Special Representative
TO:
OSCE PA BUREAU
THROUGH: OSCE PA SECRETARY GENERAL
MONTHLY REPORT for APRIL 2023
Spring recess (03-14 April), when no regular meetings were held, has led to somewhat reduced
activities of the OSCE in Vienna in April, with following main events:
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The Chairmanship-in-Office of North Macedonia has stopped the last
COVID-19
measures regarding the limited physical presence at meetings. However, the practice of
holding hybrid meetings (in person and online) continues, with possibilities for
statements only for those present in the room.
In the month of April, the
Permanent Council
has heard reports by the Head of the
OSCE Mission in
Skopje,
Ambassador Killian Wahl, and by the Head of the OSCE
Mission to
Moldova,
Ambassador Kelly Keiderling. Ms. Marija Pejčinović Burić,
Secretary General of the
Council of Europe,
has addressed the PC as well.
Continuing the practice of thematic reports, SG Schmid reported on
Combating the
Trafficking of Cultural Property: Protecting our Heritage while Tackling Organized
Crime.
SG Schmid is using every opportunity to alarm the participating States
presenting them the (harsh) consequences of the non-adoption of the
Unified Budget.
One special PC meeting was held during the spring recess to discuss the RF war against
Ukraine,
which continues to dominate the overall OSCE agenda.
Participating states continue to request release of three former local
SMM members,
still detained and under prosecution by
de facto
authorities in Donbas, in violation of
their functional immunity. Blockade of the Lachin Corridor and establishment of
Azerbaijan’s checkpoint continues to carry the high potential for escalation and is
causing heavy exchanges between Armenia and Azerbaijan on every PC meeting.
Intensive informal discussions in the groups of (likeminded) participating States, have
yet to reach progress in resolving major issues which are not only burdening the work
of the Organization, but are threatening its very foundations (2024
Chairmanship;
2023 Unified Budget;
terms of Heads of 4 OSCE Institutions (SG,
ODIHR, HCNM,
RFoM),
expiring at the end of the year;
mandates of the Field Offices,
also expiring
at the end of the year (except Moldova, which expires at the end of June, with realistic
prospects for extension
1
for another six months period)).
Due to the overall atmosphere among the participating States and low probability for
consensus on the decisions for major
conferences
(ASRC,
EEF, HDIM)
it is expected
that they will be organized as Chairmanship events, following the last years practice of
the former Polish Chairmanship.
An
Economic and Environmental Security
Conference
is tentatively scheduled for 22-23 May 2023 in Struga, North Macedonia.
Without consensus on its extension, mandate of the
external auditor
of the OSCE
French
Cour de Comptes,
has expired on 30 April.
Thereby the OSCE has lost its main
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1
Ambassador Kelly Keiderling, Head of the OSCE Mission in Moldova, estimates the chances for the extension
of the mandate to 80%
_________________
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