Central Europe

514030

Twenty-two young officials working in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan’s presidential administrations, parliaments, government agencies, research and academic institutions are taking part in a five-day Young Policy Advisers Course (YPAC) from 14 to 18 March in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

YPAC aims to provide a unique opportunity for young specialists to advance their understanding of the role of policy advisers. The course features a series of sessions, case studies, practical exercises and simulations to enhance the knowledge and skills of participants in related areas.

During the course, the participants develop concrete skills in the area of policymaking cycle and analysis, effective briefing, political reporting, public speaking, strategic communications and negotiations. The event also contributes to strengthening professional networking, exchange of good practices and dialogue among young professionals in the region.

“The course provided a platform for constructive dialogue between the youth of Central Asian countries, which is important for further strengthening of friendship and good neighborliness in the region. Also, the practical knowledge that I gained here with the help of mentors will be helpful in becoming more competent in my academic and professional career”, - says Abu Tolib Giyosov Bakhodirjon Ugli, a participant from Uzbekistan.

“It is a wonderful opportunity for young specialists from the region to exchange information and gain new practical knowledge from both participant and mentors, as well as establish strong ties with colleagues that will foster regional development”, - shares Kamila Smagulova , a participant from Kazakhstan.

The training course is organized by the OSCE field missions in Bishkek, Dushanbe and Tashkent within the framejwork of assisting host countries in strengthening the capacity of young people for building a peaceful and sustainable development in Central Asia.

NEW YORK, 16 March 2022 — We need to engage in closer cooperation with international institutions to stop the aggression against Ukraine and Russia must face consequences of its actions. This was the message underlined by Chairman-in-Office and Poland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Zbigniew Rau as he concluded his visit to United Nations headquarters in New York.

Foreign Minister Rau met UN Secretary General António Guterres and addressed the UN Security Council on the priorities of Poland’s OSCE Chairmanship during the two-day visit.

The central theme of Minister Rau’s speech to the UN Security Council as OSCE Chairman-in-Office was Russia’s attack against Ukraine. The minister stressed that Russia’s actions have shaken the world and undermined the values underpinning the OSCE.

“Peace and security, like freedom and democracy, cannot be taken for granted. We have learned this lesson the hard way,” said Rau. “But it is also true that those who choose to embark on the path of military confrontation receive very little in return. Between war and peace, life and destruction, we should always be able to look beyond our narrow narcissistic instincts.”

“It is high time for the international community, for the United Nations as well as for the OSCE, to reinforce our efforts to restore peace and reinforce  our principles and values. The integrity of international law and stability of the world order are at stake,” emphasised  Rau. “I reiterate my call on Russia to respect international norms, stop the hostilities, and find a lasting, peaceful solution to the conflict.”

In New York, the Chairman also met with Abdulla Shahid, President of the 76th Session of the UN General Assembly, Mohamed Abushahab, chargé d’affaires ad interim of the United Arab Emirates Mission to the UN and President of the UN Security Council in March 2022, and Linda Thomas-Greenfield, Representative of the United States of America to the United Nations. The discussions focused on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, its consequences for European and global security, as well as on the humanitarian and refugee crisis it has triggered.

VIENNA, 15 March 2022 – The OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings Valiant Richey today called together the anti-trafficking authorities from 17 OSCE participating States, including the ones most affected by the unfolding humanitarian crisis in Ukraine. The meeting focused on the risks of human trafficking amid the current crisis and measures being taken to address vulnerabilities of people on the move and to prevent trafficking.

Opening the meeting, Richey briefed national authorities about his visit to the Polish-Ukrainian border on 13 and 14 March, where he assessed the robust efforts carried out by Polish authorities to accommodate and support people entering the country.

Government representatives from Austria, France, Germany, Romania and Slovakia also presented their national measures to respond to the crisis. These include monitoring of online searches (a spike was noted in searches for Ukrainian women for sex and marriage), and distributing leaflets translated into Ukrainian to inform people on the move of their rights and options. Representatives from the EU Commission presented the temporary protection mechanism quickly established by the EU, which includes a temporary residence permit and access to the job market.

Over three million people have left Ukraine in the past weeks, crossing its Western borders into other European countries. These people, mostly women and children, are particularly vulnerable and face significant risks of human trafficking during their journey or upon arrival at a destination country. To respond to these risks and to provide governments with concrete guidance on how to address vulnerabilities and reduce risks of trafficking, the Office of the OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings issued a set of policy recommendations for countries.

“The way we are going to prevent the current humanitarian crisis from turning into a human trafficking crisis is by investing in prevention and by protecting vulnerable people” said Richey.

The complete set of recommendations is available on the OSCE website: www.osce.org/cthb/513784

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

Ribeiro met with high-level state authorities, including Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan, Acting President of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia Hakob Arshakyan, and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia Vahe Gevorgyan.

Ribeiro also met with Chairperson of the Commission on Television and Radio of Armenia Tigran Hakobyan and several of his colleagues; Human Rights Defender of the Republic of Armenia Kristinne Grigoryan; and journalists and representatives of several non-governmental organizations.

Ribeiro and her counterparts discussed, among other things, issues related to the government’s efforts aimed at countering disinformation and hate speech; the regulatory framework for freedom of expression and freedom of the media; and prospects for advancing media literacy in the country. Ribeiro expressed her readiness to provide necessary assistance and support to Armenia in line with her mandate.

The Representative also participated and spoke at the opening of the conference “National Consultation on Media and Information Literacy Policies and Strategies”, organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia and the Armenian National Commission for UNESCO (see full speech: https://www.osce.org/representative-on-freedom-of-media/513994).

The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media observes media developments in all 57 OSCE participating States. She 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

513997

From January to March 2022, the OSCE convened the second round of meetings of the Multi-Agency Committees in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia. The committees were established as part of the OSCE’s project Enhancing Criminal Justice Capacities for Combating Gender-based Violence in South-Eastern Europe.

The project, run by the Transnational Threats Department’s Strategic Police Matters Unit, within the OSCE Secretariat, aims to increase the public trust in criminal justice responses and the level of reporting of cases by enhancing the capacities of criminal justice systems.

The Multi-Agency Committees play a crucial role by providing expertise, strategic guidance on the local contexts and ensuring the project activities’ compliance with other national efforts.

During the second round of meetings, participants discussed current legislation in each of the countries, identified specific trainings needs for combating gender-based violence (GBV) and explored methods of ensuring sustainability of the project’s results. As the participating States in the region face similar challenges and have similar training needs, creating a regional state-of-the-art curriculum provides an excellent basis for a pool of regional trainers and for further development of national curricula for combatting GBV.

Therefore, as the project’s next step, the OSCE will organize a regional workshop on the development of curriculum for all the members of the five countries’ committees.

The project is currently being implemented with the financial support of Germany, Norway, Finland, and France, and will, pending continued funding, last until 2024.

513961 Željka Šulc

The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina on 15 March 2022 launched its latest report titled “Ensuring Justice for Victims of Trafficking in Human Beings: Response of the Criminal Justice System in BiH, with recommendations” in Sarajevo and online.

The report examines the abilities of the national criminal justice system to prosecute human trafficking effectively, sanction those responsible for it adequately, treat victims with dignity while protecting them from harmful consequences of their involvement in criminal proceedings and facilitate victims’ right to seek compensation from offenders.

“The OSCE Mission to BiH has been assisting authorities in the country in implementing their commitments to combat human trafficking through prevention, protection of victims and prosecution of those who facilitate or commit the crime. The report we present today, in combination with other anti-trafficking activities that the Mission has been conducting, represents our continuous effort to help authorities in BiH improve their anti-trafficking response and offers targeted recommendations,” said Kathleen Kavalec, Head of the OSCE Mission to BiH.

“Continual research and analyses of all anti-trafficking activities are very important in order for the societal responses to that phenomenon to be adequately planned and implemented. In that sense, the research of criminal justice responses to trafficking in human beings and recommendations provided to judicial authorities are especially important in order for the prosecution of traffickers to be as successful as possible, as well as for the protection of victims of trafficking in human beings to be strengthened. We thank the OSCE for its constant support to Bosnia and Herzegovina in the fight against trafficking in human beings, and especially for its constant monitoring of cases of trafficking in human beings, analysis of those cases and for recommendations aimed at improving the situation in that area.” said Samir Rizvo, Assistant BiH Minister of Security and State Coordinator for Trafficking in Human Beings.   

The report is available on the following link: Ensuring Justice for Victims of Trafficking in Human Beings: Response of the criminal justice system in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with recommendations | OSCE.

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

On 3 March 2022 and following consultation with Ukraine, 45 OSCE participating States invoked  the Moscow Mechanism in order to “address the human rights and humanitarian impacts of the Russian Federation’s invasion and acts of war, supported by Belarus, on the people of Ukraine, within Ukraine’s internationally recognized borders and territorial waters.”

In accordance with the Moscow Document, Ukraine selected three people from the list of experts to be part of the mission.

The Moscow Mechanism, last invoked in 2020 to examine alleged human rights violations in Belarus, provides the opportunity for participating States to send missions of experts to assist in the resolution of a particular question or problem relating to the human dimension. Further information is available here.

Any information relevant to the work of the Moscow Mechanism can be sent to the following email address: moscowmechanism2022@odihr.pl. This will be forwarded to the expert mission.

The 45 countries that have invoked the Moscow Mechanism on this occasion are: Albania, Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America.

Željka Šulc

The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), as part of its work to support the BiH institutions in the processing of war crimes cases, on 14 March 2022, provided IT equipment to the Central Bosnia Canton Cantonal Prosecutor’s Office.

The Mission provided a scanner and software to enable the Prosecutor’s Office to establish an electronic database of evidence in war crimes cases.   

Mark Webster, Legal Advisor at the OSCE Mission to BiH, said that the Mission recognized the efforts of the Cantonal Prosecutor’s Office to process war crimes cases. “This donation will help the institution to increase efficiency in the resolution of war crimes cases, it will reduce the risk of re-traumatizing witnesses and victims and, it will ultimately assist the Cantonal Prosecutor's Office in working towards the objectives of the Revised National War Crimes Processing Strategy,” said Webster.

WARSAW, 14 March 2022 —The OSCE Chairman-in-Office and Poland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Zbigniew Rau, will visit UN headquarters in New York on 14 and 15 March 2022.

During the two-day visit, Chairman Rau will meet with the UN Secretary General António Guterres, and address the UN Security Council on the priorities and work plan of the Polish OSCE Chairmanship.

Rau will discuss with UN senior officials a closer co-operation between the OSCE and the UN in co-ordinating the international community crisis response and humanitarian assistance in Ukraine.

He will meet with the President of the 76th UN General Assembly, Abdulla Shahid, and the Permanent Representative of the United Arab Emirates to the United Nations and the Chair of UN Security Council, Lana Nusseibeh.

A press conference will be held on 14 March at 12:30, at the conference space in front of the Security Council Hall.

For more information on the press conference, please contact the press office of the Polish Chairmanship.

For more information about Poland's 2022 OSCE Chairpersonship, please visit the OSCE website: https://www.osce.org/chairmanship

VIENNA, 11 March 2022 - I received the following WhatsApp message on 2 March from a Nigerian mother and her husband, both of them students in Ukraine, asking for help:

“On 24 February, when the war started, we were in Kyiv, and I suddenly went into labour because of the shock of the bombs. I was able to get to the hospital and deliver the baby. But then very close to the hospital, they threw bombs again, several times. It was terrifying to know that you can’t even help your baby if anything happens. The next morning, we were told to leave the hospital and look for shelter. Shops were closed and we hadn’t stocked our house with food. We heard the bombs close to the house. Yesterday, luckily, we were able to take a train and go to Uzhhorod and then pass the border to Hungary. We got us a little shelter where we can stay for the time being. It’s cold, really cold here but I was able to cover the baby, I used my body to wrap the baby around, so he doesn’t freeze.”

Within a day, with the help of some amazing and caring friends in Budapest, we managed to find them a safe place to stay, where they are now trying to overcome the trauma they went through.

Their precious newborn, just like millions of other babies and children, is experiencing a war that he knows nothing about. Children in shelters with no possibility of movement, no school or playground in sight. Children on the move, often without papers, accompanied by their mothers and grandparents, or worse, unaccompanied, left all alone, freezing, exposed to insecurity and uncertainty. These children are living through severe trauma that may interfere with their ability to live a normal life.

These children know nothing about article 38 of the Convention of the Rights of the Child, which makes clear that States must respect international humanitarian law, protect civilian populations in armed conflicts, and ensure the protection and care of children who are affected by armed conflict.

These children do not know that OSCE participating States decided in 1990 to accord particular attention to the recognition of the rights of the child. That in 1999 they committed themselves to actively promote children's rights and interests, especially in conflict and post-conflict situations, and to pay particular attention to the physical and psychological well-being of children involved in or affected by armed conflict.

However we do know this and we must do everything in our power to uphold these principles and commitments.

Children in Ukraine are being killed, wounded, and traumatized for a lifetime. According to the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, as of 7 March 2022, there were 1,335 civilian casualties; 29 children were killed and 41 children were injured.

The true number of casualties may be much higher, especially due to the more intense hostilities that are taking place now. There are reports of hospitals, maternity wards, schools, water and sanitation facilities and orphanages being under fire. There are several reported cases of shelling of educational facilities.

By 8 March, two million Ukrainians had fled the country. Hundreds of thousands of people are on the move, searching for shelter and safety, including in neighboring countries. Half of them are children. According to UNICEF, humanitarian needs across the country are multiplying by the hour. Thousands of families are without safe drinking water and many have been cut off from access to other essential services.  There is a shortage of critical medical supplies. All 7.5 million children of Ukraine are now extremely vulnerable.

We must remember those most vulnerable, orphans, undocumented or stateless children, children with severe illness or disability, those in need of continuous care and medication. Roma children, children in marginalized communities and those whose skin color results in additional barriers while fleeing and seeking help.

The shelling in urban areas causing death and injury to civilians must stop. Humanitarian corridors must be secured and safe passage guaranteed to civilians. Children must be kept safe. Basic services and facilities, including psychosocial support and trauma counselling, must be allowed to operate and to deliver essential assistance to all children in need, regardless of their status and ethnic background. It is imperative to integrate children’s rights and children’s protection into mediation processes and peace negotiations.

We must act as role models for our children. We should demonstrate how a global rules-based system can work to their benefit. The longer this conflict goes on, the more difficult it will become not only to heal, restore normal life, rebuild the country, and repair a torn social fabric. It will also be more difficult to raise a new generation able to act towards one another in a spirit of kinship, as the most basic international human rights norm, article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, expects from all of us.

513931 Marina Živaljević

Digital forensics in Montenegro was in its infancy two years ago and has been developed under the mentorship of the OSCE Mission to Montenegro, said Aleksandar Ivanović, the Director of the Police Directorate’s Forensic Centre during his meeting with Dominique Waag, Head of the Mission on 11 March 2022.

During her visit in Danilovgrad, Ambassador Waag handed over to the Director Ivanović a high-capacity external storage unit, as part of the Mission’s support to the fight against serious and organised crime.

Ambassador Waag noted that a significant part of the Mission’s work is related to security co-operation and praised the Forensic Centre for the results it has achieved.  “The volume of cases examined and analysed exceeded the Centre’s capacity to store files. This donation of high-capacity external storage should alleviate the situation and enhance the Forensic Centre capacities to fight serious and organised crime,” said Waag.

Sandra Kovačević, Deputy Director of the Forensic Centre, said that they are grateful for everything the Mission has done for the Forensic Centre and its Digital unit. “Digital forensic in Montenegro exists thanks to OSCE. All the equipment you have provided is what we work with.” said Kovačević.

The Mission will again support the renewal in 2022 of the forensic software licenses, which are crucial to the Center’s work.

After the meeting in the Forensic Centre, Waag visited the Police Academy and met with Jelena Tomić, Head of the Department for International Co-operation and Public Relations. Ambassador Waag expressed an interest in the Mission renewing its co-operation with the Police Academy.

VIENNA, 10 March 2022 – Unprecedented numbers of people seeking refuge from armed violence in Ukraine are arriving in many OSCE participating States. These people, mostly women and children, face risks of human trafficking, including sexual and labour exploitation, during their journey or upon arrival in a destination country. In light of the vulnerabilities of these people, the Office of the Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings today issued a set of concrete recommendations for countries to prevent trafficking. 

The recommendations contain guidance to address the needs of people seeking refuge, as well as policy measures to prevent and mitigate their vulnerabilities. They also look at longer-term challenges like integration into host communities from the perspective of preventing exploitation. 

Recommendations include:

• Providing housing and immediate assistance like food and clothing;
• Establishing information centres and hotlines that can give clear official information on registration, residence, and rights in a language refugees understand;
• Introducing immediate measures to inform people seeking refuge of the risks of human trafficking, including “too good to be true” transportation, housing and job offers along migration routes and in vicinity of reception facilities and online.
• Disseminating official information broadly and monitoring for misleading information on housing and employment opportunities to prevent trafficking and fraud;

Furthermore, States are recommended to grant temporary residence permits, access to the job market, education for children, and ensure family preservation and reunification by not separating children from their parents. Reception facilities should be distributed across countries to avoid overburdening assistance and support systems in certain areas. Finally, States should also establish clear procedures for exchanging information on people seeking refuge to prevent people, especially children, from going missing.

“We need to prevent the current humanitarian crisis from turning into a human trafficking crisis,” said the OSCE Special Representative for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings Valiant Richey. “Establishing prevention measures and addressing vulnerabilities of people seeking refuge should be a priority right now and is the focus of our recommendations.”

The complete set of recommendations is available on the OSCE website: www.osce.org/cthb/513784

The Special Representative continues to monitor the humanitarian situation and will be traveling to the border areas of the neighbouring countries to assess the situation on the ground and assist OSCE participating States on issues related to trafficking in human beings. 

513856 Željka Šulc

An interactive tabletop exercise, organized by the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) and financially supported by the Embassy of Netherlands in BiH, concluded on 10 March 2022 in Sarajevo. The exercise brought together a wide range of cross-sectoral, inter-governmental and civil society representatives from BiH with the aim to examine jointly the problem of violent extremism.

“Prevention and countering of violent extremism is a long and challenging process that requires a broad societal approach and the involvement of all levels of authority. This project leaves no place for politics, its essence is the care for BiH citizens and BiH society in general", said Mina Noor, Deputy Ambassador, Embassy of Netherlands in BiH.

"BiH strategic and planning documents demonstrate continuity of commitment of the institutions BiH to prevention and the fight against terrorism, violent extremism and radicalization that lead to terrorism, in line with the international commitments of Bosnia and Herzegovina as a member state of the UN, the Council of Europe, the OSCE and the Anti-Terrorism Coalition and a potential candidate for membership in the EU. The new Strategy will recognize different types of violent extremism, including ideological, religious, ethno-nationalistic, far-right or far-left political extremism," said Ivana Veselčić, Assistant BiH Minister of Security.

"I am pleased to note that Bosnia and Herzegovina is committed to countering violent extremism and radicalization in all its forms, and in the earliest of its manifestations," said Dr. Susan Penksa, Head of Security Co-operation of the OSCE Mission to BiH. "Our Mission provides crucial support to strengthen BiH’s efforts; we bring to the table expertise in multiple sectors and our unique field presence. This also enables us to facilitate broad community-level involvement in the prevention of violent extremism. Through our whole of society, country-wide engagement, we have seen time and time again that locally based and owned measures are the key to ensuring strong results," she added.

“Violent extremism and terrorism have no religion or ethnicity, nor do they depend on skin color. However, violent extremism does, to a large extent, depend on socio-economic conditions, environment, and other societal factors. In this particularly sensitive moment for BiH and the entire world, it is therefore crucial to understand the path of radicalization so that we can detect both people and processes that are radicalized to violence, and so to prevent radical extremism and terrorism in a timely manner. For all these reasons, it is of utmost importance that not only the security sector, but all sectors and the entire society are involved in prevention and countering violent extremism,” concluded Goran Čerkez, member of the Interagency working group of the Government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina for development and implementation of the Action plan on prevention and fight against terrorism in FBiH.

The tabletop exercise was organized as part of the OSCE Mission’s efforts to facilitate the process of early identification and prevention of violent extremism in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

513475 Željka Šulc

To mark International Women’s day, the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina presented to primary schools a selection of books and posters about inspiring women. These books and posters, delivered by the Mission’s nine field offices, highlight positive examples of accomplishments of women in Bosnia and Herzegovina and throughout the world.   

The selected primary schools involved in the initiative have led  positive changes in their community, through initiatives by their staff and students. These gifts serve to enable additional motivation and inspiration for further projects and activities.

The donated posters were displayed in prominent locations at schools’ halls, which aims at encouraging students to read the books and find out more about the inspiring women who contributed to the country's past and present.  In addition to the posters and books, younger students will have access to two editions of the book “Good night stories for girls / little rebels” and a picture book from the popular international edition “Little people, Big Dreams” in the English language.

The Mission is happy to support the schools in celebrating International Women's Day and highlighting the work and contribution of women and girls locally and globally. 

VIENNA, 8 March 2022 – Today, International Women’s Day, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media (RFoM) Teresa Ribeiro, called upon all participating States to adopt a gender-responsive and intersectional approach in all measures to ensure the safety of journalists, including in conflict situations.

“All OSCE participating States have recognized the distinct risks faced by women journalists in relation to their work, and committed themselves to refrain from any violence against journalists used to suppress their work, including in conflict situations,” stated the Representative, adding that “in this regard, women journalists’ experiences and concerns need to be addressed effectively”.

With the 2018 Ministerial Decision on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women, OSCE participating States have joined consensus on eliminating all forms of violence against women and girls, one of the most pervasive impediments to the full enjoyment of their human rights. The Decision highlights the need for specific measures to prevent violence against women engaged in professional activities with public exposure, such as women journalists. During war and conflict, patriarchal structures are often strengthened, which also affects journalists working in conflict areas and reporting from war. “Overall, female journalists are more exposed to safety threats, often excluded from their own security assessment and experience limited access to conflict zones. In any crises and conflict situation, marginalized voices are at greater risk”, said Ribeiro.

The OSCE Supplementary Human Dimension Meeting on Media Freedom and Gender Equality in March 2021 underlined the importance of unhindered access for women journalists to report from conflict zones, as well as the need to address gender discrimination, hate speech and digital violence against journalists. It also stressed the imperative to implement UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security, which urges all actors to increase women’s participation and incorporate gender perspectives in all peace and security efforts. Physical violence, online attacks, discrimination and hatred often accelerate during conflict situations and disproportionally affect women journalists and journalists with intersecting identities, resulting in the silencing of their voices, their reporting, and their perspectives.

“On this International Women’s Day, we need to uphold our commitments to protect and empower female journalists in all situations and circumstances, underlining the importance of their safety, both online and offline,” said Ribeiro.

The RFoM offers assistance and support to State and non-State actors across the OSCE region to improve the digital safety of women journalists through the Safety of Female Journalists Online (#SOFJO) project. The #SOFJO Resource Guide is available at www.osce.org/representative-on-freedom-of-media/471903.

The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media observes media developments in all 57 OSCE participating States. She 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.

513556 Women police officers participate in presentation of the OSCE-supported research focusing on stress factors affecting women police officers at work. Mirvete Islam, OSCE Mission to Skopje Ilona Kazaryan

Today, on International Women’s Day, together with the Ministry of Internal Affairs of North Macedonia and the Alumni of the OSCE-supported mentoring programme for women in the police, the OSCE Mission to Skopje organized a discussion on recognizing and overcoming stress symptoms of women in the police. 

Research demonstrates that female police officers face even greater stress than their male colleagues due to negative public comments from citizens, a constant need to prove themselves at work, and the need to balance their responsibilities as officers, wives and mothers.  Helping female officers to cope with job-related stress is essential to keeping them in the profession. 

“Together with the Ministry of Internal Affairs, we at OSCE Mission to Skopje work to support women in the police, to make sure they advance in the ranks, remain in the profession and contribute to public safety and order. I believe that fair recruitment practices, educational offerings, including on how to cope with stress, solid working conditions, and digitalization will help to trigger change, attract and retain more women in the male-dominated police,” said Head of our Mission, Ambassador Clemens Koja, during the debate. 

“Society moves forward only with emancipated, economically strong and independent women and girls and we pledge to continue working in this direction. Only so, through joint efforts and participation in respective processes, we will strengthen the society equal for all,” added Oliver Spasovski, Minister of Internal Affairs of North Macedonia.  

“We, as a progressive state striving towards gender equality continuously work to attract more women to police profession. To achieve results, we continue eliminating barriers stopping women from joining law enforcement. The results are already visible, and work in this direction remains one of top priorities for us,” concluded Magdalena Nestorovska, State Secretary at the Ministry of Internal Affairs of North Macedonia. 

CHISINAU, 8 March 2022 - The realm of peace that we have lived in for the last decades in Europe is at risk. Russian aggression against Ukraine is leaving millions of hearts scarred and people losing their lives.

I condemn this war, together with thousands of refugee women from Ukraine that I have met these past few days in the Republic of Moldova.  This madness needs to be stopped now!

Not so long ago, we all regarded the COVID-19 pandemic as the major challenge we had to overcome. We sincerely hoped that together we could help women overcome the devastating effects of the pandemic, which have had a negative impact on their social and economic security. Tragically, the war in Ukraine has taken the security of women in Ukraine to disastrous levels, forcing them to leave behind their homes, their husbands, brothers and fathers, in search for a safer place where they can find shelter and protect their children.  

Wars are not often started by women, however, in all cases, women carry the burden and live the consequences. The thousands of women and children I have met in the refugee shelters across the Republic of Moldova are proof of that. So are the survivors of war who have found refuge in Poland, Romania and other countries.

I have seen immeasurable pain and despair in the eyes of refugee women from Kyiv, Kherson, Odessa, Mykolaiv, and Zaporizhzhia. All of us share the hope that this ordeal will soon be over. Together with many people of good faith, we have offered refugees warm meals, medical care, clothes, a safe place to sleep, and words of encouragement. That we can do. What we can’t do though is to give them assurance that the war will soon be over and that they will be able to see their families, friends, and neighbours again. 

Yet, I firmly believe that the leaders of the OSCE participating States can do it. They need to act quickly and decisively in order to ensure effective negotiations to restore peace in the region. The international community must continue to act in unity, mobilizing all resources and efforts in the name of peace. They must assist the people suffering from the scourge of war and the aftermath of such horrible events.

On International Women's Day, the best reward for the women of the world would be to stop this pointless war. This would signal that the right to a safe life for all women and men can be restored. Today, when war is a threat to the life and security of all, women's voices must be heard and taken into account.

SDGs SDGs:  16 - Peace, justice and strong institutions

Summary

• The Mission completed its temporary evacuation of international mission members from the Mission’s area of operations.
• National mission members are undertaking administration of the Mission’s premises and assets in anticipation of a return to operations in Ukraine.
• The SMM has suspended its reporting activities.

WARSAW, 7 March 2022 – The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) is alarmed that more than 1.7 million people have already fled Ukraine as a consequence of the Russian Federation’s military attack, with many others still trying to find safety by crossing international borders or moving inside the country. An increasing number of civilians are falling victim to what appears to be the indiscriminate use of explosive weapons in residential areas, which is prohibited by international humanitarian law.

“Safeguarding civilian lives during a military attack is an obligation that must be met unreservedly and without delay. It is vital that safe passage is guaranteed to all civilians in need of protection, in line with the commitments made by every OSCE country, as well as the norms of international law,” said ODIHR Director Matteo Mecacci. “Failing to ensure safe passage for those in need will continue to cause immense suffering to innocent people.”

Due to the present crisis, hundreds of thousands of civilians are unable to move to safety or seek international protection. Particularly those in vulnerable situations such as the elderly, children, or people with disabilities, require particular attention and assistance to reach safety.

ODIHR applauds the steps taken by many countries to open their borders to assist people fleeing Ukraine. Recognizing the immense challenge of dealing with a mass movement of this kind, more efforts and coordination are still needed. It is also crucial that such assistance is provided effectively and without discrimination to all those who need it, and to observe all obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law.

All countries of the OSCE have recognized that the rights of people at risk of displacement or already affected by it “need to be effectively protected in all phases of the conflict cycle” (Vilnius 2011). OSCE countries have also committed to “promote dignified treatment of all individuals wanting to cross borders, in conformity with relevant national legal frameworks, international law, in particular human rights, refugee, and humanitarian law” (Ljubljana 2005).

SDGs SDGs:  16 - Peace, justice and strong institutions

Summary

• The Mission received reports that the SMM premises in Mariupol were damaged due to shelling.
• The process of temporary evacuation of all international mission members is nearly complete. The last remaining group – the Chief Monitor and senior management team – will now leave Ukraine.
• The relocation of national mission members formerly stationed in Kramatorsk and Sievierodonetsk continues while the relocation of those formerly stationed in Mariupol is still pending due to security concerns. Another convoy of national mission members from Kyiv has started its movement out of Kyiv.