Basic decisions

Establishment: 27th CSO Meeting, 15 June 1994, Journal No. 3, Decision (c)

Terms of Reference: Permanent Committee, 25 August 1994, Journal No. 31, annex

Tasks

According to the CSO Decision of 15 June 1994 on the sending of CSCE experts on constitutional and economic matters to Ukraine, the Mission was established with the task, inter alia, of supporting the work of the aforementioned experts and reporting on the situation in the Crimea*.

* The three experts made their first visit to Ukraine from 9 - 14 August 1994; other visits followed.

According to the Permanent Committee Decision of 25 August 1994, the initial tasks of the Mission included:

• establishing contacts with all authorities concerned, relevant institutions, representatives of various communities and non-governmental organisations, with the aim of collecting information as well as helping to prevent tensions and improve mutual understanding;
• providing objective reporting, on a regular basis, on all aspects of the situation in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea (Ukraine), or factors influencing it, and efforts towards the solution of its problems;
• analysing the current situation in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea (Ukraine) and submitting suggestions to the appropriate authorities for the solution of existing problems;
• providing support to the experts on constitutional and economic matters, sent to Ukraine by the Committee of Senior Officials to facilitate the dialogue between the central Government and the Crimean authorities concerning the autonomous status of the Republic of Crimea within Ukraine (cf. 27-CSO/Journal No. 3, Decision (c)); in particular, the Mission will assist the experts during their presence in Ukraine and ensure the necessary follow-up during their absence from Ukraine, including participation in interim meetings, reporting to them on new developments and collecting relevant documents;
• co-operating with the CSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities;
• preparing reports on the situation of human rights and rights of persons belonging to national minorities in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea (Ukraine);
• on the basis of any recommendations by the CSCE experts, formulating proposals to contribute to the development of economic programmes including the Autonomous Republic of Crimea (Ukraine);
• monitoring and promoting free media principles.

Deployment

The Mission became operational on 24 November 1994. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed by the Ukrainian Government and the Mission to Ukraine on 24 January 1995.

The Mission had its headquarters in Kiev and maintained a branch office in Simferopol.

Duration

The Mission's original mandate lasted until 31 December 1994. Subsequent prolongations were decided at:

• 42nd Permanent Committee Meeting, 21 November 1994: until 30 June 1995;
• 27th Permanent Council Meeting, PC.DEC/55, 29 June 1995: until 31 December 1995;
• 48th PC Meeting, PC.DEC/91, 30 November 1995: until 30 June 1996;
• 76th PC Meeting, PC.DEC/131, 27 June 1996: until 31 December 1996;
• 94th PC Meeting, PC.DEC/148, 12 December 1996: until 30 June 1997;
• 118th PC Meeting, PC.DEC/169, 5 June 1997: until 31 December 1997;
• 143rd PC Meeting, PC.DEC/204, 11 December 1997: until 30 June 1998;
• 174th PC Meeting, PC.DEC/238, 25 June 1998: until 31 December 1998;
• 202nd PC Meeting, PC.DEC/278, 17 December 1998: until 30 April 1999.

Composition

In accordance with the recommendation of the Chairman's Statement of 11 December 1997, the number of international Mission staff was reduced from six to four.

The last appointed Head of Mission was Ambassador Charles Magee of the United States.