OSCE Chairmanship committed to finding durable solution for question of financial contributions

VIENNA, 31 May 2019 – The Informal Working Group on Scales of Contribution under the leadership of Lukáš Parízek, Slovak State Secretary and Special Representative for the Slovak OSCE Chairmanship, today discussed new opportunities to finding a durable solution to the question of OSCE scales of contribution.

“The issue of the expired OSCE Scales of Contributions is a long-overdue and polarizing topic. The Slovak OSCE Chairmanship took up this file with modesty, but also determination, from the very beginning,” noted State Secretary Parízek when chairing the meeting today.

As Chair of the Informal Working Group, he used today’s meeting to present Slovakia’s latest vision, which seeks to provide the Organization with a more constructive, but also innovative, approach with respect to its long-term financial stability.

He went on to stress that, since the beginning of the year, the Slovak 2019 OSCE Chairmanship has not spared any effort in finding lasting solutions to challenges diverting the attention from the core business of the OSCE – ensuring security in Europe and beyond - and threatening the very functioning of the Organization. “The proposed reform is not ideal as the world is not ideal. And it never will be. We are here to find a compromise,” concluded State Secretary Parízek.

Already during the high-level meeting on sustainable reform of the OSCE’s scales of contributions in Bratislava on 5 April, Slovakia demonstrated its commitment to ensuring the long-term functioning of the Organization by trying to solve issues that go beyond its one-year Chairmanship to foster political understanding and trust among the participating States and prevent possible future stalemates. This includes a clear framework for discussions and a focus on the political momentum needed for a sustainable solution.

Today, participating States once again reaffirmed their commitment to engaging in the Slovak-led process, and working to find compromise on a way forward for the Organization in 2020 and beyond.