OSCE Centre in Bishkek

1. Basic decisions

Establishment:

• Permanent Council Decision No. 245, 23 July 1998, Journal No. 179, Agenda item 5 (PC.DEC/245).
• Permanent Council Decision No. 339, 10 February 2000, Journal No. 269, Agenda item 6 (PC.DEC/339)

2. Tasks

In its Decision of 23 July 1998 the Permanent Council, recalling its Decision No. 231 of 11 June 1998 and welcoming the willingness of the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic to intensify OSCE activities in that country, decided that the OSCE Centre in Bishkek will perform the following tasks:

• Given the OSCE role as primary instrument for early warning, conflict prevention, crisis management and post-conflict rehabilitation, promote the implementation of OSCE principles and commitments as well as the co-operation of the Kyrgyz Republic within the OSCE framework. with special emphasis on the regional context, in all OSCE dimensions, including the economic, environmental, human and political aspects of security and stability;
• Facilitate contacts and promote information exchange with the Chairman-in-Office, other OSCE institutions and the OSCE participating States in Central Asia as well as co-operation with international organizations and institutions;
• Establish and maintain contacts with local authorities, universities, research institutions and NGOs;
• Assist in arranging OSCE regional events, inter alia, regional seminars and visits to the area by OSCE delegations, as well as other events with OSCE participation;
• Perform other tasks deemed appropriate by the Chairman-in-Office or other OSCE institutions and agreed on between the Kyrgyz Republic and the OSCE.

In its decision of 10 February 2000 the Permanent Council, recalling its Decision No. 245 of 23 July 1998 and with the aim of facilitating the ability of the OSCE Centre in Bishkek to implement its mandate as well as to cover the southern part of the country, and taking note of the proposal made by the Head of the OSCE Centre in Bishkek to open an OSCE Field Office in Osh, Kyrgyzstan decided:

• to establish an OSCE Field Office in Osh, Kyrgyzstan.

3. Deployment

The Centre started working in Bishkek in January 1999. The Field Office started working in Osh in April 2000.

4. Duration

The Centre's mandate was initially open-ended. In 2003, the Permanent Council decided to change it into a yearly renewable mandate. The mandate has been extended as follows:

• PC Meeting 488 on 18 December 2003: extended until 31 December 2004 (PC.DEC/587)
• PC Meeting 538 on 16 December 2004: extended until 31 December 2005 (PC.DEC/648)
• PC Meeting 582 on 1 December 2005: extended until 31 December 2006 (PC.DEC/707)
• PC Meeting 639 on 23 November 2006: extended until 31 December 2007 (PC.DEC/753)
• PC Meeting 691 on 6 December 2007: extended until 31 December 2008 (PC.DEC/820)

5. Composition

The OSCE Centre in Bishkek is led by a Head of Centre, assisted by a team of 14 experts seconded by OSCE participating States, one international contracted Chief of Fund Administration Unit and 70 locally recruited staff members.

The post of Head of the OSCE Centre in Bishkek is temporarily vacant.

6. Financial implications

The OSCE Unified Budget for 2008, adopted on 7 March 2008 (PC.DEC/839), established the budget of the OSCE Centre in Bishkek at EUR 5,051,900.