OSCE MONITORING MISSION TO UKRAINE: The facts

As of 1 July 2014
On 21 March 2014, the OSCE decided to deploy a Monitoring Mission of civilian observers to Ukraine.
Heres what you need to know.
Why is the OSCE sending a Monitoring Mission to Ukraine?
Developments in Ukraine since November 2013 have resulted in a situation when peace and stability
in the country are fragile. The OSCE, the largest regional security organization, decided to assist and
support Ukraine.
Who decided to send the Monitoring Mission to Ukraine?
The Mission is being deployed following a request to the OSCE by Ukraines government and was
agree by all 57 OSCEs participating States.
What are the aims of the Monitoring Mission?
The monitors are to contribute to reducing tensions and fostering peace, stability and security. Their
reports will help all participating States take informed decisions.
What does the Mission do?
The Mission gathers information and reports on the security situation, establishes and reports facts,
especially when there is a specific incident. The Mission talks with everyone - authorities at all levels,
civil society, ethnic and religious groups and local communities, with the ultimate goal to help reduce
tensions on the ground.
Who does the Mission consist of?
The Mission currently consists of some 250 civilian unarmed monitors from more than 40 OSCE
participating States; and local staff from Ukraine. The mission may be expanded up to 500 monitors.
Each participating State can second monitors to take part in the Mission.
The Mission is headed by the Chief Monitor, Ambassador Ertugrul Apakan of Turkey. The Chief
Monitor is assisted by two Deputy Chief Monitors, Mark Etherington of the United Kingdom and
Alexander Hug of Switzerland.
How does the Mission work?
The key principles are impartiality and transparency. Each team consists of a team leader and at nine
or more monitoring officers. The monitors work in shifts to ensure cover on the ground 24 hours a
day, seven days a week.
Where does the Mission work?
The Missions Head Office is in Kyiv, and there are monitors in Kherson, Odessa, Lviv, IvanoFrankivsk, Kharkiv, Donetsk, Dnepropetrovsk, Chernivtsi, Luhansk.
The mandate of the Mission covers the entire territory of Ukraine. Any change in deployment must be
agreed by all 57 participating States.
How long will the Mission last?
The Mission started on 21 March 2014 and will run for six months, with the possibility of an extension
if necessary. Any extension will need to be agreed by all 57 participating States.
Who do the monitors report to?

The monitors report their observations to the OSCE and its participating States daily. The reports are
made available to the public and media on the OSCE website at www.osce.org/ukraine-smm/dailyupdates.
Who provides security for the monitors?
The Chief Monitor is responsible for ensuring that sufficient provisions are in place to safeguard the
security and safety of mission members. Security situation is constantly assessed and operations
adjusted accordingly.
Does this Monitoring Mission include military people in uniform?
No. Visits by uniformed military personnel from OSCE participating States to Ukraine are different
from the OSCE Monitoring Mission.
Military experts from OSCE participating States have worked in Ukraine upon the request of its
authorities under the OSCE Vienna Document 2011 on confidence- and security-building
measures.The military inspectors work on behalf of their countries and look at military security
aspects of the situation on the ground.
Did the monitors observe the early presidential elections on 25 May?
No. The Special Monitoring Mission has not conducted any election observation activities.
Another mission from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR)
observed the preparations and campaign ahead of the 25 May 2014 early presidential election. This
election observation mission was sent to Ukraine following an invitation from Ukraines authorities.
I am a journalist. How do I get in touch with the OSCE Monitoring Mission to get an interview /
comment from the monitors?
Media contacts at SMM headquarters in Kyiv:

Michael Bociurkiw, Spokesperson, office: +380 44 382 0832, mobile: +38 067 4083107,
michael.bociurkiw@osce.org
Iryna Gudyma, Senior Press Assistant, Mobile: +38 067 4021716, Iryna.Gudyma@osce.org
Olesia Oleshko, Mobile +38 067 4662563, Olesia.Oleshko@osce.org

I want to report about security situation in my region to the monitors, so that they would come
and see for themselves. How do I do this?
You can send the information to the general email address smmua@osce.org. While the monitors are
unable to respond to all individual requests, they will take them into account in their work.