The OSCE has announced the closure of the Special Monitoring Mission in Ukraine.
According to the organization's website, this decision follows the lack of consensus at the OSCE Permanent Council on 31 March 2022 to extend the Mission’s mandate.
“This is not an easy decision to take. We have explored all possible options through political dialogue with participating States to achieve the renewal of the Special Monitoring Mission’s mandate, but the position of the Russian Federation left us with no choice but to take steps to close down the Mission,” said OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Foreign Minister of Poland Zbigniew Rau.
Rau assured that the organization will strive to continue its activities in our country in accordance with existing commitments within the OSCE.
“The OSCE will immediately initiate operational, administrative and financial steps to close the Mission as responsibly and cost-effectively as possible, with the safety and security of mission members throughout Ukraine remaining a priority. We continue to do our utmost day and night to support our Ukrainian colleagues, and continue to press through all available channels for an end to the detentions, intimidation, and disinformation that are so dangerous for our national mission members,” - ,” emphasized OSCE Secretary General Helga Maria Schmid.
The OSCE mission recently published a report stating that it had found evidence of war crimes committed by russia in Ukraine.
The organization recently called for the immediate release of its observers detained in the occupied part of Donbas.