8th Ministerial Council

Ministerial council

Date:
Location:
Vienna, Austria
Organized by:
Austrian OSCE Chairmanship
Series:
Ministerial Council meetings
Source:
Summits / Ministerial Councils

About

Although no Final Declaration was agreed at the meeting in Vienna, a number of results were achieved. Chairperson-in-Office, Austrian Foreign Minister Benita Ferrero-Waldner, stressed the importance of the re-admission of Yugoslavia to the OSCE.

She noted the efforts of the Minsk Group Co-Chairmen and her Personal Representative to lessen tensions in the region of the Nagorno-Karagakh conflict. She also expressed satisfaction with the expansion of OSCE relations and activities in Central Asia, one of the Austrian Chairmanship's priorities.

She acknowledged there was a "divergence of views", particularly regarding the situations in Georgian, Moldova and the Chechen Republic of the Russian Federation.

Ministers adopted the Vienna Declaration on the OSCE's activities in South-Eastern Europe, recognizing the role of the Stability Pact and noting several positive changes in the region.

Final Decisions and Declarations

The following final decisions and declarations were adopted at the 8th OSCE Ministerial Council in Vienna:

  • Vienna Declaration on the Role of the OSCE in South-Eastern Europe
  • Decision on enhancing the OSCE’s efforts to combat trafficking in human beings
  • Decision on the appointment of the High Commissioner on National Minorities
  • Decision on the extension of the appointment of the OSCE representative on Freedom of the Media
  • Decision on the chairmanship in the year 2002
  • Decision on the next Ministerial Council/Summit
  • Decision on the scale for large OSCE Missions
  • Decision on police-related activities

The full texts of the decisions and declarations can be found in the Final Document of the 8th OSCE Ministerial Council.

News releases

Resources

Decision / declaration

Final Document

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Ministerial Councils