UN and OSCE are partners in work to strengthen co-operative security, OSCE Chairman tells UN Security Council

NEW YORK, 28 September 2007 - The OSCE is well-placed to contribute to the co-ordinated responses needed to tackle today's security challenges, the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos, told the UN Security Council in a speech today.

"Thanks to the OSCE concept of multi-dimensional and co-operative security and the varied instruments it has developed, the OSCE is well-placed to assist in the implementation of relevant UN Security Council resolutions," he said.

"The UN and the OSCE are joined together by their determination to strengthen a rules-based international order based on the respect for human rights and on co-operation in matters relating to security among states and their societies."

On Kosovo, the Chairman-in-Office emphasized the Organization's readiness to continue work there, whatever the outcome of an eventual status settlement.

"We are ready to stay in Kosovo in order to focus on monitoring protection of rights of communities, particularly in regards to decentralization and the protection of cultural and religious sites," he said.

He also underlined the Spanish Chairmanship's priority to address the region's unresolved disputes, including the Georgian-Ossetian, Nagorno-Karabakh and Transdniestrian conflicts, and the importance of continuing negotiations.

"It will not be enough to have signatures on official documents and treaties; we need to work to overcome distrust and to build platforms for dialogue and understanding. Future peace requires action today in conflict zones, including the commitment of civil societies," the Minister said.

Looking ahead, the Chairman-in-Office spoke about the priorities of the 2007 Spanish Chairmanship for the rest of the year and preparations for the forthcoming Ministerial Council, taking place in Madrid on 29-30 November.

"It is only natural that our agenda for the OSCE Ministerial Council in Madrid in November is ambitious," he said. "Over the remaining months, the Spanish Chairmanship will be actively seeking to forge consensus on vital decisions - including environmental security, the strengthening of pluralistic societies, the deepening co-operation in counter-terrorism and the fight against human trafficking."