United Nations
16/01/2006
Security Council
SC/8608
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Department of Public Information o News and Media Division o New York
Security Council
5346^th Meeting* (AM)
Chair of organisation for security and cooperation in Europe briefs
Security Council on institutional reform, conflict resolution
Among the priorities for the Belgian Chairmanship of the Organisation
for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) was institutional
reform, seeking a better balance between the various dimensions of its
approach to security, promoting the rule of law, and resolving
conflicts and crises, Foreign Minister Karel De Gucht told the
Security Council this morning.
Noting that 2005 had been a year full of challenges, Mr. De Gucht, who
is Chairman-in-Office of the OSCE, said that the organization's
contributions to peace and security were now more widely recognized.
To better meet the challenges before it, the OSCE had agreed on a road
map for institutional reform, when it met at the ministerial level in
Lubljana, Slovenia, in December.
While the risk of a Europe-wide conflict had disappeared, he said,
security was a main concern, as there could be no democracy without
security. In that connection, the OSCE would be seeking a better
balance between the three dimensions of its comprehensive approach to
security -- political/military, economic and humanitarian -- with a
particular focus on strengthening the economic dimension.
Another priority this year, he said, would be helping to prevent
conflicts and to manage crises, with a special focus on Kosovo and
"frozen conflicts" such as Transnistria, South Ossetia, and
Nagorno-Karabakh. The OSCE did not have the resources to impose
solutions, but could facilitate the emergence of a solution if the
necessary will existed among the parties. Special attention would be
given to Kosovo, where the OSCE mission was doing important work in
the protection of minorities, democratization, promotion of human
rights, police training and support for administration. It was
important for the OSCE to fully play its role at an early stage in the
process on Kosovo's final status.
The OSCE, he added, intended to play the role of honest broker for the
benefit of all, for which good cooperation between his organization
and the United Nations was crucial. To that end, he would seek to
further promote complementarities and synergies between the two
bodies.
Following the briefing, several delegations took the floor to commend
the work of the OSCE, particularly in the Balkans. With the
increasing recognition of the important role of regional organizations
in the maintenance of international peace and security, speakers
called for enhanced cooperation between the OSCE and the United
Nations, as the two shared the same values and common areas of action.
Denmark's representative, who chaired the Counter-Terrorism
Committee, welcomed the Chairman's intention to maintain strong
cooperation between the OSCE and the Committee, which was a model for
the kind of cooperation the Committee was striving to establish with
other regional organizations.
Hailing the OSCE as "the model of a bold and innovative approach to
diplomacy", France's representative said that those who remembered the
division between the East and West and the division in Europe during
major conflicts also remembered the creation of the OSCE, which had
been a diplomatic revolution in its own way. He also noted that, just
like the United Nations, the OSCE had undertaken a reform exercise in
order to make itself better adapted to dealing with the challenges
facing Europe in the areas of conflict prevention and crisis
management.
Slovakia's representative said the OSCE had played an important role
in turning Europe into an area of peace and stability and it was still
needed for the consolidation of the achievements made in the past 30
years since its creation. Throughout its existence, the OSCE had
accumulated enormous potential and expertise in institution-building,
confidence-building and election monitoring, as well as protection of
human and minority rights. Its valuable post-conflict and
transformation know-how may be truly inspiring for other regional
organizations.
Statements were also made by the representatives of Ghana, Greece,
Argentina, United Kingdom, Russian Federation, United States and the
United Republic of Tanzania.
The meeting began at 10:23 a.m. and ended at 11:34 p.m.
Background
The Security Council met today to hear a briefing by the
Chairman-in-Office of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in
Europe (OSCE).
Briefing by OSCE Chairman
KAREL DE GUCHT, Chairman-in-Office of the OSCE and Minister for
Foreign Affairs of Belgium, said that as of 1 January, Belgium had
assumed the Chairmanship of the OSCE. After 2005, a year full of
challenges, the OSCE contributions to peace and security were now more
widely recognized. The OSCE ministerial conference, held in Lubljana
in December 2005, had been an opportunity for renewed dialogue.
Belgium would shoulder its new responsibilities with optimism.
Highlighting the main points of its chairmanship, he said he would be
playing an active role in the institutional reform of the OSCE. At
Lubljana, members had reached agreement on a revision on the scale of
assessment and a road map for the institutional reform of the
organization to better meet challenges. The road map indicated areas
where reform should be carried out. He intended to appoint a high
representative to carry out that task.
Second, he would seek better balance between the three dimensions of
the comprehensive approach of the OSCE to security --
political/military, economic and humanitarian. Security was a battle
that was never won and which needed constant attention. The risk of a
Europe-wide conflict had disappeared, but security was a main concern,
as there could be no democracy without security. With regard to
strengthening the economic dimension, Belgium intended to draw
attention to the special situation of landlocked countries, and would
help in the implementation of the 2003 Almaty Plan of Action. It also
intended to strengthen cooperation between the Economic Council of
Europe (ECE) and the OSCE to implement juridical norms.
Third, he said Belgium would focus on combating international crime
and the promotion of the rule of law. Cross-border crime, along with
terrorism, was one of the most serious new threats to security, as
recognized by the United Nations World Summit. Combating organized
crime was not new for the OSCE, as could be seen in its plans and
actions in human trafficking, money-laundering and corruption, among
other areas. The OSCE had instruments to strengthen the rule of law
and wanted to build on that, as well as introduce new ideas. The
central international juridical instrument in combating organized
crime was the United Nations Convention on Transnational Organized
Crime. The OSCE provided a framework for its ratification and support
for its implementation.
Fourth, Belgium would help to prevent conflicts and to manage crises,
with a special focus on Kosovo and "frozen conflicts" such as Moldova,
South Ossetia in Georgia and Nagorno-Karabakh. The OSCE did not have
the resources to impose solutions, but could facilitate the emergence
of a solution if the necessary will existed among the parties. Kosovo
would be given special attention by the OSCE. The OSCE mission in
Kosovo was the largest among the OSCE missions, with some 1,600
staff. In cooperation with the United Nations Interim Administration
Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), the OSCE mission was doing important work
in rebuilding Kosovo, especially with regard to the protection of
minorities, democratization, promotion of human rights, police
training and support for administration. Under the Belgian
Chairmanship, the OSCE would assess its future role in Kosovo.
The United Nations Secretary-General had appointed Mr. Ahtisaari to
lead the process on the final status of Kosovo, he noted. The OSCE
would be called on to help implement the final status. It was
important for the OSCE to fully play its role at an early stage in
that process.
He said in Moldova the OSCE was playing an important role in
determining the future status of Transnistria. It would contribute
effectively on the negotiations on that issue. In 2005, there had
been a rapprochement between Armenia and Azerbaijan on
Nagorno-Karabakh. The OSCE wanted to contribute to ensure that that
rapprochement was reflected in the settlement of the conflict. In
Georgia, the OSCE was playing a vital role in bringing about a
solution to South Ossetia.
The OSCE, he continued, was also very active in the area of
democratization, for which electoral observation was an important
instrument. It intended to see to it that those electoral missions
played the role for which they were created. It was important for
States to have recourse to appropriate instruments to ensure the
transparency of electoral processes. He appealed to the Government of
Belarus to invite the OSCE to observe the upcoming elections there.
Those were some of the priorities of the OSCE, but the programme of
the Chairmanship was broader and included the development of
initiatives on, among other things, tolerance and combating human
trafficking. With regard to the political/military dimension, the
OSCE would organize a major seminar on military doctrines. On the
issue of non-proliferation, the OSCE had adopted a decision committing
itself to monitoring implementation of Security Council resolution
1540 (2004) by all its member States.
Also, the OSCE would be giving special attention to the link between
environment and security, and strive to promote the environment
security initiative, bringing together the United Nations, the OSCE
and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to destroy dangerous
products. One of the major new threats was terrorism. Members of the
OSCE were committed to ratifying and implementing United Nations
conventions and protocols in that connection. Within the OSCE
secretariat, the action against terrorism unit would supervise
implementation of instruments and provide assistance in carrying out
anti-terrorism measures.
The United Nations and the OSCE shared the same values, as well as
common areas of action, such as democratization, observance of human
rights, conflict prevention, combating international crime, fighting
terrorism and environmental protection. As Chairman-in-Office, he
said Belgium would seek to further promote complementarities and
synergies between the organizations. The OSCE intended to play the
role of honest broker for the benefit of all. Good cooperation
between the United Nations and the OSCE was crucial in that regard.
Statements
MICHEL DUCLOS ( France) said the OSCE was the model of a bold and
innovative approach to diplomacy. Those who remembered the division
between the East and West and the division in Europe during major
conflicts also remembered Helsinki, which had been a diplomatic
revolution in its own way. First, it was an exercise in "successful
constructive ambiguity", which was sometimes extraordinarily useful.
Helsinki was also important as the first time that human rights had
been regarded as a major element, in and of themselves, in the
relations among States. Human rights were important above and beyond
States and sovereignty.
Just like the United Nations, the OSCE had undertaken a reform
exercise in order to make itself better adapted to dealing with the
challenges facing Europe in the areas of conflict prevention and
crisis management. While not all activities of the OSCE overlapped
fully with those of the United Nations, both were involved closely in
Kosovo. The OSCE also dealt with frozen conflicts, which provided
evidence that while Europe may appear to be very stable in comparison
to other regions, it had its own deep-seated tensions which went far
back into history.
One of the basic tasks of the OSCE was human rights, which was also a
major focus of the United Nations, he said. The rule of law had been
a major concern of the Security Council for a number of years, as had
transnational organized crime. France strongly supported the Belgian
chairmanship of the OSCE and welcomed the Chairman's declared
intention to be an honest broker. The chairmanship could depend on
French support in strengthening the ties between the two organizations
in all the areas mentioned.
NANA EFFAH-APENTENG ( Ghana) welcomed the priority consensus on
continuing institutional reform to strengthen the OSCE in the face of
the new challenges to security. Issues such as the observance of
human rights, terrorism and crime were of concern to all United
Nations Member States. The rights and concerns of minorities had
generated conflicts in many areas of the world, not only in Africa,
but in certain areas of Asia and Europe. The OSCE had considerable
experience in national minorities' issues. He welcomed the Chairman's
planned visit to Armenia and Azerbaijan. Also, he hoped his visit to
Kosovo would ensure that the OSCE would play its expected role there.
In addition, he hoped the OSCE would take advantage of the World
Summit's endorsement of the need to strengthen the links between the
United Nations and regional organizations.
PETER BURIAN ( Slovakia) said the OSCE had played an important role in
turning Europe into an area of peace and stability and it was still
needed for the consolidation of the achievements made in the past 30
years since the adoption of the Helsinki Final Act. Slovakia also
agreed with the necessity of institutional reform of the OSCE, in
order to strengthen its ability to face new challenges and threats to
security.
He said that the priorities of the Belgian OSCE programme, including
the advancement of the rule of law, the fight against terrorism,
defining a global and coherent approach to combating organized crime,
and new ways to strengthen mechanisms of non-proliferation and
disarmament coincided with the United Nations priority to build a more
stable and secure world. Throughout the years of its existence, the
OSCE had accumulated enormous potential and expertise in
institution-building, confidence-building and election monitoring, as
well as protection of human and minority rights. Its valuable
post-conflict and transformation know-how may be truly inspiring for
other regional organizations.
Slovakia particularly appreciated the special attention paid by the
Chairman-in-Office to the frozen conflicts in the Republic of Moldova,
Nagorno-Karabakh and Georgia, as well as developments in Central Asia
and post-conflict stabilization in the Western Balkans, including the
issue of the future status of Kosovo, which was another important area
of cooperation and interaction between the United Nations and the
OSCE. Slovakia appreciated also the work that the OSCE had done and
continued to do in Kosovo and expected the OSCE Mission in Kosovo,
which was a component of the United Nations Interim Administration
Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), would remain focused on problems of
democratization, respect for human and minority rights, free media,
elections, formation of law enforcement authorities and functioning
democratic institutions.
ADAMANTIOS VASSILAKIS ( Greece) said it was true that the OSCE would
have to meet many challenges in the next 12 months. Thirty years
after the creation of the OSCE, Europe was a new continent, broadly at
peace and involved in the development of new cooperative structures.
The OSCE had been central in the construction of a new European
security architecture, as well as in the protection of human rights
and other areas. In the last few years, the OSCE had been trying to
better adapt itself to a changing and increasingly complex
environment. Despite the difficulties, one thing was clear: the OSCE
had not lost its usefulness, and there was a need for a strong,
efficient regional organization. An illustration of that was the
extensive experience and input of the OSCE in the Balkans, covering
the fields of good governance, institution-building and election
monitoring. The cooperation of the OSCE in various areas of crisis
could only contribute to peace and stability and to a better division
of labour. He asked the Chairman about his plans to give more
attention to the economic and environmental dimensions of the OSCE
approach to security.
CÉSAR MAYORAL ( Argentina) said it was important to highlight the
approach whereby peace and stability were based on respect for
democracy, civil liberties and human rights. It was crucial to also
highlight the fact that the OSCE was promoting the rule of law in all
countries, especially those where there had been conflicts in the
past. The organization's role in combating organized crime and
terrorism should also be highlighted.
He said the OSCE could play a key role in the negotiations on the
final status of Kosovo. Argentina welcomed the announcement by the
Chairman-in-Office of his intention to establish close contact with
the Secretary-General's Special Envoy for the final status of Kosovo.
Argentina wished to see how the work of the OSCE would fit in with
that of other organizations involved in that process.
EMYR JONES PARRY ( United Kingdom) said the Security Council had
increasingly recognized the importance of regional organizations.
Both had shared interests in how conflicts were tackled, and in
preparing and coping with generic issues associated with threats to
international peace and security. It was necessary to tackle the
security, political and economic dimensions of issues. The rule of
law and democratization were basic to that process, and it was much
more than just holding elections, which were a "symptom" of the rule
of law. Elections were not enough unless they were accompanied by the
creation of institutions that went along with the rule of law and the
establishment of democratic societies.
That was why the OSCE contribution in Kosovo was so important, he
said. The United Nations, the European Union and the OSCE had a
shared interest in an outcome in Kosovo which addressed the
aspirations of its people and regional stability. New challenges such
as terrorism were key issues not just for the OSCE, but for the entire
United Nations family. It was necessary to enhance cooperation, as
well as "practical working together", not just to put in place
theories, but to produce practical contributions wherever there was a
need.
ANDREY DENISOV ( Russian Federation) said his country was prepared to
cooperate constructively with the Belgian chairmanship and had
consistently supported the all-round improvement of cooperation
between the OSCE and the United Nations. The OSCE had established
close and fruitful relationships with the United Nations in resolving
regional conflicts, particularly in Kosovo and Serbia and Montenegro.
He said important work was being done regarding the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict and it was to be hoped that the OSCE would continue to help
in resolving other conflicts within its area of competence, in
partnership with the United Nations.
GORDON OLSON ( United States) assured the Chairman of the continued
support of his delegation and the Council in carrying out
complementary agendas. He asked the Chairman for information on the
role the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights
could play in the further establishment of such institutions.
ELLEN MARGRETHE LØJ ( Denmark) endorsed the priorities outlined for
the Belgian Chairmanship of the OSCE. She welcomed the stress put on
cooperation between the OSCE and the United Nations in the fight
against terrorism. As Chair of the Council's Counter-Terrorism
Committee, she welcomed the Chairman's intention to maintain strong
cooperation between the OSCE and the Committee, which was a model for
the kind of cooperation the Committee was striving to establish with
other regional organizations. She also welcomed the enhanced focus on
the economic dimension of the OSCE approach to security. Recalling
that the United Nations had recently established the Peacebuilding
Commission, she expressed confidence that in getting the Commission's
work under way, the United Nations could be inspired by the work
undertaken by the OSCE in that area. She looked forward to
intensified cooperation between the OSCE and the United Nations in
that regard.
AUGUSTINE MAHIGA (United Republic of Tanzania) said that the
activities of the OSCE complemented those of the United Nations, even
though the latter had encountered serious difficulties during the
course of the past year. The OSCE had also been able to prevent an
escalation of conflicts in the Caucasus and Central Asia. Its
activities were promising for other similar organizations around the
world and the organization provided a model for Africa to follow.
Responding to questions, Mr. DE GUCHT said that the OSCE was in the
driver's seat with regard to South Ossetia, and hoped its initial
judgement was correct, namely that "the conflict may be ripe for
treatment". The same went for Nagorno-Karabakh, on which the
Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan would be meeting in February.
Before that meeting took place, he would go to the region and meet
with both Presidents to prepare for their meeting. The Transnistria
issue was a complicated one and the OSCE would try to have a road map
on how to include Transnistria in a federal set-up of Moldova and to
set up conditions that allowed for the removal of all foreign troops
from Transnistrian soil.
On Kosovo, the Chairman said he had met with Mr. Ahtisaari and would
continue to do so after his visit to the region in February. He had
met him on Friday in Vienna, and Mr. Ahtisaari put a lot of emphasis
on the role of the OSCE, which would be very important because it had
the most representatives on the ground. Once those conflicts were
resolved, the OSCE should be there for the long term to establish
sustainable societies.
On the treatment of the three dimensions of the OSCE approach to
security, he said it would be beneficial for the OSCE to recalibrate
the relationships between the three dimensions. That was why it would
strengthen the economic dimension with concrete proposals, such as
promoting cooperation in the field of transportation. On the future
role of the OSCE, he said that role depended on the participating
States and the extent to which they provided such possibilities.
During his Chairmanship, he wanted to create an environment that
allowed all members to participate within the OSCE. That meant that
the OSCE should also get more political prominence than it had in the
past.
Monitoring elections, he continued, was a valuable contribution to
peace and stability and democratization of the region. The OSCE
Office on Democratic Institutions and Human Rights would be
undertaking a self-evaluation in that regard. He wanted to create
conditions to allow that Office to fulfil its tasks and come to
consensus on how to put that into practice.
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* The 5345^th Meeting was closed.
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For information media o not an official record
