OSCE Secretary-General calls for stronger institutional coordination mechanisms between UN and Regional Organizations to effectively address common security challenges

Vienna, 7 may 2015 - “Global challenges are on the rise, and this highlights the need for the UN and Regional Organizations to step up their efforts to co-ordinate and co-operate more effectively to maintain peace and security” OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier told the General Assembly during a high-level thematic debate on “Strengthening Co-operation between the United Nations and Regional and Sub-regional Organizations” held in New York on 4 May.

More than a dozen Government ministers and high-level officials from regional and sub-regional organizations gathered to discuss the need for innovative, flexible cooperation frameworks that reflect the comparative advantages of the United Nations and its regional and sub-regional partners.

The event resulted in a negotiated declaration on strengthening cooperation between the UN, regional and sub-regional organizations, which was adopted by the Assembly on 5 May 2015.

Zannier noted that rapidly evolving developments are spreading insecurity and conflict to many parts of the world, while the very nature of conflicts is evolving.  “This requires to constantly review the effectiveness of our tools and our policies, from conflict prevention to peace-building, to peace operations themselves” he said. 

“In light of the complexity of contemporary security challenges, I am convinced that the success of the international community in preventing and addressing future crisis situations will depend to a large extent on its ability to craft coordinated and joint responses to this broad array of challenges facing us all. In line with their respective mandates and comparative advantages, international and regional organizations should strive to share the burden of their efforts by pooling resources and creating new synergies”, said Zannier.