for-online-media, apply to all information and content that online media publish on social networks or other online platforms. 

SDGs SDGs:  16 - Peace, justice and strong institutions

Summary

• In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded 102 ceasefire violations. In the previous reporting period, it recorded ten ceasefire violations in the region.
• In Luhansk region, the Mission recorded no ceasefire violations for the fourth consecutive day.
• The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske, and observed people inside the area near Zolote during daytime.
• The Mission observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines in a non-government-controlled area of Donetsk region.
• The SMM facilitated and monitored adherence to localized ceasefires to enable maintenance, repairs and operation of critical civilian infrastructure. It heard seven ceasefire violations close to the Donetsk Filtration Station (DFS), near the time when a bus with DFS workers was driving towards the station.
• The Mission continued following up on the situation of civilians, including at two entry-exit checkpoints and four corresponding checkpoints of the armed formations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
• The SMM observed 11 trucks bearing the logo of a humanitarian organization cross the contact line near non-government-controlled Vesela Hora towards government-controlled Shchastia.
• The Mission’s freedom of movement continued to be restricted.*

480386 Head of Presence's remarks at roundtable on Local Safety Councils in Albania

The OSCE Presence in Albania organized an online meeting, on 4 March 2021, to present the findings of an evaluation report on Local Safety Councils (LSCs) in six targeted municipalities.

The LSCs are local structures that bring together state institutions, civil society and religious communities to discuss and improve multi-agency co-operation, and address local security and safety issues. They are present in all 61 municipalities of Albania, and the first three were initiated by the OSCE Presence in Albania in 2016.

“The Local Safety Councils approach stands at the core of the OSCE’s body of commitments, as it encompasses a wide range of values that the OSCE strongly upholds and continuously promotes to all participating States: all-inclusiveness, participation and collaboration,” said Vincenzo Del Monaco, Head of OSCE Presence.

The report, prepared by an external expert, assesses the functionality and effectiveness of LSCs in Elbasan, Cërrik, Librazh, Lushnja, Vlora and Puka – which the Presence supported in 2018 and 2019, to strengthen their capacities — and offers recommendations for improvement.

According to the report, the Councils need to further regulate their work and guarantee the highest possible level of participation from all stakeholders; increase their members’ knowledge about their role and co-ordination in response to crisis managements, natural disasters and other public safety challenges. Also, the Councils need to develop tools to monitor their action plans, and explore ways to increase public perception and support to local security.

The report also offers guidelines on the role of Local Safety Councils on crisis management, and provides a training package for two other LSCs that the Presence will support this year.

Deputy Minister of Interior and Chair of Tirana Municipal Council Romina Kuko, who helped establish the first LSCs when she was an OSCE Presence staff, and representatives of several municipalities spoke at the event.

In 2021, the OSCE Presence will support the LSCs of Korça and Berat through tailored training, awareness raising campaigns on domestic violence, and youth empowerment on safety and security.

WHEN

8 March 2021, 15:00 - 9 March 2021, 17:30

WHERE

Given the restrictions related to the Covid-19 pandemic, this meeting will exceptionally take place online. (CET time zone)

ORGANIZED BY

The Swedish OSCE Chairpersonship, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR)

Background

The first Supplementary Human Dimension Meeting of 2021 will provide a platform for an exchange of views among OSCE participating States, OSCE institutions and other executive structures, and a variety of international organizations, civil society and other stakeholders on the implementation of commitments related to the promotion of media freedom and gender equality.

The first session will focus on gender equality and the right to freedom of expression, including the freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds through any media.  

The second session will focus on the role of the media in the implementation of the Women, Peace and Security Agenda. A particular focus will be given to gender-sensitive reporting and the inclusion of women’s voices to strengthen conflict resolution.

The third session will focus on the safety of female journalists online and will be based on the RFoM #SOFJO Resource Guide.

Participants

Representatives of OSCE participating States, OSCE institutions and executive structures, representatives of inter-governmental organizations, representatives of civil society and researchers from the 57 participating States that have relevant experience in the topic are encouraged to participate in the SHDM. The Partners for Co-operation are invited to attend and contribute with respect to their co-operation and links with the OSCE in the field.

Live streaming

Live streaming of the event will be provided here. 

Modalities

The meeting will start with the opening session, followed by three working sessions and the closing session.

Interpretation will be provided in the six official OSCE languages: English, French, German, Italian, Russian and Spanish.

KYIV, 03 March 2021 — The Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office in Ukraine and in the Trilateral Contact Group (TCG), Ambassador Heidi Grau, made the following statement to the press after the regular meetings of the TCG ‎and its Working Groups held through video conferencing:

“On Monday, a convoy with humanitarian aid intended for certain areas of Luhansk region of Ukraine crossed, for the first time, the contact line via the entry-exit crossing point (EECP) Shchastia. This is an encouraging step and good news for the civilian population.

I hope that delivery of humanitarian goods to certain areas of the Donetsk region of Ukraine will soon be resumed too.

Observations by the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) indicate that the commitment to the ceasefire in the conflict zone and additional measures to strengthen it are overall respected.

According to the SMM, the average number of ceasefire violations last week was ten times lower than in February 2020. Achieving total silence however requires greater political will by the sides.

In addition, continued restrictions and impediments to the SMM's safe and secure access throughout Ukraine, as well as to the use of its technical means, prevent monitoring from being carried out effectively and in full.

All these issues were the subject of discussion in the Security Working Group. 

Besides, its participants considered procedures related to the functioning of the co-ordination mechanism for responding to ceasefire violations. The requirement to notify the use of disciplinary actions for ceasefire violations, as confirmed by SMM, was emphasized.

The Political Working Group focused on issues related to the implementation of the tasking given by the TCG to develop a draft action plan in full compliance with the Minsk agreements.

The participants of the Humanitarian Working Group discussed outstanding issues that needs to be solved to allow the simultaneous opening and full operation of the new EECPs near Zolote and Shchastia of the Luhansk region.

The issue of mutual release and exchange of conflict-related detainees was also duly considered.

Political considerations should not prevail over humanitarian ones in the search for solutions to these issues.

Participants of the Economic Working Group discussed water supplies across the contact line in certain areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine.

An extensive discussion on environmental issues took place, including the possibility of setting up an international expert group to assess independently the situation in flooded mines in the conflict zone.”

SDGs SDGs:  16 - Peace, justice and strong institutions

Summary

• In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded ten ceasefire violations. In the previous reporting period, it recorded 150 ceasefire violations in the region.
• In Luhansk region, the Mission recorded no ceasefire violations, as in the previous reporting period.
• The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske, and recorded an undetermined explosion inside the area near Petrivske.
• The Mission facilitated and monitored adherence to localized ceasefires to enable maintenance, repairs and operation of critical civilian infrastructure.
• The SMM continued following up on the situation of civilians, including at three entry-exit checkpoints and four corresponding checkpoints of the armed formations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
• The Mission’s freedom of movement continued to be restricted.*

MADRID, 3 March 2021 – Spain is stepping up its commitment and efforts in combating human trafficking. This is a great example of how a country can mobilize when the issue of trafficking is elevated to a political priority, said the OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, Valiant Richey, at the high-level first international seminar on trafficking in human beings in Madrid.

“Spain is building solid bases for strengthening anti-trafficking work in the years to come,” said Richey during his visit, where he learned about the country's ongoing comprehensive review of the National Action Plan.

Richey commended the country for the broad focus on all forms of trafficking, and for the attention to technology-facilitated trafficking. “I encourage the Government to adopt measures to curb demand in line with international legal obligations and expand assistance to victims and I offer my Office's support both in policy-development and capacity-building.”

Richey also talked to the Minister of Foreign Affairs Arancha González, Deputy Minister Cristina Gallach Figueras, and the newly appointed Ambassador at large on trafficking Carlos Ruiz Gonzales.

“Spanish efforts in the international arena, both in promoting broad and comprehensive multilateral solutions and in advancing anti-trafficking topics in bilateral political dialogues are commitments to be praised,” said Richey.

Minister González, while closing the seminar, said: "Combating human trafficking means protecting human rights, promoting gender equality, and speaking up to shed light on what is too often invisible."

In a meeting with the Government Delegate against gender-based violence, Victoria Rosell Aguilar, Richey was briefed on how the country plans to disrupt sexual exploitation of women and girls. Supporting such reforms, Richey encouraged additional decisive steps to curb the demand incentivizing trafficking.

Richey also met with first-line responders, including NGOs, prosecutors, and investigators. "I am inspired by the work that is being done on the ground. NGOs are out there every day to help identify, support, and protect victims of trafficking," said Richey. "On the law-enforcement side, police and prosecutors established solid frameworks of co-operation. What is needed now is new comprehensive laws and policies to empower these actors to operate at their best."

SDGs SDGs:  16 - Peace, justice and strong institutions

Summary

• In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded 150 ceasefire violations. In the previous 24 hours, it recorded nine ceasefire violations in the region.
• In Luhansk region, the Mission recorded no ceasefire violations. In the previous 24 hours, it recorded two ceasefire violations in the region.
• The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske, and again saw containers inside and near the southern edge of the area near Zolote.
• The SMM observed weapons in violation of withdrawal lines in a non-government-controlled training area in Donetsk region.
• The Mission facilitated and monitored adherence to localized ceasefires to enable maintenance and operation of critical civilian infrastructure.
• The SMM 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 11 trucks bearing the logo of a humanitarian organization cross the contact line near Shchastia and travel towards non-government-controlled Luhansk city.
• The SMM’s freedom of movement continued to be restricted, including at a checkpoint of the armed formations near Olenivka, Donetsk region, and at a border crossing point outside government control near Izvaryne, Luhansk region.*

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 Mission members, including the Chief Observer (CO). 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 Chairmanship. Following the host country recommendations, the observers are adhering to social 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.

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 decreased from 7,193 to 6,930 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 248 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 has 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 four, compared to 18 last week; two persons crossed into the Russian Federation while another two persons crossed into Ukraine. These individuals 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, six families were observed crossing into the Russian Federation while five families were observed crossing into Ukraine, compared to the previous reporting period when three families were observed crossing into the Russian Federation and 12 families were observed crossing 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 a slight decrease in the overall number of buses crossing the border at both BCPs (297 compared to 301 observed during the previous week). There were 161 buses bound for the Russian Federation and 136 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.

Trucks

During the reporting period, the OTs observed an increase in the overall number of trucks crossing the border at both BCPs (849 compared to 745 during the previous reporting week); 489 at the Gukovo BCP and 360 at the Donetsk BCP, 486 of these trucks crossed into the Russian Federation and 363 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 Armenia, Belarus, Lithuania, 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 decrease in the overall number of tanker trucks crossing the border at both BCPs (30 compared to 38 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 the 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 decreased from 153 to 137. Of the total number of trucks scanned, 137 trucks (100 per cent) were bound for Ukraine.

Minivans

The OM continued to observe passenger and cargo minivans[1] 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 a significant increase in the overall number of minivans crossing the border at both BCPs (198 compared to 143 observed during the previous week); 112 crossed into the Russian Federation and another 86 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 26 occasions; the OTs assessed that 13 trains were travelling to the Russian Federation and the remaining 13 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 Belarusian, Georgian, Lithuanian licence plates and vehicles with “DPR” plates.

On 25 February at 14:31, the OT at the Donetsk BCP observed a group of six new ambulances type Gazel Next without licence plates, entering the BCP from the Russian Federation and parking in the customs control area. There were two persons in the first vehicle and only drivers in the other vehicles. The vehicles had a red cross sign on the front and the back and the inscription "Urgent Medical help" – written in Russian - on the sides. The vehicles underwent customs control procedures and left for Ukraine at 15:43.

For trends and figures at a glance covering the period from 26 January 2021 to 02 March 2021, please see the attachment here.

[1]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).