We need a strong OSCE for a secure Europe says OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Steinmeier at opening of Hamburg Ministerial Council

HAMBURG, Germany, 8 December 2016 – Frank-Walter Steinmeier, OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and German Foreign Minister, today opened the 23rd OSCE Ministerial Council in Hamburg, emphasizing that in stormy times a strong OSCE is more important than ever to provide an effective framework and engine for dialogue and co-operation. All 57 participating States, the vast majority of them represented by their Foreign Minister, have gathered in Hamburg for this two-day meeting which is the culmination of Germany’s 2016 OSCE Chairmanship.

“It seems that crisis mode has become the new normal in these times of upheaval,” said Steinmeier, referring to the key objectives of the German Chairmanship: “By renewing dialogue we wish to contribute to rebuilding trust that has been lost. This is indispensable to restoring security in the OSCE area, from Vancouver to Vladivostok.”

Steinmeier deplored a growing tendency among participating States to consider OSCE principles and commitments with relativism and to accept breaches with indifference. “It is our common responsibility to counter this dangerous development,” he said. Steinmeier urged his counterparts to follow a common compass during negotiations in Hamburg: “There can be no comprehensive security without democracy, rule of law and respect for fundamental freedoms.”

With a view to the existing conflicts in the OSCE area Steinmeier underlined the need for the commitment of OSCE participating States to make best use of the instruments and capacities that the OSCE can offer in conflict settlement. Looking at the crisis in and around Ukraine, Steinmeier reminded the sides that the implementation of the Minsk agreements required real political will. He commended the work of the Special Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (SMM) and called protracted obstructions, threats and attacks against the monitors unacceptable.

In order to empower the OSCE to better address new and evolving security threats, Steinmeier outlined five fields of priority action for the coming years. These include fostering channels for meaningful dialogue reaching beyond formalities, as demonstrated at the Informal OSCE Ministerial Meeting in Potsdam on 1 September. He also emphasized the need for a fresh start in arms control and the establishment of a “structured dialogue” to this end.

Following the Chairperson-in-Office, the President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Christine Muttonen, addressed the Ministerial Council: "It may at times seem that we are out of options. But we do have a choice: we can either 'see no evil and hear no evil', or we can put our efforts and hopes in the power of multilateral co-operation and joint solutions. This choice means building bridges,” she said.

OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier said in his report to the Foreign Ministers: “To return to the path of pragmatic co-operation requires mutual trust and confidence, which comes through open communication. We must revitalize our dialogue and return to genuine debate and engagement to help us find co-operative approaches to shared problems. The OSCE has the potential to play a unifying role, but it is up to you, the participating States, to decide how to use it.”

The full text of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office’s opening statement can be found at: www.osce.org/cio/287156