Central Europe

The OSCE Presence in Albania and the Central Election Commission (CEC) organized a series of activities centered around young voters, with the aim to boost their participation in elections on the occasion of Global Elections Day, on 4 February 2021.

The Presence and the CEC invited young people from across the country to create videos and slogans for the 25 April general elections and awarded four winners at an event hosted by State Commissioner for Elections, Ilirjan Celibashi and Vincenzo Del Monaco, Head of the Presence.

The winners exchanged views with Del Monaco and Celibashi on enhancing youth’s role in democratic processes, on the importance of their participation in elections and the impact youth can bring in the political life of the country.

“Engaging youth in democratic processes is an important component of the work of the OSCE Presence. Youth should go out on E-Day and vote, be part of the process. You have a strong role in the future of the country, make your voice heard”, Del Monaco said in the conversation with the youth.

The State Commissioner for Elections said: “The engagement of youth through the competition for the best video, graphic and slogan for the elections when celebrating Global Elections Day was a great occasion to convey messages about the importance of young people’s participation in the electoral process”.

Celibashi and Del Monaco used the opportunity to urge all voters to check their names in the voter lists and have a valid identification document to be able to vote on 25 April.

As a side event, the Presence donated 700 print copies of the recently amended Electoral Code to the CEC to help election commissioners in organizing the upcoming elections.

The OSCE Presence remains a strong supporter and partner of the Central Election Commission and all relevant Albanian institutions in their efforts to successfully organize and conduct elections, in line with the domestic legal framework and OSCE commitments.

477433

On 3 February the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan (PCUz) has launched a series of workshops on various aspects of corporate governance and compliance applicable to the specifics of state-owned enterprises in Uzbekistan. The series titled “Corporate governance of state-owned enterprises (SOEs): an overview of current practices in Uzbekistan and best international practices” is taking place online and will last until 24 February 2021.

The workshops, developed and presented by a team of international corporate governance and compliance experts from France, Switzerland and Ukraine, were designed for state regulatory bodies of Uzbekistan including the Antimonopoly Committee, State Assets Agency and Anti-Corruption Agency.

During the training sessions some 35 participants  will be familiarized with best corporate governance practices and the 2020-2025 Strategy of Management and Reform of State-owned Enterprises of the Republic of Uzbekistan. Participants will discuss how to enhance Uzbek governance frameworks and look at current practices in Uzbekistan, as gathered by way of questionnaires.

“Good corporate governance in state-owned enterprises significantly improves the country’s economic growth and lowers its level of corruption. For that reason, promoting good governance practices and anti-corruption efforts is a priority of the OSCE,” said Hans-Ullrich Ihm, PCUz Senior Project Officer.

The overall objective of the workshops is to improve the understanding among supervisory board members and top management of Uzbek SOEs of corporate governance and compliance concepts, principles, issues, and best practices. Methodological assistance, developed training programme and relevant training material on compliance, and compliance methodology will be discussed.

This assignment is part of the extra budgetary Project “Support Uzbekistan in implementing and promoting business integrity standards” supported by Italy and the United States of America.

VIENNA, 4 February 2021 — Developments in the military doctrines of OSCE participating States and their impact on the region’s security will be the focus of the OSCE’s High-Level Military Doctrine Seminar (HLMDS) taking place online on 9 and 10 February.

Approximately 200 high-level military officials and experts from the OSCE’s participating States and OSCE Partners for Co-operation will attend.

General Robert Brieger, Chief of Defence Staff of the Austrian Armed Forces, and Helga Maria Schmid, Secretary General of the OSCE will open the seminar. The keynote address will be given in a pre-recorded address by United States Air Force General Tod D. Wolters, commander of the United States European Command, followed by short remarks by United States Army General Christopher Cavoli, commanding general of the consolidated United States Army Europe and Africa Command.

Journalists are invited to these opening addresses online from 10:00 to 11:00 am (CET) on Tuesday, 9 February 2021.

Media wishing to attend are required to send an e-mail to press@osce.org confirming their participation by 17:00 (CET) on Monday, 8 February 2021. Details for online attendance will be provided after the deadline and ahead of the event.

The event is organized by the OSCE Forum for Security Co-operation (FSC) and chaired by the United States as the FSC’s current Chairpersonship. The aim of the seminar is to enable dialogue and information exchange among military representatives to foster greater mutual understanding and transparency as well as build trust and confidence. The seminar takes place once every five years.

477448

The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media (RFoM), Teresa Ribeiro, met today, 3 February 2021, with Ambassador Yevhenii Tsymbaliuk to discuss the media freedom developments in Ukraine and areas in which the RFoM’s institution can provide assistance. In particular, the discussion focused on the decision of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine on the application of sanctions against certain media outlets, which was enacted by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on 2 February 2021.

Ribeiro expressed her concern about the sanctions that suspended the activities of TV channels 112 Ukraina, Zik and NewsOne and requested more information from the authorities in order to fully assess the decision and the related restrictions on media freedom. Tsymbaliuk agreed to follow-up on this request.

Ribeiro said that the Ukrainian authorities should find a balanced and proportional solution for countering propaganda, a solution that preserves media pluralism, free flow of information and diversity of opinions in line with relevant international standards and OSCE commitments. She offered her Office’s assistance in providing expert recommendations on the issue. The Representative added that when propaganda amounts to incitement to hatred and violence, relevant measures may be applied by using existing national and international legal instruments.

Ribeiro and Tsymbaliuk also discussed the prospects for a visit of the Representative to Ukraine, and agreed to engage in further discussions.   

KYIV, 3 February 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:

“According to data of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM), the average number of ceasefire violations in the conflict zone remains well below the levels recorded prior to the entry into force of the Measures to Strengthen the Ceasefire on 27 July 2020. These Measures agreed by the TСG are overall respected.

At today's TCG meeting, however, a trend of increasing tensions was noted, including the increase in the number of ceasefire violations. In particular, on 28 January, the SMM recorded the highest level of violations since the Measures to Strengthen the Ceasefire came into force.

Participants in the Security Working Group meeting discussed the conditions for carrying out repair and reconstruction works at the gas distribution station near the city of Marinka, including the possibility of assistance by the OSCE SMM in coordinating the necessary security guarantees and ensuring enhanced monitoring of the works.

In addition, the general security situation in the conflict zone, the observance of the ceasefire regime and the effectiveness of the co-ordination mechanism for responding to its violations were discussed.

The debates of 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 Humanitarian Working Group discussed the operational details of the future functioning of the entry-exit crossing points (EECPs) on the contact line near Zolote and Shchastia of the Luhansk region.

Mindful of the interests of civilians in the conflict zone, I urge the participants of the TCG to take early action to resolve all open questions on the way to the simultaneous opening of these EECPs.

During the Working Group's discussions, issues of the mutual release and exchange of conflict-related detainees were also duly considered.

Discussions in the Economic Working Group were mainly devoted to such topics as the provision of water supplies across the contact line in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine as well as environmental issues, in particular the question of an international inspection of the storage sites of radioactive materials in certain areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions.”

MOSCOW, 3 February 2021 — The OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and Sweden’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Ann Linde, met on Tuesday with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Sergey Lavrov during her official visit to Moscow. Various issues that affect security in the OSCE region were on the agenda.

“On my second foreign visit as Chairperson-in-Office I have had the opportunity to present the priorities of the chairpersonship. Together with my colleague Foreign Minister Lavrov, we have identified areas where we see potential for co-operation in order to make a real difference on the ground in the OSCE region,” said Linde.

She stressed that conflict resolution is a strong priority for Sweden as Chair and that a large part of her talks with Minister Lavrov focused on the ongoing conflicts and crises in and around Nagorno-Karabakh, Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia and Belarus. “We agreed on the need for a continued active OSCE engagement.”

“As Chairperson-in-Office, I will work to get continued engagement at the highest levels, to find sustainable solutions to crises and conflicts. This has to be done in line with international law and with full respect for the OSCE principles and commitments,” she said.

Given recent events in Russia and the mass detention of protesters, the Chairperson-in-Office also underlined the importance of all OSCE participating States living up to their commitments in the human dimension. “As agreed at the Astana summit, lasting security cannot be achieved without respect for human rights”, said Linde.

The Chairperson-in-Office also met with representatives of Russian civil society to discuss the situation on human rights and democracy in Russia, as well as the meaningful inclusion of women in all peace- and conflict-related processes. “During our deliberations, we have discussed the emphasis I have placed on strengthening gender equality in all aspects of the work of the OSCE. The Women Peace and Security agenda is one of those aspects, as is women's economic empowerment,” Chairperson-in-Office Linde said.

SDGs SDGs:  16 - Peace, justice and strong institutions

Summary

• The SMM recorded two ceasefire violations in Donetsk region. In the previous reporting period, it recorded 38 ceasefire violations in the region.
• The Mission recorded no ceasefire violations in Luhansk region. In the previous reporting period, it recorded 72 ceasefire violations in the region.
• The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske, and again saw containers and construction works near the southern edge of the area near Zolote.
• The Mission spotted for the first time anti-tank mines near non-government-controlled Olenivka, Donetsk region.
• The SMM facilitated and monitored adherence to localized ceasefires to enable the maintenance and operation of the Donetsk Filtration Station and demining of agricultural fields in Luhansk region.
• The Mission continued following up on the situation of civilians, including at three entry-exit checkpoints and two corresponding checkpoints of the armed formations in Luhansk region.
• The SMM visited a border crossing point outside government control in Donetsk region.
• The Mission’s freedom of movement continued to be restricted, including again at a checkpoint of the armed formations near Staromykhailivka, Donetsk region.*

SDGs SDGs:  16 - Peace, justice and strong institutions

Summary

• The SMM recorded 38 ceasefire violations in Donetsk region. In the previous 24 hours, it recorded four ceasefire violations in the region.
• The Mission recorded 72 ceasefire violations in Luhansk region. In the previous 24 hours, it recorded no ceasefire violations in the region.
• Small-arms fire was assessed as directed at an SMM mini-unmanned aerial vehicle near non-government-controlled Holubivske, Luhansk region.
• The Mission saw damage caused by shelling to two civilian properties in non-government-controlled Syhnalne, Donetsk region.
• The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske, and again saw containers and construction works near the southern edge of the area near Zolote.
• 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 four entry-exit checkpoints and three corresponding checkpoint of the armed formations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
• The Mission visited three border crossing points outside government control in Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
• The SMM’s freedom of movement continued to be restricted, including at a checkpoint of the armed formations near Oleksandrivske (formerly Rozy Liuksemburh), Donetsk region, and at a border crossing point near Izvaryne, Luhansk region.*

477376

The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media (RFoM), Teresa Ribeiro, met today, on 2 February 2021, with Ambassador Adam Hałaciński to discuss the current media freedom landscape as well as challenges in Poland and the broader OSCE region.

They discussed several issues regarding media freedom in Poland and the OSCE region, including the safety of journalists, cases of judicial harassment of journalists, the issue of disinformation, and the need for a legal framework that is fully in line with international standards on freedom of expression and the relevant OSCE commitments, to ensure a free and pluralistic media landscape. Ribeiro announced that she would follow-up on specific cases of concern.

Ambassador Hałaciński informed Ribeiro about the ongoing preparations of Poland’s OSCE Chairmanship in 2022, and they agreed to work closely together with a view to tackle current challenges to media freedom facing the OSCE region.

477301 Office of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Ton van den Brandt

The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media (RFoM), Teresa Ribeiro, met today, 2 February 2021, with Ambassador Rauf Engin Soysal to discuss the current media freedom landscape and challenges in Turkey and the broader OSCE region.

Ribeiro encouraged the Turkish authorities to promote favourable working conditions for free and pluralistic media, both online and offline, to allow them to successfully perform their fundamental role in society. She underlined the importance of upholding the commitments outlined in the 2018 Ministerial Council Decision on the Safety of Journalists.

In their conversation, Ribeiro expressed her interest to follow up on a number of ongoing criminal cases against journalists and issues around independence of broadcast and online media in Turkey, as well as the recent legal changes introduced with a potential impact on access to and the free flow of information online. In this regard, the RFoM showed her appreciation to receive further information from the Turkish authorities.

Ambassador Soysal noted the recently announced reform package by the Turkish authorities, which, among other areas, envisages reforms for the media sector. Ribeiro expressed her interest in learning more about this initiative and offered her Office’s assistance in providing expert recommendations, in line with relevant international standards and OSCE commitments.

For the further development of a vibrant media landscape in Turkey and across the OSCE region, Ribeiro and Ambassador Soysal agreed that mutual trust and constructive dialogue and collaboration are of paramount importance.

SUMMARY

Kamensk-Shakhtinskiy, Russian Federation. The Observer Mission (OM) continues to operate 24/7 at both Border Crossing Points (BCPs). The overall number of border crossings by persons increased at both BCPs compared to the previous week.  

OPERATIONAL REMARKS

The OM is currently operating with 22 permanent international 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 increased from 6,417 to 7,017 per day at both BCPs compared to last week[1].

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 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 eight, just the same as during the last week; four persons crossed into the Russian Federation while another four 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, seven families were observed crossing into the Russian Federation while two families were observed crossing into Ukraine, compared to the previous reporting period when two families were observed crossing into the Russian Federation and no 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 decrease in the overall number of buses crossing the border at both BCPs (285 compared to 324 observed during the previous week). There were 149 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 a slight increase in the overall number of trucks crossing the border at both BCPs (787 compared to 756 during the previous reporting week); 400 at the Gukovo BCP and 387 at the Donetsk BCP, 403 of these trucks crossed into the Russian Federation and 384 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 the Russian Federation, Belarus, Lithuania 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 decrease in the overall number of tanker trucks crossing the border at both BCPs (35 compared to 42 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 unfavourable observation position at the Gukovo BCP, the OTs continued to be unable to observe any X-ray checks.

Compared to the previous week, the total number of X-ray checks at the Donetsk BCP significantly increased from 67 to 135. Of the total number of trucks scanned, 132 trucks (98 per cent) were bound for Ukraine, the remaining three trucks (two 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 (141 compared to 99 observed during the previous week); 70 crossed into the Russian Federation and another 71 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 28 occasions; the OTs assessed that 14 trains were travelling to the Russian Federation and the remaining 14 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 noticed vehicles with Armenian, Georgian and Lithuanian licence plates.

For trends and figures at a glance covering the period from 29 December 2020 to 2 February 2021, please see the attachment here.

[1]Based on data received from the Regional Representation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation for the previous two weeks.

[2]Cargo minivans: light commercial vehicles with a maximum authorized mass of more than 3.5 t and not more than 7.5 t; with or without a trailer with a maximum mass of less than 750 kg (small cargo vehicles which correspond to driving licence C1).

COPENHAGEN, 1 February 2021 – Recent reports of conditions for detained protesters in Belarus, including widespread allegations of abuse and torture, must be addressed by the international community, said leaders of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s human rights committee today. They highlighted several ongoing cases of political prisoners, including that of Igor Losik, who recently ended a 42-day hunger strike, and called on the Belarusian authorities to accept visits from international organizations to learn more about the situation in prisons.

“The information we are receiving from Belarus is highly disturbing,” said OSCE PA human rights committee Chair Kyriakos Hadjiyianni (Cyprus). “Belarus must release those being held on dubious grounds, including Igor Losik, the founder and administrator of the Telegram messaging app who is facing years in prison simply for facilitating communication. This cannot reasonably be considered a ‘disruption of public order’ as the authorities claim.”

Committee Vice-Chair Michael Georg Link (Germany) stressed that the international community should hold Belarus accountable for human rights violations. “The OSCE and other international organizations must increase the pressure on the authorities in Minsk to respect the obligations and commitments that they have freely agreed to,” Link said. “The reports of torture and the lack of accountability are particularly troubling. With victims of torture rather than perpetrators being prosecuted it is up to the international community to help ensure justice.”

Committee Rapporteur Kari Henriksen (Norway) said: “Since the beginning of unrest following the disputed presidential election last August, not a single criminal investigation has been opened against law enforcement officers despite many well documented cases of abuse. Meanwhile, hundreds of criminal investigations have been launched against peaceful protesters in what increasingly looks like a full-scale assault on dissent and fundamental freedoms. This repression must end.”

The OSCE PA human rights leaders also raised concerns over recent revelations alleging that a detention camp near Slutsk was used by authorities when protests broke out last August. Leaked photos appear to show prisoners confined in an encampment deep in the forest, surrounded by high fencing with barbed wire and watch towers. A leaked audio recording has also emerged in which a senior Belarusian Interior Ministry official is allegedly discussing plans to build an internment camp for political prisoners, prompting calls from the OSCE PA officials for an independent investigation.

The committee leaders also reiterated the recommendations of the OSCE Rapporteur’s Report under the Moscow Mechanism on Alleged Human Rights Violations related to the Presidential Elections of 9 August 2020, stressing the need to prosecute those accused of human rights violations in accordance with international standards. They assured Belarusian authorities that the OSCE PA is ready to discuss matters of concern in a spirit of open dialogue.

Hadjiyianni, Link and Henriksen are the Chair, Vice-Chair and Rapporteur, respectively, of the OSCE PA’s General Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions.

SDGs SDGs:  16 - Peace, justice and strong institutions

Summary

• Between the evenings of 29 and 31 January, the SMM recorded 65 ceasefire violations in Donetsk region. In the previous reporting period, it recorded nine ceasefire violations in the region.
• Between the evenings of 29 and 31 January, the Mission recorded 23 ceasefire violations in Luhansk region. In the previous reporting period, it recorded no ceasefire violations in the region.
• Gunfire was assessed as directed at two SMM mini-unmanned aerial vehicles near government-controlled Chermalyk and non-government-controlled Oleksandrivka, Donetsk region.
• The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske. The Mission spotted for the first time three containers inside the  northern edge of the area near Stanytsia Luhanska and again saw construction works near the southern edge of the area near Zolote.
• The Mission facilitated and monitored adherence to localized ceasefires to enable maintenance, construction and operation of critical civilian infrastructure.
• The SMM continued following up on the situation of civilians, including at five entry-exit checkpoints and three corresponding checkpoint of the armed formations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
• The Mission monitored border areas and visited two border crossing points outside government control in Donetsk region.
• The SMM monitored the security situation in south-east Kherson region.
• The Mission’s freedom of movement continued to be restricted, including twice at a checkpoint of the armed formations in Staromykhailivka, Donetsk region.*

VIENNA/STOCKHOLM, 1 February 2021 — The OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Sweden’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Ann Linde will visit Moscow on 2 and 3 February for meetings with high-level officials.

Linde will meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on 2 February. Talks will focus on strengthening the co-operation between the OSCE and the Russian Federation.

Chairperson-in-Office Linde will also meet with other Russian officials to discuss the priorities of the Swedish Chairpersonship, issues affecting security and co-operation in Europe, the Women Peace and Security agenda as well as women’s economic empowerment.

She will also talk with civil society representatives, academics and experts.

For more information about Sweden's 2021 OSCE Chairpersonship, please visit the OSCE website: https://www.osce.org/chairmanship

477223

The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media (RFoM), Teresa Ribeiro, met today, 1 February, with Ambassador Katrĩna Kaktiņa to discuss the current state of media freedom in Latvia and the broader OSCE region. 

Ribeiro and Ambassador Kaktiņa discussed issues such as safety of media workers, including harassment of female journalists online, media literacy, and current challenges to the full execution of the RFoM mandate.

In the conversation, Ribeiro referred to the developments in December 2020 when Latvian journalists and publicists, reportedly collaborating with the online websites Baltnews and Sputnik (founded and/or owned by Rossiya Segodnya, the Russian state-run news company), were obstructed in their work by the State Security Service of Latvia who searched their apartments and briefly detained them. The two also discussed the most recent incident regarding the suspension of the rebroadcasting of seven of Moscow’s TV channels by the national Latvian telecom operator TET, reportedly due to the legal risks caused by charges of violating EU sanctions against its co-owner.

The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media underlined the need to enable all journalists to freely report on all matters of public interest in their country and abroad – in line with the international freedom of expression standards and the relevant OSCE commitments – adding that applying economic sanctions should not interfere with media freedom.

The RFoM suggested engaging the Latvian authorities and other stakeholders in joint efforts on how to align the national counteractions towards, in particular, hate speech, with the standards on media freedom. In this regard, the RFoM noted that further communication with concrete proposals would follow.

Ambassador Kaktiņa expressed the wish of her authorities to support the work of the RFoM and follow-up on this discussion.

SDGs SDGs:  16 - Peace, justice and strong institutions

Summary

• The SMM recorded nine ceasefire violations in Donetsk region. In the previous reporting period, it recorded 474 ceasefire violations in the region.
• The Mission recorded no ceasefire violations in Luhansk region, as in the previous reporting period. The last time it recorded ceasefire violations in the region was on 26 January.
• The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske. The Mission again saw construction works on and close to road T-1316 near the southern edge of the Zolote disengagement area.
• The Mission facilitated and monitored adherence to localized ceasefires to enable maintenance, construction and operation of critical civilian infrastructure.
• The SMM continued following up on the situation of civilians, including at four entry-exit checkpoints and three corresponding checkpoints of the armed formations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
• The SMM’s freedom of movement continued to be restricted.*

WHEN: 1 and 2 February, 15:00 – 17:00 CET

WHERE: Via VTC (Zoom)

ORGANIZED BY: 2021 Swedish OSCE Chairpersonship, in consultation with the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR)

OSCE participating States have recognized that anti-Semitism poses a threat to stability and security in the OSCE region. The 2021 Swedish OSCE Chairpersonship is hosting an Expert Meeting on Combating anti-Semitism in the OSCE Region.

The event brings together OSCE, UN, EU, Council of Europe and national experts, representatives of Jewish and other religious or belief communities, civil society and academia. The OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Foreign Minister Ann Linde will make introductory remarks at the meeting, which is also attended by her three Personal Representatives on combating anti-Semitism, racism, xenophobia, discrimination and all forms of intolerance against religious or belief communities.

Objectives

Participants will explore effective means for states to prevent and effectively combat anti-Semitism, at the same time highlighting the crucial role of the civil society, notably in building effective and broad coalitions to combat anti-Semitism and other forms of intolerance and discrimination. Participants will also share a number of best practices.

Background

ODIHR's most recent annual hate crime data indicated that in 2019, some 22 percent of all hate crimes across the OSCE region were anti-Semitic in nature. ODIHR works to prevent and respond to anti-Semitism by facilitating co-operation among governments, educators, civil society and Jewish community organizations and other religious or belief communities. 

In line with its mandate, ODIHR collects and reports data and information about hate crimes committed within the OSCE region, including hate crimes motivated by anti-Semitism. More information and resources are available here. 

In October 2021 the Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven is hosting the Malmö International Forum on Holocaust Remembrance and Combating Antisemitism.

The event will be live streamed on https://www.osce.org/live​

476980 Office of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Ton van den Brandt

The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media (RFoM), Teresa Ribeiro, met today, 29 January 2021, online with Ambassador Jeroen Boender. They discussed several issues regarding media freedom in The Netherlands and the OSCE region, including the safety of journalists, the role of Big Tech platforms and the issue of “fake news” and social media bubbles.

The unique position of the RFoM’s office, the OSCE and its field missions were discussed, with Ribeiro and Boender agreeing that good co-operation with other institutions within and outside the OSCE is of great importance.

Ribeiro expressed her concern about recent attacks on the media during riots in The Netherlands. Boender mentioned the long standing tradition of The Netherlands when it comes to media freedom, agreed that there are both positive developments and new challenges, and welcomed all future feedback.

477118

The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media (RFoM), Teresa Ribeiro, met today, 29 January 2021, with Ambassador Elena Rafti to discuss the situation on media freedom in Cyprus and the potential areas of co-operation.

Ribeiro referred to the RFoM’s efforts aimed at encouraging collaboration and solidarity amongst the journalistic communities in Cyprus, contributing to media pluralism and a free flow of information, and to advancing quality journalism under the auspices of the Cyprus Media Dialogue project. Ribeiro offered her continued support to this co-operation and exchange of professional experience. She reiterated her willingness to remain in an open dialogue with Cyprus authorities and with Cyprus media and civil society on advancing this important work.

Ribeiro and Rafti also discussed issues related to the recently reported cases of online harassment and legal prosecution against several Turkish Cypriot journalists.

They agreed to continue their co-operation on the further development of a vibrant media landscape in Cyprus and for countering the existing challenges to media freedom.

SDGs SDGs:  16 - Peace, justice and strong institutions

Summary

• The SMM recorded 474 ceasefire violations in Donetsk region, most of which were assessed as a live-fire exercise in non-government-controlled areas inside the security zone. In the previous reporting period, it recorded 335 ceasefire violations in the region.
• The Mission recorded no ceasefire violations in Luhansk region.  In the previous reporting period, it recorded 13 ceasefire violations in the region.
• The SMM continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske. It saw construction works on and close to road T-1316, near the Zolote disengagement area’s southern edge.
• The Mission facilitated and monitored adherence to localized ceasefires to enable repairs and operation of critical civilian infrastructure. It heard five ceasefire violations close to the Donetsk Filtration Station (DFS), during the time when a bus with DFS workers was driving towards Yasynuvata.
• The SMM continued following up on the situation of civilians, including at four entry-exit checkpoints and three 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 near Staropetrivske and Petrivske, Donetsk region.*