OSCEs Parlamentariske Forsamling 2012-13
OSCE Alm.del Bilag 27
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AS (13) RP 1 E
Original: English
REPORT
FOR THE GENERAL COMMITTEE ON
POLITICAL AFFAIRS AND SECURITY
Helsinki +40
RAPPORTEUR
Ms. Vilija Aleknaite Abramikiene
Lithuania
ISTANBUL, 29 JUNE – 3 JULY 2013
 OSCE, Alm.del - 2012-13 - Bilag 27: Praktik og procedurer i forbindelse med den årlige session i Istanbul fra 28. juni til 3. juli 2013
REPORT FOR THE GENERAL COMMITTEE ON
POLITICAL AFFAIRS AND SECURITY
Rapporteur: Ms. Vilija Aleknaite Abramikiene (Lithuania)
With Istanbul hosting this year’s Annual Session, it is appropriate to reflect on the last time that
this city hosted a high-level OSCE gathering, the 1999 OSCE Summit. With this in mind, I like to
think of this Committee’s Helsinki +40 discussion as what I call “From
Istanbul to Istanbul:
Developing an OSCE Security Community.”
The 1999 Istanbul Summit was an important milestone for the OSCE; 14 years ago the
concentrated political will by the consent of the governments reached its highest point, which
unfortunately has not been reached again since that time. It took 11 years for the next OSCE
Summit to be held, in 2010 in Astana. In Istanbul the milestone documents of the OSCE, such as
the Charter for European Security, were adopted.
In 1999, our Heads of State and Government came together and agreed on the Istanbul Summit
Declaration. At this time, we made a number of important political commitments. However,
implementation of those commitments has been scarce, and on some issues we have even seen
deterioration. At the Istanbul summer session we will have the opportunity to analyze in more
depth why the goals of the Organization have not been fully realized. This can be attributed to the
lack of sufficient progress of democracy in some participating States, which means insufficient
implementation of our commitments in the area of human rights and fundamental freedoms.
The Istanbul Summit Declaration should be used as a starting point, which was based on the
principles and values of the Helsinki Final Act, and which could help us to assess in real terms the
added value of our Organization, as well as to stimulate its efficacy.
Three important common security issues in the OSCE region that are in need of our undivided
attention are: 1)
arms control,
2)
resolving protracted conflicts,
and the 3)
future challenges
that the OSCE may face with the 2014 withdrawal of International Security Assistance
Forces from Afghanistan.
Many of these issues are also mentioned by the Ukrainian
Chairmanship as priorities for action, and they are, in some ways, included in the Helsinki +40
commitments that States agreed to at the Dublin Ministerial. I hope that we can help move the
process forward by adding our ideas to the table.
Arms Control
At the Istanbul Summit, participating States agreed that arms control and confidence- and security-
building measures (CSBMs) are important parts of the overall effort to enhance security by
fostering stability, transparency and predictability in the military field. They also called for timely
adaptation and, when required, further development of arms control agreements and CSBMs. At
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 OSCE, Alm.del - 2012-13 - Bilag 27: Praktik og procedurer i forbindelse med den årlige session i Istanbul fra 28. juni til 3. juli 2013
the same time, leaders of participating States committed themselves to full implementation of arms
control obligations, including disarmament and CSBMs.
The Monaco Declaration calls for a comprehensive and timely implementation of the Vilnius
Ministerial Council Decision on “Elements of the Conflict Cycle, Related to Enhancing the
OSCE’s Capabilities in Early Warning, Early Action, Dialogue Facilitation and Mediation
Support, and Post-Conflict Rehabilitation”. Within the politico-military dimension, we have raised
important goals relevant to all our nations. We must confess though that not all of these goals have
yet been realized. The OSCE should actively contribute to the process of substantial modernization
of the Vienna Document to achieve more concrete results and tangible benefits, for example
lowering the thresholds at which States are obliged to inform each other of their military exercises.
The recent OSCE event “Security Days: Developing a New Approach to Conventional Arms
Control” facilitated debate among experts engaged with ideas on new approaches to conventional
arms control and identifying areas of weakness. Experts expressed consensus on the existence of a
political linkage between conventional arms control and territorial disputes in post-Soviet
territories, as well as concern over the current arms race in the South Caucasus. The growing
distrust and lack of transparency between participating States contribute to the CAC stalemate.
Lack of knowledge, publicity and sense of urgency given by governments has also been identified
as hampering progress on arms control.
On the other hand, we must admit that our Organization has reacted to many new security
challenges and raised the Organization’s profile. At the same time, we remain concerned about the
silence regarding resumption of negotiations on the Conventional Forces in Europe (CFE) Treaty.
24 March 2013 marked the 21-year anniversary of the Open Skies Treaty. Drafted during the Cold
War, the treaty has been a proven mechanism for confidence-building, collaboration and
innovation. The achievements of the treaty include among others: the certification of 10 types of
aircraft and multiple sensors, the conduction of over 836 observation flights and numerous training
missions, and the accession of eight new States Parties and two Review Conferences. However,
economic hardships challenge continued funding for Open Skies in some capitals. Thus, as pointed
out in the Second Review Conference held in 2010, an increase in collaboration by all States on
the future sharing of assets should be considered.
It is clearly time, again, to remind our Governments of these obligations and to call for action
when it comes to reactivating the CFE Treaty, increasing awareness and asset sharing for the Open
Skies instruments, updating the Vienna Document and also on the 1994 Document on Non-
Proliferation.
The United Nations Arms Trade Treaty
International regulation of conventional arms is crucial to the security of the OSCE region and
beyond. As highlighted by the United Nations Office for Disarmament, “Irresponsible transfers of
conventional weapons can destabilize security in a region, enable the violation of United Nations’
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Security Council arms embargoes and contribute to human rights abuses. Importantly, investment
is discouraged and development disrupted in countries experiencing conflict and high levels of
violence”.
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On 2 April, the United Nations adopted the first treaty aimed to regulate the international arms
trade, a USD 70 billion business. The OSCE PA fully supports the adoption of the treaty in
accordance with the Monaco Declaration. The Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) was adopted with 154
votes in favor, 23 abstentions, including Russia and China, and three votes against (North Korea,
Iran and Syria). Under the new treaty, States that have ratified the treaty will be prohibited from
exporting arms to countries under a UN arms embargo and regimes with known human rights
violations.
Critics of the treaty such as Syrian UN Ambassador Bashar Ja’afari pointed out that it does not
prevent the sale of arms to non-state actors or armed groups.
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Others, such as India, complained
that the treaty favored exporting states over importing states.
The treaty will be open for ratification on 3 June, and will enter into force 90 days following the
50
th
signature for ratification.
Protracted Conflicts
Our States signed onto the Helsinki Final Act in full agreement that the security of each
participating State is inseparably linked to that of all others. For the one billion people of our
region to truly live in peace, we need to do better for the thousands of citizens who continue to
suffer amid protracted conflicts.
The progress seen in the negotiations between Chisinau and Tiraspol is encouraging movement in
the right direction. The Ukrainian Chairmanship has declared the Transdniestrian settlement
process a top priority and has promoted the 5+2 talks throughout the year by focusing on areas
where agreement seems within reach. It is very important to maintain the momentum and continue
the direct contacts between leaders from Chisinau and Tiraspol.
Ongoing negotiations between Georgia and Russia, both within the framework of the Geneva
Discussions and from their own initiatives, should be further encouraged. The Geneva Discussions,
co-chaired by the OSCE, EU and UN have been very active in 2013. The Ergneti Incident
Prevention and Response Mechanism has been quite successful, and a positive development is that
the number of security related incidents have decreased.
At the same time negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan continue with the support of the
Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group. Casualties on both sides of the line of contact continue to
manifest despite a 20-year truce. The OSCE can support and develop proposals, but it is the
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2
The United Nations Office for Disarmament https://www.un.org/disarmament/convarms/ArmsTrade/
UN overwhelmingly approves global arms trade treaty,
Louis Charbonneau, 2 April 2013, Reuters.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/04/02/us-arms-treaty-un-idUSBRE9310MN20130402
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political responsibility of the leaders of the countries involved in the conflict to find a peaceful
solution. This takes courage and a political will for compromise.
As parliamentarians, we have the ability to reach out and encourage peaceful solutions and
dialogue and we should continue to do so. And even when two sides are at a stalemate, we know
from our own experiences, they can probably reach common ground on other, perhaps lesser
issues. Perhaps it is transportation or commerce, but these things have a real impact on the
everyday lives of citizens and play their own role in preparing people for lasting, peaceful
solutions to conflict, and we should encourage that engagement as well.
Challenges Facing the OSCE in the Wake of 2014 ISAF withdrawal
Located in the “Heart of Asia” where South Asia, Central Asia, Eurasia and the Middle East meet,
Afghanistan is a country in transition. As the responsibility for security shifts from NATO’s
International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) to the Afghan National Security Forces in the
framework of the “Kabul Process”, we need to more actively engage with our partners in the
region to encourage a positive outcome as directed in the Vilnius Ministerial Council Decision on
Strengthening OSCE Engagement with Afghanistan. In this regard, Afghanistan remains among
our Organization’s most critical Partners for Co-operation.
On 8 July 2012, a meeting was held in Tokyo resulting in the Tokyo Declaration: Partnership for
Self-Reliance in Afghanistan; From Transition to Transformation. The Declaration highlights
achievements and notable progress in the area of development, education, health, roads, electricity
and telecommunication. In addition to acknowledging the need for further progress in security with
a focus on terrorism and counter-narcotics with the support of the international community, the
Declaration also stresses other humanitarian, economic and cultural elements contributing to
human security. It is these areas in which the OSCE can give assistance and guidance.
For the OSCE PA, Afghanistan offers a unique opportunity for parliamentarians to engage with
and share their expertise and knowledge with members of the Afghan Parliament. Through the
Tokyo Declaration,
the Afghan Government has committed itself to conducting free, fair,
transparent and inclusive elections in 2014 and 2015 in accordance with international
standards.
The work we do now to help stabilize democratic, legal and security institutions in the country will
have real consequences for the challenges we will face in the near future along the country’s
borders.
Related to the situation in Afghanistan, I would also like to mention the transnational threats,
which by their nature, require a common response. I would like to emphasize the importance of
fighting terrorism and of border security.
Terrorism presents a challenge for policy-makers to provide for a level of border security while
facilitating legitimate cross-border travel and commerce. According to the United States National
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Counterterrorism Center more people were killed in terrorist attacks inside Afghanistan in 2011
than in each of the previous years. As International Security Assistant Forces withdraw, measures
should be taken to prevent this trend from increasing drastically.
Border security continues to be of great concern in the OSCE region. Clashes on the border of
Tajikistan and Afghanistan as well as Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan remind us of the vulnerability of
our borders and the necessity for solidarity and partnership. In this respect, Central Asia is
exposed, and they need our assistance to avoid any possible spill-over of threats from Afghanistan
ranging from war, terrorism and religious extremism to drug trafficking and illegal migration.
Terrorism is not limited to any one OSCE region. The tragic terrorist attack in Boston in April,
which cost the lives of several people and wounded many others, again reminded us of our
vulnerability to terrorism. Democracies are open and transparent, and therefore vulnerable. It is
even more devastating that terrorists used a sports event which sought to bring people together for
a happy, peaceful moment. This can only be condemned. All OSCE participating States should
stand united and respond to any such crime – we need to further develop international co-operation
to be able to fight terrorism.
Conflicts and Security Concerns on the Fringes of the OSCE
During the OSCE PA Winter Meeting in Vienna, special attention was directed towards the
humanitarian crisis in Syria and its impact on Turkey and the OSCE region. The humanitarian
crisis perpetuated by the ongoing two-year conflict in Syria has resulted in over 70,000 deaths and
more than 1.2 million Syrian refugees. On 5 April, a UNICEF spokesperson reported that the
organization will soon have to stop lifesaving aid to those fleeing the conflict due to lack of
funding.
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Providers of relief aid and assistance on the ground have also become victims of the conflict. In
April, volunteers for the Syrian Arab Red Crescent were shot while trying to retrieve bodies from
Barzeh.
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At this time strengthening co-operation with key actors in the field of migration and
asylum, notably the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the International
Organization for Migration, the International Labour Organization, the International Committee of
the Red Cross and international and national non-governmental organizations, as called for in the
Oslo Declaration 2010, is critical.
In the spring, North Korea made headlines with nuclear threats against the United States. As a
precautionary measure, the US has plans to deploy ballistic Terminal High Altitude Area Defense
System to Guam.
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In an effort to de-escalate recent tensions, the Swiss foreign ministry recently
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U.N. Says its Running out of Money to Assist Wave of Refugees from Syria,
Nick Cumming-Bruce, 5 April 2013,
New York Times, http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/06/world/middleeast/un-says-aid-for-syria-refugees-is-
running-out.html?_r=0
4
Ibid
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North Korea threats: US to move missile defences to Guam,
4 April 2013, BBC
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-22021832
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made contact with the North Korean authorities but there are no current plans for any talks. As
reported by Reuters, “Switzerland is willing to contribute to a de-escalation on the Korean
peninsula and is always willing to help find a solution, if this is the wish of the parties, such as
hosting meetings between them,” said a Swiss spokesperson.
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There are of course many other outstanding challenges, both in the region and other parts of the
world, which can hardly be faced with indifference from the OSCE. The lack of social cohesion,
internal conflicts, or civil war not only prevents common people from enjoying their lives to the
fullest. They all constitute security risks of spill-over. For example, hundreds of thousands of
refugees from Syria have flowed into neighbouring countries, notably Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and
Turkey. In light of the ongoing conflicts, which tend to cluster geographically, the OSCE may
serve as a bank of expertise, notably in the area of enhancing regional co-operation, dialogue and
confidence-building.
It is clear that protracted conflicts and new flash points in the region urgently call for expansion of
the OSCE’s activities in Eurasia.
Developing a security community requires building trust (or re-building it if need be) and having
an open dialogue aiming to enhance security by increasing transparency and predictability in our
region.
So as we look to Istanbul, a gateway between Asia and Europe, between East and West, we have a
choice. We as the OSCE can co-operate and innovate and push open that gate for a future of peace
and security we’ve all been working toward or we can let old conflicts fester and clutch to
established multinational blocs and close that gateway. Through our work and that of our
governments, let us choose to push it open and make Istanbul in 2013 as meaningful for us as it
was for the OSCE 14 years ago.
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Swiss offer to mediate in North Korea crisis,
Emma Thomasson, 7 April 2013,
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/04/07/us-korea-north-swiss-idUSBRE93602G20130407
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