New updates at Osce

- OSCE Centre in Bishkek supports workshop for Kyrgyz journalists on covering the referendum

BISHKEK, 22 June 2010 - A workshop for journalists on covering the scheduled 27 June constitutional referendum was held today with the support of the OSCE Centre in Bishkek.

The half-day event for 20 journalists and editors as well as university journalism faculties from Kyrgyzstan’s regions was organized jointly by the OSCE Centre in Bishkek and the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) with the support of the Kyrgyz Central Election Commission (CEC).

Kyrgyz experts on media and elections led sessions on how to effectively cover voting-related issues during and after the referendum. A handbook for journalists on referendum coverage was presented at the workshop. It covers topics such as the basics of the electoral system, stages of the voting, the role of the media in the referendum process and the rights and responsibilities of journalists. The OSCE Centre and IFES co-published the handbook, which is available in Kyrgyz and Russian, and will be distributed to media representatives throughout the country.

"The referendum will be held at a challenging time for Kyrgyzstan. The process of restoring law and order and stability in the southern regions still continues. In this situation, the objectivity and impartiality of journalists in covering referendum-related issues are of particular importance," said Oleg Semenenko, a Senior Human Dimension Officer from the OSCE Centre, at the workshop.

Jarkyn Bapanova, a member of the Kyrgyz Central Election Commission, called on journalists to be factual and accurate in their coverage.

The handbook will available on the OSCE Centre’s website: www.osce.org/bishkek.

Direct link to the press release

- OSCE Chairperson voices concern over incident in Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone, calls for peaceful settlement

ASTANA, 22 June 2010 - The OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Kazakhstan’s State Secretary and Foreign Minister Kanat Saudabayev, expressed serious concern today over a fatal incident that took place during the night of 18 to 19 June at the Line of Contact in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone and called for measures to prevent similar incidents in future.

"There is no sensible alternative to the continuation of negotiations on the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict," Saudabayev said. "Effective measures should be taken to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future."

Saudabayev stressed: "I lend unconditional support for the efforts undertaken within the Minsk Group framework to channel the negotiations into constructive dialogue. I have entrusted my Personal Representative, Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk, to work closely with the Minsk Group Co-Chairs to seek ways to peacefully resolve the protracted conflict."

According to reports by the Defence Ministries of Armenia and Azerbaijan, the armed incident that took place during the night of 18 to 19 June on the northern part of the Line of Contact resulted in casualties on both sides.

Direct link to the press release

- OSCE role in conflict prevention and resolution should be enhanced, says Ukrainian Foreign Minister

VIENNA, 22 June 2010 - Unresolved and potential conflicts pose the greatest threat to security in the OSCE region and form a serious challenge to the Organization’s work, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Kostyantyn Gryshchenko told the Permanent Council today.

"Ukraine supports the strengthening of the role of the OSCE in conflict settlement, in particular by ensuring its presence in conflict areas," Gryshchenko said.

"Sustainable and long-term settlement of protracted conflicts should be achieved by peaceful means with full respect for sovereignty and the territorial integrity of states in their internationally recognized borders."

Gryshchenko said that Ukraine, which is a mediator along with the OSCE and the Russian Federation in the Transdniestran settlement process, strongly supported the prompt resumption of formal negotiations in the "5+2" format, which includes the two sides, the three mediators and the EU and the United States as observers.

"Ukraine will continue efforts aimed at resolving the Transdniestrian conflict by peaceful means," he said.

Conflict prevention also needed special attention, Gryshchenko said.

"Regrettably, recent deplorable events in Kyrgyzstan are yet another lesson we have to learn. Obviously, we should act now to strengthen the OSCE conflict prevention function, and to ensure that early warning and early action mechanisms work more effectively," he said.

Gryshchenko also discussed Ukraine’s bid to chair the OSCE in 2013, saying the inspiration to launch this bid came from an appreciation of the OSCE’s role in strengthening regional and global security.

"As chair of this Organization, Ukraine would be guided by the principles of mutual respect, equality, responsibility and transparency. We would act independently and impartially in promoting the common interests of all 56 participating States in all three dimensions. We would listen carefully to all partners and would do our utmost to achieve consensus on key issues of the OSCE agenda," he said.

The OSCE Chairmanship is decided by consensus by the 56 participating States. Kazakhstan, which holds the 2010 Chairmanship, will be succeeded by Lithuania. Ireland will chair the Organization in 2012.

The Permanent Council, one of the main regular decision-making bodies of the Organization, convenes regularly in Vienna to discuss developments in the OSCE area and to make appropriate decisions.

Direct link to the press release

- OSCE media freedom representative asks Turkey to withdraw recent Internet blocking provisions, calls for urgent reform of law

VIENNA, 22 June 2010 - Dunja Mijatovic, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, today urged the Turkish authorities to restore access to YouTube and other services offered by Google, and bring the much-criticized Law No. 5651 - known as the Internet Law - in line with international standards on free expression.

"I ask the Turkish authorities to revoke the blocking provisions that prevent citizens from being part of today’s global information society. I also ask them to carry out a very much needed reform of Law No. 5651," said Mijatovic.

In a letter sent to Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, Mijatovic expressed concern about new blocking provisions imposed earlier this month.

"I am alarmed by the decision of the Turkish Telecommunications Communication Presidency to block access to dozens of Internet Protocol addresses related to YouTube and Google services. As a result, since early June several services related to Google - including popular services like Analytics or Translate - have been either unattainable, or access to them has become very slow," she wrote.

The alleged reason behind the block is an unsettled tax dispute between the Ministry of Transport and Communication and Google, the owner of YouTube. "But even the widely criticized Internet Law does not include tax disputes among the reasons that it cites as cause for blocking websites," the Representative said.

"My Office has been promoting the urgent reform of Law No. 5651, because it considerably limits freedom of expression and severely restricts citizens’ right to access information," she added.

"More than 5,000 websites have been blocked in Turkey during the last two years. The recent blocking is a worrisome indicator that instead of allowing free access to the Internet, new ways have emerged that can further restrict the free flow of information in the country."

The legal review of Law No. 5651, commissioned by the OSCE in January 2010, can be downloaded here: http://www.osce.org/item/42294.html

Direct link to the press release

- Moldovan Deputy Prime Minister to address Permanent Council

VIENNA, 22 June 2010 - Moldovan Deputy Prime Minister Victor Osipov will address the OSCE Permanent Council on Thursday.

Osipov, who is the Moldovan political representative in the "5+2" Transdniestrian conflict settlement process, is expected to discuss related developments as well as Moldova’s approach to the European security dialogue.

The "5+2" process includes representatives of the Sides, Mediators - the Russian Federation, Ukraine and the OSCE - and Observers - the United States and the European Union.

The Permanent Council is a main decision-making body of the 56-country OSCE. It meets weekly in Vienna to discuss developments in the OSCE area and to make appropriate decisions.

Journalists are invited to the speech, set to start at 10.15 on Thursday, 24 June, in the Hofburg Congress Centre’s Neuer Saal. Minister Osipov will be available for questions following the address.

For admittance to the Hofburg Congress Centre, please bring your OSCE press badge or a valid press card to the security desk (main entrance from the Heldenplatz). Parking is available for the press during the event in the OSCE-reserved parking area on Heldenplatz. Temporary parking permits must be collected from the security desk.

Direct link to the press release