Political will determines effectiveness of OSCE, Chairmanship Special Representative says at conference preparing for Summit

VIENNA, 20 October 2010 - Political will on part of OSCE participating States is a key factor for the success of the Organization, including its efforts to resolve protracted conflicts, the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office's Special Representative for Protracted Conflicts, Ambassador Bolat Nurgaliyev, said today.

Speaking to representatives of the 56 OSCE participating States at a session of the OSCE Review Conference that focuses on politico-military security, Nurgaliyev said the opportunity offered by the OSCE Summit to be held 1-2 December in Astana had to be used wisely.

"In the vital interests of the Organization's future, we have to make the Astana Summit a success, the measure of which should be its tangible contribution to comprehensive security in international, Euro-Atlantic and Eurasian arenas," he said. "Nobody can ignore that in some parts of the OSCE zone of prime responsibility, domestic or international security remains brittle."

Discussing protracted conflicts, Nurgaliyev said Kazakhstan's OSCE Chairmanship recognized that mediators, "however persuasive their arguments may sound, can achieve only a fraction if there is a lack of political will on the sides to the conflict for lasting, comprehensive settlement."

During the 17-day OSCE Review Conference, the second segment of which is underway in Vienna, the OSCE participating States review their progress in implementing the commitments they have undertaken as participants in the Organization. The meeting also prepares for the OSCE Summit, the first to be held since 1999.

The OSCE Secretary General, Marc Perrin de Brichambaut, welcomed the comprehensive review being conducted at the conference.

"In the 11 years since we last had a review of this kind, a new generation of security challenges, less easily defined by state borders and OSCE security dimensions, has emerged. The OSCE's impressive collection of conflict prevention tools could be effective in this context - if there is political will to use them," he said.

"The OSCE is a unique forum in which participating States can seek to set new directions to combat transnational threats - from organized crime and cyber threats to trafficking and terrorism. It is also well-placed to contribute to efforts to address threats emanating from Afghanistan, and to work with that country to help create stability there."

The 18-26 October meeting in Vienna focuses on the politico-military and economic and environmental dimensions of security. A first segment, held earlier this month in Warsaw, focused on human-rights related security. That dimension will be discussed again at the third Review Conference segment, to be held 26-28 November in Astana.

The agenda, updates, photos and information about the conference in English and Russian are available on the conference website: Review Conference Vienna, 18 - 26 October 2010