Central Europe

VIENNA, 9 October 2020 – The 22nd Central Asia Media Conference, organized online by the Office of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media (RFoM), concluded today. Over the course of the three-day conference, around 150 journalists, representatives of NGOs, academia, international experts, and government agencies from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan as well as Mongolia, discussed a broad range of issues related to freedom of the media and freedom of information in the region, with a special focus on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The conference this year focused on “Strengthening Media Diversity and Pluralism in Central Asia”, and consisted of three plenary sessions. The first session addressed recent steps taken by governments and social media platforms in regulating so-called ‘harmful content’, and responses by media rights organizations and editorial houses to these steps. Participants, together with regional and international experts, discussed ways to counter disinformation, hate speech and other forms of what is broadly referred to as ‘harmful content’ offline and online, while upholding human rights, freedom of the media commitments and the rule of law. Opportunities and challenges brought on by the use of Artificial Intelligence and various automated systems when countering online hate speech were also discussed.

The second session focused on promoting diversity in the mainstream media. In particular, the session addressed the importance of ensuring balanced and representational reporting on societal matters, without racial or ethnic bias. At the third session, civil society and government representatives from Central Asia and Mongolia presented an overview of media freedom developments in their respective countries over the past year. They focused especially on the challenges arising from the COVID-19 pandemic, including current legislation and policies, which might have a chilling effect on freedom of the media.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has hit the media hard and has had a grave impact on the freedom to report. It is paramount to ensure the free flow of reliable information while fighting disinformation,” said Jürgen Heissel, Director of the Office of the OSCE RFoM. “Let us remember that international law provides guidance for the delicate balance between States’ obligations to protect their citizens against unlawful and ‘harmful content’, such as hate speech or incitement to terrorism on the one hand, and freedom of expression and free media on the other hand,” he added.

Discussions also highlighted the need to enhance regional efforts in promoting media literacy, strengthening effective media accountability systems, and achieving greater adherence to ethical standards.

More information on the conference, including keynote speeches and background materials, can be found here: https://www.osce.org/representative-on-freedom-of-media/464190

Željka Šulc

The Annual Prosecutorial Symposium, which, due to the pandemic, took place in an online format on 8 and 9 October 2020, gathered some 150 prosecutors, judges and other criminal justice professionals who took part in a number of panel discussions on criminal matters.

The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) supported the organization of two panel discussions on the processing of cases related to trafficking in human beings (THB) and war crimes. The panels were an opportunity for prosecutors and experts to discuss issues and share experiences in these areas.

“Combating trafficking in human beings is one of the OSCE’s priorities as THB affects virtually all its participating States, either as countries of origin, transit or destinations. This modern form of slavery is an affront to human dignity, often involving psychological terror and physical violence. The human rights of trafficked persons have to be at the centre of all efforts to combat human trafficking, prosecute traffickers and provide redress to victims of trafficking,” said Boris Topić, National Anti-trafficking Officer at the OSCE Mission to BiH.

The war crimes panel discussion, jointly organized with Trial International, focused on the overview of progress and challenges still facing Bosnia and Herzegovina judiciary in processing of war crimes cases, particularly the distribution of cases in line with the goals of the Revised National Strategy for War Crimes Processing. The panel also addressed legal and procedural challenges in prosecuting and sentencing sexual violence cases, as well as appeal processes related to these types of crimes.

Šeila Heljić, President of the FBiH Association of Prosecutors stated: “The Annual Prosecutorial Symposium has become one of the most important training opportunities for prosecutors and other criminal justice professionals. The symposium and the panels provide participants with insight into the present state in this field and enable the exchange of experiences. Continuous training is of crucial importance for enhancing the capacity of the criminal justice sector, including its effective processing of THB-related and war crimes cases.”  

The panel discussion on THB was jointly supported by the OSCE Mission to BiH, the Judicial and Prosecutorial Training Centres of the entities, the USAID BiH through International Organization for Migration Mission in BiH, the European Union and Council of Europe Joint Project Horizontal Facility, the US Embassy and the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training, and the International Forum of Solidarity-Emmaus

VIENNA / SEOUL, 9 October 2020 – The 2020 OSCE Asian Conference, focusing on multilateral responses to global security challenges, will be held virtually on 12 and 13 October 2020. The conference is co-organized by the Republic of Korea, and Slovakia as the 2020 Chair of the OSCE Asian Partners for Co-operation Group.

Representatives of the 57 OSCE participating States, OSCE Asian Partners for Co-operation, international organizations, academic, and private sector will discuss specific areas of multilateral responses to global security challenges.

Three sessions will focus on regional confidence- and security-building measures and exchanges of best practices between Europe and Asia; possibilities for mitigating trans-border environmental risks; and the challenges and nexus between security and access to information in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The conference will be opened by Lee Taeho, Vice Minister of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea, Ingrid Brocková, State Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Slovakia to the OSCE, Chair of the Contact Group with the OSCE Asian Partners for Co-operation; Agron Tare, Deputy Minister, Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Albania; and Tuula Yrölä, OSCE Officer in Charge/Secretary General, Director of Conflict Prevention Centre. 

The OSCE five Asian Partners are Afghanistan, Australia, Japan, the Republic of Korea and Thailand. The Partnership provides a platform for political dialogue and practical engagement by fostering productive collaboration and sharing best practices on issues of mutual concern.

The opening session on Monday, 12 October, from 9.30 to 10.30, will be live streamed on www.osce.org/live. No registration required. For questions, please contact press@osce.org.

466503

The role of parliament in oversight of the security sector in Uzbekistan was the focus of an OSCE event in Tashkent on 8 October 2020. Twenty members of the Oliy Majlis (parliament), coming from both the Legislative Chamber and the Senate, took part in the event. The workshop was organized, in a blended format, jointly by the OSCE Conflict Prevention Centre and the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan, and supported by speakers from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights and the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly.

Participants, many of whom were newly elected to their offices earlier this year, were briefed on the work of the OSCE, the main actors and principles of good security sector governance, the role of human rights, and the rule of law and gender equality in this regard. Concrete tools and instruments for parliamentary oversight of the security sector were also presented.

“The OSCE has a long track record in supporting participating States in strengthening the governance of their security sectors. Experience shows that an accountable, effective and inclusive security sector with full respect for human rights, gender equality and the rule of law can effectively provide security to a State and its people, thereby promoting stability,” said John MacGregor, OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan.

Participants discussed existing instruments and mechanisms for the security sector oversight in the context of Uzbekistan’s 2016 Law on Parliamentary Oversight and how the role of the parliament in this area could be further strengthened. They also shared their experiences on human rights oversight and gender equality in the security sector, and debated existing challenges in this area and how to address them.

Dilorom Fayzieva, Chairperson of the Committee on International Affairs and Inter-parliamentary Relations of the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis, said: “Today's event is indeed timely as the national parliament of Uzbekistan aims to strengthen its oversight functions. At the same time,  we are aware of our main mission: enforcing the law along with the protection of the rights, freedoms, and the lawful interests of citizens. This is the foundation of security.”

The event was implemented through the OSCE extra-budgetary project “Support, capacity-building and awareness-raising for Security Sector Governance and Reform within the OSCE: Phase II”, financially supported by Austria, Germany, Norway, Slovakia, and Switzerland.

WARSAW, 9 October 2020 – Ahead of tomorrow’s World Day against the Death Penalty, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) emphasized in its new report that individuals facing the death penalty must have access to fair trial guarantees, the right of pardon or commutation, and equal protection of the law without discrimination.

Safeguards that guarantee the rights of people on death row and prevent arbitrary deprivation of life are critical where capital punishment is still in use. However, some cases that end in the death penalty lack the certain basic elements for a fair trial, like the presumption of innocence or effective defence counsel. This is particularly concerning when considering the irreversibility of any miscarriage of justice in capital cases.

This year, ODIHR’s Background Paper on the Death Penalty in the OSCE Area discusses ways in which the death penalty can be arbitrary. It highlights that the application of the death penalty cannot be reconciled with full respect for the right to life, as it is often arbitrary and inconsistent. Capital punishment also disproportionately affects people in situations of vulnerability because of their race, gender or socioeconomic status. ODIHR has repeated on many occasions that the death penalty is a cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment. It is particularly deplorable to sentence to death individuals who face specific barriers in defending themselves, such as persons with psychosocial or intellectual disabilities.

OSCE participating States have committed to exchanging information about abolishing the death penalty and its use. Transparency in all aspects of the application of the death penalty is crucial to ensuring due process rights and freedom from torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

SDGs SDGs:  16 - Peace, justice and strong institutions

Summary

• The SMM recorded 36 ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and two in Luhansk region. In the previous reporting period, it recorded three ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and one in Luhansk region.
• The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske, and saw people during the daytime inside former military positions inside the Zolote disengagement area.
• The SMM saw weapons in violation of withdrawal lines in non-government-controlled areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, including ten multiple launch rocket systems at three different locations, some of which were training areas.
• The Mission facilitated and monitored adherence to localised ceasefires to enable repairs to and the operation of critical civilian infrastructure.
• The SMM continued following up on the situation of civilians amid the COVID-19 pandemic, including at an entry-exit checkpoint in Luhansk region.
• The Mission’s freedom of movement continued to be restricted, including twice at a checkpoint of the armed formations near Kreminets, Donetsk region.

SDGs SDGs:  16 - Peace, justice and strong institutions

VIENNA, 8 October 2020 – The recent reduction in violence, following the Trilateral Contact Group’s adoption of additional measures to strengthen the ceasefire on 22 July, shows once again that with political will, concrete results can be achieved on the ground, said Yaşar Halit Çevik, Chief Monitor of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine, in his address to the OSCE Permanent Council today in Vienna.

While mines and unexploded ordnance have continued to claim lives since the measures came into effect on 27 July, the Chief Monitor in particular noted that no civilians had been killed or injured because of shelling or small-arms fire after 27 July. Other measures agreed by the TCG, however, remained to be implemented, he said. “The SMM can support further co-ordination between the sides, under its dialogue facilitation function, if the sides so request,” he said. “However, the SMM cannot become an adjudicator.”

Although somewhat improved since July, restrictions imposed by the armed formations on the contact line remain, which substantially hinder the movement of the Mission in areas not controlled by the Government, the Chief Monitor said. Combined with persistent freedom-of-movement restrictions, mostly in areas not controlled by the Government, and repeated electronic interference with, and live-fire targeting of, SMM unmanned aerial vehicles, the Chief Monitor said impediments to SMM monitoring of and reporting on the security situation remained.

The dangers of COVID-19 remain very much present, the Chief Monitor said. Having introduced a range of stringent mitigation measures into its operational procedures, the SMM will continue to strive to ensure that its mandate is fulfilled while ensuring the safety and well-being of Mission members, he emphasized.

466374 Marina Živaljević

Maryse Daviet, Head of the OSCE Mission to Montenegro, met with the newly appointed Speaker of the Parliament, Aleksa Bečić, on 7 October 2020 in Podgorica.

Daviet congratulated Bečić on his appointment and said that the Parliament has been a long-standing partner of the Mission.

“In close co-ordination with the Parliament’s Office of the Secretary General, the Mission has focused on strengthening the service staff, as they are the backbone of a strong democratic institution. The Mission stands ready to continue with its technical assistance to the Parliament in close co-ordination with you and your team to ensure that the Mission responds to the specific needs of the Parliament, of its committees, and service staff,” said Daviet.

She recalled that since 2006, the Mission has worked in partnership with the Parliament to implement projects focusing on strengthening the capacity of the committees, building the capacity of the service staff, supporting co-operation amongst parliaments and promoting a more gender sensitive parliament.

President Bečić expressed gratitude for the continued good co-operation between the Parliament of Montenegro and the Mission and said that he expects good relations to continue through future reform processes.

He commented on the significant contribution of the OSCE Mission during the work of the Committee for Further Reform of Electoral and Other Legislation and welcomed the engagement of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights during the monitoring of the election process.

SDGs SDGs:  16 - Peace, justice and strong institutions

Summary

• The SMM recorded three ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and one in Luhansk region. In the previous reporting period, it recorded nine ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and five in Luhansk region.
• A woman and a boy were injured by the explosion of a device near Zolote-5/Mykhailivka, Luhansk region.
• The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske. During night hours, an SMM long-range unmanned aerial vehicle spotted a person inside the disengagement area near Zolote.
• The SMM saw four weapons in violation of withdrawal lines in a non-government-controlled area of Luhansk region.
• The Mission facilitated and monitored adherence to localised ceasefires to enable repairs to and the operation of critical civilian infrastructure.
• The SMM continued following up on the situation of civilians amid the COVID-19 pandemic, including at an entry-exit checkpoint and the corresponding checkpoint of the armed formations in Luhansk region.
• The Mission’s freedom of movement continued to be restricted.*

Information for Google Short title:  ODIHR final report on 2020 Serbia parliamentary elections 466050 Public Affairs Unit, OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights Katya Andrusz

The parliamentary elections in Serbia were administered efficiently despite challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, but dominance of the ruling party, including in the media, was a cause for concern. These are some of the main conclusions from the 21 June 2020 elections, as detailed in the final report published by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR).

The report offers 29 recommendations to improve the conduct of elections, and increase the transparency of and public confidence in the electoral process.

Recommendations

Key recommendations include:

• Revising the legal framework - in a public procedure, following a broad, inclusive and timely consultation - to ensure legal certainty and compliance with OSCE commitments and international standards
• Putting in place measures to prevent misuse of office and state resources, and ensuring effective monitoring of compliance, including through proportionate sanctions
• Preventing the practice of pressuring voters by ensuring that cases of alleged constraint are thoroughly investigated
• Introducing reporting and disclosure requirements of campaign income and expenditure prior to election day
• Making voter lists available for public scrutiny while ensuring both data privacy and lawful access
• Strengthening the independence of the Regulatory Authority for Electronic Media and explicitly defining its responsibilities during the campaign period, including the possibility to take timely actions based on systematic monitoring of election coverage
• Ensuring prompt publication by polling stations of all scanned protocols and results, including those corrected later in the process or determined by repeat elections

ODIHR deployed a Special Election Assessment Mission on 6 June 2020 to observe the parliamentary elections in Serbia.

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

466098

On 6 October 2020, the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan supported the organization of an online seminar on the role of the Parliament in enhancing the legal framework on the prevention of torture within the National Preventive Mechanism. This activity is part of the broader framework of the National Strategy for Human Rights, adopted this year by Uzbekistan.

The Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the National Human Rights Centre, in co-operation with the Inter-Parliamentary Union, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), and the UN Country Team organized the event.

Members of the Senate and deputies of the Legislative Chamber, representatives of ministries, departments, law-enforcement agencies, civil society institutions, as well as representatives of international organizations and the diplomatic corps in Uzbekistan participated in the seminar.

International experts, including Ilya Novikov, Representative of the Inter-Parliamentary Union; Debra Long, Senior Research Fellow at the Human Rights Implementation Centre at the University of Bristol (UK); Victor Zakharia, Deputy Chair of the UN Subcommittee on Torture; Georgi Tugushi, former member of the UN Committee Against Torture; and Laura Jaffrey, ODIHR Adviser on Torture Prevention, attended the event.

“There are multiple OSCE commitments related to torture prevention and the operation of National Preventative Mechanisms”, said John MacGregor, OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan. “The organization of this event by Uzbekistan’s National Human Rights Centre, with a high level involvement of Parliamentarians, is a clear evidence of the firm position of Uzbekistan in the fight against torture. I am particularly pleased to note the eagerness, involvement, and intense dialogue between the Parliamentarians and the international experts, particularly Debra Long from Bristol University.”

466017 Andrii Dziubenko SDGs SDGs:  16 - Peace, justice and strong institutions

As of today, 7 October 2020, a chatbot called “CEC about elections”, is available for election commissioners on the ground, candidates and ordinary voters who would like immediate information on various aspects of the upcoming local elections in Ukraine. The chatbot is an artificial intelligence-based application, developed with the support of the OSCE Project Co-ordinator for the country’s Central Election Commission.

The chatbot provides responses tailored to the users’ needs on a wide range of questions and is available via Telegram (@cvk_elections_bot) with a Facebook Messanger version to become available at a later date.

These local elections are taking place under the recently amended legislation; the candidates are competing for offices in new administrative territorial divisions, introduced as part of the decentralization reform. This transformation delegates powers from the centre to the local level, among other changes, it combined settlements, villages and towns into 1,470 communities and changed territorial divisions from 490 smaller rayons to 136 larger ones.  

“Local officials, to be elected this autumn, will have much wider possibilities to change their communities for the better.”  noted Henrik Villadsen, OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine. “That is why it is important that every element of the electoral process is smooth, transparent and clear to everyone. We hope that the use of new e-governance tools, such as this chatbot, will help preserve and enhance trust in elections and support the legitimacy of the officials elected,” he added.

The chatbot will guide election commissioners, of various levels, to relevant instructions and legal provisions. Responses to frequently asked questions on administration of the electoral process on the ground will also be available. Candidates running for various offices will get up-to-date notifications on documents they need to provide or actions they need to take in the run-off. The chatbot also proposes a useful option of an electoral calendar, which enables advance notification of important electoral dates and deadlines.

Voters will be able to get to know the location of their polling station quickly by entering their registration address, which is important because those locations may be different from previous elections, due to recent reforms. In view of the COVID-19 pandemic, the chatbot will also inform users on the measures taken at the polling stations to ensure safety of voters, as well as advise on precautions to take while going to vote.

This effort is part of a project implemented by the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine in partnership with the Central Election Commission and with financial support from the US Mission to the OSCE, the Permanent Mission of Slovakia to the OSCE, the Government of Germany and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Norway.

TIRANA / BRUSSELS / GENEVA – 6 October 2020. The Co-Chairs of the Geneva International Discussions (GID) inform with regret that it was not possible to hold the scheduled round of discussions on 6-7 October in Geneva as previously announced, since not all participants were able to attend.

We strongly believe that face-to-face meetings are critical to prevent security incidents and respond to humanitarian needs, especially at a time when there are worrying developments in the region and a surge of the COVID-19 pandemic worldwide.

We intend to continue virtual and when possible, in-person consultations with all participants to prepare for the 51st round, which has now been re-scheduled for early December 2020.

In these consultations, we will reiterate our call on all participants to engage in constructive dialogue and to cooperate across the conflict divides, to provide safety and improve livelihoods, as part of the GID mandate.

We count on the commitment of all participants to the Geneva Discussions and urge all to start preparing as soon as possible so that it can take place. We look forward to continuing the discussions with the participants in the coming weeks, with a view to organizing the 51st GID round in Geneva in December 2020.

SDGs SDGs:  16 - Peace, justice and strong institutions

Summary

• The SMM recorded nine ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and five in Luhansk region. In the previous 24 hours, it recorded eight ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and two in Luhansk region.
• The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske. During evening hours, an SMM long-range unmanned aerial vehicle spotted a person inside the disengagement area near Zolote.
• The SMM saw 27 weapons in violations of withdrawal lines on both sides of the contact line, including at a training area in Donetsk region and at an airfield in Luhansk region.
• The Mission facilitated and monitored adherence to localised ceasefires to enable repairs to and the operation of critical civilian infrastructure.
• The Mission saw that the entry-exit checkpoint near Stanytsia Luhanska and the corresponding checkpoint of the armed formations had been reopened to civilian crossings.
• The SMM continued following up on the situation of civilians amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The Mission’s freedom of movement continued to be restricted, including at a checkpoint of the armed formations near Olenivka, Donetsk region.*

VIENNA, 6 October 2020 – Community policing and a closer partnership between public authorities and youth are effective tools for creating a drug-free environment at the community level, said speakers at the OSCE-wide Conference on Combating the Threat of Illicit Drugs and the Diversion of Chemical Precursors held in Vienna and online today.

Convened by Albania’s 2020 OSCE Chairmanship in co-operation with the Strategic Police Matters Unit of the OSCE Transnational Threats Department, the conference gathered more than 200 experts from national drug structures, representatives of international, regional and civil society organizations, and the private sector from OSCE participating States and OSCE Partners for Co-operation. Participants at the conference exchanged best practices and lessons learned on effective drug prevention measures targeted at youth. 

Opening the conference, Inid Milo, Head of Albania’s OSCE Chairmanship Task Force, said: “Community policing is an excellent tool for implementing a comprehensive drug control strategy on the community level. Prevention doesn’t always get the right attention, because prevention requires long-term and often subtle efforts that do not immediately bring obvious or recognizable outcomes.  Nevertheless, prevention will be always less costly and in the long run more effective than combating the use of illicit drugs.”

Miwa Kato, Director of the Division for Operations at the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, reiterated that community policing could play a constructive and effective prevention role by promoting a healthy and safe community environment that protects adolescents against substance use and facilitates positive attitudes toward law enforcement. She also welcomed the opportunity to strengthen co-operation between the UN and the OSCE in this important field.

Tuula Yrjölä, OSCE Officer-in-Charge/Secretary General, Director of the OSCE Conflict Prevention Centre, added: “The best way to fight drug abuse by young people is through prevention, where police and community policing play a pivotal role in the efforts to combat the distribution and use of drugs in local communities. The OSCE will continue providing tailored, non-duplicative assistance to strengthen operational capacities, complement global anti-drug efforts and promote national, regional and international responses.”

Participants at the conference also focused on how to inform, engage and raise awareness among youth on the impact and dangers of illicit drugs. The meeting emphasized also the importance of human rights and gender-related issues when designing and implementing drug control policies.

This event builds upon the 2012 and 2015 OSCE conferences on drugs, youth and prevention and is taking place amid growing calls from experts to promote designing and implementing effective and long-term drug policy reforms, investing equally in preventive, enforcement,  treatment and rehabilitation measures.

COPENHAGEN, 6 October 2020 – Appalled by the continuation of bloodshed in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone, as well as beyond the line of contact, OSCE PA President George Tsereteli today reiterated the call to cease hostilities in the interest of civilians and recommit to negotiations towards a peaceful solution of the conflict according to OSCE principles and commitments. During the past week, he has been in direct contact with the Speakers of Parliament of Armenia and Azerbaijan, to underline the position of the OSCE PA and to urge both sides to resume the negotiation process.

“We continue to be gravely concerned by reports of increasing casualties related to the conflict, in particular the impact on the local population which, despite the obligation to protect civilians, continues to suffer from the ongoing fighting,” Tsereteli stated today. “We fully support the call of the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group from France, Russia and the United States, as well as the presidents and foreign ministries of the respective countries, for an unconditional ceasefire.”

The President also expressed concerns over reports of the use of banned cluster bombs, noting that the OSCE PA adopted a resolution in 2008 which called for all OSCE participating States to “prohibit the use, development, production, acquisition, stockpiling, retention or transfer of cluster munitions.” Tsereteli called upon all sides to refrain from the use of these weapons and to fully respect requirements under international law to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure.

“It is totally unacceptable that there are threats to destroy critical infrastructures in the region which could lead to humanitarian catastrophes. The continued use of force does not contribute towards the peaceful solution of the conflict. Instead, it continues to bear the cost of human lives and further aggravate the plight of civilians,” Tsereteli said. “Ultimately, any continued use of force will be detrimental to finding a peaceful solution to the conflict for decades to come, notwithstanding the outcome of the ongoing armed conflict. We will continue to place all our efforts in helping to generate political will for reconciliation.”

“As a platform for dialogue, the OSCE PA continues to stand ready to host parliamentary talks if requested by the sides,” Secretary General Roberto Montella added. “Parliamentary dialogue can play an important role in rebuilding communication lines, once the negotiation process in the Minsk Group aimed at the peaceful resolution of the conflict has resumed.”

“I would like to underline, that the OSCE PA consistently supports the work of the OSCE structures and mechanisms which are mandated by participating States to deal with this conflict,” Montella said. “In addition, the PA has also the responsibility of analyzing strengths and weaknesses, with the aim of channeling the organizational capacities to maximize effectiveness. This is particularly important in situations like this, when the ongoing cost of human life justifies it.”

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) and one 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 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 8,353 to 8,021 per day at both BCPs compared to last week[2].

During the reporting period, the majority of border crossings were to Ukraine, with an average net flow of 172 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. 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, 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 one last week. Two persons crossed into the Russian Federation while another two 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 another two families were observed crossing into Ukraine, compared to the previous reporting period when seven families were observed crossing to the Russian Federation, while another two families crossed 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 (332 compared to 304 observed during the previous week). There were 167 buses bound for the Russian Federation and 165 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 decrease in the overall number of trucks crossing the border at both BCPs (938 compared to 1,047 during the previous reporting week); 540 at the Gukovo BCP and 398 at the Donetsk BCP, 490 of these trucks crossed into the Russian Federation and 448 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, Ukraine 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 (46 compared to 53 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.

During the reporting period, the X-ray vehicle at the Donetsk BCP was not operating due to the ongoing construction activities; consequently, no X-ray checks were observed by the OTs.

Minivans

The OM continued to observe passenger and cargo minivans[3] 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 slight increase in the overall number of minivans crossing the border at both BCPs (146 compared to 138 observed during the previous week); 72 crossed into the Russian Federation and another 74 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 23  occasions; the OTs assessed that 11 trains were travelling to the Russian Federation and the remaining 12 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.

During the reporting week, the OTs at the Donetsk BCP observed ambulances on two separate occasions:

On 29 September at 13:17, the OT observed an ambulance with Russian Federation licence plates crossing the border from the Russian Federation and leaving for Ukraine. The vehicle bore the sign "Children Reanimation 148” – written in Russian.

On 30 September at 16:26, the OT observed an ambulance with Russian Federation licence plates with two medics on board entering the BCP from the Russian Federation and parking next to the main building. The vehicle had an inscription "Urgent Medical Help" - written in Russian - on the side. At 16:36, the ambulance drove back to the Russian Federation. The OT was unable to observe any other details from its position.

For trends and figures at a glance covering the period from 1 September to 6 October 2020, please see the attachment here.

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

[2]              Based on data received from the Regional Representation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation.

[3]              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).

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

The Office of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media (RFoM) is calling for proposals for innovative ideas and initiatives to tackle the challenges brought by Artificial Intelligence (AI) on the freedom of expression. This call is being made as part of the RFoM’s project, Spotlight on the Impact of AI on Freedom of Expression (#SAIFE). Initiatives selected by the RFoM will receive funding for their implementation.

These initiatives will directly contribute to the RFoM’s #SAIFE project and its aim to find the most effective ways to safeguard freedom of expression and media pluralism, when deploying AI.

Supported activities can include, but are not limited to, the development of tools to counter freedom of expression challenges posed by AI; educational and awareness-raising activities; podcasts; documentaries; mini-series; exhibitions; and storytelling.

For more information, including how to apply, see the call for proposals here.

Applications must be submitted by 31 October using the following template.

For an overview on the general focus of the #SAIFE project, see here.

Applications should be sent to AIFreeSpeech@osce.org.

465885

On 6 October 2020, the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan (PCUz) handed over ultraviolet (UV) antibacterial system equipment to the Scientific Research Institute of Virology of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Uzbekistan as part of pandemic-related aid.

The mobile-pulsed xenon UV antibacterial system equipment helps to disinfect air and surfaces at hospitals, which can protect medical personnel from contracting COVID-19 when carrying out their duties and responsibilities. The equipment will be used in the healthcare system and will assist with preventing the spread of COVID-19 in the country.

“Curtailing the spread of COVID-19 will allow Uzbekistan to better deal with the negative economic effects and security impacts of the pandemic,” explained John MacGregor, OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan. “The pandemic related to COVID-19 is the most serious transnational threat to global and regional security for many generations. In keeping with the OSCE’s mandate for comprehensive security, the PCUz has donated the mobile-pulsed UV antibacterial system in order to assist Uzbekistan in its fight against this transnational threat.”

MOSCOW / PARIS / WASHINGTON, D.C., October 5, 2020 - The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of France Jean-Yves Le Drian, and Secretary of State of the United States of America Michael R. Pompeo, representing the Co-Chair countries of the OSCE Minsk Group, condemn in the strongest terms the unprecedented and dangerous escalation of violence in and outside of the Nagorno-Karabakh zone.  

The Ministers stress unconditionally that recent attacks allegedly targeting civilian centers - both along the Line of Contact and on the territories of Azerbaijan and Armenia outside the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone - and the disproportionate nature of such attacks constitute an unacceptable threat to the stability of the region.  

Recalling the October 1 statement of the Heads of State of the three Co-Chair countries of the OSCE Minsk Group, the Ministers call once again upon the conflicting parties to accept an immediate and unconditional ceasefire. The Co-Chairing countries are determined to exercise fully their mandate, entrusted to them by the OSCE and the international community, with the contribution of the Minsk Group capitals. As such, they will firmly continue to advance their engagement with the sides, and urge them to commit now to resuming the settlement process on the basis of existing core principles and relevant international documents well-known by both parties.