OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Steinmeier in address to UN Security Council stresses need to strengthen ties between OSCE and UN in turbulent times

NEW YORK 29 February 2016 – OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier briefed today the United Nations (UN) Security Council on the priorities of the German 2016 Chairmanship.

He stressed the need for increased co-operation between the UN and the OSCE – the largest regional security arrangement under Chapter VIII of the United Nations Charter – to confront current global security challenges in turbulent times, and to work towards common UN and OSCE objectives.

Steinmeier called upon all states to respect the common principles of the UN and the OSCE, such as the territorial integrity and sovereign equality of nations, calling them the “bedrock of how we live together as nations” and the “basis for overcoming divisions.”

With respect to the conflict in and around Ukraine, the Chairperson-in-Office deplored the continuing violations of the ceasefire and the restriction of access for the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine , calling upon all sides to fully implement the Minsk agreements.

Steinmeier also confirmed the OSCE’s determination to contribute to resolving other conflicts in the OSCE area, in particular the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the conflicts in Georgia and Moldova: “During our OSCE Chairmanship we want to make every effort to return to more constructive approaches: to stabilize ceasefires, to rebuild trust by building confidence in small but tangible steps.”

With regard to the resolution of these and the prevention of further conflicts, the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office highlighted ongoing efforts “to strengthen the OSCE’s capabilities from early warning to crisis management to post-conflict rehabilitation”. He stressed that the “experience of the UN in all these areas can enrich this process”, calling for strong co-operation between the two organizations: “I believe that we are more likely to be successful if we work closely together and combine our toolboxes”, he said.

Steinmeier further expressed hope that eventually it will be possible to return to a broader dialogue on European security and emphasized the importance of confidence- and security-building measures as well as renewed efforts on arms control and co-operative security in Europe, including the Vienna Document.

Concerning crises affecting the OSCE’s neighboring regions, for instance in Syria, the Chairperson-in-Office stressed that “security within the OSCE area is intrinsically tied to the security of its neighbours.” While the OSCE is a “unique organization”, he hoped that its principles could also “provide a glimmer of hope to other regions – particularly in the Middle East.”Steinmeier also presented the German Chairmanship’s ambitions in the field of human rights and fundamental freedoms: “I believe that we need to intensify the fight against discrimination, racism, xenophobia and intolerance throughout Europe”, he stated.

Summing up, while regretting that UN and OSCE principles were currently under severe strain, Steinmeier also stressed: “We are not reliving the Cold War, and we shouldn’t talk as if we were. The world of today is different, its conflicts are of a new kind – more complex, with more actors and many more conflicting interests.”

It is necessary therefore, to “remind ourselves of the spirit of Helsinki: persistent dialogue and a co-operative approach can pay out in the end”, in line with the motto of the German OSCE Chairmanship, “renewing dialogue, rebuilding trust, restoring security.”