General Assembly Session 53 meeting 80

The President

I call on the representative of Poland to introduce draft resolution A/53/L.60.

Mr. Wyzner (Poland)

In my capacity as representative of Minister Bronislaw Geremek, the Chairman-in-Office of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), I have the honour to introduce draft resolution A/53/L.60, entitled "Cooperation between the United Nations and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe", on behalf of the 44 sponsors listed in the document and Tajikistan, which has joined the original list.

Before proceeding to discuss the substance of the draft resolution, I wish at the outset to associate the delegation of Poland with the statement which will be made later in the course of our debate by the representative of Austria on behalf of the European Union. Allow me also to take this opportunity to welcome Ambassador Giancarlo Aragona, Secretary-General of the OSCE, whose presence in this Hall today is a token of the ever closer contacts and cooperation between the United Nations and the OSCE.

The risks and challenges to security in today's world are so complex and multifaceted that no organization is capable of dealing with them on its own. Hence, the close cooperation between different actors on the international scene that we are witnessing today is not only a positive development, but also a prerequisite for an effective response by the international community to contemporary crises and conflicts. The examples of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina and, most recently, Kosovo, as well as of conflicts in other regions of the world, fully confirm that statement.

It is only through cooperation that appropriate conditions can be created for the optimum use of the comparative advantages of all the organizations involved in a given crisis or conflict. In this respect, among the guiding principles being implemented by the Polish chairmanship-in-office of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, as well as by our predecessors, have been complementarity of actions and the best possible use of the unique potential of each and every organization and institution to tackle security problems in the OSCE area and the avoidance of sterile competition. We have been promoting the view that all partners should preserve their respective identities while cooperating in a non-hierarchical manner.

As an inclusive and open framework for interaction, the OSCE has been focusing particular attention on the question of promoting a synergy of efforts in the field of early warning, conflict prevention, crisis management and post-conflict rehabilitation. It has been striving to work towards an efficient and flexible system of cooperative security, based on comparative advantages of different organizations, enabling them to combine their resources and capabilities to respond effectively to threats and challenges in the OSCE area.

Fostering the ties of cooperation between the OSCE and the United Nations has been one of the important items on the agenda of the Polish Chairman-in-Office, who has consistently encouraged the forging of very close contacts between the OSCE and the specialized agencies of the United Nations system, in both New York and Vienna, as well as in field missions and operations. Such encouragement has in particular been given to the heads of the OSCE missions. In all those endeavours, we have enjoyed the full understanding, cooperation and support of the remaining members of the OSCE "troika", namely, Denmark and Norway, and those of the whole membership of the OSCE. To all of them I should like to express our deep gratitude.

From that perspective, the excellent report of the United Nations Secretary-General on cooperation between the United Nations and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe is a source of particular satisfaction for the OSCE and its Chairman-in-Office. Having registered the numerous examples which illustrate the close working relationship between the two Organizations, the Secretary-General concludes that during the past year cooperation between the United Nations and the OSCE has significantly increased and improved, both at the headquarters level and in terms of concrete collaboration in the field. The foundation for future cooperation has been strengthened.

Draft resolution A/53/L.60 acknowledges the increasing contribution of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe to the establishment and maintenance of international peace and security within its own geographical area through specific activities in all dimensions of security, whether political, military, human or economic. It also notes with appreciation the further improvement of cooperation and coordination between the United Nations and the OSCE. While referring to specific conflicts and areas of tension in the OSCE region where practical cooperation between the two Organizations has been continuing, it also highlights new developments, such as the establishment by the OSCE -- following the adoption of Security Council resolution 1203 (1998) -- of the Kosovo Verification Mission, the contribution of the OSCE to the implementation of Security Council resolution 1160 (1998) relating to the Kosovo crisis, new elements of the OSCE mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the fields of reform of the police, the judiciary and human rights, the OSCE's furnishing of the overall framework for the Group of Friends of Albania, or the assumption by OSCE civilian police monitors of the responsibilities of the United Nations Police Support Group in the Danubian region of Croatia.

In the field of promoting human rights and building democracy, the draft resolution captures the dynamism of the relationship between the two organizations by noting with appreciation the agreements concluded between the main partners from both organizations: on the United Nations side, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, and on the OSCE side, the secretariat of that organization and the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights.

Let me here invoke the message of the Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan, to the Seventh Meeting of the OSCE Ministerial Council, held in Oslo last week, in which he said that, in the case of the OSCE, the promise contained in his programme for United Nations reform,

"that regional organizations would increasingly become partners of the United Nations in all activities related to the maintenance of international peace and security, including conflict prevention', ... is well on the way to fulfilment". (Press release SG/SM/6816)

The notable success of the Oslo meeting of the Ministerial Council, at which a ministerial declaration and a number of important decisions were adopted, has indeed fulfilled those expectations.

Finally, allow me to express my sincere hope that the draft resolution before us, which is sponsored by an overwhelming majority of the States members of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, will attract the broadest possible support and will be adopted by consensus.

The President

I call on the representative of Azerbaijan to introduce the amendment to draft resolution A/53/L.60 contained in document A/53/L.61.

Mr. Kouliev (Azerbaijan)

I should like to introduce an amendment by the delegation of the Republic of Azerbaijan (A/53/L.61) to draft resolution A/53/L.60, on cooperation between the United Nations and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

The reasons for proposing this amendment are valid and are based on principle. Operative paragraph 12 of draft resolution A/53/L.60 does not address the core of the problem to which it refers and departs from language adopted by the General Assembly at previous sessions. This matter directly involves the highest interests of my country, its sovereignty and its territorial integrity. The sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Azerbaijan have been repeatedly reaffirmed by the international community, in particular by the Security Council in its resolutions on the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict in and around the Nagorny Karabakh region of the Republic of Azerbaijan: Security Council resolutions 822 (1993), 853 (1993), 874 (1993) and 884 (1993).

The Secretary-General, in previous and current reports on the agenda item under consideration (A/50/564, A/52/450 and A/53/672), has unequivocally defined this matter, ascertaining that Nagorny Karabakh is an integral part of Azerbaijan.

The text of the amendment we are proposing is not new and is well known to all of us. Three times before, at its forty-ninth, fifty-first and fifty-second sessions, the General Assembly adopted draft resolutions that included such a paragraph. Its substance relies fully on the relevant provision of resolution 49/13, which was adopted without vote, by a consensus that included Armenia; it repeats the relevant paragraph of resolution 51/57 and of last year's resolution 52/22. Regrettably, the drafters of document A/53/L.60 failed to reflect that paragraph in the draft resolution.

Emphasizing the exceptional importance of this matter to our country, the delegation of Azerbaijan calls on Member States to do as they did in the last two years: to reaffirm their principled support for Azerbaijan and to adopt our amendment, contained in document A/53/L.61.

Mr. Sucharipa (Austria)

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union. In addition, the Central and Eastern European countries associated with the European Union -- Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia -- and the associated country Cyprus align themselves with this statement.

The European Union welcomes the fact that during the last year the United Nations and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) have further intensified their cooperation and the coordination of their activities, as reflected in the report of the Secretary-General (A/53/672) on the subject.

The OSCE, as a pan-European and transatlantic security organization, has become a key forum for the management of the dramatic changes that have occurred in Europe in recent years. The European Union, as a central pillar of integration, stability and prosperity in Europe, has contributed to the strengthening of the OSCE and will continue to do so. We remain committed to the enhanced political effectiveness of the OSCE and to the strengthening of its operational capability. We support the role of the OSCE as a primary instrument for early warning, conflict prevention, crisis management and post-conflict rehabilitation in the OSCE region.

Further strengthening of the OSCE will enable it to better assume its responsibilities as a regional organization as defined in Chapter VIII of the United Nations Charter. The emerging division of labour between the United Nations and regional organizations is visible in a series of operations and endeavours that the United Nations and the OSCE have undertaken jointly or consecutively.

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the European Union is pleased with the by and large orderly and peaceful course of the elections held under the supervision of the OSCE and considers them to be an important step in the continued peace process. We note in particular the increased Bosnian involvement in the election process.

It is now of the utmost importance that the elected institutions start to work effectively. Attention must be paid to the full implementation of the Peace Agreement, in particular to making significant progress in the return of refugees and displaced persons, especially in minority areas. Equally pressing is the need for reform of the judiciary and the media and the passing of a permanent election law. The OSCE is cooperating closely with the United Nations Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina and other important actors to attain these goals. We also deem crucial the establishment of an ombudsperson for human rights in the Republika Srpska. The role of the OSCE special representatives in arms control and stabilization measures remains one of particular impact and importance.

The OSCE has taken over the civilian police monitoring functions in Croatia from the United Nations this year. This shift in responsibilities makes continuous coordination and cooperation between these organizations indispensable. A coordinated effort by the international community, including the OSCE mission, is crucial. The European Union has made additional police officers available to enable OSCE police monitoring to fulfil its new tasks.

Indeed, this year the OSCE has experienced another quantum leap in its activities. The OSCE Kosovo Verification Mission is undoubtedly the greatest challenge the OSCE has yet undertaken. The Mission, with a projected strength of about 2,000 verifiers, not only is unprecedented in size, but also represents a new quality of activities. This new operation underlines the growing importance of the organization in the field of active conflict management.

The main purpose of the Kosovo Verification Mission in its first phase is to verify compliance with Security Council resolutions 1160 (1998) and 1199 (1998). Although tens of thousands of displaced persons have still not been able to return to their homes, the Verification Mission has contributed to facilitating conditions on the ground so that all but a very few displaced persons who had been living in the open until recently have now been able to find shelter.

A key task of the Mission in its initial phase is to verify the maintenance of a ceasefire by all elements, which must be scrupulously adhered to by all parties to the conflict. The operation is not without risk, and we highly value the importance the Mission attaches to the security of all its members.

The sheer presence of the Mission is also contributing to the endeavour to find a political solution to the conflict. Once an agreement is reached between the parties to the conflict, the Kosovo Verification Mission will play an active role in its implementation -- in election supervision, assistance in the establishment of Kosovo institutions, police force development, et cetera.

The role of the OSCE in Albania is of equally great importance to the development of that country. We fully support the Head of Presence in Tirana who, in the context of the Group of Friends of Albania, is charged with channelling the attention of the international community and expressing its concerns to the Albanian authorities.

The European Union also remains deeply concerned with all the regional issues in the Transcaucasus and will work towards a resolution of conflicts in the region on the basis of OSCE decisions.

In Nagorny Karabakh, the European Union hopes that substantial progress can be made in finding a basis for a negotiated settlement to the conflict that will be acceptable to all parties.

In Moldova, the European Union regrets that we have seen no major improvements in the situation in the Transdniester in 1998. The Union welcomes the decision reached on the Transdniester region of Moldova through the facilitation of the OSCE mission to Moldova and the Russian and Ukrainian mediators. The European Union also urges all sides to work flexibly on the question of a special status for this region within Moldova and urges early Russian withdrawal of its troops, weapons and ammunition from the region. A first step may be to withdraw unstable and dangerous ammunition.

In Georgia, continuing violent incidents in Abkhazia are deeply worrying. The Union fully supports the efforts undertaken by the United Nations within the framework of the Geneva peace process to engage the parties in a direct dialogue. The role of the OSCE is one of providing reinforcement for the efforts of the United Nations.

The European Union attaches special importance to the cooperation between the OSCE and the Mediterranean Partners for Cooperation. We welcome the admission of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan to the group of Partners for Cooperation, and we look forward to its contribution to the work of the OSCE. Furthermore, the European Union appreciates the consistent and constructive role Japan and the Republic of Korea are playing in the OSCE as Partners for Cooperation.

The European Union recognizes the importance of the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, the High Commissioner on National Minorities and the Representative on Freedom of the Media. The orientation of the democratization activities of the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights has fully borne fruit. A new approach towards election monitoring has proved beneficial in the concrete instances mentioned previously.

It is this dynamic development of the OSCE'S role on the ground that calls for the establishment of a solid conceptual bedrock in the form of a politically binding charter on European security, reflecting, in particular, the invigorated role of the OSCE and the vital importance of inter-institutional cooperation on the basis of a platform for cooperative security. Equally, it will be important that the final product of this work can be perceived by each and every participating State as real added value for addressing its respective security concerns. The European Union believes that such an objective is attainable. The guidelines we adopted at the Copenhagen meeting of the OSCE Ministerial Council set the right framework. They should therefore remain the touchstone for the work on the security charter. The European Union welcomes the conclusions of the ministerial meeting held in Oslo last week, which provided a new momentum for the ongoing discussion in this respect.

In concluding, allow me, in the name of the members of the European Union, to pay special tribute to the effectiveness of the Polish Chairmanship, without which the OSCE could not have met the great challenges of this year's activities. I would also like to express our appreciation to the delegation of the Polish Chairman-in-Office of the OSCE for its excellent work. We look forward to working closely with the Norwegian delegation, the incoming holder of the chairmanship-in-office.

Last but not least, let me also express our deep appreciation for the untiring work and continuous efforts displayed with great diplomatic skill by the Secretary-General of the OSCE, Ambassador Aragona.

Mr. Varso (Slovakia)

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