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OSCE Chair calls for forceful reaction to 'brutalization of conflicts'
VIENNA 27 November 2000
VIENNA, 27 November 2000 - In the opening address of the Vienna Ministerial Council, the Chairperson-in-Office of the OSCE, Austrian Foreign Minister Benita Ferrero-Waldner today called for a more forceful reaction to the brutalization of conflicts as well as rapid action to prevent violent confrontations. Ms. Ferrero-Waldner specifically stressed two questions that have been the focus of particular attention during the Austrian Chairmanship of the OSCE. One of them is the plight of civilians in armed conflicts and the human rights violations that have arisen as a consequence of conflicts, as well as in the wake of social and economic transition:
"The bloody conflicts of the last decade have also caused innumerable victims among the civilian population, particularly defenceless women and children. We in the OSCE must react more forcefully to this brutalization of conflicts. The fight against trafficking in human beings, exploitation of children in armed conflicts and illicit trafficking in small arms and light weapons must also be a focus of our efforts with respect to particularly vulnerable population groups. Alongside increased co-operation among participating States, field operations in all these areas should be stepped up. With this in mind, a number of decisions will be adopted at this Ministerial Council meeting to provide clear guidelines for our work in these areas."
The second question specifically highlighted by the Chairperson-in-Office was rapid action to prevent armed conflicts:
"Civil conflict prevention and management saves much human misery and - even if I am hesitant to say so in this context - also an enormous amount of economic resources. We need only look at the astronomical costs that the international community is shouldering to reconstruct South-Eastern Europe. For a security organization that has set itself the target of preventing violent confrontations wherever possible, rapid action is thus imperative."
The Chairperson-in-Office warmly welcomed the presence of the President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Mr. Vojislav Kostunica, at this Ministerial Council meeting:
"This marks a very happy day in the history of our Organization. Not only because the inclusion of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia means that all States of Europe are represented within the OSCE, but also because there is reason to hope that the democratic renewal in your country will mark the start of a new, more peaceful era in South-Eastern Europe. That you and all the other representatives of the five successor States to the former Yugoslavia, despite the deep and slowly healing wounds, are sitting together at one table is already a stage victory in our determined struggle for a peaceful Europe."
In listing the areas of immediate concern to the OSCE, Ms. Ferrero-Waldner pointed out that South-Eastern Europe has come a step closer to the target of long-term stability. She said that this positive development was triggered in part by the elections in several countries of the region, where the OSCE was instrumental in helping to ensure that in practically all cases these elections went smoothly. She particularly mentioned Kosovo, where the OSCE Mission had the extremely difficult task of organizing voter registration for the local elections it was holding, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, where the OSCE was likewise responsible for organizing local and general elections.
Whereas the tragic events in the Balkans have long been overshadowing other conflicts, the Austrian OSCE Chairmanship has tried to draw greater international attention to the conflicts in the Caucasus and Moldova and the serious tensions in many parts of Central Asia. Ms. Ferrero-Waldner mentioned the issue of the reactivation of the OSCE role in Chechnya and the return of the Assistance Group to the region as a matter of prime concern to the Chairmanship. She regretted that the OSCE has not yet managed to get the Assistance Group back in operation there, which is all the more regrettable looking at the humanitarian situation there.
With regard to the Southern Caucasus, the Chairperson-in-Office mentioned the OSCE observation operation on the frontier between Georgia and the Chechen Republic of the Russian Federation, which has made a significant contribution to reducing tensions and has become a good example of the OSCE's conflict-prevention capabilities. On the situation in Georgia and the unresolved conflicts with the separatist regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, the Chairperson-in-Office characterized the lack of results as sobering. Nevertheless, the OSCE Chairmanship has been endeavouring through a policy of small steps to achieve progress in the search for political solutions. She also regretted the lack of tangible political progress in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and appealed to the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan to continue their direct dialogue, which introduced a new era in the peace process.
Turning to the Transdniestria problem, Ms. Ferrero-Waldner noted that, in spite of the most intensive efforts, there has been little progress in resolving that conflict. She concluded that the authorities in Transdniestria were unfortunately unwilling to enter into negotiations on the question of status. In this context, the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office wanted to highlight one observation on the "frozen conflicts" in the former Soviet Union which applies particularly to Transdniestria but which is also relevant to the other conflicts:
"It is that the OSCE does not have enough influence on political élites in separatist regions, who, in contrast to the majority of the population whom they claim to represent, profit from the status quo and are therefore opposed to a political solution. Constructive commitment by participating States that have a particular influence on these groups is urgently needed."
With regard to Central Asia, the Chairperson-in-Office noted that the OSCE commitment to the political, economic and social problems of the region has been further strengthened. The complex security problems in the region were made the subject of a conference organized jointly with the United Nations in Tashkent a month ago with a view to heightening political awareness of the threats posed to stability in this region and beyond by drug trafficking, organized crime and terrorism..
In retrospective, looking back at this year´s Chairmanship, Ms. Ferrero-Waldner stressed that today, more than ever before, the OSCE fulfills an important mission:
"My 11 months as Chairperson-in-Office, in which capacity I have undertaken many trips to all parts of the OSCE region, have demonstrated to me, however, that even the smallest advances in our work sometimes have to be fought very hard for. To be sure, this is often due to macropolitical constellations far beyond the scope of our influence, but it has only strengthened my conviction that the OSCE, as an organization that does not shy away from working with steady determination away from the limelight, is desperately required. Perhaps now more than ever."
The OSCE Ministerial Council, which is convened on years when there is no OSCE Summit, is the central decision-making and governing body of the OSCE.
At the Ministerial Council, Foreign Ministers review and assess the activities of the Organization and set new political goals for the future. The Ministers also take decisions on concrete measures to increase the operational capacities of the OSCE.
"The bloody conflicts of the last decade have also caused innumerable victims among the civilian population, particularly defenceless women and children. We in the OSCE must react more forcefully to this brutalization of conflicts. The fight against trafficking in human beings, exploitation of children in armed conflicts and illicit trafficking in small arms and light weapons must also be a focus of our efforts with respect to particularly vulnerable population groups. Alongside increased co-operation among participating States, field operations in all these areas should be stepped up. With this in mind, a number of decisions will be adopted at this Ministerial Council meeting to provide clear guidelines for our work in these areas."
The second question specifically highlighted by the Chairperson-in-Office was rapid action to prevent armed conflicts:
"Civil conflict prevention and management saves much human misery and - even if I am hesitant to say so in this context - also an enormous amount of economic resources. We need only look at the astronomical costs that the international community is shouldering to reconstruct South-Eastern Europe. For a security organization that has set itself the target of preventing violent confrontations wherever possible, rapid action is thus imperative."
The Chairperson-in-Office warmly welcomed the presence of the President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Mr. Vojislav Kostunica, at this Ministerial Council meeting:
"This marks a very happy day in the history of our Organization. Not only because the inclusion of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia means that all States of Europe are represented within the OSCE, but also because there is reason to hope that the democratic renewal in your country will mark the start of a new, more peaceful era in South-Eastern Europe. That you and all the other representatives of the five successor States to the former Yugoslavia, despite the deep and slowly healing wounds, are sitting together at one table is already a stage victory in our determined struggle for a peaceful Europe."
In listing the areas of immediate concern to the OSCE, Ms. Ferrero-Waldner pointed out that South-Eastern Europe has come a step closer to the target of long-term stability. She said that this positive development was triggered in part by the elections in several countries of the region, where the OSCE was instrumental in helping to ensure that in practically all cases these elections went smoothly. She particularly mentioned Kosovo, where the OSCE Mission had the extremely difficult task of organizing voter registration for the local elections it was holding, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, where the OSCE was likewise responsible for organizing local and general elections.
Whereas the tragic events in the Balkans have long been overshadowing other conflicts, the Austrian OSCE Chairmanship has tried to draw greater international attention to the conflicts in the Caucasus and Moldova and the serious tensions in many parts of Central Asia. Ms. Ferrero-Waldner mentioned the issue of the reactivation of the OSCE role in Chechnya and the return of the Assistance Group to the region as a matter of prime concern to the Chairmanship. She regretted that the OSCE has not yet managed to get the Assistance Group back in operation there, which is all the more regrettable looking at the humanitarian situation there.
With regard to the Southern Caucasus, the Chairperson-in-Office mentioned the OSCE observation operation on the frontier between Georgia and the Chechen Republic of the Russian Federation, which has made a significant contribution to reducing tensions and has become a good example of the OSCE's conflict-prevention capabilities. On the situation in Georgia and the unresolved conflicts with the separatist regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, the Chairperson-in-Office characterized the lack of results as sobering. Nevertheless, the OSCE Chairmanship has been endeavouring through a policy of small steps to achieve progress in the search for political solutions. She also regretted the lack of tangible political progress in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and appealed to the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan to continue their direct dialogue, which introduced a new era in the peace process.
Turning to the Transdniestria problem, Ms. Ferrero-Waldner noted that, in spite of the most intensive efforts, there has been little progress in resolving that conflict. She concluded that the authorities in Transdniestria were unfortunately unwilling to enter into negotiations on the question of status. In this context, the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office wanted to highlight one observation on the "frozen conflicts" in the former Soviet Union which applies particularly to Transdniestria but which is also relevant to the other conflicts:
"It is that the OSCE does not have enough influence on political élites in separatist regions, who, in contrast to the majority of the population whom they claim to represent, profit from the status quo and are therefore opposed to a political solution. Constructive commitment by participating States that have a particular influence on these groups is urgently needed."
With regard to Central Asia, the Chairperson-in-Office noted that the OSCE commitment to the political, economic and social problems of the region has been further strengthened. The complex security problems in the region were made the subject of a conference organized jointly with the United Nations in Tashkent a month ago with a view to heightening political awareness of the threats posed to stability in this region and beyond by drug trafficking, organized crime and terrorism..
In retrospective, looking back at this year´s Chairmanship, Ms. Ferrero-Waldner stressed that today, more than ever before, the OSCE fulfills an important mission:
"My 11 months as Chairperson-in-Office, in which capacity I have undertaken many trips to all parts of the OSCE region, have demonstrated to me, however, that even the smallest advances in our work sometimes have to be fought very hard for. To be sure, this is often due to macropolitical constellations far beyond the scope of our influence, but it has only strengthened my conviction that the OSCE, as an organization that does not shy away from working with steady determination away from the limelight, is desperately required. Perhaps now more than ever."
The OSCE Ministerial Council, which is convened on years when there is no OSCE Summit, is the central decision-making and governing body of the OSCE.
At the Ministerial Council, Foreign Ministers review and assess the activities of the Organization and set new political goals for the future. The Ministers also take decisions on concrete measures to increase the operational capacities of the OSCE.