Central Europe

SDGs SDGs:  16 - Peace, justice and strong institutions

TIRANA / VIENNA, 18 February 2020 - OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Prime Minister and Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of Albania, Edi Rama, and OSCE Secretary General Thomas Greminger expressed their deep concern about reports of heavy fighting near the Zolote disengagement area in eastern Ukraine today. They regretted in particular the reports of casualties. While noting that the fighting there was reported to have stopped, they called for restraint and full respect for the ceasefire, especially after the many recommitments and reaffirmations most recently in the conclusions of the Normandy-format Summit in Paris on 9 December.

“This latest incident is not isolated,” said Rama.“Every day the ceasefire is violated, despite the undertakings set out in the Minsk agreements, and the explicit commitment to ‘a full and comprehensive implementation of the ceasefire’ agreed in Paris two months ago. This has a terrible and continuing impact on the civilian population in the affected areas. It is essential that all those concerned ensure the commitment to a full and sustainable ceasefire becomes a reality.”

The Chairperson-in-Office stressed the commitment of the Albanian Chairmanship to work on improving the security situation and the daily lives of the people living in conflict-affected areas.

He recalled that the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine  is working in a volatile and unpredictable environment. “I underline, once again, the necessity to ensure safe, secure and unimpeded access for the Mission throughout Ukraine,” he said.

OSCE Secretary General Greminger added: “Once again I urge all sides to exercise maximum restraint and to honour the commitments undertaken. The positive steps we have seen on the ground in recent months should not be undone. All sides have an obligation towards a long-lasting and comprehensive ceasefire that will bring an end to the violence that has impacted so many lives and destroyed infrastructure.”

Rama and Greminger also reiterated their support for the Normandy format discussions and the work of the Trilateral Contact Group. “We have seen some small but significant steps in recent months.  This latest incident is a reminder of how much work there is still to be done, but also that we must do all we can to ensure positive momentum is maintained and consolidated, despite challenges.”

SDGs SDGs:  16 - Peace, justice and strong institutions

Summary

• Compared with the previous 24 hours, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and fewer in Luhansk region.
• The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske.
• The SMM saw weapons in violation of withdrawal lines on both sides of the contact line in Donetsk region and in a non-government-controlled area of Luhansk region.
• An SMM long-range unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) spotted three electronic warfare systems and an active radar system near non-government-controlled Verbova Balka.
• An SMM long-range UAV spotted a train moving eastwards towards the border near non-government-controlled Voznesenivka.
• Due to signal interference, the SMM lost connection with two of its mini-UAVs near non-government-controlled Holubivske and was unable to recover them.
• The SMM’s freedom of movement was restricted again at checkpoints of the armed formations in Verkhnoshyrokivske in southern Donetsk region and close to a border area near non-government-controlled Voznesenivka in 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 increased at both BCPs compared to the previous week.

OPERATIONAL REMARKS

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

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 9,164 to 10,148 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 164 per day for both BCPs.

The Donetsk BCP continued to experience much more traffic than the Gukovo BCP.

Persons in military-style outfits

During the reporting period, the number of persons in military-style outfits crossing the border in both directions at both BCPs was five, compared to eight last week, two of them crossed into the Russian Federation, and three into Ukraine (60 per cent of this category’s crossings occurred at the Donetsk BCP). They continued to cross the border individually or in groups. Most individuals crossed on foot, however, some made use of private vehicles, buses or minivans, making it more difficult for the observer teams (OTs) to observe their movement across the border, especially since some of the private vehicles had tinted windows, and buses and minivans had drawn curtains.

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 and no family was observed crossing into Ukraine, compared to the previous reporting period when no families were observed crossing to the Russian Federation and one family 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. In addition to regular bus connections, the OTs continued to observe bus connections on irregular routes. Often the buses did not state their route; instead they had a sign on the windshield stating “irregular”.

During the reporting period, the OTs observed a slight increase in the overall number of buses crossing the border at both BCPs (446 compared to 439 observed during the previous week). There were 222 buses bound for the Russian Federation and 224 bound for Ukraine. Among the bus connections observed by the OTs, the “irregular” route “Stakhanov-Kyiv” was noted.

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 and “LPR” plates.

Trucks

During the reporting period, the OTs observed an increase in the overall number of trucks crossing the border at both BCPs (712 compared to 608 during the previous reporting week); 306 at the Gukovo BCP and 406 at the Donetsk BCP, 370 of these trucks crossed into the Russian Federation and 342 crossed into Ukraine. Most of the trucks observed by the OTs had Ukrainian licence plates issued in the Luhansk region; however, on a daily basis, the OTs also noted trucks registered in Belarus, the Russian Federation and with “LPR” plates.

The OTs also continued to observe tanker trucks crossing the border in both directions. During the reporting week, the number of tanker trucks increased from 33 to 40. These trucks were observed crossing the border at both BCPs. The trucks had the words “Propane” and “Flammable” written across the tanks in either Russian or Ukrainian. The majority of tanker trucks had hazard signs, indicating that they were transporting propane or a mix of propane and butane.

All trucks underwent systematic inspection by Russian Federation officials, which could include an X-ray check. Due to the 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 85 to 143. Of the total number of trucks scanned, 115 trucks (80 per cent) were bound for Ukraine: the remaining 28 trucks (20 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 frequently saw minivans registered in the Russian Federation. Compared to the previous week, the number of cargo minivans increased from 98 to 113 vehicles; 51 crossed into the Russian Federation and another 62 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 11 occasions; the OTs assessed that nine trains were travelling to the Russian Federation and two 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 cars with licence plates from Armenia, Georgia, Lithuania and Poland.

On 17 February at 22:40, an ambulance with Russian Federation licence plates entered the Donetsk BCP from the Russian Federation side and parked in front of the main building. The ambulance bore the inscription "URGENT MEDICAL HELP 112"(in Russian). Inside the vehicle two persons were observed. At 22:50, the ambulance returned towards the Russian Federation.

At 15:30, a group of four black SUVs arrived from Ukraine. All the vehicles had “Republic of South Ossetia” plates and  quickly underwent border control procedures. At 15:36, the four vehicles crossed into the Russian Federation escorted by a police car which had arrived several minutes earlier at the BCP from the Russian Federation.

For trends and figures at a glance covering the period from 14 January to 18 February 2020, please see the attachment here

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

[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).                              

SDGs SDGs:  16 - Peace, justice and strong institutions

Summary

• Compared with the previous reporting period, between the evenings of 14-15 February the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and fewer in Luhansk region.
• Between the evenings of 15-16 February, the Mission recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more in Luhansk region, compared with the previous 24 hours.
• The SMM followed up on reports of a man injured by gunfire in the Trudivski area of non-government-controlled Donetsk city and a woman injured by the explosion of a grenade in non-government-controlled Perevalsk.
• Small-arms fire was assessed as directed at an SMM mini-unmanned aerial vehicle near non-government-controlled Obozne in Luhansk region.
• The SMM saw weapons in violation of withdrawal lines on both sides of the contact line in Donetsk region.
• The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske.
• The SMM’s freedom of movement continued to be restricted, including at checkpoints of the armed formations in Verkhnoshyrokivske, Sosnivske, Prymorske, Tavrycheske and Samiilove, all in southern Donetsk region, and at a border crossing point in non-government-controlled Dovzhanske in Luhansk region.*

Effective legislation and greater political will needed to prevent corruption in OSCE area, says PA’s ‪Charalambides

VIENNA, 17 February 2020 – The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s Special Representative on Combating Corruption, Cypriot parliamentarian Irene ‪Charalambides, addressed today the first preparatory meeting of the OSCE’s 2020 Economic and Environmental Forum, noting that political will is key to bringing about change in fighting corruption, and therefore a change in mentality at all levels is urgently needed.

Parliamentarians have a vital role to play in preventing corruption, she said, highlighting in particular the importance of effective legislation and public oversight. Parliamentarians must strive to hold authorities accountable, ‪Charalambides stressed, to ensure governments that fulfill their obligations, and to detect and prevent any abuse of power.

With well-documented links to organized crime and the financing of terrorism, corruption poses a serious threat to economic development, prosperity, rule of law and stability, she said. Parliaments must therefore intensify efforts to adopt anti-corruption legislation, including by criminalizing all possible forms of corruption and imposing firm penalties on perpetrators.

“Good legislation is key to providing law enforcement and judicial authorities with the appropriate tools and resources to combat corruption,” ‪Charalambides said. “For instance, laws establishing and adequately mandating specialized corruption investigation agencies have clearly proven their added value.”

She also highlighted whistleblower protections and establishing clear operational frameworks to report corruption as urgent priorities for the OSCE region, as well as ensuring safeguards for press freedom to ensure that “the media environment remains pluralistic and protected from and undue influence, to be able to retain its important informative function in our free societies.”

“It is equally crucial to formulate legislation duly aligning corporate behaviors to anti-corruption norms, as corruption in private businesses remains a pressing issue in all our countries,” she added.

‪Charalambides highlighted the work of international organizations and the importance of parliaments benefiting from their expertise in regards to the establishment of institutional structures that can help build political will.

“I personally often rely on international organizations and their experts to spot problems and suggest solutions,” she said. “However, it is also up to governments and executive structures to ensure that international institutions engage parliaments more actively and systematically.”

The first preparatory meeting of the 2020 Economic and Environmental Forum is taking place ‪17-18 February under the theme “Promoting security, stability and economic growth in the OSCE area by preventing and combating corruption through innovation, increased transparency and digitalization.”

Irene Charalambides was appointed the OSCE PA’s Special Representative on Fighting Corruption by OSCE PA President George Tsereteli (Georgia) in July 2019. For more information on her work, please visit her web page.

Summary

• Compared with the previous reporting period, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
• The Mission continued monitoring the security situation at the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske.
• The SMM continued to observe hardships faced by civilians at checkpoints along the contact line related to inclement weather and long waiting times.
• In Donetsk region, the SMM facilitated the repairs and operation of critical civilian infrastructure on both sides of the contact line, including to the phenol sludge reservoir near Zalizne and to power lines near Yasynuvata.
• Members of the armed formations restricted the SMM’s freedom of movement at checkpoints in Verkhnoshyrokivske and Samiilove, in southern Donetsk.

MUNICH, Germany, 15 February 2020 – Co-operation between the OSCE and Armenia was a focus of a meeting yesterday between OSCE Secretary General Thomas Greminger and Foreign Minister of Armenia Zohrab Mnatsakanyan on the margins of the Munich Security Conference.

Secretary General Greminger stressed that the OSCE is committed to supporting Armenia within the framework of the OSCE’s Armenia Co-operation Programme and in the implementation of its commitments in all three dimensions of security: the politico-military, the economic and environmental, and the human dimensions. 

Minister Mnatsakanyan expressed interest in continued co-operation, including on strengthening the rule of law and in combating corruption, in line with the government’s reform agenda.

Minister Mnatsakanyan also briefed Secretary General Greminger about his meeting with Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Elmar Mammadyarov, held under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs from 28 to 30 January in Geneva. The Minister emphasized the importance of addressing issues related to status as well as security as a priority.

Greminger expressed his full support for the efforts of the Minsk Group Co-Chairs and welcomed the continued talks and confidence-building measures, including concrete steps to prepare the populations for peace through further people-to-people contacts.

Greminger looked forward to visiting Armenia again in the coming months to see the results of the ongoing co-operation.

446377 Public Affairs Unit, OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights Poland, Parliamentary Elections, 13 October 2019: Final Report

Following the parliamentary elections in Poland on 13 October 2019, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) has published its final report. The elections were prepared well, and contestants were able to campaign freely, but media bias and intolerant campaign rhetoric were of significant concern. Recent amendments to the electoral legal framework addressed some prior ODIHR recommendations, including provisions on citizen observation, but there are some significant gaps, particularly related to campaigning by public officials, campaign finance and election dispute resolution.

Key recommendations include:

• Reviewing the legal framework to address shortcomings identified in this and prior ODIHR reports, and to ensure the independence and impartiality of institutions responsible for safeguarding the integrity of the electoral process, including the National Election Commission.

• Ensuring a clear separation between state and party by taking measures to separate government administration and party campaigning, such as amending legislation to adequately define and regulate campaigning by public officials, and to explicitly prohibit the abuse of state resources in election campaigns.

• Revising relevant legislation to provide clear mechanisms for authorities to prevent and counter instances of hate speech; ensuring that electoral contestants refrain from using intolerant rhetoric and that authorities promptly condemn any such cases.

• Presenting all parties on the public broadcaster in an impartial and objective manner, and handling favourable treatment of a political party by public media as an illegal use of public funds; revising the Election Code to include legal requirements for equitable, balanced and impartial coverage of the campaign in public media.

• Repealing all provisions that envisage the criminal prosecution of defamation, libel, insult and slander, and using civil sanctions instead.

• Ending restrictions on the electoral rights of persons with intellectual or psychosocial disabilities.

ODIHR deployed a Limited Election Observation Mission on 10 September 2019 to observe the parliamentary elections. All 57 countries across the OSCE region have formally committed to following up promptly on ODIHR’s election assessments and recommendations.

SDGs SDGs:  16 - Peace, justice and strong institutions

Summary

• Compared with the previous reporting period, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
• The Mission continued monitoring the security situation at the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske.
• The Mission saw weapons in violation of withdrawal lines in a government-controlled area of Donetsk region.
• Aerial imagery available to the SMM revealed armoured combat vehicles in the area of the border crossing point near non-government-controlled Novoazovsk.
• The SMM continued to observe hardships faced by civilians at checkpoints along the contact line related to inclement weather and long waiting times. 
• Members of the armed formations restricted the SMM’s freedom of movement again at a checkpoint near non-government-controlled Verkhnoshyrokivske in southern Donetsk region and at a border crossing point in a non-government-controlled area of Luhansk region.

THE HAGUE, 14 February 2020 – OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities Lamberto Zannier today launched a call for nominations for the 2020 Max van der Stoel Award. The award of 50,000 euros recognizes extraordinary and outstanding achievements in improving the position of national minorities in OSCE participating States. The deadline for nominations is 3 April 2020.

Eligible candidates include individuals, groups or institutions with a record of excellence in the field of improving the position and rights of national minorities in the OSCE area.

“I encourage all interested persons to propose their preferred candidate(s) by contacting an OSCE field operation, institution (ODIHR, RFOM, HCNM as well as the OSCE Secretariat and OSCE Parliamentary Assembly) or delegation,” said Zannier. “Only these OSCE entities can formally nominate candidates and I invite them to support all the proposals they receive and to submit their chosen candidate(s) to my office by the 3 April deadline. I also urge them to proactively engage with civil society and encourage proposals for eligible candidates.”

OSCE field operations, institutions and delegations should send their nominations directly to the office of the High Commissioner on National Minorities via email (mvds@hcnm.org), through the online nomination form (maxvanderstoelaward.com) or by mail/diplomatic post to:

OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities

Max van der Stoel Award

Prinsessegracht 22

2514 AP The Hague

The Netherlands

After receiving all nominations, a special jury composed of distinguished experts of international repute and chaired by the High Commissioner will choose the winner. The award will be presented at a ceremony in The Hague in November 2020.

Established in 2001 by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, the award honours Max van der Stoel, a prominent Dutch statesperson who was the first OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities, and aims to draw attention to issues related to national minorities.

More information about the award is available in this factsheet.

SDGs SDGs:  16 - Peace, justice and strong institutions

Summary

• Compared with the previous reporting period, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more in Luhansk region.
• The Mission continued monitoring the security situation at the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske.
• The Mission saw weapons in violations of withdrawal lines on both sides of the contact line, including near a residential area.
• The Mission saw traffic delays and people crossing on foot an icy road between a checkpoint of the armed formations near Kreminets and an entry-exit checkpoint of the Ukrainian Armed Forces near Marinka, in Donetsk region.
• The SMM’s freedom of movement continued to be restricted, including at a checkpoint near non-government-controlled Verkhnoshyrokivske in southern Donetsk region.

Communication and Media Relations Section

The OSCE-supported meeting of the Balkan Asset Management Interagency Network (BAMIN) Steering Group took place in Tirana on 12 and 13 February 2020. The event was hosted by the Agency for Seized and Confiscated Assets of Albania’s Ministry of Finance. Participants discussed ways the Network could reach its aim of achieving full operationalization and sustainable management, including by involving new members or observers for the years 2020– 2022.

At the opening of the meeting, Bosnia and Herzegovina handed over the presidency of BAMIN to Montenegro. The Steering Group, which is composed of the  previous, current, and next year’s presidency, takes key decisions on BAMIN’s priorities and work programme.

The meeting discussed various issues including: expanding the Network’s membership, developing activities for 2020, improving the understanding of the legislative framework and practice of asset management of the national systems, and enhancing co-operation in the region. Increasing BAMIN’s involvement in the Global Asset Management/Asset Recovery Forums and Regional Asset Management Projects was also part of the discussion.  

Artur Kala, Director of the Agency for Seized and Confiscated Assets, who represented the OSCE Chairmanship, opened the meeting: “As stated by the Albanian Prime Minister and the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Edi Rama, we will use our leadership to prioritize the fight against organized and economic crime and anti-corruption. In this regard, confiscation and administration of criminal assets should be recognized as a strategic priority. We need to strengthen both policy and practice. Therefore, the work of BAMIN, aimed at improving our inter-institutional co-operation and effectiveness, is closely linked to what we hope to advance during the time of Albania’s Chairmanship.”

The OSCE supports the Network through the extra-budgetary project “Strengthening the fight against transnational crime in South-Eastern Europe through improved regional co-operation in asset seizure, confiscation, management and re-use.” The project is being implemented by the OSCE Transnational Threats Department (TNTD) and the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities (OCEEA). The managers of the project, Denise Mazzolani, Deputy Head of the Strategic Police Matters Unit (TNTD), and Iris Pilika, Programme Officer, Economic Co-operation and Governance (OCEEA), emphasized the importance of a platform for co-operation, such as BAMIN, to effectively manage assets seized from organized crime and corruption cases. The cross-dimensional project adopts a comprehensive approach by providing support during the entire cycle of asset seizure, management and re-use.

The project is supported by the U.S. Department of State.

MINSK, 13 February 2020 – The Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office in Ukraine and in the Trilateral Contact Group, Ambassador Heidi Grau, made the following statement to the press after the meeting of the TCG ‎and its working groups in Minsk on 12 February 2020:

“Exactly five years ago, the “Package of Measures for the Implementation of the Minsk Agreements” was signed. It was endorsed by the Normandy Four leaders and the UN Security Council.

The “Package of Measures”, together with the “Minsk Protocol” and the “Minsk Memorandum”, are the basis for a peaceful settlement of the conflict in the east of Ukraine.

The sides reiterate their adherence to the Minsk agreements. However, their joint efforts and political will are still required to resolve the conflict.

Unfortunately, people continue to die in this conflict.

Meanwhile, restrictions to the SMM’s freedom of movement hinder the monitoring of the ceasefire.

I was pleased today, however, by the fact that the sides expressed readiness to step up their efforts to implement the common agreed conclusions of the Normandy Summit. It is in this spirit that the TCG and its Working Groups worked today.

The Security Working Group considered the sides’ proposals regarding the definition of additional areas for the disengagement of forces and hardware.

Along with the topic of the exchange of detainees, the Humanitarian Working Group discussed ways to ensure an effective search for missing persons. The participants also considered the possibilities of opening new crossing points across the line of contact.

The Economic Working Group focused on the issues related to pension payments and water supplies in certain areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions (CADR and CALR).

The Political Working Group focused on the issues related to the special status of CADR and CALR as well as the implementation of the ‘Steinmeier formula’ into Ukrainian legislation.”

SDGs SDGs:  16 - Peace, justice and strong institutions

Summary

• Compared with the previous reporting period, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and fewer in Luhansk region.
• It followed up on reports of a man injured by shelling in non-government-controlled Berezivske.
• The Mission continued monitoring the security situation in the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote, and Petrivske.
• The SMM’s freedom of movement continued to be restricted, including at checkpoints in non-government-controlled Zaichenko, Sosnivske, and Prymorske, all in southern Donetsk region.

VIENNA, 12 February 2020 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, today said that he deplores last night’s detentions, violent incidents and mistreatment of journalists during an election-related protest in Baku.

“I am very concerned by last night’s detentions, violent incidents and mistreatment by law enforcement representatives of journalists who were covering the public protest. This is particularly unacceptable as journalists were reporting on the events of public interests, related to the aftermath of the recent legislative elections,” Désir added.

According to reports, on 11 February 2020, at least eight journalists, who work as freelancers or contribute to various media outlets, including Amerikanın Səsi (Voice of America Azerbaijani service), Radio Azadliq (RFE/RL Azerbaijani service), and Meydan TV, were mistreated, detained or attacked by law enforcement representatives during the dispersal of an election-related protest in Baku.

The Representative noted reports that the editor of the Bastainfo.com online platform, Mustafa Hajibeyli, was seriously beaten, journalist Aynur Elgunesh was hit in the head, and journalist Sevinc Vaqifqizi received bruises on the face and arm.

“I call on the authorities to swiftly investigate these incidents, bring all those responsible to account, and provide appropriate remedies for the victims,” Désir said. “The media has the right to cover public events, and law enforcement has a duty to respect and protect journalists’ right to report in a free and safe manner at all times.”

The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media observes media developments in all 57 OSCE participating States. He provides early warning on violations of freedom of expression and media freedom and promotes full compliance with OSCE media freedom commitments. Learn more at www.osce.org/fom, Twitter: @OSCE_RFoM and on www.facebook.com/osce.rfom.

445942 Communication and Media Relations Section

A meeting on establishing an Advance Passenger Information (API) system for enhancing border and aviation security in Armenia took place in Yerevan on 11 and 12 February 2020. The event is a follow-up to the national workshop held in June 2019 that resulted in the drafting of a roadmap outlining the necessary steps Armenia needs to take to establish an API system.  

API is an electronic system through which biographic data from a traveler’s passport and flight details are collected by airlines and transmitted to the relevant authorities, such as border control agencies, before departure or arrival.

Some 20 representatives from Armenian agencies involved in passenger information processing, together with police and customs officials and members of the civil aviation authority attended the event.

The meeting was organized by the OSCE Transnational Threats Department (TNTD) and Armenia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Participants discussed the situation regarding API in the country, focusing on inter-agency co-operation, the current legal framework and possible IT solutions required to receive, store and analyze passenger data. The importance of creating one agency responsible for collecting and distributing passenger data, as well as maintaining continuous communication and collaboration, was emphasized as a best practice example used in countries that are already using API systems.

The collection and processing of API data by government structures has grown in importance since the adoption of United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolution 2178 (2014), which calls on the establishment of individual API systems. This obligation has been further reinforced with the adoption of UNSC Resolution 2396 (2017) and Amendment 26 to the Chicago Convention, making an API system mandatory.

This was the 19th event organized on API in the OSCE region since December 2016. TNTD plans to conduct additional workshops and meetings across the OSCE area during 2020.

SDGs SDGs:  16 - Peace, justice and strong institutions

Summary

• Compared with the previous 24 hours, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
• The Mission observed that snow had been cleared from positions inside the disengagement area near Petrivske. It also recorded ceasefire violations close to the same disengagement area.
• The SMM observed a calm situation near the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska and Zolote.
• Members of the armed formations continued restricting the SMM’s freedom of movement at checkpoints in southern Donetsk region and at border crossing points in non-government-controlled areas of Luhansk region.

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

The situation of family members of ‘foreign terrorist fighters’ (FTFs) trapped in camps or detention in Syria and Iraq raise profound human rights and security concerns, the head of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) said ahead of an event on 12 February in Vienna highlighting the need to repatriate both FTFs and their families.

“Ignoring the dire circumstances of those who remain in camps or detention is not only a denial of their human rights, but also increases future security risks by providing fertile ground for later recruitment by terrorist or criminal organizations,” said ODIHR Director Ingibjörg Sólrún Gísladóttir. “I call for the urgent repatriation of all foreign citizens and in particular children, who are in need of special protection.”

Following several years of intense public debate over the return of FTFs, ODIHR’s event reminds countries of their obligation to take all the steps necessary to protect their nationals from serious human rights violations abroad. At the same time it points out that their return is essential to ensure that perpetrators of terrorist crimes are brought to justice in line with international standards. The discussion takes place today in Vienna on the margins of the Joint Regional High-level Conference on “Foreign Terrorist Fighters – Addressing Current Challenges convened by the OSCE, the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism, and Switzerland, in cooperation with Albania’s OSCE Chairmanship.

There are still a large number of foreign citizens among the estimated 100,000 people being held in poor conditions in the camps and detention facilities across Syria and Iraq, the majority of whom are women and small children. In the three biggest camps in the north-east of Syria alone there are currently some 4,000 women and 8,000 children of foreign nationality.

ODIHR has published guidelines to help national authorities address the threats and challenges of FTFs within a human rights framework. These emphasize the need to ensure that nobody is made stateless and that especially children and women are able to return to the country of their nationality or with which they have meaningful links, where they should then be provided with the protection and support indispensable for their reintegration and recovery.

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 staff members, including the Chief Observer (CO). The Mission is supported administratively by a staff member and the Chief of Fund Administration based in Vienna.

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 9,853 to 9,164 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 123 per day for both BCPs.

The Donetsk BCP continued to experience much more traffic than the Gukovo BCP.

Persons in military-style outfits

During the reporting period, the number of persons in military-style outfits crossing the border in both directions at both BCPs was eight, compared to 18 last week, seven of them crossed into the Russian Federation, and one into Ukraine (88 per cent of this category’s crossings occurred at the Donetsk BCP). They continued to cross the border individually or in groups. Most individuals crossed on foot, however, some made use of private vehicles, buses or minivans, making it more difficult for the observer teams (OTs) to observe their movement across the border, especially since some of the private vehicles had tinted windows, and buses and minivans had drawn curtains.

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, no families were observed crossing into the Russian Federation and one family was observed crossing into Ukraine, compared to the previous reporting period when two families were observed crossing to the Russian Federation and three families 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. In addition to regular bus connections, the OTs continued to observe bus connections on irregular routes. Often the buses did not state their route; instead they had a sign on the windshield stating “irregular”.

During the reporting period, the OTs observed a slight decrease in the overall number of buses crossing the border at both BCPs (439 compared to 452 observed during the previous week). There were 230 buses bound for the Russian Federation and 209 bound for Ukraine.

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

Trucks

During the reporting period, the OTs observed a decrease in the overall number of trucks crossing the border at both BCPs (608 compared to 716 during the previous reporting week); 266 at the Gukovo BCP and 342 at the Donetsk BCP, 295 of these trucks crossed into the Russian Federation and 313 crossed into Ukraine. Most of the trucks observed by the OTs had Ukrainian licence plates issued in the Luhansk region; however, on a daily basis, the OTs also noted trucks registered in Belarus, the Russian Federation and with “LPR” plates.

The OTs also continued to observe tanker trucks crossing the border in both directions. During the reporting week, the number of tanker trucks slightly decreased from 34 to 33. These trucks were observed crossing the border at both BCPs. The trucks had the words “Propane” and “Flammable” written across the tanks in either Russian or Ukrainian. The majority of tanker trucks had hazard signs, indicating that they were transporting propane or a mix of propane and butane.

All trucks underwent systematic inspection by Russian Federation officials, which could include an X-ray check. Due to the 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 decreased from 109 to 85. Of the total number of trucks scanned, 70 trucks (82 per cent) were bound for Ukraine: the remaining 15 trucks (18 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 frequently saw minivans registered in the Russian Federation. Compared to the previous week, the number of cargo minivans slightly increased from 97 to 98 vehicles; 53 crossed into the Russian Federation and another 45 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 six occasions; the OTs assessed that three trains were travelling to the Russian Federation and three 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 cars with license plates from Belarus, Georgia, and Lithuania; cars with “DPR” plates were also noted.

On 8 February at 09:44, a white minivan with Russian Federation license plates was observed entering the Donetsk BCP from the Russian Federation side. The van had the sign "200" on its windshield. Except for the driver, no other passengers were observed on board. The van underwent border procedures and crossed into Ukraine at 10:16.

On 8 February at 23:08, a police van with Russian Federation license plates entered the Donetsk BCP area from the Russian Federation and parked behind the main building. At 23:14, the same van left the BCP to the Russian Federation with two people on board, including the driver.

For trends and figures at a glance covering the period from 7 January  to 11 February 2020, please see the attachment here

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

[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).

VIENNA, 11 February 2020 – More than 400 participants from over 70 countries attended the opening of a two-day, high-level regional conference on challenges posed by foreign terrorist fighters. The conference, which is being held today and tomorrow in Vienna, is jointly organized by the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT), the OSCE, and Switzerland, in co-operation with Albania’s OSCE Chairmanship.

The expected return of foreign terrorist fighters from Iraq and Syria is an area of increasing concern for the international community. Some of these returnees may move to commit violent acts, incite others to engage in terrorist activities, or take part in recruitment and fundraising efforts for terrorist organizations. The repatriation, in accordance with Member States international obligations, of women and children associated with those fighters presents additional challenges.

In his opening address, Ambassador Johannes Matyassy welcomed the participants of the conference on behalf of the Swiss Foreign Minister and highlighted the many challenges the issue of foreign terrorist fighters pose. He emphasized the need to find common and convincing solutions on the basis of the rules-based international order. “In order to solve what concerns all of us, we have only one choice: we must come together and jointly tackle the issues at hand,” he said.

Vladimir Voronkov, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism, expressed his hope that “this Conference will provide an opportunity to discuss practical ways to assess and mitigate the risks posed by returning or relocating foreign terrorist fighters, and will address the particularly complex situation of women and children associated with foreign terrorist fighters.” He also added that “the international community must reaffirm and be guided by the principles of individual criminal responsibility, presumption of innocence, right to appeal, and the internationally recognized standards of justice.”

The conference will include panels on key challenges such as: (i) Responses to incitement, recruitment for and facilitation of foreign terrorist fighter activities; (ii) Preventing the travel of foreign terrorist fighters; (ii) Gathering and sharing of evidence; (iv) Prosecution of foreign terrorist fighters; and (v) Repatriation, rehabilitation and reintegration.

“The humanitarian and security situation in formerly terrorist-controlled territories has captured the attention of the international community and requires action. Repatriation has come to the forefront of discussions, and in particular, how to address repatriation in compliance with international standards and obligations,” said OSCE Secretary General Thomas Greminger. “Apart from discussing how, when and which individuals should return – which are politically charged issues in some OSCE participating States – we will look at how to link prison-based rehabilitation programmes with post-prison reintegration efforts. The importance of including non-government actors in order to achieve sustainability will also be highlighted.”

Igli Hasani, Permanent Representative of Albania and Chair of the OSCE Permanent Council, said: “Because the related challenges are by nature international, we believe that all States must enhance their international co-operation for an effective human rights-compliant response to this challenge. Combatting threats through a purely domestic approach will not work. Inspired by the 30th Anniversary of the Charter of Paris, Albania’s Chairmanship will prioritize the revitalization of dialogue within the Organization, including with partners. In this regard the OSCE-wide Annual Counter-Terrorism Conference, to be held on 4 and 5 May in Tirana and organized by Albania’s Chairmanship. The Annual Conference will focus on  effective partnerships to implement a whole of society approach to violent extremism and radicalization leading to terrorism. 

Ghada Waly, Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said: “Foreign terrorist fighters pose urgent and expanding challenges to governments everywhere –in the theatre of operations and transit countries, to places of home and return. Strengthening co-ordinated, integrated responses to foreign terrorist fighters remains a critical priority of the UNODC in our comprehensive support to countries and regions to address drugs, crime, corruption and terrorism.” 

This event brings together high-level officials and senior experts from OSCE participating States and Partners for Co-operation, the United Nations, international and regional organizations, academia and civil society. The conclusions of a civil society event, organized by UNOCT and the Global Center on Cooperative Security, held on the day preceding the conference, will be presented at the conference.

The conference is one in a series of regional conferences announced by the UN Secretary-General at the UN’s 2018 High-level Conference of Heads of Counter-Terrorism Agencies in New York. It is also part of a broader initiative to give new impetus to multilateral co-operation in addressing the evolving threat of terrorism and violent extremism in accordance with international law and human rights. The outcomes of these regional conferences will feed into the Second UN High-level Conference of Heads of Counter-Terrorism Agencies of Member States, to be held in New York in July 2020. 

For more information, visit: www.un.org/counterterrorism/vienna