On 12 December, Lithuania’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs allocated the sum of 103 584 litas (30 000 EUR) under the Development Cooperation and Democracy Promotion programme, making an additional voluntary contribution to advance the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine.
The OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine aims to observe and report to the OSCE Permanent Council on the security situation, incidents and infringements of the OSCE obligations (including rights of national minorities), and to facilitate dialogue among all parties to the crisis with a view to normalising the situation.
This June, Lithuania allocated the sum of 172.26 thousand litas (50 000 EUR) to finance the activities of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission. Moreover, Lithuania delegated 5 experts to the Special Monitoring Mission. Currently, two experts from Lithuania work in the Mission.
The OSCE requested its participating States to make additional contributions in order to expand the activities of the Special Monitoring Mission and to strengthen its capabilities. There is a need to provide additional funds of up to EUR 30.8 million. Most member states of the EU, including Poland, Estonia and Latvia have responded and provided additional funds: EUR 100 000, EUR 40 000 and EUR 20 000.
Lithuania’s Foreign Ministry has also made a voluntary contribution of 69 056 litas (EUR 20 000) to advance the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine. In March 2014, the Human Rights Monitoring Mission was deployed to Ukraine to evaluate and report on the human rights situation and to provide support to the Government of Ukraine.
