Swiss OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Didier Burkhalter opens international conference in Interlaken on fight against terrorism

INTERLAKEN, Switzerland, 28 April 2014 – The OSCE, with its comprehensive approach to security linking politico-military, economic and environmental and human rights objectives, was well-placed to assist participating States in preventing and combating terrorism, said Swiss Foreign Minister and OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Didier Burkhalter at the opening of an international counter-terrorism conference today.

The conference, organized by the 2014 Swiss Chairmanship of the OSCE in Interlaken, explores the role of the OSCE in addressing current terrorist challenges, bringing together close to 200 participants including representatives of government delegates and civil society as well as academic experts. 

Addressing participants, Burkhalter said that terrorism represented a threat common to all OSCE participating States. He added that counter-terrorism strategies can only deliver sustainable results if they are implemented in legal, transparent, and accountable ways, and he reaffirmed that the absolute respect of all obligations under international law is a priority in Switzerland’s fight against terrorism.

The Swiss OSCE Chairmanship has put the topic of kidnapping for ransom on the agenda, as such kidnappings have become an important source of terrorist financing. Making the case for a no-ransom policy, Switzerland provided information on its respective approach, based on three pillars: 1) prevention, in order to dissuade Swiss citizens from travelling in areas with a high risk of kidnapping; 2) increasing the number of countries that adhere to a no-ransom payment policy; 3) intensifying international co-operation on specific kidnapping cases in order to obtain the safe and secure release of hostages. 

The meeting will also focus on the issue of “foreign fighters”. More work is needed for OSCE participating States to understand how best to deal with the phenomenon of certain citizens or residents joining armed groups and taking part in hostilities in other countries. According to some estimates, almost 2,000 citizens or residents from OSCE participating States are active as foreign fighters in Syria. The Swiss Chairmanship-in-Office wishes to encourage a discussion on measures that should be taken to prevent and limit this phenomenon and on how the OSCE can support participating States in this regard.

At the end of the conference, on Tuesday 29 April, the Swiss Chairmanship will present conclusions intended to serve as a reference for future discussions related to the fight against terrorism within the organization.