The humanitarian aspects of the crisis in and around Ukraine were at the centre of discussion at a side event at the 26th OSCE Ministerial Council in Bratislava on December 5.

The discussion provided an opportunity to draw attention to the situation of the people on the ground and to exchange experiences among the OSCE and other organizations helping to mitigate the impact of the conflict on everyday life, according to a press release on the OSCE’s website.

The OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Slovakia’s Foreign and European Affairs Minister Miroslav Lajčák; Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office in Ukraine and in the Trilateral Contact Group, Martin Sajdik; the Head of the International Committee of the Red Cross delegation in Ukraine, Florence Gillette; Deputy Chief Monitor of the OSCE’s Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine, Antje Grawe; and Braňo Tichý, of the organization “Človek v ohrození, Slovakia” took part in the event.

Speaking on the recent successful repair of the bridge at Stanytsia Luhanska, Lajčák said: “This might sound like a bit of a cliché, but I think this achievement - the repair of a bridge reconnecting the community, which had seemed almost impossible last year - is very symbolic.” He went on to stress that, despite steps forward in the humanitarian sphere, concerted political commitment is the only way to achieve real progress. “Ultimately, we need to see commitment on higher, political levels. A lot hinges on next week’s Normandy Summit. So, we all must do our part to support and maintain the momentum,” he said.

The re-building of the bridge was one of the nine humanitarian confidence-building measures prioritized during the Slovak Chairmanship.

Focusing on those affected by existing conflicts in the OSCE area, and mitigating the humanitarian consequences of the crisis in and around Ukraine in particular, was one of the priorities of the Slovak OSCE Chairmanship. The OSCE contributed to much-needed improvements in the living conditions of the affected population through the work of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM) and its involvement in the Trilateral Contact Group (TCG).

The Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Martin Sajdik said: "Ensuring the safety and security and the most necessary living conditions for the population in the conflict zone has been a relentless task for the TCG and its four working groups."

By reporting on the security situation and facilitating dialogue on the ground to reduce tensions, the OSCE SMM has made a major difference in the lives of the people on the ground. The Mission facilitated local ceasefires, and so-called windows of silence, to allow humanitarian repair works ensuring access to water, electricity and gas for millions of people.

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