Regional engagement focus of League of Arab States and OSCE discussion in Vienna

VIENNA, 17 October 2018 – Security threats, migration, conflict prevention and regional engagement were the focus of the League of Arab States - OSCE high-level workshop held today in Vienna.

The League of Arab States was led by Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit. The meeting provided a platform for an exchange of information and expertise, exploring the ways in which the two organizations could enhance co-ordination more effectively, including by supporting the UN agenda.

OSCE Secretary General Thomas Greminger said that the OSCE values enhanced dialogue and co-ordination with international and regional organizations based in OSCE’s neighbouring regions. He offered intensified engagement in the field of security to those countries and groups of countries that express interest in the OSCE’s decades-old experience in fostering co-operation in Europe. “The sharing of best practices has been the cornerstone of our co-operation with the League of Arab States,” he said.

“Multilateralism is not only a concept which we need to safeguard in an unfavourable environment.  It is also a practice which we can concretely support by leveraging partnerships with other international organizations, and thereby tangibly contribute to reinforcing the international order,” Greminger said.

Greminger regretfully noted that old and new divisions – national, cultural, economic, even ethnic – are being cited as reasons for justifying a confrontational rather than co-operative path. “Xenophobia and racism have come back to the mainstream, especially in the context of large-scale movements of people from neighbouring regions, for which European societies have generally been unprepared,” he said.

He called for the OSCE to double its engagement with its Partners for Co-operation, including in the Mediterranean region, to address a growing set of common challenges and reinforce trust among societies on both shores. “The OSCE looks forward to strengthening co-operation with all six OSCE Mediterranean Partners for Co-operation, focusing on those areas in which the Partners see added value from an interaction with the organization,” said Greminger.

The LAS and OSCE held a similar workshop in 2014 in Cairo, leading to intensified contacts and closer co-ordination.