OSCE plays key role in fight against terrorism

VIENNA, 6 September 2002 - The 55-nation OSCE is well suited to the complex task of preventing and fighting international terrorism and can serve as a valuable resource in helping to focus the efforts of participating States and other regional organizations in the OSCE area, delegates at an international conference were told on Friday.

OSCE Secretary General Jan Kubis told an OSCE Meeting with Regional and Subregional Organizations and Initiatives on Preventing and Combating Terrorism that the OSCE's new Action Against Terrorism Unit could serve as a focal point for regional efforts to fight terrorism, complementing the global work of the United Nations.

The meeting - the first of its kind involving smaller regional organizations in the OSCE area - attracted participants from south-eastern Europe, the Baltic and Black Seas and Central Asia, as well as the OSCE's traditional partner organizations - the United Nations, the Council of Europe, the European Union and NATO. All were represented at a high level.

Keynote speakers included OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Bruce George, Ambassador Curtis Ward of the UN Counter-Terrorism Committee, Dr. Walter Schwimmer, Secretary General of the Council of Europe, the Chairman of the OSCE Permanent Council, Francisco Seixas da Costa, Jan Troejborg, Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairmanship for Preventing and Combating Terrorism, and Dr. Erhard Busek, Special Co-ordinator of the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe.

The OSCE Secretary General noted that the meeting took place just ahead of the first anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

"September 11, 2001 - a black day for humanity - is a tragedy that has also become a lesson and a reference point for a determined global struggle against terrorism", he said.

The murderous events of that day had prompted governments as well as international and regional organizations to review their priorities and try to co-operate more effectively. "Much has been achieved over the past year, but it is only the beginning of our fight against terrorism", Ambassador Kubis said.

In the wake of September 11, the OSCE identified four areas in which it can offer particular expertise - policing, border security, fighting trafficking and countering the financing of terrorism.

The OSCE Secretary General noted that the OSCE had considerable experience on police-related issues, especially in multi-ethnic police training in south-eastern Europe. Its new Strategic Police Matters Unit is receiving an increasing number of requests, particularly from Central Asia and the Caucasus, to assist law enforcement agencies in resisting the threat from violent extremism.

"The appointment of a Senior Police Adviser at the start of 2002 has laid the groundwork for a full range of activities in helping national authorities to build up their police capacity", he said. "Many of these activities directly or indirectly counter the appeal, and the practice, of terrorism."

Ambassador Curtis Ward of the UN Counter-Terrorism Committee said some states were having difficulty in implementing Security Council Resolution 1373, which imposes binding obligations on all countries to take appropriate measures to suppress and prevent terrorism.

"Most states need assistance in drafting legislation covering all areas mandated by Resolution 1373, but the deficiencies are most acute in anti-terrorism law followed by banking and financial law and regulations", Ambassador Ward said. Establishing appropriate mechanisms, such as financial investigation units and training for police, customs and border guards, was also a problem for some countries.

"As governments around the world re-evaluate their capacities to take action against terrorism, they have to face up to their own deficiencies and those of other states", Ambassador Ward said.Walter Schwimmer, Secretary General of the Council of Europe, said it was necessary for the international community to address a broader political agenda, including poverty reduction, effective law enforcement, human rights, minority protection, greater social justice and intercultural and inter-religious dialogue.

"The Council of Europe welcomes this wider vision of the challenge confronting us in Europe and indeed in the world", he said.

The Chairman of the OSCE Permanent Council, Ambassador Francisco Seixas da Costa, condemned the "appalling nature and devastating consequences of terrorist activities" and said it was important for different organizations to concentrate on their particular strengths and to avoid duplication.

Erhard Busek, the Stability Pact Special Co-ordinator, said it was working with NATO, the European Union and the OSCE in developing a more comprehensive approach to border security and management issues.

"The Stability Pact, which operates under the auspices of the OSCE, is fully committed and active in this area, and can fairly be judged one of the leading actors in South Eastern Europe."

The National Co-ordinator of the Central Asian Co-operation Organization (CACO), Uzbekistan's Deputy Foreign Minister Ilhom Nematov, said Central Asia was particularly exposed to the threat of international terrorism because of its proximity to Afghanistan. CACO's efforts to combat terrorism included a focus on the sources of financing and other channels of support for international terrorists.

Helle Degn, Commissioner on Democratic Development of the Council of Baltic Sea States, said it was essential that the right balance was struck between freedom and security. "I would strongly emphasize that human rights should not be sacrificed on the altar of fighting terrorism", she said.

The OSCE today launched a public online project database, featuring a special section on Anti-Terrorism. The database is accessible from the OSCE home page or directly at www.osce.org/osceprojects.