OSCE Chairman hopes closer co-operation with Council of Europe will boost effectiveness of both bodies

WARSAW, 17 May 2005 - OSCE Chairman-in-Office Dimitrij Rupel welcomed the signing of an agreement on Tuesday with the Council of Europe (CoE) on the margins of its Summit in Warsaw, covering closer co-operation between the two organizations.

The aim of the accord is to ensure that their combined expertise on human rights and rule-of-law issues is properly channelled and used effectively.

"The Council has developed a sophisticated range of treaties, conventions and instruments to strengthen the democratic foundations of the new Europe", said the Chairman-in-Office, who is also Slovenia's Foreign Minister. "For its part, the OSCE endeavours to strengthen democratic institutions and promote viable civil society in the transition countries."

Rupel was speaking after he and Polish Foreign Minister, Adam Daniel Rotfeld, Chairman of the CoE Committee of Ministers, signed a joint statement highlighting the Declaration on Co-operation between the OSCE and the CoE, which is intended as a public display of the determination to see this initiative succeed.

On the issue of election monitoring, he believed a sound foundation of co-operation based on the fundamental principles of democratic elections, already existed between the CoE's Parliamentary Assembly and the OSCE's specialist elections body, the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human rights.

"Our joint monitoring efforts enhance confidence, transparency and accountability of an election process. Co-operation between the OSCE/ODIHR and the Venice Commission in the review of election legislation also helps emerging democracies to bring their legislation more closely in line with democratic standards", he said.

In other areas, such as in the field of tolerance and non-discrimination, the two organizations needed to ensure their efforts complemented existing activities: "We can also draw on each other's expertise in the protection of persons belonging to national minorities, combating trafficking in human beings and in the fight against terrorism", added Minister Rupel.

"Our partnership must be anchored in a strong set of common values. While the architecture of Europe may change, the foundations stay the same. Democratic values and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms remain at the core of the OSCE's concept of comprehensive security."