UPDATE: OSCE Priorities, Nordic-Baltic Co-operation and Lithuania’s Coordinating Role In 2012

The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and the United Nations have what the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon recently called an “indispensible” relationship and it’s easy to understand why. The OSCE, with 56 States from Europe, Central Asia, and North America, is now headed by OSCE Secretary-General Lamberto Zannier of Italy, a former UN Representative for Kosovo.

OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Irish Deputy Prime Minister and Minister For Foreign Affairs and Trade, Eamon Gilmore, with OSCE Secretary-General Lamberto Zannier, at the opening of the first OSCE Permanent Council meeting of the Irish Chairmanship on January 12 in Vienna. OSCE/Jonathan Perfect.

In a message delivered by B. Lynn Pascoe, UN Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs at the OSCE in Vilnius, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki- moon described the OSCE as “a vitally important organization” and it is. In the article that follows, “Baltic Review” provides an update on the priorities of the OSCE’s new Chairperson- in-Office Eamon Gilmore, and tells you why you should keep your eye on Nordic-Baltic Co-operation and Lithuania’s coordinating role in the year 2012.

EAMON GILMORE, OSCE’S CHAIRPERSON-IN-OFFICE, EMPHASIZES THE NEED FOR EFFECTIVE MULTILATERALISM

In emphasizing the need for the OSCE’s co-operative, inclusive approach, OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Eamon Gilmore stated in January 2012 that “the profound political and economic transformations which we are witnessing today in various parts of the globe demonstrate once again the need for effective multilateralism, as do a number of ongoing regional conflicts and the growth in transnational security changes.” He added that “an important task of the Chairmanship would be to identify common priorities which will help us to build on the unique strengths of the OSCE and to develop the specific contribution which the Organization can make to tackling these global challenges.”

PROTECTING FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION IN THE DIGITAL AGE WILL BE STRESSED SAYS THE IRISH DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER OF THE OSCE

The Irish Deputy Prime Minister, OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Eamon Gilmore, in Vienna. OSCE/Jonathan Perfect.

The Irish Deputy Prime Minister emphasized that “the continuing threat to fundamental freedoms  and human rights in a number of OSCE participating States is a cause of real concern, he said, and pointed out that the full implementation of OSCE human dimension commitments by OSCE participating States is a top priority. “A specific area of focus during the Irish Chairmanship will be the importance of protecting freedom of expression in the digital age, and working with civil society organizations and business to safeguard these freedoms online,” he said. He also made it clear that seeking ways to make progress towards lasting settlements of protracted conflicts in the OSCE would be a priority, and mentioned in  particular, his full support for discussions dealing with the August 2008 conflict in Georgia,  the Transdniestrian settlement process, and the Minsk Group Co-Chairs to address  the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.”

 
NORDIC-BALTIC CO-OPERATION AND LITHUANIA’S COORDINATING ROLE IN 2012

When the 18^th OSCE Ministerial Council took place in Vilnius, Lithuania in December 2011, besides encouraging the community to act with common purpose, Lithuanian  Minister of Foreign Affairs Audronius Azubalis, OSCE Chairperson-in-Office for the year 2011,  referred to Lithuania  as a “nation of the Nordic Baltic region” and  encouraged the community to act with common purpose.” He stated that “the Nordic Baltic region embodies key principles and qualities and we envision our greater security community.”

Audronius Azubalis went on to say that “more than history and geography bind us together.  Of cardinal importance is its common culture of strong social responsibility, respect for human rights and cooperation, and good neighbourly relations.  We share a forward-looking upon approach to addressing common challenges –  such as energy, the environment, transport, cyber technology and open digital  communication.”  In other words, Foreign Minister Azubalis stated that “Nordic – Baltic Co-operation is worth emulating and that other regions of the OSCE might consider this experience in developing their own regional cooperation. The OSCE Chairperson-in-Office for 2011 said that “the Baltic-Nordic Co-operation is the only real opportunity for us to be visible and influential not only in Europe, but also in the world.”

In the year 2012, Lithuania will be coordinating activities for the eight countries in the Nordic-Baltic region, namely, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Iceland in an effort to express unity and raise awareness of the entire region.  Every year a different country will coordinate the activities for the N-8.  In 2011 it was Finland, and in 2012, Lithuania is taking the lead.

The OSCE Chairperson -in-Office, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Audronius Azubalis during a press conference after the closing session of the l8th OSCE Ministerial Council in Vilnius in December 2011. OSCE/ Jonathan Perfect.

THE OSCE IS PRESSING FOR LONG-TERM STABILITY IN GEORGIA

In the meantime, the OSCE region, which covers 56 Members of the Euro-Atlantic and Security Community, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) does have its challenges, especially when it comes to protracted conflicts.

For example, as Foreign Minister Azubalis stated during the December  2011 Conference  in Vilnius, “when it comes to protracted conflicts, the OSCE is pressing for long-term stability in Georgia” and in the Geneva  international discussions, the parties continue negotiations and have undertaken practical projects to benefit the affected populations. We should build upon these steps with the deployment of an OSCE Support Team” he added.

SAFETY OF JOURNALISTS AND FREEDOM OF THE MEDIA ARE HIGH PRIORITIES FOR THE OSCE

“Freedom of the Media” has also been a high priority under Lithuania’s Chairmanship in 2011. In the words of Audronius Azubalis, “we have sought to  remove legal and bureaucratic barriers that hinder their ability to inform and protect democracy and freedom in our societies.  This Ministerial Council should  complete  the work began last year in the Vilnius Conference on the Safety of Journalists.  Our efforts to defend human rights have led to positive results in well-known  and lesser known cases.

Often with civil society we have promoted and protected the rights of organizers, bloggers, journalists and champions of social and human rights.”

Shown here is Lithuanian Foreign Minister, Audronius Azubalis, OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, with participants at the18th OSCE Ministerial Council in Vilnius during December 2011. OSCE/Velimir Alic.

US SECRETARY OF STATE, HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON, SPOKE ABOUT CONFLICTS IN GEORGIA, RUSSIA, BELARUS, AND UKRAINE IN VILNIUS

Internet freedom, it was reported, was featured prominently in the address given by U.S. Secretary of State, Hillary Rodham Clinton.  Speaking at the LitExpo Conference in Vilnius during December, she thanked the President  of the Republic of Lithuania, Dalia Grybauskaite,  and the people and government of Lithuania for hosting the 2011 Ministerial. “Concerning the protracted conflict in Georgia,” she said that, “we applaud the good work taking place in Geneva and via the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism toward a peaceful settlement.  We remain committed to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia.  And we encourage progress in Geneva to resolve the conflict through direct dialogue between Georgia and Russia,  greater transparency regarding  Russian militarization of the separatist regions,  and establishing an international monitoring process. “

During her visit to Vilnius in December, 2011, the US Secretary of State said that “in Belarus, less than 40 kilometers away from here human rights defenders face unremitting persecution: people like Ales  Bialiatski sentenced to four and a half years in prison for tax evasion, but whose real crime, in the eyes of the state, was helping victims of state repression; former presidential  candidates from the democratic opposition, Andrei Sannikau and Mikalai Statkevich, still in prison a year after the government crackdown, along with other political prisoners.”  She stated that “the OSCE region has seen independent journalists attacked and even killed with impunity. And we applaud Lithuania’s leadership on the safety of journalists and media pluralism.”

In discussing Ukraine, the U.S. Secretary of State said that “we see setbacks for democratic institutions, the rule of law and electoral processes.  We witness prosecutions such as that of Yulia Tymoshenko in Ukraine, which raises serious questions about political motivations.  And when authorities fail to prosecute ‘those who attack people for exercising their rights or exposing abuses, they subvert justice and undermine the people’s confidence in their governments.  And as we have seen in many places and most recently in the Duma elections in Russia, elections that are neither free nor fair have the same effect.  The Russian people, like people everywhere, deserve their views heard and their votes counted.”

EXPECT TO SEE THE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE OSCE AND THE UN DEEPEN EVEN FURTHER IN 2012

OSCE Secretary-General, Lamberto Zannier. Mr. Zannier, was the former Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General in Kosovo. UN Photo/Paulo Filgueiras.

Back on December 7, 2011, the relationship between the UN and the OSCE was spelled out clearly during the Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General at UN Headquarters in New York . BALTIC REVIEW asked Martin Nesirky the following question: “The Secretary- General sent a message in December to the Organization for Security and Cooperation (OSCE) Ministerial Council in Vilnius, directed to the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Audronius Azubalis, who is also the Foreign Minister of Lithuania, and the new OSCE Secretary-General, Lamberto Zannier of Italy, a former UN Special Representative for Kosovo.

Although the message delivered by B. Lynn Pascoe described the relationship between the UN and the OSCE as “indispensible,” is the  Secretary-General still optimistic about the Geneva talks and existing conflict in Georgia, and of course, concerned about the situation in Belarus, which continues to deteriorate?

B. Lynn Pascoe, Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs at UN Head-Quarters in New York. UN Photo/Rick Bajornas.

The Spokesperson for Ban Ki-moon, Martin Nesirky, who is well informed about the OSCE replied: “Well, as you know, the relationship and the partnership between the United Nations and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) goes back a long way, and is multifaceted.  And when it comes to the international discussions that you referred to, the United Nations is represented there as is the OSCE, and also the European Union, and those Discussions will continue, and it is an important venue for the various parties to be able to get together  and talk about the topics that are on their agenda.  And with Belarus, I don’t have anything  further to add to what we have  previously said about developments there. “

In his message to the Ministerial Council of the OSCE, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon mentioned to OSCE Secretary-General Lamberto Zannier of Italy, that  “it is a pleasure to have a former UN Special Representative now leading this vitally important organization.  You provided vision, leadership, and expertise during your time with the United Nations, “ he said, and stated that “he was confident that these same qualities will allow us to further deepen our partnership with the OSCE.”

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER EAMON GILMORE WILL ADVANCE WORK ON 2011 PRIORITIES IN 2012

In looking to the future, when Ireland’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Eamon Gilmore took over the 2012 Chairmanship of the OSCE, Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs  Audronius Azubalis said, “I particularly welcome Ireland’s stated goal of advancing work on 2011 priorities, including the safety of journalists, promoting media freedom in the digital age and resolving protracted conflicts.”   On January 24, the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office  said  that he “expressed regret that the  prominent Belarusian human rights defender  Aliaksandr (Ales) Bialiatski was not free on  appeal” and as he put it,  “a  person should not be prosecuted for protecting human  rights.” He added, “this case is an unfortunate reflection of the state of human  rights in  Belarus and a result of the restrictions imposed on freedom of  association  in the  country. “ He called for the “immediate release of Ales  Bialialski and all other civil society activists and political opponents”  according to the OSCE.
 
 

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Ann Charles is a "Baltic Review" correspondent based in New York.

As the BR's United Nations Correspondent she covered the diplomatic activity at United Nations HQ in New York, and the world body's humanitarian and peacekeeping work in the field.

anncharlesnyc@gmail.com

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