Newsroom
OSCE should address root causes of terrorism that are exploited by extremist ideologies
BUCHAREST 3 December 2001
BUCHAREST, 3 December 2001 - In his opening address to the OSCE Ministerial Council, which began in Bucharest today, the current Chairman-in-Office, Romania's Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mircea Dan Geoana, issued a strong call for the Organization to address the political, social and economic inequalities that provide the "fertile breeding ground" exploited by extremist ideologies which supported terrorism.
He also asked if the time might be approaching, once a stable, democratic and representative government was in place, to explore the scope for the Organization to develop a dialogue with Afghanistan, along the pattern of the OSCE's relations with its traditional Mediterranean Partners.
The world's largest co-operative security Organization has begun a two-day meeting that will be firmly focused on securing endorsement of a framework for comprehensive international action against terrorism. Ministers of the 55 OSCE participating States are due, today and tomorrow, to discuss and adopt a broad-ranging document on counter-terrorism measures, as well as to conduct a review of the year's activities by the Organization.
He described the challenge of holding the Chairmanship during 2001 as "a responsibility invested by the OSCE community, not just in me and my team in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but in the foreign policy and security priorities of Romania."
"We drew on the lessons we learned in dealing with the harsh realities of adopting a modern and functional market economy, in addressing national minority issues, in building efficient public institutions and in approaching the Euro-Atlantic integration process", he said. "We believed that, while cultural, religious, geographic or historic differences must be respected and preserved, the values we are fighting for in the OSCE are universal and eternal and should be at the heart of our philosophy."
Introducing the Council's central theme of terrorism, the Chairman-in-Office said that the meeting was being held this week against the backdrop of a new political and security reality: "The past three months have been dominated by the aftermath of the outrageous terrorist attacks against the US", he said. "Those acts of terrorism endangered not only the security of our American friends but posed a direct threat to our common values, our security and stability. They prompted us to reflect more deeply on the new meaning of security. And out of that tragedy has emerged hope: a new sense of unity and purpose among the international community."
The OSCE's response, he said, would be reflected in the Declaration resolutely condemning terrorism and the Plan of Action that the Ministerial Council would adopt on Tuesday: "The OSCE is not the lead organization in the fight against terrorism but we can address root causes, namely the political, social and economic inequalities that provide a fertile breeding ground for exploitation by extremist ideologies."
The Bishkek International Conference on Enhancing Security and Stability in Central Asia, that it is jointly organizing for 13 and 14 December with the UN Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention - at the invitation of the Kyrgyz Government - would be a timely event that deserved the full support of all OSCE States, he said.
OSCE achievements
Looking back at the Organization's major achievements under Romania's chairmanship, the Foreign Minister drew attention to the ground-breaking elections in Kosovo, organized by the OSCE's Mission there, with help from the United Nations, the KFOR protection force, and the Council of Europe: "For the first time, all those who live in Kosovo - ethnic Albanians, Serbs and other minorities - will have a say in how they are governed."
He also picked out the conclusion of the peace plan in southern Serbia, where a significant part of the confidence-building process involves OSCE training of a multi-ethnic police force; approval of an amended Constitution in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia which offers improved rights to minorities; and the opening in Tetovo of the multi-lingual South-East European University, inspired by the previous OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities, Ambassador Max van der Stoel.
Other issues addressed by the OSCE in 2001 included trafficking in human beings, legislation to tackle corruption, increasing civil society involvement in government decision-making, and a special effort to address the problems of discrimination and poverty faced by Roma communities in Europe, on which recommendations would be adopted by the Council.
The Chairman-in-Office also congratulated the Russian Federation for the progress made to comply with the commitments adopted at the Istanbul Summit in 1999: "The implementation, ahead of schedule, of the first deadline for Russian troop withdrawals from the Republic of Moldova gives us hope that all commitments will be met in full by the end of this week."
In addition, he welcomed the measures undertaken by the Russian Federation in Chechnya and President Putin's initiative to launch a political dialogue with Chechen representatives: "I hope these are the first steps towards a negotiated solution to this conflict."
Turning to the area of police-related activities, he drew on the success of the OSCE-run Kosovo Police Service School, as well as the achievements in southern Serbia to suggest that the OSCE had amassed experience that, he believed, should be used elsewhere: "But we must also provide the necessary resources. The post of Senior OSCE Police Advisor is an essential part of the package. I would urge participating States to approve this before the end of the year."
Huge strides had also been made in co-operation with other organizations, he said, based on complementary roles, synergy and a clear division of labour: "We have worked constructively with the UN in Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina. We have a close relationship with the Council of Europe, for instance in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and in Chechnya. The joint effort of the European Union, NATO and the OSCE in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to prevent the conflict from erupting into civil war has been a classic example of what can be done when we work together."
Challenges ahead
But several serious challenges lay ahead for the OSCE, including inadequate respect for the rule of law and human rights, the return of refugees and internally displaced persons and tackling corruption and organized crime: "The cross-border nature of organized crime and terrorism calls for close co-operation at the regional and interregional level backed by political commitment, for instance through an OSCE-wide meeting of Justice and Interior Ministers."
Answers were also needed to the issue of ethnic or religious minority groups, segregated and disadvantaged in their own society, which led to the eruption of political and social tensions. The OSCE was fortunate to be able to count on its Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights and on the new High Commissioner, Ambassador Rolf Ekeus, to continue their valuable work for justice and integration.
He welcomed the contribution of the Representative on Freedom of the Media to upholding the right to freedom of expression. Better use could be made of the experience and dynamism of the NGO community and of the involvement of OSCE Parliamentarians, he added. "I commend the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and their President, Adrian Severin, for their efforts throughout this past year to promote democracy and the rule of law."
But democracy alone does not feed hungry children, he said. Correcting the dangerous economic divide within and between States must be a priority. The OSCE should do more to identify economic and environmental hot spots which merit international attention.
"The world has changed since 11 September", said the Chairman-in-Office. "The new climate of trust between the US and the Russian Federation and the evolution of relations between NATO and Russia will contribute significantly to European security. Major decisions are expected next year on the future shape and structure of NATO and the EU and it is clear now that enlargement is inevitable. We should exploit the momentum generated by the new international dynamic and make a real effort to bring unresolved issues to a close."
Allowing people a choice and encouraging the secular and tolerant model of Islam will diminish the appeal of fundamentalism. "For this to happen, we should explore how we can help the citizens and governments of Central Asia to develop a concept of society in the longer term fully anchored in Euro-Atlantic values. A true Partnership for Modernity backed by concrete resources would be evidence of a commitment by the international community to this region."
He also asked if the time might be approaching, once a stable, democratic and representative government was in place, to explore the scope for the Organization to develop a dialogue with Afghanistan, along the pattern of the OSCE's relations with its traditional Mediterranean Partners.
The world's largest co-operative security Organization has begun a two-day meeting that will be firmly focused on securing endorsement of a framework for comprehensive international action against terrorism. Ministers of the 55 OSCE participating States are due, today and tomorrow, to discuss and adopt a broad-ranging document on counter-terrorism measures, as well as to conduct a review of the year's activities by the Organization.
He described the challenge of holding the Chairmanship during 2001 as "a responsibility invested by the OSCE community, not just in me and my team in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but in the foreign policy and security priorities of Romania."
"We drew on the lessons we learned in dealing with the harsh realities of adopting a modern and functional market economy, in addressing national minority issues, in building efficient public institutions and in approaching the Euro-Atlantic integration process", he said. "We believed that, while cultural, religious, geographic or historic differences must be respected and preserved, the values we are fighting for in the OSCE are universal and eternal and should be at the heart of our philosophy."
Introducing the Council's central theme of terrorism, the Chairman-in-Office said that the meeting was being held this week against the backdrop of a new political and security reality: "The past three months have been dominated by the aftermath of the outrageous terrorist attacks against the US", he said. "Those acts of terrorism endangered not only the security of our American friends but posed a direct threat to our common values, our security and stability. They prompted us to reflect more deeply on the new meaning of security. And out of that tragedy has emerged hope: a new sense of unity and purpose among the international community."
The OSCE's response, he said, would be reflected in the Declaration resolutely condemning terrorism and the Plan of Action that the Ministerial Council would adopt on Tuesday: "The OSCE is not the lead organization in the fight against terrorism but we can address root causes, namely the political, social and economic inequalities that provide a fertile breeding ground for exploitation by extremist ideologies."
The Bishkek International Conference on Enhancing Security and Stability in Central Asia, that it is jointly organizing for 13 and 14 December with the UN Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention - at the invitation of the Kyrgyz Government - would be a timely event that deserved the full support of all OSCE States, he said.
OSCE achievements
Looking back at the Organization's major achievements under Romania's chairmanship, the Foreign Minister drew attention to the ground-breaking elections in Kosovo, organized by the OSCE's Mission there, with help from the United Nations, the KFOR protection force, and the Council of Europe: "For the first time, all those who live in Kosovo - ethnic Albanians, Serbs and other minorities - will have a say in how they are governed."
He also picked out the conclusion of the peace plan in southern Serbia, where a significant part of the confidence-building process involves OSCE training of a multi-ethnic police force; approval of an amended Constitution in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia which offers improved rights to minorities; and the opening in Tetovo of the multi-lingual South-East European University, inspired by the previous OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities, Ambassador Max van der Stoel.
Other issues addressed by the OSCE in 2001 included trafficking in human beings, legislation to tackle corruption, increasing civil society involvement in government decision-making, and a special effort to address the problems of discrimination and poverty faced by Roma communities in Europe, on which recommendations would be adopted by the Council.
The Chairman-in-Office also congratulated the Russian Federation for the progress made to comply with the commitments adopted at the Istanbul Summit in 1999: "The implementation, ahead of schedule, of the first deadline for Russian troop withdrawals from the Republic of Moldova gives us hope that all commitments will be met in full by the end of this week."
In addition, he welcomed the measures undertaken by the Russian Federation in Chechnya and President Putin's initiative to launch a political dialogue with Chechen representatives: "I hope these are the first steps towards a negotiated solution to this conflict."
Turning to the area of police-related activities, he drew on the success of the OSCE-run Kosovo Police Service School, as well as the achievements in southern Serbia to suggest that the OSCE had amassed experience that, he believed, should be used elsewhere: "But we must also provide the necessary resources. The post of Senior OSCE Police Advisor is an essential part of the package. I would urge participating States to approve this before the end of the year."
Huge strides had also been made in co-operation with other organizations, he said, based on complementary roles, synergy and a clear division of labour: "We have worked constructively with the UN in Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina. We have a close relationship with the Council of Europe, for instance in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and in Chechnya. The joint effort of the European Union, NATO and the OSCE in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to prevent the conflict from erupting into civil war has been a classic example of what can be done when we work together."
Challenges ahead
But several serious challenges lay ahead for the OSCE, including inadequate respect for the rule of law and human rights, the return of refugees and internally displaced persons and tackling corruption and organized crime: "The cross-border nature of organized crime and terrorism calls for close co-operation at the regional and interregional level backed by political commitment, for instance through an OSCE-wide meeting of Justice and Interior Ministers."
Answers were also needed to the issue of ethnic or religious minority groups, segregated and disadvantaged in their own society, which led to the eruption of political and social tensions. The OSCE was fortunate to be able to count on its Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights and on the new High Commissioner, Ambassador Rolf Ekeus, to continue their valuable work for justice and integration.
He welcomed the contribution of the Representative on Freedom of the Media to upholding the right to freedom of expression. Better use could be made of the experience and dynamism of the NGO community and of the involvement of OSCE Parliamentarians, he added. "I commend the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and their President, Adrian Severin, for their efforts throughout this past year to promote democracy and the rule of law."
But democracy alone does not feed hungry children, he said. Correcting the dangerous economic divide within and between States must be a priority. The OSCE should do more to identify economic and environmental hot spots which merit international attention.
"The world has changed since 11 September", said the Chairman-in-Office. "The new climate of trust between the US and the Russian Federation and the evolution of relations between NATO and Russia will contribute significantly to European security. Major decisions are expected next year on the future shape and structure of NATO and the EU and it is clear now that enlargement is inevitable. We should exploit the momentum generated by the new international dynamic and make a real effort to bring unresolved issues to a close."
Allowing people a choice and encouraging the secular and tolerant model of Islam will diminish the appeal of fundamentalism. "For this to happen, we should explore how we can help the citizens and governments of Central Asia to develop a concept of society in the longer term fully anchored in Euro-Atlantic values. A true Partnership for Modernity backed by concrete resources would be evidence of a commitment by the international community to this region."