COPENHAGEN, 1 April 2022 - OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Margareta Cederfelt (Sweden) and Secretary General Roberto Montella today expressed regret over the lack of consensus on the mandate renewal for the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine. The OSCE PA officials urged international unity and sustained pressure to bring about an immediate ceasefire and the full withdrawal of Russian forces from Ukrainian territory.

“While discussions continue over the OSCE’s role in Ukraine, it is clear that with no consensus reached on the SMM’s mandate due to the position of the Russian Federation, OSCE monitors will not be able to continue providing important information to the international community,” Cederfelt said. “Over the past eight years, the SMM has conducted some 18,000 patrols and issued nearly 2,500 daily reports, enabling policymakers to make informed decisions based on a clear understanding of the reality on the ground. Although I deeply regret the suspension of monitoring activities, I thank all the mission members who have contributed to the essential work of the SMM since 2014.”

Montella said that the SMM’s work has been an example of the OSCE at its best. “Not only has the SMM consistently provided reliable and impartial information about the conflict in Ukraine since March 2014, serving as the international community’s eyes and ears, but it has also supported ceasefires that have enabled the repair of critical infrastructure and improved the humanitarian situation on the ground,” Montella said. “The bravery and dedication of the women and men who have made up the OSCE’s Special Monitoring Mission should not be forgotten.”

Cederfelt and Montella stressed the need for continued solidarity among international actors to help bring the Russian invasion of Ukraine to a rapid end and to restore Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.