Democracy, good governance are key to maintaining stability, OSCE CiO says

VIENNA, 13 January 2003 - The OSCE Chairman-in-Office, the Netherlands Foreign Minister Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, said on Monday that strict adherence to the principles of good governance and democracy will help to protect our societies from the threat of instability and insecurity.

"The rule of law and the full participation of all citizens in political life are essential in the fight against these dangers, including the threat of terrorism. The only societies that have the strength to challenge extremists in their midst are those where the right to question is beyond dispute."

During its one-year Chairmanship, the Netherlands will actively address all aspects of security. "Security is more than arms control and smoothing over political differences. Without due regard for human rights and economic and ecological development, no sustainable security, no lasting peace can ever be achieved," the Chairman-in-Office said in his first address to the OSCE Permanent Council. "However, the struggle to strike the right balance between the dimensions should never blind us to the realities on the ground."

"The OSCE has always been in the vanguard of those working for the improvement of human rights. This is not about to change under the Netherlands Chairmanship. Security, after all, is about people and giving them the protection they need to live their lives in dignity. The Netherlands chairmanship is particularly attached to providing security to individuals, minorities and other socially vulnerable groups."

The Chairman-in-Office said the Netherlands would pay particular attention to the problem of trafficking - in human beings, arms and drugs - which represented a clear threat to stability and security both inside and outside the OSCE region.

"Trafficking not only causes human misery, it is devastating national economies and putting undue pressure on political systems," the CiO said.

"Trafficking in human beings, an extremely repulsive crime, is a rapidly growing scourge and a multi-billion dollar business directly affecting the economies of all our countries. It also has a serious destabilising impact on our societies. The trafficking of small arms and light weapons is another direct threat to security."

Calling for the full support of all participating States, Minister de Hoop Scheffer said a combined effort is needed in order to address the unresolved conflicts that the OSCE is faced with. "While we have to be modest when confronted with a complicated and huge task, we do have the ambition to try and bring at least one of these so-called frozen conflicts closer to a solution."