South-Eastern Europe and the Caucasus focus of tripartite meeting

VIENNA, 16 February 2001 - The partners in the tripartite process, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, the Council of Europe and United Nations organisations, led by the United Nations Office at Geneva, met today in Vienna at a traditional high-level meeting. As in the past, the European Commission, the International Committee of the Red Cross and the International Organization for Migration were also invited.

The aim of the tripartite process is better co-ordination of action in areas of common concern.

South-Eastern Europe, especially the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, and the Caucasus, were the main areas discussed. The participants agreed that the newly established OSCE Mission to the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the Council of Europe Office in Belgrade would co-operate closely with representatives of the United Nations and its specialised agencies, offices and programmes, and representatives of the European Commission in Belgrade.

In particular, the participants agreed that Kosovo wide elections should be thoroughly prepared and that the exact role and status of the elected body should be defined before taking a decision on the date for the elections. The participants also noted with great concern the situation in southern Serbia. They expressed concern about the political situation in Albania, and noted that in view of the elections to be held this year, it was high time for political parties, including those in the opposition, to seek common ground.

On the situation in the Caucasus, participants discussed the present situation in both the north and the south of the region, and decided to pursue closer co-operation and exchange information in a number of areas, including the possibility to launch joint projects and pursue a joint assessment mission in south Caucasus. Participants noted that the Council of Europe recently welcomed Armenia and Azerbaijan as members.

The participants also considered a report on the Target-oriented Meeting at expert level on good governance held on 15 February 2001 in Vienna, under the chairmanship of the OSCE.

Human Dimension issues, especially intolerance, racism, xenophobia and trafficking in human beings also figured prominently on the agenda of the meeting.

The participants also exchanged information on recent major meetings within the CoE, OSCE and UN, paying special attention to the 4th Meeting of the UN and Regional Organizations held in New York, 6-7 February 2001.

On the sidelines of the meeting, the CoE Secretary General and the OSCE Secretary General concluded the exchange of letters between the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe and the Council of Europe on Modalities of Co-operation in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, the host of this meeting, was represented by the Secretary General and a Representative of the OSCE Chairmanship. The OSCE delegation further included representatives of the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), the High Commissioner for National Minorities (HCNM), and the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media (RFM).

The United Nations delegation included, in addition to the Director-General of UNOG: the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for the Balkans, the Executive Secretary or the Economic Commission for Europe (UN/ECE), the Assistant High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Assistant Administrator of United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Representatives of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR), UN Department for Political Affairs (UNDPA), the Peace-Keeping Department (UNDPKO) and the Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) also participated.

The delegation of the Council of Europe, led by the Secretary General, included, among others, the Chairman of the Ministers' Deputies, the Chairman of the Rapporteur Group for Democratic Stability, Director of inter-institutional co-operation and external relations, Directorate General of Political Affairs, and the Head of the Division of relations with international organisations and non-member states, Directorate General of Political Affairs.

The next high-level tripartite meeting will be hosted by the Council of Europe in 2002 in Strasbourg.