OSCE

SKOPJE, 14 July 2020 – Observers from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) will hold a press conference to present their preliminary conclusions following the early parliamentary elections in North Macedonia.

What:

• A press conference of the international observer team sent by ODIHR to the early parliamentary elections in North Macedonia
• The press conference can be attended in person or via Zoom (details below)
• You can also follow the livestream on www.facebook.com/osce.odihr

Who:

• Laima Andrikienė, Head of the ODIHR special election assessment mission
• Daria Paprocka, Deputy Head of the ODIHR special election assessment mission

When:

• 15:00 on 16 July 2020

Where:

• Skopje Marriott Hotel, Ballroom, 2nd floor, Plostad Makedonija 7, Skopje

Registration:

• No registration is necessary if you are attending the press conference in person, but only questions from journalists will be taken
• To take part via Zoom, please register with Katya Andrusz, ODIHR spokesperson, katya.andrusz@odihr.pl and Egor Tilpunov, media analyst, egor.tilpunov@odihr.mk by 11:00 on 16 July.

COPENHAGEN, 13 July 2020 – The COVID-19 pandemic, as an unprecedented global crisis that impacts all dimensions of security, has underlined the urgency of addressing long-standing challenges facing the OSCE area, including resolving conflicts, promoting environmental sustainability, managing migration, and ensuring democratic resiliency and social cohesion, a new OSCE Parliamentary Assembly report concludes.

“OSCE PA vs. COVID-19: Reflections, policy contributions and recommendations presented by OSCE PA President George Tsereteli” is the product of eight Parliamentary Web Dialogues from March-June 2020 dealing with subjects relating to the pandemic’s effects on conflicts in the OSCE area, economic and environmental impacts, human rights and democratic governance, counter-terrorism, gender issues and more. It features the observations of dozens of experts and parliamentarians who contributed to the events, pointing out that governmental and parliamentary actions during this period will have long-term consequences for public trust in institutions.

In presenting the report today, OSCE PA President George Tsereteli (Georgia) noted that during the COVID-19 crisis, parliamentarians have played an essential role as a link between citizens and their governments, as well as providing oversight of governments’ actions, promoting good governance and preventing corruption, and by enhancing dialogue on the international level.

“Faced with the need to provide a global response to this global crisis, the OSCE PA has encouraged close co-ordination with parliaments at the national and the international levels to promote democratic, effective, and coherent public policy responses, and to address our citizens’ concerns,” writes Tsereteli in an introduction to the report. “In the post-COVID era, we are invited to make the full use of our parliamentary prerogatives, in particular oversight.”

Among the report’s key findings:

• The COVID-19 crisis and its indirect effects can have a heavy impact on conflict-affected populations already enduring precarious conditions: the closure of crossing points or entry-exit checkpoints, reduced access to healthcare and economic difficulties place a heavy burden on vulnerable populations.
• With governments preoccupied with COVID-19 challenges, issues of ongoing conflicts are slipping from international agenda and lockdown measures introduced by countries have slowed down international conflict mediation efforts and peace negotiations.
• The pandemic is pushing both advanced and emerging economies into a recession, severely impacting the lives of millions of citizens. The worst affected economies seem to be those that are most integrated into the global supply chains.
• The links between air pollution, which disproportionately affects low-income and minority communities, and increased health risks associated with COVID-19 are clear. The severe health implications brought on by inadequate environmental protection should lead to legislative initiatives to safeguard public health through direct public support towards green projects, green finance and higher carbon pricing.
• Restrictions put in place on fundamental freedoms and economic activity must be limited in duration, proportionate, consistent with legal obligations, and non-discriminatory. Legislative bodies should continue their functioning to the highest degree possible.
• Electoral processes may need some adaptation of procedures in order to proceed safely during a pandemic. Proceeding with elections immediately may stress untried procedures and result in limited and unfair opportunities for campaigning and/or for voting.
• The pandemic has revealed many alarming systemic inequalities resulting from marginalization, discrimination, racism, and xenophobia, with serious shortcomings in policies.
• Some minority communities have been disproportionately targeted by the police, and the pandemic has been used to justify harsher measures against migrants and refugees. Women also appear to be disproportionately affected by the pandemic.
• The pandemic highlights the exceptional exposure of refugees, asylum seekers and migrants across the OSCE region, in particular women and children, adding to their vulnerabilities due to poor living conditions, and limited access to health and hygiene services.
• While the long-term impact on terrorism is yet to be fully comprehended, the uncertainty caused by the pandemic is likely to trigger dangerous dynamics and fuel violent extremism throughout the OSCE region.
• An enormous amount of false and misleading information related to the COVID-19 pandemic, including misleading healthcare information, conspiracy theories, fake claims about vaccines, bogus cures, and medicines have resulted in the spread of panic, confusion, and distrust.

The report recommends that combating disinformation must be a common effort of OSCE participating States’ competent authorities, civil society, social media platforms, and international organizations. Governments should also monitor trends and share assessments on how extremist groups are exploiting COVID-19, and thus consolidate national, regional, and international policy and legislative strategies in this domain.

Comprehensive responses to the effects of the health crisis require the collection and analysis of data disaggregated by gender, race, indigeneity, sexuality, age, disability, socioeconomic status and migratory status, according to the report. Refugee and migrant communities must be an integral part of any public health response and COVID-19 prevention measures should not stigmatize these communities.

Parliamentary oversight and transparent legislative procedures are particularly important under the current circumstances, the report concludes. Parliaments should play an important role in shaping both immediate responses as well as longer-term solutions, and parliamentarians have a unique role and ability to bring a human rights perspective into their work and legislation.

The pandemic should also provide momentum for developing and implementing green economic recovery plans throughout the OSCE region, as well as balanced fiscal, monetary, and financial market measures to mitigate the economic and social impact of the crisis.

“The COVID-19 pandemic is much more than a health emergency: it impacts on the security of our societies and citizens, which are at the core of the OSCE’s focus,” OSCE PA Secretary General Roberto Montella writes in an introduction to the report. To address the crisis effectively, “we need to maintain unity among international actors, avoiding duplication of efforts and investing in each other’s added values to prove that only effective multilateralism will bring about concrete solutions to the current crisis.”

The 35-page report is available here.

For more on the OSCE PA’s response to COVID-19, including all videos of the Parliamentary Web Dialogues, as well as related op-eds and media interviews, please click here. 

SDGs SDGs:  16 - Peace, justice and strong institutions

Summary

• Compared with the previous reporting period, between the evenings of 10 and 11 July, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and fewer in Luhansk region.
• Between the evenings of 11 and 12 July, the Mission recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and more in Luhansk region, compared with the previous 24 hours.
• Small-arms fire was assessed as aimed at an SMM mini-unmanned aerial vehicle flying near Stanytsia Luhanska, Luhansk region.*
• The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske.
• The SMM continued following up on the situation of civilians amid the COVID-19 outbreak, including at entry-exit checkpoints and their corresponding checkpoints in Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
• The SMM observed a calm situation in south-east Kherson region.
• The SMM’s freedom of movement continued to be restricted.*

MOSCOW / PARIS / WASHINGTON D.C., 13 July 2020 - The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group (Igor Popov of the Russian Federation, Stéphane Visconti of France, and Andrew Schofer of the United States of America)‎, released the following statement today:

According to reports from the Ministries of Defence of Armenia and Azerbaijan, as well as other sources, on 12-13 July there was a serious breach of the ceasefire on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, resulting in casualties. Artillery of various calibers reportedly was used by both forces.

The Co-Chairs and Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-office (PRCIO) Andrzej Kasprzyk regret the loss of life and offer their condolences to the families of those who were killed and injured. The Co-Chairs and PRCiO have been in direct contact with Armenian and Azerbaijani officials since the beginning of the incident.

The sides have accused each other of initiating the fighting. The Minsk Group Co‑Chairs condemn the recent ceasefire violations and call upon the sides to take all necessary measures to prevent any further escalation, including by use of the existing direct communication channels between them.

The Minsk Group Co-Chairs also call on the sides to resume substantive negotiations as soon as possible and emphasize the importance of returning OSCE monitors to the region as soon as circumstances allow.

WARSAW, 13 July 2020 – While both candidates in Poland’s presidential run-off were able to campaign freely, hostility as well as biased coverage by the public broadcaster tarnished the election, international observers from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) said in a statement today.

“The political polarization as well as the lack of impartiality in the public media coverage detracted from a well-run election,” said Thomas Boserup, head of ODIHR’s Special Election Assessment Mission. “Following a campaign that was lacking in dialogue, it is especially important to emphasize that democracies are based on respect for diversity and the rights of all, not just the majority.”

All levels of the election administration continued their work in a professional manner, despite the ongoing challenges of holding the vote during the COVID-19 pandemic. Both candidates and the authorities encouraged voters to turn out in high numbers to cast their ballots in the second round. In the limited number of polling stations visited by the ODIHR observers, the voting and counting process was smooth and well organized and sanitary measures were strictly enforced.

However, the campaign ahead of yesterday’s run-off was even more confrontational than for the first round. Clashes between demonstrators supporting both candidates became violent on occasion. Negative campaigning and mutual vilification abounded, while reports of threats against politicians and journalists were of serious concern. As in the first round, the incumbent’s campaign and coverage by the public broadcaster were marked by homophobic, xenophobic and anti-Semitic rhetoric.  

The regulations governing campaign activities by public officials are insufficient, blurring the boundary between state and party. Election campaigning by high-ranking officials including the prime minister gave the current president an undue advantage.

As complaints to the Supreme Court concerning the results of the election can only be made after the second round, there was no effective legal redress for offences that may have had an impact on the outcome of the first round of the presidential election, at odds with the commitments made by all countries of the OSCE region.   

ODIHR’s Special Election Assessment Mission (SEAM) to Poland took up its work on 16 June. The SEAM has focused on issues identified by ODIHR’s needs assessment mission in order to assess the extent to which the presidential election was held in line with OSCE commitments and other international standards for democratic elections, as well as with national legislation.

For further information, please contact:

Katya Andrusz, ODIHR: +48 609 522 266 or katya.andrusz@odihr.pl

VIENNA / TIRANA, 12 July 2020 – Albania’s OSCE Chairmanship has announced the opening of procedures for the selection of candidates to the positions of OSCE Secretary General, the Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), the High Commissioner on National Minorities, and the Representative on Freedom of the Media. The Chairmanship expresses regret that the 57 participating States could not reach consensus on the reappointment of the four officials currently holding these positions.

The Chairmanship nonetheless respects the views of the participating States, whose delegations in Vienna in recent weeks had been discussing reappointing the incumbents to a second three-year term. Their current terms expire on 18 July 2020.

The reappointment of candidates would, inter alia, allow for smooth business continuity for the Organization amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. A declining commitment to sustainable institutions would pose significant challenges to efficient multilateralism, the Chairmanship said. Participating States are encouraged to maintain a co-operative and constructive approach in the appointment process as we move forward, it added.

With a view to reaching consensus on filling these positions by the OSCE Ministerial Council in Tirana in December, the Chairmanship asks the participating States to nominate candidates for the four positions by 18 September 2020.

TIRANA/VIENNA, 11 July 2020 – Paying his respects to the Bosnian victims of the Srebrenica genocide in 1995, OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama said today that in remembering this atrocious crime, we must go beyond commemoration and words, and actively learn the lessons.

“The scale and depravity of this genocide is a tragedy that burdens our souls today, twenty-five years later,” he said. “I pay respect to the victims who were mercilessly killed and offer my deepest condolences to the families of those who perished.”

The Prime Minister said he was appalled and concerned by a growing trend to rewrite the history of the crimes that unfolded in Srebrenica and the surrounding areas in the summer of 1995.

“The malicious revisionism of history can lead to the same mistakes and crimes being committed again. Local and international judiciaries have documented what happened in Srebrenica and its vicinity in 1995. This underscores the necessity of justice being served. Impunity is not an option,” he said.

“We always say that Srebrenica must never be repeated but just a few years later there was a devastating conflict in Kosovo.”

He concluded: “Responsibility for the crimes rests with the perpetrators. But societies are also culpable if they do not remember and learn from the lessons of what happened in Srebrenica.”

SDGs SDGs:  16 - Peace, justice and strong institutions

Summary

• Compared with the previous reporting period, the SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in both Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
• Members of the armed formations continued to deny the Mission passage at checkpoints along official crossing routes in Donetsk and Luhansk regions.*
• The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske.
• The SMM saw civilians queuing to travel towards government-controlled and non-government-controlled areas at the entry-exit checkpoint in Stanytsia Luhanska.
• The Mission facilitated and monitored adherence to localised ceasefires to enable the assessment, maintenance and operation of critical civilian infrastructure as well as demining activities.
• The SMM’s freedom of movement continued to be restricted.*

WARSAW, 11 July 2020 – The importance of education and commemoration to promote tolerance and prevent the escalation of violence cannot be underestimated, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) said on the anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide in 1995.

“Today is a day to mourn the victims and stand in solidarity with the survivors,” said ODIHR Director Ingibjörg Sólrún Gísladóttir. “But in the face of such a horrific crime, every one of us needs to ask ourselves honestly whether we are doing all we can to fight prejudice and exclusion, and what action we can take to foster greater tolerance.”

Twenty-five years ago today, thousands of mostly Bosnian Muslim men and boys were systematically and brutally murdered in Srebrenica, while more than 30,000 people were forced to flee to escape ethnic cleansing. The massacres in Srebrenica and the surrounding area were the culmination of more than three years of conflict, fuelled by toxic narratives and intolerance that eventually allowed the unthinkable to happen.

Perpetrators of hate-motivated violence in the OSCE region and beyond have intentionally drawn on symbols glorifying the Srebrenica genocide and its perpetrators. Education has a crucial role to play in improving understanding of these events, which in turn makes it possible to build a common and inclusive future based on mutual respect, understanding and co-operation.

Governments and national authorities must do more to support programmes and activities that can help equip their citizens with the knowledge and resilience needed to resist polarizing and nationalist rhetoric. In the long term, only societies built on a solid foundation of respect for rule of law, open dialogue and accountable institutions can be stable and safe for all citizens.

SDGs SDGs:  16 - Peace, justice and strong institutions

From 4 to 10 July, members of the armed formations again denied the SMM attempts to cross into non-government-controlled areas along official crossing routes: five times in Donetsk region and six times in Luhansk region, while one attempt to cross into government-controlled areas of Luhansk region was also denied.

On 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 July, at a checkpoint south of the Stanytsia Luhanska bridge (15km north-east of Luhansk), members of the armed formations continued to deny the SMM passage towards non-government-controlled areas on six occasions, and passage towards government-controlled areas on one occasion, referring to restrictions due to COVID-19.

On 10 July, at a checkpoint near Horlivka (non-government-controlled, 39km north-east of Donetsk), a member of the armed formations denied the SMM passage towards non-government-controlled areas, referring to restrictions due to COVID-19. The Mission continued to observe the presence of a metal barrier and spikes laid across the road, and of a mine hazard sign.

On 6 July, at a checkpoint west of Verkhnoshyrokivske (formerly Oktiabr, non-government-controlled, 85km south of Donetsk), the Mission was unable to proceed towards non-government-controlled areas due to the presence of static anti-vehicle obstacles laid across the road. In addition, on 10 July, an armed member of the armed formations denied the SMM passage towards non-government-controlled areas, referring to restrictions due to COVID-19.

On 7 and 9 July, at a checkpoint near Oleksandrivka (non-government-controlled, 20km south-west of Donetsk), members of the armed formations denied the SMM passage towards non-government-controlled areas, once referring to a “lack of permission from those in control” and once referring to the closure of the checkpoint.

The Mission began facing repeated denials when attempting to cross into non-government-controlled areas at checkpoints of the armed formations in Donetsk region on 21 March and Luhansk region on 23 March (see previous SMM Spot Reports). They restrict the SMM’s freedom of movement across the contact line, thus impeding the implementation of its mandate throughout the country.

On 9 July, the SMM received information indicating that restrictions by the armed formations for the SMM attempts to cross into non-government-controlled areas would be eased in the coming days.

***

With regard to COVID-19, the SMM has introduced a number of stringent mitigation measures into its operational procedures. These include strict adherence to social distancing rules both internally and with external interlocutors, daily temperature checks, use of PPE and minimizing the number of personnel in vehicles.

VIENNA, 10 July 2020 – “Srebrenica today is an example of resilience, truth and justice for the world. We all stand with you, the survivors and families of the victims, in solidarity and in sorrow, and we humbly pay our respects to your loved ones,” said Chair of the OSCE Permanent Council Igli Hasani and OSCE Secretary General Thomas Greminger today, honouring the victims of the Srebrenica genocide in 1995.

“On behalf of the OSCE, I express our deepest condolences,” said Ambassador Hasani. “Your suffering, and the suffering of all innocent civilian victims of the war, must be recognized. Because it is only through respect for the victims, open dialogue and education that reconciliation can succeed. We need this cohesion and mutual understanding to confront and overcome tragedy in our past and ensure that history does not repeat itself.”

“Your memories are still painful and we are not blind to persistent problems and divisions in Srebrenica, and in Bosnia and Herzegovina at large. We also see that relations in the community can be mended, and that accountability for genocide and other war crimes is possible. Every action does matter,” said Greminger. “The findings and sentences of international and domestic courts must be respected. The denial of genocide and other war crimes, the glorification of war criminals, and historical revisionism have no place in any OSCE participating State,” he said.

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.
• An SMM mini-unmanned aerial vehicle spotted damage to civilian infrastructure near Horlivka.
• Members of the armed formations continued to deny the Mission passage at checkpoints along official crossing routes in Donetsk and Luhansk regions.*
• The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas near Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote and Petrivske.
• The SMM saw civilians queuing to travel towards government-controlled and non-government-controlled areas at the entry-exit checkpoint in Stanytsia Luhanska.
• The SMM’s freedom of movement continued to be restricted.*

457126 Munira Shoinbekova, OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe

The OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe on 8 and 9 July 2020 donated various items and supplies to partners in the Tajik government as well as a number of civil society representatives in all regions of the country to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

The recipients included the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Supreme Court, the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade, regional Administrations of four regions (Khatlon, Sughd, Gorno-Badakhshan and Garm), the Aarhus Centers Network, the Human Rights Centre as well as hospitals servicing border troops personnel.

The donated items included a wide range of protective gear, including antiseptics, gloves for medical examinations and surgery, and masks. The items will help hospitals, medical staff and emergency response teams to carry out their daily duties safely.

Colin McCullough, OSCE Programme Office in Nur-Sultan

An OSCE-supported online seminar on staying safe in cyberspace, conducted in the Kazakh language, was organized by the OSCE Programme Office in Nur-Sultan on 9 July 2020.

The presentation focused on steps people can take to protect themselves and their data online and how to avoid fraud in online transactions. Some 20 representatives from the private sector, academia and civil society attended the event.

“Cybersecurity, deservedly, is considered a complex section of IT, which is why many do not even try to understand its foundations. Therefore, it is important to bring knowledge about information security to the public in an accessible language, because only a few simple rules can significantly protect everyone and increase the price of an attack by a thousand times,” said Arman Abdrassilov, Co-Founder of the Center for Analysis and Investigation of Cyberattacks, who led the event.

The online presentation was organized to help raise the awareness of threats in cyberspace, including financial crimes and leaks of personal information. It addressed the fact that more people are now spending more time online to socialize and work because of public health measures related to stemming the spread of COVID-19.

The event is part of the Programme Office’s efforts to promote awareness of transnational threats, including those in cyberspace, to the general public.

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The OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan co-hosted two online roundtable discussions on the main priority areas of the State Programme for the year 2020, which is part of the 2017-2021 National Action Strategy. The two events focused on the fields of rule of law and foreign policy, on 7 and 9 July respectively and were organized in co-operation with the Development Strategy Centre.

The first event concerned the rule of law and the judiciary in Uzbekistan’s State Programme for 2020 and was attended by high-level representatives from the Supreme Court, the General Prosecutor General’s Office and the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Uzbekistan. They presented recent and future policy reforms and also discussed areas that need further improvement.

Ola Quarnstrom, Rule of Law Officer at the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), said during the event: “The overall goal of these reforms is to achieve increased compliance with OSCE human dimension commitments and other international standards.”

The second online discussion focused on the implementation of a balanced, mutually beneficial and constructive foreign policy by Uzbekistan. The event gathered experts and representatives from the Senate of the country’s Oliy Majlis (parliament), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the National Human Rights Centre, as well as representation from bilateral missions in the country. Attention was paid to the progress Uzbekistan has made in recent years in implementing changes and reforms which foster stronger co-operation with other OSCE participating States and beyond, and increased political confidence in Uzbekistan on the international scene.

OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan John MacGregor reminded the attendees that the 2017-2021 National Action Strategy is almost fully consistent with OSCE commitments, and said that there have been significant achievements related to its implementation.  “It is important to measure progress towards national goals. Events such as this with participants from many OSCE participating States also create dialogue, increase mutual understanding, and promote sharing of best practices, all of which is so critical to the fullest implementation of OSCE commitments.”

The online events were part of the Media Week on the five priority areas of the 2017-2021 National Action Strategy of the Republic of Uzbekistan that took place from 7 to 10 July.  In addition to ensuring the rule of law and constructing foreign policy other priority areas include Improving the system of state and social construction, further reform of the judicial system, economic development and liberalization, social development and security as well as inter-ethnic harmony and religious tolerance. 

WARSAW, 10 July 2020 – Observers from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) will hold a press conference to present their preliminary conclusions following the second round of the presidential election in Poland.

What:

• A press conference of the international observer team sent by ODIHR to the presidential election in Poland
• The press conference can be attended in person or via Zoom (details below)
• You can also follow the livestream on www.facebook.com/osce.odihr

Who:

• Thomas Boserup, Head of the ODIHR special election assessment mission
• Martina Barker-Ciganikova, Deputy Head of the ODIHR special election assessment mission

When:

• 15.00 on 13 July 2020

Where:

• Hilton Hotel, Warsaw Hall 1, ul. Grzybowska 63, Warsaw

Registration:

• No registration is necessary if you are attending the press conference in person, but only questions from journalists will be taken
• To take part via Zoom, please register with Katya Andrusz, ODIHR spokesperson, katya.andrusz@odihr.pl and Sanita Jemberga, media analyst, sanita.jemberga@odihr-seam.pl by 11:00 on 13 July

SDGs SDGs:  16 - Peace, justice and strong institutions

KYIV, 10 July 2020 – With more than 1,300 ceasefire violations involving the use of weapons that should have been withdrawn in accordance with the Minsk agreements recorded between 4 April and 20 June, the Chief Monitor of the OSCE Special Monitorinig Mission to Ukraine (SMM), Yaşar Halit Çevik, noted that it is the time for the sides to take the appropriate measures to turn their political commitments into deeds.

Addressing yesterday’s meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council remotely from Kyiv, Çevik stated: “The Mission observed a five-fold increase of military hardware located close to the contact line, including in and near residential areas. Periods of heightened tensions were accompanied by spikes of violence, leading to a rise in civilian casualties. In the reporting period, the Mission corroborated 26 civilian casualties, 21 of them as a result of shelling.” In the same period, 40 public and private properties, such as essential civilian infrastructure objects, schools, churches, houses were also confirmed damaged as a result of kinetic activities, the Chief Monitor said. He called on the sides to remove weapons and positions located in and near residential areas on both sides of the contact line.

In addition to the hardship while living in a conflict area, civilians in eastern Ukraine are facing other challenges in recent months, adding to their difficult situation.  

“The situation of civilians is additionally complicated because entry-exit checkpoints are closed, due to measures taken in relation to the Covid-19 pandemic. As a result, people are not able to collect their pensions or receive medical treatment,” said Çevik.

The Chief Monitor also noted that the Mission’s freedom of movement in non-government-controlled areas had been increasingly restricted in the past few months, preventing the Mission Members from being able to enter them. He underlined the importance for the SMM to operate with the same procedures throughout the country.

Çevik finally expressed his concerns related to the targeting of the Mission staff and assets. “I deplore that the Mission members and assets continued to face serious incidents. In June, three SMM camera systems were destroyed and our unmanned aerial vehicles continue to be targeted daily by small-arm fire and electronic interferences.” Çevik emphasized that “ensuring the safety and security of the Mission members has been and remains my first priority.”

SDGs SDGs:  16 - Peace, justice and strong institutions

Summary

• Compared with the previous reporting period, the SMM recorded fewer ceasefire violations in Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
• The SMM followed up on reports of a woman who died as a result of shrapnel injuries in Zhovanka, a government-controlled area of Zaitseve, Donetsk region.
• Members of the armed formations continued to deny the Mission passage at checkpoints along an official crossing route in Luhansk region.*
• The Mission continued monitoring all three disengagement areas: It observed people inside the disengagement areas near Zolote and Petrivske during night hours and recorded a ceasefire violation inside the disengagement area near Petrivske.
• The SMM saw civilians queuing to travel towards government- and non-government-controlled areas at the entry-exit checkpoint in Stanytsia Luhanska.
• The SMM’s freedom of movement continued to be restricted, including at a border crossing point near non-government-controlled Dovzhanske, Luhansk region.*

COPENHAGEN, 9 July 2020 – The Vice-Chair of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s human rights committee, Michael Georg Link (Germany), and Secretary General Roberto Montella discussed today with European Parliament member Nacho Sanchez Amor the need for increased efforts by parliaments to combat fake election observation activities. The practice of state authorities and their proxy organizations arranging visits for international actors outside of the institutional international election observation platforms organized under the auspices of the OSCE/ODIHR, OSCE PA, PACE, NATO PA and the European Parliament is a growing challenge, they said.

Link, a Member of Parliament in Germany and former director of the OSCE’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, and Ignacio Sanchez Amor, a Member of the European Parliament from Spain, have extensive experience from leading election observation missions across the OSCE region and beyond.

“Observation as a practice is under threat from those who want to avoid genuine scrutiny, and we must take this threat seriously,” said Link. “Election observation is not something you can do alone. Individual visits by people invited by state authorities is not the same as a comprehensive mission deployed by an internationally mandated organization such as the OSCE which builds on experience from numerous previous observation missions, ODIHR’s methodology and on the political wisdom, backing and importance of the parliamentarians from the OSCE PA. We have seen it many times, including just last week, with visiting foreigners put on camera to lend an aura of legitimacy to the referendum held in Russia.”

Link and Sanchez Amor called for further attention by the Assembly to this practice of fake observation. They noted that the media also have an important responsibility to contextualize comments on election conduct, taking care not to equate individuals' opinions with methodical observation.

“Some of the countries most in need of diligent observation that can contribute to transparency are more and more looking for ways to avoid it. We cannot allow efforts to muddy the waters by empowering fake observers to be successful or to undermine genuine and credible observation as we in the European Parliament and OSCE practice it,” said Sanchez Amor, who is active in EP activities related to election observation.

Secretary General Montella noted that the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly draws on experience from observing more than 180 electoral processes in 35 countries since 1993. “Parliamentary leadership of observation missions, supported by experts and with a clear and coherent methodology developed through the years by the ODIHR enables the OSCE to have unmatched credibility in this field,” he said. “I welcome our increasing co-operation with the European Parliament and other partners in counteracting fake observation, building upon our own internal efforts within the OSCE PA.”

In 2019 the OSCE PA updated guidelines related to election observation, strengthening transparency and accountability of internal procedures. In 2018 the European Parliament’s Democracy support and Election Coordination Group adopted a procedure which may lead to exclusion from participation in further election observation delegations if an MEP undertakes individual unofficial election observation.

In its 2018 Berlin Declaration, the OSCE PA expressed concern about “the proliferation of unprofessional election monitoring, often promoted by host governments, which undermines public trust in election observation overall,” calling on parliaments “to refrain from participating in election observation processes that are not based on well-organized and transparent processes with a systematic methodology, and to publicly affirm that OSCE-led Election Observation Missions take precedence over bilateral arrangements.”

Link, Sanchez Amor and Montella agreed to continue close co-operation in efforts to ensure that credible observation, as practiced by the OSCE and European Parliament, are not seriously damaged by fake or biased observation.

For more on the OSCE PA's election observation activities, please click here.

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The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly is comprised of 323 parliamentarians from 57 countries spanning Europe, Central Asia and North America. The Assembly provides a forum for parliamentary diplomacy, monitors elections, and strengthens international co-operation to uphold commitments on political, security, economic, environmental and human rights issues.

COPENHAGEN, 9 July 2020 – Responding to reports that executions are set to resume on the federal level in the United States for the first time since 2003, the leaders of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s human rights committee renewed calls for universal abolition of the death penalty. Kyriakos Hadjiyianni (Cyprus), Michael Link (Germany), and Kari Henriksen (Norway), the Chair, Vice-Chair and Rapporteur, respectively, of the General Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions, regretted the decision and urged the U.S. government to reconsider.

“At a time when many individual U.S. states are moving away from capital punishment, with more than two-thirds having either abolished the death penalty or with effective moratoriums in place, it is troubling to now see that the Federal Government is resuming executions after nearly two decades,” Hadjiyianni, Link and Henriksen said today in a joint statement. “The Parliamentary Assembly has repeatedly called upon the two countries in the OSCE area that retain capital punishment – the United States and Belarus – to implement moratoriums and to develop legislative initiatives leading to the abolition of the death penalty for all crimes. We reiterate those calls today and urge once again the complete abolition of the death penalty in the OSCE area.”

The inmates whose executions are scheduled for July and August were all convicted of murder. The United States Justice Department has made clear that these first four inmates have been chosen for execution due to the fact that their cases involved the murder of children. More than 60 federal prisoners are awaiting execution.