U.S. Policy and the Organization for Security Cooperation in EuropeReport to the Congress Released by the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs This report, submitted pursuant to Section 5 of the “Act to Establish a Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe” (22 U.S.C. 3005), as amended by Section 226 of the “State Department Authorization Act for FY02-03” (P.L. 107-671), outlines U.S. policies advanced and implemented through the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in 2003.
The OSCE is an important political forum in which member states have been willing to undertake far-reaching commitments to strengthen the rule of law and democratic principles and is a key partner in furthering peace and stability in the Euro-Atlantic area. The organization is the primary instrument for early warning, conflict prevention, crisis management, and post-conflict rehabilitation in the region. The OSCE is engaged in dealing with all phases of the conflict cycle and the Organization's comprehensive approach to security recognizes that human rights and economic and environmental issues are as important as political-military ones.
By providing support and direction to the OSCE in these areas we contribute to overall security in the region, and also advance the U.S. national interest in promoting democracy, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms – including religious freedom, arms control and confidence building measures, economic progress, and responsible or sustainable environmental policies.
The OSCE in 2002
In 2002, the U.S. continued to focus the work of the Organization on combating terrorism in the OSCE region. For example, the U.S. encouraged the Organization and participating States to implement commitments undertaken in the 2001 Bucharest Action Plan on Combating Terrorism and produced a program aimed specifically at helping the Central Asians with respect to stopping terrorist financing. By year's end, a majority of members had signed the UN conventions against terrorism and all but 4 of the States had completed the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) self-assessments on what they have done and need to do to stop terrorist financing. The U.S. also took the lead in drafting a Charter on Terrorism, adopted at the Porto Ministerial in December, which will serve as a continual guide to the OSCE in its counterterrorism efforts.
To ensure continued OSCE attention to combating terrorism, we proposed establishing an Annual Security Review Conference (ASRC) to assess progress combating terrorism and to review OSCE activities in the security dimension. The conference will enable the OSCE to review progress regularly in combating terrorism and the full range of the OSCE's security commitments. It can also serve as an engine for generating new OSCE proposals in the security dimension. This proposal was approved at the Porto Ministerial.
Although we sought to strengthen the OSCE by broadening its focus to cover emergent issues such as terrorism, and expanded cooperation with Russia, the human dimension remained the center of U.S. efforts in the OSCE in 2002. The OSCE continued to be a central focus of our human rights policy and we regularly raised our ongoing human rights concerns, including religious freedom, in all appropriate OSCE fora. The annual Human Dimension Implementation Meeting (HDIM) in Warsaw and the various OSCE field missions, continue to play an important role in highlighting ongoing human rights abuses and in supporting the development of democratic, market-oriented societies governed by the rule of law. The HDIM met for the first time in 2002 in a shortened, two-week format. The meeting continues to provide an important forum for the discussion of human rights issues in Europe and Eurasia.
Belarus remained a particular concern in 2002. The Lukashenko regime adopted a cynical policy of gutting the OSCE mission there by refusing to renew visas, while continuing to perpetrate wide-scale human rights abuses. In response to the closure of the OSCE mission, the U.S. and 14 member states of the European Union imposed a visa ban on senior government officials until Belarus permits the OSCE mission to resume normal activities. Belarus agreed to a new mission mandate in December 2002, and the new Head of Mission arrived in Belarus in February 2003 to take up his duties. During 2002, the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (PA) decided not to seat Belarusian parliamentarians until Belarus had met electoral criteria established by the PA. The decision to do so, however, was carried by only one vote in the July 2002 session, a harbinger of the PA decision to seat Belarus in early 2003.
Russia maintained its objections to the OSCE mission in Chechnya. In late 2002, Russia announced their intention to eliminate the human rights monitoring function of the OSCE mission, or failing that, to close it. The United States intervened at senior levels of government to avert what the USG felt was a mistake by Russia. Working with Allies, we developed a compromise to maintain the mission. Unfortunately, Russian officials refused to accept any proposal short of mission closure.
Through the OSCE in Central Asia, the U.S. continued to make clear our policy that real and lasting security and stability can not be achieved without meaningful political and economic reform and a solid respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. In Kyrgyzstan, the U.S. and other OSCE states continued to raise concerns regarding the arrest and trial of Kyrgyz parliamentarian Azimbek Beknazarov, that appeared to be linked to his critical statements of the government. The OSCE also played a constructive role in strengthening civil society following the March 17 and 18 violent demonstrations in the Jalal-Abad protests in which six protestors died. In Tajikistan, the OSCE and the government agreed on a new mandate that will strengthen the mission's work in the economic and human dimensions. The OSCE also assisted the government in the registration of the first independent radio station, Asia-Plus Radio, which can serve as a model for the region.
In Uzbekistan, there was some progress made by the government in meeting its OSCE obligations, with the registration of the Independent Human Rights Organization of Uzbekistan and the continuation of a model prison reform program. However, the U.S. continued to raise concerns in the Permanent Council regarding a number of cases of alleged torture and deaths of individuals, including those accused of Islamic extremism, while in Uzbek police custody.
Regarding Turkmenistan, the U.S. worked closely with the European Union and associated countries to invoke the Moscow Mechanism to ask formally for information on the whereabouts, condition of, and charges against former Turkmen Foreign Minister Batyr Berdiev and all others in custody in connection with the November 25 attack on President Niyazov. This was the first time the Moscow Mechanism had been invoked in a number of years and represented a strong signal to the government of Turkmenistan of the international community's concerns regarding human rights abuses in the country. A fact-finding mission, established under the Moscow Mechanism, has since been denied permission to enter Turkmenistan and is in the process of drafting a report to the OSCE Permanent Council on the situation in the country.
On regional issues, the OSCE continued to carry out important activities in support of political stability and democratic development. In the Balkans, the OSCE, through its field missions, continued to play an active role in promoting the emergence of democratic institutions, including conducting municipal elections in Kosovo. The OSCE also performed a valuable security role in Macedonia through its monitoring mission. In Moldova, Ambassador David Swartz, the American head of the OSCE Mission, played a key role in the break-through discussions of a political settlement that hold the promise of resolving the longstanding Transnistrian impasse. In Georgia, the OSCE mission was similarly active in promoting political development and, together with the UN, undertaking humanitarian projects.
Priorities for 2003
In 2003, our priorities include:
The Chairmanship Advancing our policies depends on an effective relationship with the Chairman-in-Office, the Netherlands in 2003. Likewise, maintaining a close working relationship with the European Union will provide a basis for building consensus within the OSCE. We will cooperate with the EU on key issues of mutual interest and expect to work closely with the current Greek EU Presidency, the Italian Presidency starting in July 2003, as well as the Dutch in this regard. For example, our positions on visa restrictions on Belarusian and possibly Transnistrian leaders will be coordinated closely with the EU. Working with Russia as Partner in the OSCE
Positive engagement with the Russian Federation is another key goal of the United States in the OSCE, as well as an important mechanism for implementation of several objectives. We work with Russia to identify areas in which we can cooperate more effectively, including initiatives that we could jointly sponsor. For instance, during this year we look forward to cooperating on the "table-top" peacekeeping exercise proposed by Russia. Cooperation in implementing the action plan against terrorism offers an important opportunity to develop a more positive relationship with Russia in the OSCE. In 2002 we co-authored with Russia a “food for thought” paper on “Threats to Security and Stability in the 21st Century.” This paper will serve as the vehicle for introducing many of our new proposals for 2003.
Implementing Counter Terrorism Policies
In the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks, the OSCE took significant steps to organize itself to better deal with the threat posed by terrorism and to establish core documents to guide future work to address that threat. In 2003, the OSCE will focus on concrete and achievable steps that produce measurable results in advancing regional security and combating terrorism and organized crime. In 2003 and beyond, the OSCE should focus on promoting agreed-upon international standards developed by other international organizations, such as the G-8 or the United Nations-affiliated International Civil Aviation Organization across the OSCE region. The OSCE can then establish baselines to measure effectiveness in implementing these standards by participating states and then direct technical assistance, in coordination with other organizations, to enhance the capabilities of these states to combat terrorism and organized crime and ensure homeland security.
The OSCE is poised to work closely with the UN counter-terrorism committee (CTC), the G-8 and others to take the work they have done to develop standards and encourage their regional implementation. Implementing counter-terrorism agreements are a top priority for the United States in the OSCE for 2003.
Annual Security Review Conference
As part of our counterterrorism efforts, the United States proposed establishing an Annual OSCE Security Review Conference (ASRC), which was approved at the Porto Ministerial. This Conference should provide a forum for evaluating the work of the OSCE in promoting progress on counterterrorism and other security issues, including those of its regional and field offices. By establishing such a conference we could ensure that the OSCE remains focused on implementing its counterterrorism agenda and providing needed technical assistance (for police, border security, and terrorist finance/money laundering programs) in the years to come.
The ASRC specifically will review implementation of OSCE commitments in combating terrorism, the security-related activities in OSCE field missions and institutions, OSCE police-related activities, and implementation of OSCE activities in the areas of early warning, conflict prevention, crisis management and post-conflict rehabilitation. The Conference should also promote the exchange of information with other regional and international institutions, especially NATO and the NATO-Russia Council, which will be invited to brief the ASRC on their security-related activities.
Continuing Support for the Human Dimension
Several governments in the region believe that the OSCE focuses excessively on human dimension issues. We agree the activities of the other dimensions of the OSCE should be broadened, but not at the expense of efforts to advance human rights. The promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms, including religious freedom, is central to the OSCE's mission and is a critical component to promoting the rule of law and conflict prevention.
We support a vigorous annual Human Dimensions Implementation Meeting (HDIM) that addresses real human rights cases. We also believe that the issues raised at the HDIM should be integrated into the OSCE ministerial agenda as well as the regular meetings of the Permanent Council. At the same time, the HDIM is a forum for the presentation of national concerns to a multilateral audience. Consequently, we must openly discuss cases and incidents that raise questions about members' compliance with OSCE commitments. Furthermore, the United States is committed to addressing the rising incidence of anti-Semitic violence and played a key role in securing agreement at the Porto ministerial meeting to hold a dedicated human dimension meeting on the subject in 2003. We are now working with concerned NGO groups, the Dutch CiO and other OSCE member states in organizing the meeting to ensure its success.
Monitoring elections for fairness will be a high priority for the USG in 2003/04. All three Caucasus countries will hold national elections between 2003 and 2005, as will Ukraine and Russia. The United States will encourage early efforts by OSCE officials to engage with senior host government officials well in advance of each election. We will be frank in stating whether the elections meet OSCE standards. The U.S. is developing a Caucasus election strategy that involves both private and public diplomacy. We will issue public statements addressing the extent to which each election meets OSCE standards. Timely expressions of concerns about election practices can influence the conduct of later elections.
Maintaining stability in Central Asia is a special U.S. concern. In Kazakhstan, once-banned practices violating human rights are reasserting themselves. There is evidence of systematic torture in Uzbekistan. Kyrgyzstan's recent constitutional reform is seriously flawed. In Turkmenistan numerous human rights abuses are commonplace. The USG will work with other nations to expand support for ongoing and new human dimension efforts to address these specific concerns. We will also support more activities by the Special Representative on Media and the High Commissioner on National Minorities in the region.
Strengthening the Economic Dimension
The United States regards the economic dimension as an opportunity to enhance economic cooperation in the OSCE region. For example, the OSCE should cooperate with other multilateral organizations such as the OECD in battling corruption. This approach avoids duplication of other efforts and exploits the OSCE's strengths as an organization. In order to address the economic underpinnings of terrorism and organized crime, including human trafficking, the OSCE should work with interested multilateral organizations such as the UN and EU. We also urge the OSCE to focus on oversight of the financial sectors and international financial practices as well as judicial reform. The economic and environmental dimension can be strengthened by focusing on business development, undertaking new initiatives to combat trafficking in persons and goods, and continuing ongoing programs supporting small business development.
Reforming the Organization
The United States regards the OSCE's flexibility as a significant comparative advantage for the organization. Reform of the organization should streamline procedures and allow for speedy response to developing events in the OSCE region. Excessive central control and cumbersome bureaucratic processes threaten to erode this flexibility. We will continue to propose administrative improvements that will support the Secretary General's mandate to administer the OSCE without fostering a larger administrative structure.
Independent actors such as the High Commissioner for Media Freedom and the High Commissioner for National Minorities are integral to the credibility of the OSCE. Consequently we will continue to support their independence.
Convention on Privileges and Immunities
Many member states of the OSCE have sought to give the organization a legal status equivalent to that of the United Nations. However, the United States remains satisfied with the way the OSCE is currently structured. Most of the support for granting the OSCE a "legal personality" revolves around concerns for the protection of personnel and the need for the organization's missions to function effectively. For this reason, we supported the decision taken at the Porto ministerial to develop a convention that would provide privileges and immunities to the OSCE's officials and employees, as well as the ability for the OSCE to enter into legal contracts.
Finding the Right Budget Level
The OSCE's 2003 budget reflects significant economies in the large Balkan missions counterbalanced by increases for the Secretariat, OSCE institutions and the small OSCE field missions. Expansion of the Georgia border monitoring operation to include the border with Dagestan will increase the costs of that mission. The total 2003 budget of 187.5 million Euro approximates last year's total budget.
We anticipate further savings from the closure of the Chechnya Assistance Group; disposition of the amount allocated for Chechnya minus the costs of dismantling the mission will come under discussion at the OSCE. We will seek to find ways to apply these funds towards ODIHR or other OSCE activities in Chechnya.
Consequently, we believe that we should seek to maintain the general OSCE budget at the current level for 2004. The present level of spending in the OSCE allows for the operation of field missions and the ODIHR missions for election monitoring and training. We will continue to make voluntary contributions to support programs we consider worthy.
Increased Attention to Central Asia
The U.S. goals in Central Asia are to develop democratic, market-oriented states that are more fully integrated into the Eurasian community, to promote regional stability, and to strengthen a long-term coalition against terrorism. To support these goals through the OSCE, the United States will support useful new programs in the economic and political-military dimension to complement the work of the human dimension in Central Asia.
Key human dimension activities, such as the anti-torture program, which work to strengthen the freedom of media and assist independent journalists as well as to strengthen the rule of law, should continue. While we will consider economic programs, we believe the action plan on counterterrorism and the activities of the senior police advisor offer the most promising programs to strengthen OSCE activities in the region in support of U.S. goals. Training in standards to combat terrorist financing, police training, implementation of UNSCR 1373, and judicial reform are offer outstanding opportunities. We expect that cooperation with Russia on these projects will bring a more constructive approach by Russia and the Central Asian states toward the OSCE, enhancing regional security and strengthening the coalition against terrorism in the process.
The U.S. increased voluntary contributions to the OSCE for projects in Central Asia to $709,000, up from $77,000 in 2001, reflecting our efforts to broaden our engagement in the region. Media freedom projects, a conference on security in central Asia, and money laundering/terrorist finance training were significant components of this increased spending. We plan to maintain this level of contribution in 2003.
Chechnya
Chechnya is a priority issue for us in the OSCE and in our bilateral relations with Russia, both with regard to human rights and the war on terrorism. The closure of the OSCE Chechnya Assistance Group at Russian insistence remains a matter of deep concern, not only because of the implications for human rights monitoring in Chechnya, but also because other OSCE participating states may be emboldened to seek the closure of OSCE missions in their countries. We will seek support in approaching the Russians on this issue again early in 2003. The object of our efforts will be two-fold: 1) to ensure independent human rights monitoring in Chechnya, and 2) to reinforce the importance of the OSCE as a regional organization. Although the OSCE has not played a role in brokering a political solution in Chechnya, the USG believes that the OSCE could contribute to efforts to consolidating any peace achieved by the parties. The Chechnya conflict’s danger of spreading led to an OSCE border-monitoring mission on the Georgia-Russian border. Its success is dependent upon Russia’s cooperation. Now that the Belarussian mission has been redefined we will continue to press Belarus to implement democratic reforms, including amending their restrictive law on religion. We believe that any decision to end visa restrictions must wait until it is clear that the mission is functioning normally and without harassment. A report from the mission stating that it is operating normally should be the signal for the United States and the 14 EU member states to consider ending restrictions against Belarus.
Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict
Although we do not foresee much opportunity for resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict until after the Azeri elections in October, we should periodically use the OSCE to encourage Armenia and Azerbaijan to move toward agreement. The OSCE CiO's Special Representative has been active in implementing confidence-building measures for seven years, and is a unique asset in our efforts to resolve the conflict and prepare for an eventual OSCE peacekeeping operation.
Moldova
At Porto, OSCE Ministers blessed the Russian commitment to complete withdrawal of arms and ammunition from Moldova by December 31, 2003. This represents a one-year extension of Moscow's 1999 Istanbul commitments. The OSCE should seek to mount pressure on the Transnistrian regime to cooperate in this endeavor. We should likewise use the OSCE to press Tiraspol on achieving a political resolution to the Transnistrian conflict. The Dutch have also recognized a Moldovan political solution as a priority for its chairmanship. With these goals in mind, we will engage the European Union, Russia and others on what form this pressure should take. The government of Moldova has requested that OSCE member states impose visa restrictions on the Smirnov regime; we regard this as an appropriate first step, and the U.S. and EU announced visa restrictions on senior Transnistrian leaders on February 27, 2003.
OSCE Role in the Balkans
The OSCE's continuing mission in Macedonia will focus on strengthening police authority through confidence-building measures and community policing programs, thus assisting Macedonian security forces in taking full responsibility for, human rights in the rule of law, public security and border control. Elsewhere in the Balkans, the United States has supported the OSCE's policing efforts, human rights emphasis, and democratization programs.
In 2003, we will need to continue to focus the OSCE's resources on increasing the capabilities of the region's criminal-justice systems, border security institutions, and the ability of Balkan states to implement counter-terrorism measures consistent with their responsibility to respect human rights commitments. The OSCE should continue to work closely with NATO and the EU to coordinate the international presence in the Balkans.
OSCE in Georgia
The OSCE's goals in Georgia are in harmony with U.S. goals for the region. The OSCE provides a monitoring mission that has helped prevent the resumption of hostilities in the separatist conflict in South Ossetia. We support a peaceful resolution of this and another separatist conflict, in Abkhazia, that respects Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity. The OSCE's primary engagement in the Abkhazia relates to Russia's commitment to close its base at Gudauta. We will continue to urge Russia to intensify its efforts to close this base in a fully transparent manner satisfactory to the Georgian government. Moreover, we will provide additional voluntary funding to expand the OSCE border-monitoring mission to effectively cover the Dagestan section of the border with Russia. The purpose of this additional mission is to monitor air and ground movements in the area to ensure that the Chechnya conflict does not spread beyond Russia's borders.
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