S/PV.6961 Security Council

Under rule 39 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure, I invite His Excellency Mr. Leonid Kozhara, Chairperson-in- Office of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, to participate in this meeting. The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. I now give the floor to Mr. Kozhara. Mr. Kozhara: I am very pleased and honoured to address the Security Council today as Chairperson-in- Office of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). With its comprehensive approach to security and in view of its geographical scope, which stretches from Vancouver to Vladivostok, the OSCE enjoys a unique position among all other regional organizations under Chapter VIII of the Charter of the United Nations. Our organization is a strong partner of the United Nations in promoting international peace and security in its area. It is a great responsibility for me personally and for Ukraine to guide the OSCE towards the implementation of a shared vision of a Euro-Atlantic and Eurasian security community, as set forth in the 2010 Astana Commemorative Declaration. The year 2015 marks four decades since the signing of the Helsinki Final Act. We strongly believe that that anniversary should serve as a catalyst for re-energizing the organization. The OSCE needs to retain the political momentum provided by the Astana Summit. The “Helsinki+40” process, initiated last year in Dublin, seems to be a promising framework in that respect. The Ukrainian chairmanship will facilitate the Helsinki+40 dialogue, which is focused on overcoming divergences and clarifying the role and goals of the OSCE in the modern security architecture. In the context of the OSCE chairmanship, Ukraine has set ambitious goals, with a number of priorities across the three dimensions of security. With regard to the politico-military dimension, we aim to update and modernize the OSCE’s politico-military instruments. We remain strongly engaged with the United Nations Group of Friends of Mediation and attach great importance to the updating of confidence- and security-building measures. During our chairmanship, the organization will continue to be actively engaged with the United Nations, and we will facilitate the development of an OSCE mediation-support capacity. The Ukrainian chairmanship contributes fully to the continued efforts of the United Nations in the promotion of global security and peace. The achievement of progress in finding a sustainable, long- term solution to the protracted conflicts in the OSCE area is at the top of its agenda. Ukraine is strongly determined to contribute to the Transdniestrian settlement process. We call for the constructive engagement of all participants in the “5+2” talks so as to move forward in solving the existing social and economic problems and achieving a comprehensive political settlement. We are convinced that direct dialogue between the political leadership of Chisinau and Tiraspol is crucial. We have been doing our utmost to promote and to facilitate it, encouraging both leaderships to engage constructively in the negotiation process. Ukraine fully supports the work under way within the framework of the Geneva international discussions aimed at resolving security and humanitarian issues in the area of conflict in Georgia. We highly appreciate the input of the United Nations to that process and welcome the existing level of coordination among the three co-chairing organizations. The Ukrainian chairmanship lends its full support to the efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs in assisting the parties to find a peaceful solution to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. During my visit to the South Caucuses in June, I intend to support the call of the co-chairs for more active engagement in the negotiations. Developments in South-Eastern Europe are a focus for our organization throughout the year. The European Union-led dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina has opened new prospects for normalization in that part of the region. The OSCE welcomes the Brussels agreement of 19 April. The leadership in Belgrade and Pristina should be commended for their courage and vision in reaching it. I welcome the continuation of that dialogue. Where possible, the OSCE will provide support in line with its mandate. Conventional arms control and confidence- and security-building measures constitute an important part of common efforts to strengthen peace and stability in the OSCE area. As a strong advocate of non-proliferation, Ukraine, together with Poland, Belarus and Kazakhstan, introduced the draft of the updated 1994 OSCE Principles Governing Non-proliferation. That work is expected to be finalized before the Kyiv OSCE Ministerial Council meeting, to be held on 5 and 6 December. Let me also draw the Council’s attention to two memorandums of understanding that were signed between the OSCE and the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs, namely, on developing a partnership on peace and disarmament initiatives and on promoting the regional implementation of the resolution 1540 (2004). We deem it necessary to pay particular attention to the OSCE response to transnational threats. In that regard, we see particular merit in deepening cooperation with the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. A joint action plan for 2013-2014 was recently signed with the latter. Security, political and economic transitions in Afghanistan, as well as the withdrawal of international security forces in 2014, will continue to have security implications for the OSCE area. As OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, we are proceeding to further explore areas that require enhanced interaction with Afghanistan and improved coordination with the relevant international actors. Exchanging military information and contacts, in particular in border areas close to Afghanistan, is of paramount importance. The OSCE Border Management Staff College in Dushanbe plays a major role in that field. It has trained more than 1,000 border experts, from 38 OSCE participating States and partners, including almost 400 Afghan border professionals. Within the economic and environmental dimension, the core theme of the Ukrainian chairmanship is increasing stability and security by improving the environmental footprint of energy-related activities. We are also exploring how the OSCE could provide added value and play a role in the development of new trade and transport corridors. In both areas, we see great potential for building on existing cooperation with the United Nations. The Ukrainian chairmanship is convinced that our commitment to the human dimension of security is, and should remain, at the core of the concept of comprehensive security. The fight against trafficking in human beings remains one of the key issues addressed by the OSCE under the Ukrainian chairmanship. We continue to pursue a comprehensive, human rights- based approach to this global crime  — in close cooperation with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the International Labour Organization, UNICEF and the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights — within the OSCE-initiated Alliance against Trafficking in Persons and on a bilateral basis under the Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking. In that respect, the chairmanship will organize an international conference on combating trafficking in human beings, to be held in June in Kyiv. Further priorities in that dimension include strengthening the freedom of media. A human rights seminar in Warsaw will address the topic of best practices for crafting legal frameworks to establish and safeguard free, independent and pluralistic media. We will also strive to achieve progress in the areas of the free movement of people, the promotion of tolerance and non-discrimination, the freedom of association and assembly, inter-religious dialogue in promoting freedom of religion or belief, as well as democratic elections and election observation. Finally, we attach particular attention to the promotion of tolerance and non-discrimination through youth education. In that regard, we plan to host an OSCE youth summit this summer in Crimea, Ukraine. Before I conclude, let me once again stress the value of cooperation between the OSCE and the United Nations. A number of our chairmanship’s priorities coincide with Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s Five-Year Action Agenda. That is especially true with regard to early warning and early action in preventing violent conflicts, building a safer and more secure world, and supporting nations in transition. The United Nations is the OSCE’s principal partner organization. As security challenges continue to evolve, the nature of OSCE-United Nations cooperation has to become more pragmatic, effective and results-oriented. We look forward to even closer cooperation with the United Nations and count on the Council’s full support in the months ahead.

I thank Mr. Kozhara for his briefing. I shall now give the floor to the members of the Security Council.

We welcome the Chairperson-in-Office of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Mr. Leonid Kozhara, and we thank him for his detailed statement. The Russian Federation has consistently called for cooperation between the United Nations and the OSCE to be scaled up on the basis of the 2006 declaration in that regard. We feel that the OSCE successfully complements the work of the United Nations in a number of areas, as clearly reflected in the fight against transnational threats, such as terrorism, illegal drug- trafficking and organized crime. The OSCE is making a significant contribution to implementing the basic United Nations conventions in those and other areas. We welcome the cooperation between the OSCE secretariat and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime in Vienna. We value the results of the first month of the Ukrainian chairmanship of the OSCE. To a great extent, the priorities set out for the organization for the coming overlap with those of the Russian Federation. We stand ready to provide the Ukrainian chairmanship with the necessary assistance. We, too, believe in the need to strengthen the conventional arms control regime. Further negotiations in that area should be conducted without preconditions, politicization or attempts to prejudge the outcomes. We welcome the intention of Ukraine to assist in the settlement of conflicts in existing negotiation formats and by fully upholding the interests of parties to the conflict. We support the intention to scale up the combat against trafficking in human beings. We believe that an integral part of that effort should be to prevent the trafficking in human organs and tissues. As an active participant in the OSCE, the Russian Federation hopes that Ukraine will strictly comply with the chairmanship mandate set forth in the decision of the OSCE Ministers for Foreign Affairs in Porto in 2002, and take fully into account the views and interests of all States participants. It is important to concentrate on establishing a unifying agenda and on bringing OSCE countries together on the basis of shared goals and objectives. With respect to Russia’s priorities for the OSCE, we note that the most important objective is reforming the organization so as to address imbalances in its work and make it a fully-fledged international organization. Along those lines, the OSCE could draw upon the experience of the United Nations in institution-building. First and foremost, a legally binding charter and procedures for the participation of non-governmental organizations in OSCE events could be drawn up. We support Ukraine’s intention to develop the “Helsinki+40” process, which should bolster the OSCE through the forthcoming fortieth anniversary of the Helsinki Final Act in 2015. A document should be drawn up that would not be run-of-the-mill, but rather breathe new life into the implementation of agreements set forth in the Final Act and other fundamental documents of the OSCE. We attach great importance to the efforts of the OSCE to counter terrorism and illegal drug trafficking. We hope to see cooperation with the United Nations in the context of the OSCE conference on the matter in Vienna in 2013. We support the implementation of OSCE obligations in the area of freedom of movement, in particular with respect to the liberalization of visa regimes. We attach great importance to the observation of elections. We believe that the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights must carry out its monitoring functions in similar conditions in all OSCE countries across the board. We support the conduct of a comparative analysis of electoral laws and the drawing up of monitoring standards. We count on the organization to conduct a seminar on that very matter this year. We attach particular importance to the efforts being made to protect the rights of national, religious and linguistic minorities and in combating manifestations of statelessness in Latvia and Estonia. We are convinced that the OSCE will make an important contribution to combating aggressive nationalism, neo-Nazism and neo-fascism. We believe that, in the context of the economic crisis, the OSCE must more actively take up matters touching upon the social and economic aspects of human rights. We hope that all of the aforementioned topics will take their due place in the OSCE agenda for 2013 and be reflected in the documents of the meeting of the OSCE Ministers for Foreign Affairs to take place in Kiev on 5 and 6 December. We hope that the approach of the Ukrainian chairmanship set forth by Foreign Minister Kozhara today will help to overcome the crisis of recent years in the OSCE and adapt the organization to new global realities. Russia stands fully ready to constructively cooperate with the Ukrainian chairmanship and other OSCE participants in that matter.

I thank you, Mr. President, for convening today’s briefing. I would like to thank Foreign Minister Kozhara for his briefing and welcome him to the Security Council for the first time in his capacity as Chairperson-in-Office of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). As the world’s largest regional security organization, the OSCE has much to offer the Council, particularly its expertise in arms control, counter-terrorism, conflict prevention and post-conflict resolution. As members of the Council are aware, close cooperation between the Council and regional organizations, including the OSCE, can be a decisive component of our efforts to maintain international peace and security. It is clear that one of Australia’s priorities during its term on the Council is to further encourage such cooperation, and the OSCE provides a good illustration of what is possible. To point to one example, Australia acknowledges the OSCE’s strong contribution to the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo, where it leads the important third pillar of democratization and institution-building. We join the OSCE in commending the leadership in both Belgrade and Pristina for the recent positive steps they have taken towards normalizing their relationship. Australia enjoys a strong partnership with the OSCE. As an Asia partner country of the OSCE since 2009, we work through the organization to address security challenges that span borders. Australia supports OSCE projects designed to enhance local, national and regional capacities to combat the effects of human trafficking and help protect vulnerable groups in Central Asia, which we are pleased to hear is among the priorities of the OSCE under Ukraine’s chairmanship. In March, Australia was pleased to co-chair the 2013 OSCE Conference of Asian Partners for Cooperation, which took place in Australia. Under the theme “Improving the Security of Women and Girls”, the Conference brought together Government and civil society to examine the successes and failings of international efforts in the fight against gender-based violence and human trafficking, as well as efforts to increase the economic empowerment of women. That reinforces the work of the Council on the women and peace and security agenda and the priority that we attach to that work. Australia also endorses the OSCE vision of comprehensive security that includes the integral role of human rights and economic and environmental issues alongside the politico-military dimension. Protecting and empowering people is essential to shaping long- term and effective responses to multidimensional threats to security. It builds capacity, understanding and resilience among individuals and communities. Australia congratulates the OSCE on its long- standing commitment to non-proliferation. We commend the OSCE leadership in preventing the spread of illicit small arms and light weapons among its members and beyond to regions that face conflict and instability. That leadership contributed to the adoption of the United Nations Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects in 2001. The adoption of the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) by the General Assembly on 2 April was another significant development in that area, and we appreciate the contribution of the OSCE membership to the achievement of a strong outcome. Effective implementation of the ATT will now be critical to preventing the illegal and irresponsible trade in arms and reducing human suffering. We look to the OSCE once again to play a leading role in ensuring the signature of the Treaty by its members on 3 June and its effective implementation within the OSCE region and others that need implementation support. I thank Mr. Kozhara for his observations on Afghanistan. Along with other members of the Council and the international community, Australia is committed to Afghanistan’s long-term stability, security and prosperity, which will in turn benefit from the constructive engagement and support of its neighbours. Australia supports efforts to that end, including regional confidence-building measures through the Heart of Asia initiative. We welcome the OSCE’s continued constructive contribution to international efforts to support Afghanistan’s security and stability. Australia also shares with the OSCE and other members of the Council an abhorrence of terrorism and a determination to combat that threat wherever it occurs. The OSCE’s counter-terrorism work is impressive. Australia welcomes the organization’s cooperation with United Nations agencies, has been pleased to support a number of OSCE counter-terrorism projects, and wishes to build on that partnership. We appreciate the determination and international cooperation that the OSCE brings to the global stand against terrorist ideologies and tactics. In conclusion, close engagement between the Council and regional organizations is an essential component of securing international peace and security, and we encourage the Council to continue to look for opportunities to work closely with the OSCE in that endeavour.

Sir, I congratulate you on assuming the office of the President of the Security Council for the month of May. We also thank Ambassador Eugène-Richard Gasana for his effective presidency of the Council last month. We offer our thanks and best wishes to both teams. We thank Mr. Leonid Kozhara, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and Chairperson-in-Office of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), for his comprehensive briefing and for sharing with us the vision and programme of work of his organization. The OSCE, representing 57 States in Europe, Central Asia and North America, has been a pillar of strength for regional peace and security. Its best practices in early warning, conflict prevention and crisis management are being emulated by other regional organizations. The three dimensions of the OSCE’s work  — political-military, economic and environmental, and human — provide the best tools for a comprehensive response to security situations. The United Nations, in accordance with Chapter VIII of its Charter, co-opts regional organizations for the maintenance of international peace and security and the pacific settlement of disputes. In the past, the United Nations and the OSCE have complemented each other’s efforts aimed at conflict prevention, confidence- and security-building, mediation, crisis management and post-conflict stabilization. During the Cold War, the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe, the OSCE’s predecessor, played an important role by providing a forum for dialogue and negotiation between East and West. Following the end of the Cold War, the OSCE contributed to managing the transition in Europe and dealing with post-Cold War challenges. We appreciate the important role the OSCE is currently playing in facilitating various processes aimed at settling crises and conflicts in its region. They include the Transdniestrian settlement process, the Geneva international discussions on Georgia, and the OSCE Minsk Group co-Chairs assisting Azerbaijan and Armenia in finding a peaceful solution to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. We also welcome the European Union-led dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina. The OSCE’s role in support of that dialogue is very important. The OSCE’s initiatives on disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control are producing results. We also greatly appreciate its work in countering transnational threats such as human and narcotics trafficking, terrorism and cyber-crime. The United Nations and the OSCE have similar priorities in the economic and environmental areas, as well as with respect to sustainable energy for all. What we need is more synergy and closer coordination between the two organizations. We believe that the OSCE’s successes in these fields are relevant to South Asia and many other regions. The human dimension is equally important. The OSCE’s focus on young people and children is geared towards forward-looking solutions for more developed, educated and tolerant societies. We particularly appreciate its activities in Afghanistan in building the capacity of the Afghan National Police, combating drug trafficking and strengthening customs and border management. Pakistan strongly believes that a peaceful and stable Afghanistan will help its people rediscover their destiny, consolidate their polity and rebuild their economy. As the international security forces prepare to withdraw by 2014, the OSCE’s continued engagement with Afghanistan will have a positive impact on the four transitions under way in the security, reconciliation, electoral and economic areas. We particularly welcome the Chair’s intention to explore further areas of cooperation for capacity-building in Afghanistan. In conclusion, we wish Ukraine a very successful chairmanship of the OSCE. We take note of its priorities, and hope that under its stewardship the organization will continue its important work in areas ranging from hard security issues to sustainable economic development and the promotion and protection of human rights.

I join previous speakers in welcoming Mr. Leonid Kozhara, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, to the Security Council, and in thanking him for briefing us on his priorities for 2013 in his capacity as Chairperson-in- Office of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). Now with 57 States members, the OSCE occupies a unique place among the regional organizations with which the United Nations is called upon to cooperate under Chapter VIII of its Charter. It has an important role to play in settling conflicts and promoting human rights in Europe and Central Asia. Mongolia’s recent accession to OSCE membership illustrates the organization’s ongoing appeal beyond Europe’s borders. As an OSCE member, Luxembourg fully supports the Ukrainian chairmanship’s desire to take advantage of the momentum resulting from the Astana summit in 2010 to deepen the discussion of the vision of a Euro- Atlantic and Eurasian security community that is free, democratic, united and indivisible. The “Helsinki+40” process launched at the Ministerial Council meeting in Dublin in December can help the OSCE realize its ambitious vision centred on a global approach to security that can encompass the political-military, economic and environmental, and human dimensions. We are particularly interested in the human dimension, which is an essential element of any modern security architecture and should be a priority within the OSCE. It is important that Ukraine continue the work begun by the Lithuanian and Irish chairmanships on freedom of expression and freedom of the media, including digital media. We commend the important work that has been done in the area of electoral observation and assistance by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights. The United Nations and the OSCE are founded on shared values and principles. It is therefore quite natural for the two organizations to cooperate closely. We welcome the memorandums of intent signed between the OSCE and the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs aimed at developing a partnership for peace and disarmament initiatives and combating the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction by promoting the implementation of resolution 1540 (2004) at the regional level. We also welcome the OSCE’s efforts in partnership with the United Nations, particularly the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, to combat transnational organized crime, such as trafficking in drugs and humans. On the ground, the OSCE cooperates actively with the United Nations. It has demonstrated its ability to play an essential role in concert with other regional organizations in settling conflicts and promoting peace. It does so in Afghanistan, the Balkans and Eastern Europe, in the context of the conflict in Moldova over Transdniestria. It is also the case in the southern Caucasus, through the Minsk Group and the Geneva discussion process, as well as in Central Asia. To cite only the latter example, we commend the OSCE for working closely with the United Nations Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy in Central Asia on the cross-border challenges connected to the management of water and energy resources and to combating terrorism. We note with interest that the Ukrainian chairmanship of the OSCE has made dealing with prolonged and unsettled conflicts in the organization’s zone its top priority. Any progress towards a lasting solution to such conflicts will be an important contribution to peace and security in the region. Luxembourg will chair the OSCE Forum for Security Cooperation for the last four months of this year. As our Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs announced at the Ministerial Council meeting in Dublin in December, Luxembourg intends to support, within that framework, efforts to improve coordination with the United Nations in the area of small arms and light weapons. We will organize two security dialogues in September with the aim of promoting the implementation of the Arms Trade Treaty. Finally, my country will chair the discussions on the political and military priorities for 2014 to be submitted for adoption by the Ministerial Council meeting in Kiev in December. In conclusion, I would like to assure the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine that Luxembourg will spare no effort in promoting the progress achieved by the OSCE in all its facets and the cooperation between the United Nations and the OSCE for international peace and security.

I welcome the presence of Mr. Leonid Kozhara, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, and congratulate his country on its assumption of the chairmanship of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) for 2013. I also take this opportunity to welcome the decision taken on 10 December 2012 by the Ministers for Foreign Affairs of the European Union to recognize Ukraine’s European aspirations and to work towards achieving political association and economic integration based on respect for common values ​within the Eastern Partnership. I shall limit myself to making three observations. First, on the relationship between the two organizations, the United Nations and the OSCE have a common goal — for the former at the global level and for the latter at the regional level — to strengthen links and dialogue among States so as to better ensure their security. We know that dialogue between organizations usually raises complex political issues. We see that at work, for example, in the dialogue that the Council has with the African Union, the League of Arab States and many other organizations. But that dialogue has become an essential element in the maintenance of international peace and security. Chapter VIII of the Charter of the United Nations provides a framework that, in our view, has withstood the test of time and events. From Central Asia, Georgia and Kosovo to Bosnia and Herzegovina, the OSCE and the United Nations have shown their ability to work harmoniously on the ground. We believe that that relationship remains an essential element for security in Europe. It can also be a source of inspiration in terms of useful and innovative cooperation in other regions. My second point concerns the future of the OSCE, which covers a vast area, from Vancouver to Vladivostok. With the recent accession of Mongolia, it includes 57 countries that share common values ​ and a belief that the security of the Euro-Atlantic and Euro-Asian areas goes hand in hand with the promotion of human rights, democracy and the rule of law. However, we note in Vienna a worrying tendency by some members of the organization to reconsider their commitments in that regard. We expect the Ukrainian chairmanship of the OSCE to guarantee and promote the commitments made in the three areas covered by the OSCE. In that regard, we attach particular importance to freedom of expression and freedom of the media. Similarly, the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights must be able to continue to play its role in monitoring elections, and its autonomy must be preserved to that end. France fully supports the dialogue initiated at the Dublin meeting of the Ministerial Council on the future of the OSCE within the “Helsinki+40” process and in the light of the fortieth anniversary of the Helsinki Final Act in 2015. The process should not limit itself to reaffirming, as was done at the Astana summit in 2010, the validity of the Helsinki obligations and of all of the significant achievements of the OSCE. Instead, we must find ways to fully implement the commitments made by the participating States and to reaffirm our commitment to that security arrangement based on common values. My third point has to do with the commitment on the ground. The OSCE today has 15 field missions in the Caucasus, Central Asia and the Balkans, often alongside the United Nations. Its role remains, in our view, essential. Therefore, after having contributed, along with the United Nations and the European Union, to the cessation of inter-ethnic violence in Kyrgyzstan, the OSCE has implemented a community safety initiative to help ease tensions between Kyrgyz and Uzbek communities. It actively contributes to stabilizing the borders of Afghanistan and Central Asia, in particular by training border guards in Central Asia, including Afghanistan. It also cooperates with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime in the fight against transnational threats, and it has just renewed a joint action plan for 2013-2014 with that Office. That is a good example of successful cooperation between the OSCE and the United Nations. In the Caucasus, we remain committed, as part of our co-chairing of the Minsk Group along with the United States and Russia, to helping Armenia and Azerbaijan find a peaceful settlement to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. The co-chairs are continuing their mediation work while calling on the parties to respect the ceasefire and to refrain from actions and statements likely to fuel tensions. The co-chairs have repeatedly expressed their concerns about the start of civilian flights to Nagorno Karabakh and the continuing violence at the line of contact. With regard to the OSCE office in Baku, we trust that the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office will arrive at a solution that will enable that field mission to maintain and fulfil its mandate. On the subject of Georgia, France lends its full support to the Geneva discussions and to the OSCE role in that process, alongside the European Union and the United Nations. Those discussions must be continued in order to build confidence among the parties and improve the situation of local populations. Of course, we reaffirm our commitment to the principles of independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, as recognized by international law. In Transdniestria, we are encouraged by the increasing number of meetings in the “5+2” format held in 2012. We hope that that positive trend will continue in 2013 and that substantive progress will be possible. In the Balkans, the facilitation of the OSCE allowed binational Serbian voters in Kosovo to participate peacefully in the Serb legislative and presidential elections of 6 May 2012. It was a difficult task, which the OSCE carried out with professionalism, thanks in particular to its substantial presence on the ground. The OSCE has once again been asked to help organize the partial municipal elections, under the agreement reached on 19 April in Brussels between Belgrade and Pristina and confirmed by both parliaments. Finally, in Bosnia and Herzegovina, a country that will be on the Council’s agenda next week, the OSCE presence covers a substantial number of activities, such as governance, the rule of law and respect for human rights, as well as the management of stockpiles and surplus ammunition, a subject that the OSCE should at the forefront of. I conclude by once again expressing to Ukraine all our best wishes for its chairmanship and by assuring it of France’s full support. Mrs. DiCarlo (United States of America) I would like to welcome to the Security Council the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Chairperson-in-Office, Foreign Minister Kozhara, and to thank him for today’s briefing on OSCE activities under the leadership of Ukraine. We commend the Chairperson-in-Office for his priorities, including efforts to revitalize existing negotiation processes, combat transnational threats, including the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and support human rights education. The Security Council and the OSCE have shared interests in ending active conflicts and mitigating future threats to international peace and security. The United States is committed to working with the Chairperson-in-Office, the OSCE secretariat and other participating and partner States to further the OSCE’s comprehensive approach to security, which closely complements the work of the United Nations. The OSCE continues to contribute to peace and security, notably through its field missions, the work of its special representatives and its promotion of military transparency. In Kosovo, where the head of the OSCE mission concurrently serves as deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General in the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo, the complementarity of the OSCE and the United Nations is clearly evident. The United States commends the OSCE for its active role in helping to develop and advise Kosovo’s democratic institutions and protect human rights. We urge the OSCE to support, within its mandate, the important 19 April agreement between Serbia and Kosovo. The OSCE’s effort to promote progress on Europe’s protracted conflicts in Moldova, Georgia and Nagorno Karabakh is long-standing. In Moldova, we welcome the progress of the “5+2” talks towards a comprehensive settlement of the Transdniestria issue and we hope that the additional measures can be undertaken to improve confidence on both sides of the River. As a co-chair of the Minsk Group, the United States appreciates the support of the chairmanship as we work to help the sides reach a solution to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. The United States also supports the OSCE’s work as a co-chair of the Geneva international discussions and its ongoing work to address security and humanitarian issues in the conflict-affected areas of Georgia. Secondly, the United States commends the OSCE’s efforts to share expertise and promote dialogue beyond Europe through its Mediterranean and Asian partnership for cooperation programmes. We were especially grateful for the OSCE’s support for Afghanistan’s transition through improving border security, combatting narcotics trafficking and promoting development. Programmes such as the joint OSCE-United Nations Development Programme training for Afghan and other Central Asian officials at the OSCE Border Management Staff College in Dushanbe not only develop the skills of border and customs officers, but also enhance regional cooperation in crucial areas. Thirdly, the United States supports and urges the OSCE to continue its advocacy with participating States on countering transnational threats, including cyber threats, drug trafficking, counter-terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. The organization’s work in the new field of cyber security to identify emerging trends and potential counter measures is critical for addressing not only virtual but very real threats, including terrorists’ use of the Internet. We also welcome the OSCE’s efforts to implement Security Council resolutions to counter terrorism and proliferation and its work to strengthen the international legal framework against terrorism by facilitating international cooperation in criminal matters and through its joint initiatives with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. Finally, the United States looks to the OSCE as an important player to help protect human rights, promote tolerance and non-discrimination, implement support for citizens’ exercise of fundamental freedoms and advance the goal of gender equality in its region  — commitments to which all participating States have fundamentally agreed. We fully support the OSCE’s efforts to increase the political participation of women, expand the capacities of legal systems to address domestic violence and promote mentor networks for women’s empowerment. We greatly appreciate the significant support and advice that the OSCE has provided to participating States through its Forum for Security Cooperation, as they strive to implement resolution 1325 (2000), on women, peace and security. We urge all participating States, partnerships and the broader United Nations membership to uphold the principle of gender equality. Within the OSCE, gender focal points have been appointed in all field operations, institutions and departments of its secretariat. It serves as an illustrative example of how organizations can effectively implement gender mainstreaming. As we approach the fortieth anniversary of the Helsinki Final Act, we are reminded of the accords that affirmed an inextricable link between the security of States and the security of citizens. We reaffirm our commitment to that objective and support the OSCE’s tremendous efforts in achieving it.

I would like to welcome His Excellency Mr. Leonid Kozhara, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, to the Council today and to congratulate Ukraine’s chairmanship of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). I thank him for his briefing outlining the priorities of the OSCE for 2013. The security challenges we are facing today clearly show the importance of the close partnership between the United Nations and regional bodies in maintaining international peace and stability. The Republic of Korea welcomes the OSCE’s increasing contribution to addressing global threats and challenges, as well as its greater readiness to enhance cooperation with the Security Council. The OSCE’s expertise and its own experience of overcoming the Cold War and division have enabled it to become a more reliable partner of the Security Council. We also note the priorities set out by the Chairperson-in-Office. In the light of that, I would like to highlight several points today. First, we welcome the OSCE’s greater focus on non-proliferation. That is an area where I believe we can expand our ongoing cooperation. As the largest regional organization, the OSCE has served as a torchbearer in leading the global fight against the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Moreover, it is also commendable that the OSCE is playing an important role in the implementation of resolution 1540 (2004), incorporating it as a priority in its work programme for 2012 to 2015. As the Chair of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004), I believe that such regional efforts are crucial in implementing, complementing and supporting the existing endeavours of the 1540 Committee. In line with that, I plan to exchange views with the members of the OSCE on that matter at the meeting of the Forum for Security and Cooperation to be held in Vienna next week. I am confident that it will serve as a timely opportunity to further mutual cooperation towards the full implementation of resolution 1540 (2004). Secondly, we welcome and encourage the efforts of the OSCE to resolve the protracted conflicts in the region. While the Security Council bears the primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security, I recognize that the OSCE can effectively contribute to addressing regional conflicts while complementing and reinforcing the work of the Security Council. We commend the OSCE for its active engagement in the political process of the comprehensive settlement of such conflicts, particularly in the South Caucasus and Transdniestria. We encourage the OSCE to continue its efforts in that regard, with its intimate understanding of the political, social, cultural and economic underpinnings of the conflicts. Thirdly, the Republic of Korea applauds the OSCE for its firm commitment to counter transnational threats such as terrorism, organized crime, illicit drug trafficking and cyber threats. Particularly worthy of note among such challenges are the threats stemming from cyberspace. In an attempt to effectively address that challenge, the Korean Government will host the Seoul conference on cyberspace in October. We are confident that it will be a good opportunity to explore constructive ways to build a safe, reliable and open cyberspace. The efforts of the OSCE to develop confidence-building measures in cyberspace can provide valuable insight for the deliberations at the conference. Lastly, let me briefly comment on the Helsinki process of the OSCE and the vision for peace and cooperation in North-East Asia. The concept of cooperative, comprehensive and indivisible security and confidence- and security-building measures of the Helsinki process still has special significance for other regions of the world, especially in North- East Asia. In North-East Asia, where overarching multilateral security institutions are markedly absent, the level of political and security cooperation remains at a nascent stage, despite the high level of economic interdependence. Against that backdrop, the Korean Government seeks to create a North-East Asian peace and cooperation initiative, namely, the Seoul process. It would involve countries in the region extending their cooperation from non-political issues, such as climate change, to political areas on the basis of trust. As we take this trust initiative forward, the Helsinki process of the OSCE can be a useful guide for the promotion of peace and prosperity in North-East Asia as well. In conclusion, the Republic of Korea would like to express its appreciation for the OSCE’s valuable contribution to the maintenance of international peace and security and hopes that it will further strengthen its close cooperation with the Security Council in addressing global threats and challenges.

Allow me at the outset to welcome Minister Leonid Kozhara, whom we thank for his presentation. I congratulate him on his assumption of the chairmanship of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), and I wish him every success during his term. Guatemala is convinced that regional and subregional organizations can contribute to further strengthening the multilateral system, including in the area of the maintenance of international peace and security. Cooperation between the United Nations and the OSCE is a concrete example of an alliance that has helped to promote peace and security in Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia. We are confident that under the chairmanship of Ukraine, the OSCE will continue to promote dialogue and cooperation with the United Nations. We wish also to highlight specific efforts in areas that are on the agenda of the Security Council. First, in Afghanistan, the OSCE has actively participated in efforts to promote political dialogue, enhance national capacities and support the democratic process. In that regard, Guatemala welcomes the close coordination between the OSCE and the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan. We welcome the assistance provided by the Government of Afghanistan in the areas of border security, police training and the fight against drug trafficking. Secondly, with respect to the situation in Kosovo, the OSCE is also playing a constructive role, in close coordination with the United Nations and the European Union, in the context of an environment that poses major challenges. Guatemala acknowledges the work that has been done, inter alia, to strengthen the rule of law. We note also the recent agreement signed by Belgrade and Pristina, and we commend the results of the dialogue conducted under the auspices of the European Union. Thirdly, with regard to the OSCE zone, we are concerned about the threats to security that the prolonged, unresolved conflicts in that area continue to pose. That is an issue that could be an area for greater cooperation between the United Nations and the OSCE. Fourthly, we note the priorities that Ukraine has set for its chairmanship of the OSCE in 2013. We are pleased to hear that, in addition to efforts to resolve protracted conflicts, there will be a focus on a renewed commitment to democracy, the rule of law and human rights, as well as transnational threats. We wish also to welcome the recent memorandums of understanding signed between the Office for Disarmament Affairs and the OSCE aimed at promoting the regional implementation of resolution 1540 (2004). Lastly, Guatemala joins others in supporting Ukraine’s vision and priorities for the OSCE’s work this year, and it is our hope that there will be continued fruitful cooperation between the OSCE and the United Nations.

I should like to join the other members of the Security Council in welcoming Minister Leonid Kozhara and congratulating him on his assumption of the chairmanship of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). I also thank him for his briefing on the priorities that his country has set for its chairmanship of that organization and on the prospects for cooperation between the OSCE and the United Nations. Argentina values the contributions made by regional and subregional organizations to the maintenance of international peace and security. We believe that not only are they essential for strengthening the multilateral system, but they also give greater legitimacy and effectiveness to the actions of the international community in responding to challenges to peace and promoting dialogue and cooperation. In that context, we welcome the important work done by the OSCE in the areas of early warning, conflict prevention, crisis management and post- conflict situations. In connection with those issues, I wish to refer to some of the aspects highlighted by Minister Kozhara. Cooperation between the United Nations, the OSCE and other organizations, on both regional and thematic issues, has made it possible to have a better-coordinated focus between the various international stakeholders. Other examples, as mentioned by other members of the Council, include the cooperation between the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo and the OSCE. We believe that that cooperation has contributed to the efforts under way to normalize and stabilize relations in the region. We also deem it important to highlight the close cooperation between the OSCE and the United Nations Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia. There can be no doubt that that cooperation has bolstered the contribution made by the Regional Centre in responding both to domestic issues that have repercussions on regional stability and to the trans-boundary impact of the threats posed by terrorism, organized crime and drug trafficking, as well as environmental deterioration and problems related to the management of water resources. We welcome the inclusion of the issue of prolonged conflicts among Ukraine’s priorities for its chairmanship, as they pose a threat to regional stability. In that vein, we welcome the determination to contribute to the process of resolving the Transdniestrian question, as made clear by the visit carried out by Mr. Kozhara and his special representative to Chisinau at the beginning of the year, as well as the role played in the talks that took place in Leopolis last April. We hope that the next meeting, to be held in Odessa, will enable political progress to be made towards a lasting solution. We also welcome the commitment made in the context of the Geneva talks on the 2008 conflict in Georgia and the talks on Nagorno Karabakh, led by the co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group. When it comes to topics on the agenda of the Security Council, such as Afghanistan, we agree with the Minister of Ukraine that there is a need to consider the implications of the upcoming withdrawal of international forces in 2014 and the potential responses that the OSCE and other bodies could possibly provide with a view to ensuring stability in the region. We also welcome the importance given by the Ukrainian chairmanship to efforts aimed at strengthening arms control mechanisms and security- and confidence-building measures, as well as its commitment to fighting transnational threats such as those as I mentioned previously, namely, organized crime and trafficking in persons, weapons and drugs. In conclusion, Argentina values in particular the attention given to the implementation of existing commitments in the areas of the freedom of the press, youth education and human rights. We support the vision and priorities set out by Ukraine for the work of the OSCE over the coming year. We trust that both the Security Council and the United Nations system as a whole will deepen their cooperation with the OSCE during the Ukrainian chairmanship.

I would like to join Security Council colleagues in welcoming Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Mr. Leonid Kozhara, to the Security Council today. May I also thank him for setting out his priorities as Chairman-in-Office of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) in 2013 and his view of the progress so far. The OSCE remains a crucial forum for dialogue aimed at creating a security community across a vast area, from the North Atlantic to the Far East, that commits its participating States to a wide-ranging acquis across its three dimensions. It provides a platform for holding participating States to account for the commitments they have made, and offers a forum for discussion of the issues that at times continue to divide East and West, in particular in the areas of human rights and democracy. We support the Ukrainian Chairperson’s programme of work across the three dimensions, and we continue to work with him towards making progress on his priority areas, notably the protracted conflicts in Moldova and the South Caucuses, and promoting human rights and democratization. Those are issues that not only matter to the OSCE, but are important to the United Nations as well. We support the work that Ukraine is doing to advance discussions on arms control in the politico-military dimension, and we look forward to engaging constructively both with the Chairperson and with his successors in the “Helsinki+40” process, which seeks to reinvigorate and strengthen commitments across the organization. The promotion and protection of human rights, fundamental freedoms, democracy and the rule of law remain central to the OSCE’s comprehensive concept of security. The OSCE has one of the most extensive sets of commitments, standards and principles of any international organization, but there are increasing gaps in the compliance with those commitments by participating States. We support the Ukrainian chairmanship’s efforts to encourage better implementation. The OSCE’s institutions have an important role to play in assisting States in complying with their commitments. We take the opportunity today to thank them for their outstanding contributions. Likewise, OSCE field operations within participating States remain important in assisting their hosts to meet their commitments. We continue to support those mandates across the OSCE region. We attach particular priority to the OSCE’s efforts to ensure that the freedom of the media is respected both online and off-line, and that those exercising their right to the freedom of expression are able to do so free from violence, harassment and intimidation. We hope that participating States will agree to strengthen commitments in this area at the Kyiv meeting of the Ministerial Council. We support Ukraine’s efforts to make progress in the protracted conflicts in Moldova and the South Caucuses, and we were interested to hear the views of the Chairperson’s Special Representative Ambassador Deshchytsia when he visited London recently. As a key player in the Transdniestria “5+2” process, Ukraine is well-placed to reinvigorate talks. We continue to believe that the Geneva talks being co-chaired by the OSCE with the European Union and the United Nations provide a necessary dialogue for a resolution of the conflict in Georgia. On Nagorno Karabakh, we support the Chairperson’s efforts to engage with the Minsk Group, and continued dialogue with Azerbaijan and Armenia. On the politico-military dimension, the OSCE’s existing overarching framework of conventional arms control and confidence- and security-building measures contains many important elements that we should carefully preserve and implement comprehensively. However, it is also clear that the regimes are not functioning optimally, and need to be modernized so that they can be made fit for purpose in the context of the evolving international security landscape. The current status quo is inherently unstable and unlikely to be sustainable. The United Kingdom believes that the OSCE can play a useful regional role on transnational challenges, including in areas such as Central Asia. There is an increasing body of compelling evidence that the OSCE can add significant value through its work on border security and resolution 1540 (2004). Addressing issues of women, peace and security is essential to conflict resolution, which goes to the heart of the OSCE’s raison d’être. Colleagues know the deep commitment of the United Kingdom to addressing sexual violence in conflict. We welcome the continued focus under the Ukrainian chairmanship on effective cooperation between the OSCE and other international organizations, not least the United Nations. There is more that could be done in collaboration on wider security matters to ensure complementary activity and to avoid duplicating efforts, including on work to combat trafficking, whether in human beings, narcotics or other illicit goods. It is important that all OSCE members adhere to their commitments. The role of Chairperson-in-Office of the OSCE provides an opportunity to promote and model the principles of human rights and fundamental freedoms, democracy, good governance and the rule of law, on which the OSCE is founded. The United Kingdom looks forward to continuing to work with Ukraine and other participating States towards the strengthening and implementation of these commitments across the OSCE region. I have a couple of questions for the Foreign Minister. The first is on the human dimension. The United Kingdom sees great value in the commitments that OSCE participating States have made under the human dimension in promoting human rights and democracy across the region. We were very disappointed that no agreement on strengthening those commitments was possible at either of the past two meetings of the Ministerial Council. We would be grateful to hear the Minister’s views on what he sees as the prospects for progress in that area under his chairmanship at Kyiv in December. Secondly, on cooperation with other international organizations, we were very pleased to hear the Minister talk of increased cooperation between the OSCE and United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime in the area of transnational threats, and of greater coordination with other international actors in the context of the upcoming transition in Afghanistan. I wonder what other opportunities the Minister sees for joint work between the OSCE and other international organizations, including the United Nations, where such coordination would be complementary and allow the OSCE to add value and expertise.

I join my colleagues before me in welcoming the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Mr. Leonid Kozhara, and congratulating him on his assumption of the chairmanship of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). I thank him, furthermore, for the comprehensive briefing in which he set out the priorities and positions of the Ukrainian chairmanship. Morocco attaches great importance to the role of regional and subregional organizations and their cooperation with the United Nations in keeping with the Charter with full respect for their mandates and respective responsibilities. The OSCE makes an undeniable and appreciated contribution in resolving conflicts through its prevention mechanisms, in particular the Conflict Prevention Centre. We believe that the understanding and complementarity between the OSCE and the United Nations are achievements that must be preserved and enhanced. We welcome the priorities identified by the Ukrainian chairmanship, which are part of the OSCE’s ongoing contribution to the promotion of international peace and security. As an active member of the Group of Friends of Mediation, Morocco welcomes the commitment of the Ukrainian chairmanship to fostering the development of an OSCE mediation support mechanism and its intention to pursue efforts to find lasting settlements to protracted conflicts in the OSCE area. We share the priority attached by the Ukrainian chairmanship to constructive negotiations and dialogue in resolving disputes, including in the framework of the “5+2” talks and international discussions in Geneva. In that respect, my country supports efforts to find a negotiated, peaceful settlement to the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Accordingly, we reiterate our support for OSCE efforts through the Minsk Group, and in particular the appeal of the co-Chairs for dialogue. In that regard, the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan is an important principle that must be upheld. Turning now to the other actions planned by the Ukrainian chairmanship, Morocco remains convinced that the United Nations could draw on the experience and capacities of the OSCE in many areas, including in weapons control, non-proliferation and combating transnational threats. We will follow with interest the updating of the Guiding Principles on Non-proliferation, and underscore the contribution of the OSCE to responding to transnational threats. We take this opportunity to reiterate that the multidimensional and universal nature of those threats requires collective, coordinated and sustained international action. In that regard, we are encouraged by the importance attached to bolstering cooperation with the United Nations in those areas. Morocco is an OSCE Mediterranean Partner for Cooperation and actively participates in the Mediterranean Contact Group. My country’s interest in its Mediterranean partnership with the OSCE arises from the great importance it attaches to the partnership’s priority areas in the security, economic and environmental fields, in particular those concerning the fight against terrorism and other types of crime, discrimination, trafficking in human beings, immigration and development. Allow me in that regard to reiterate Morocco’s appeal to review the status of the Mediterranean Partners for Cooperation with a view to identifying a more committed and participatory approach. In that respect, I recall that Morocco put forward a text reflecting our vision of the format and content of that partnership. The document contains a number of proposals aimed at strengthening the partnership and making it more substantive on the basis of an updated agenda. Morocco supports all initiatives to promote tolerance and interreligious dialogue and to counter all types of discrimination, and reiterates its appeal for strengthened cooperation between the OSCE and the Alliance for Civilizations. That partnership is based on a number of clear objectives in peace, security and cooperation. Allow me to conclude by reiterating all our wishes for success to the Ukrainian chairmanship of the OSCE in carrying out the ambitious objectives that it has taken on.

At the outset, let me thank the Chairperson-in-Office of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Mr. Leonid Kozhara, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, for his work at the helm of the OSCE and for his briefing today. We value our regular interactions with regional and subregional organizations, as Rwanda strongly believes in strengthened cooperation between the United Nations and regional and subregional organizations. We welcome the priorities for action set forth by Ukraine for its 2013 chairmanship of the OSCE, which are in line with the “Helsinki+40” process. We approve its common vision, goals and actions, which we hope will ensure security, stability and prosperity in the OSCE area. We commend the comprehensive approach of the OSCE, which focuses on peace and security issues, including conflict prevention, but which also strives to foster economic development while ensuring the sustainable use of natural resources and promoting full respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. We stress the importance of cooperation between the OSCE and other stakeholders at all stages of conflicts, namely, conflict prevention, conflict management and resolution, and post-conflict peacebuilding. In that regard, we commend the work of the OSCE in mediating conflicts and monitoring elections on the European continent. I highlight OSCE cooperation with the European Union (EU) in Kosovo in promoting the rule of law, which is paramount to stability and progress there. On election monitoring, Rwanda supports OSCE efforts aimed at facilitating municipal elections in 2013 in northern Kosovo, in accordance with applicable law and international standards. We commend the continued cooperation of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo with other regional actors, particularly the EU. We believe that such cooperation on region-wide issues will support reconciliation efforts in Kosovo and the region. On another conflict, we welcome the continued efforts of the co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group to mediate on the Nagorno Karabakh conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan. We reiterate Rwanda’s belief that only a negotiated settlement complying with relevant resolutions of the Security Council, respecting internationally recognized borders and ensuring the protection of minorities will bring a lasting resolution to the crisis. Finally, let me conclude by saying that past and current experience has shown that strengthened cooperation between the United Nations and regional actors can play a key role in the maintenance of international peace and security. Therefore, Rwanda looks forward to continued fruitful cooperation with the OSCE under Ukraine’s able leadership.

At the outset, I would like to welcome the Chairperson-in-Office of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Mr. Leonid Kozhara, to the Security Council and thank him for his briefing and for setting out his priorities across the three dimensions of security. Azerbaijan commends the Ukrainian chairmanship for its focus on the resolution of the protracted conflicts in the OSCE area. It is important to reinvigorate ongoing conflict settlement efforts and encourage participating States to comply with their obligations under the Charter of the United Nations and the Helsinki Final Act of 1975 and to implement the resolutions adopted by the main organs of the United Nations. We hope that the decision on the “Helsinki+40” process adopted last year in Dublin will contribute to the achievement of tangible outcomes to that end. The OSCE provides an ongoing forum for discussions on settling the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan. We take positive note of the support of the Chairperson-in-Office for mediation efforts in that regard, and would like to offer some thoughts on issues of concern and areas of action that we deem particularly important. Twenty years ago, in 1993, the Security Council adopted four resolutions condemning the use of force against Azerbaijan and the occupation of its territories; reaffirming respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of my country and the inviolability of international borders; confirming that the Nagorno Karabakh region was part of Azerbaijan; and demanding the immediate, full and unconditional withdrawal of the occupying forces from all the occupied territories. The resolutions also made specific reference to violations of international humanitarian law, including the displacement of a large number of civilians in Azerbaijan, attacks on civilians and bombardments of my country’s territory. A series of Security Council presidential statements made between 1992 and 1995 are phrased along the same lines. In other words, the resolutions, which are clearly the most authoritative and binding rulings on the problem, acknowledge that acts of military force were committed against Azerbaijan, and that such acts constituted a violation of international law. Unfortunately, key Security Council demands have still not been implemented, and the mediation efforts conducted for more than 20 years within the framework of the OSCE have yet to yield results. Against that background, attempts to downplay the relevance of the Security Council resolutions and to misinterpret the norms and principles of international law, as well as the Armenian side’s insistence on unrealistic annexationist claims, represent an open challenge to the conflict- settlement process and a serious threat to international and regional peace and security. Moreover, consistent measures are being undertaken in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan with a view to further consolidating the current status quo of the occupation and preventing the return of more than 700,000 internally displaced Azerbaijanis to their homes. On our initiative in the United Nations in 2005 and 2010, OSCE-led fact-finding and fact-assessment missions visited the occupied territories. Both missions documented the facts of illegal activities in those areas involving, inter alia, implanting settlers, extensive redrawing of boundaries, changing place names, and discriminatory treatment regarding cultural property and sacred sites. However, the missions’ recommendations remained on paper. Moreover, the latest reports on the transfer of Syrian Armenians into the Nagorno Karabakh region and other occupied territories of Azerbaijan, along with other illegal activities, including efforts to operate flights into and out of those territories, provide yet more evidence of Armenia’s deliberate policy of colonization of Azerbaijani lands. We hope that the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office will insist on the need for an immediate and unconditional halt to all actions seriously obstructing the prospects for a negotiated settlement of the conflict, based on international law. The achievement of peace, security and stability is possible first and foremost only if the consequences of Armenia’s unlawful use of force are removed, thus ensuring that the occupation of Azerbaijan’s territories is ended and that the right of internally displaced Azerbaijanis to return to their homes, property and possessions is guaranteed and implemented. That is what international law and the relevant Security Council resolutions require, and that is what can in no way be introduced as a bargaining chip in the conflict- settlement process. Above all, Azerbaijan will never compromise its territorial integrity or the rights and freedoms of its citizens. The establishment of the truth about the serious violations of international humanitarian and human rights law committed during the conflict, the provision of adequate and effective reparations to victims and the need for institutional action to prevent the repetition of such violations are all prerequisites for true conflict resolution. It is obvious that the impunity still enjoyed by the perpetrators of the crimes, including the political and military leadership of Armenia and the members of the puppet separatist regime in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, continues to impede progress in achieving the long-awaited peace and reconciliation between the two countries. Azerbaijan is confident that the consistent measures being taken at the national level, as well as the existing international legal framework, will serve to bring to justice those responsible for the grave offences committed against the civilian population of Azerbaijan during the conflict. Generally speaking, we believe that the conflict-resolution initiatives must ensure that peace and justice work together effectively. Peace efforts cannot be conducted in a manner that contradicts the established norms of international law. It is therefore imperative that such efforts and peace agreements never encourage the acceptance of situations achieved by the unlawful use of force or other egregious violations of international law, such as war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide and ethnic cleansing. We commend the OSCE chairmanship for its commitment to remaining actively engaged with the ongoing efforts of the United Nations towards strengthening the role of mediation in the peaceful settlement of disputes, conflict prevention and resolution. There is an obvious need for reviewing and assessing the OSCE mandates and performance in conflict-cycle-related issues, in particular conflict resolution and post-conflict rehabilitation. Based on existing commitments, more concerted efforts should be put into exploring the OSCE’s role in multinational peacekeeping operations, with a particular focus on civilian and police components. The OSCE’s interaction with various military and security arrangements must be considered in the context of the indivisibility of the OSCE area, by addressing, inter alia, the legitimate concerns of those States participating in the OSCE that are not members of any military alliances, and by providing them with political and security guarantees. One of the OSCE’s major contributions to peace and security in the political-military dimension is made chiefly through arms control and confidence- and security-building measures. The implementation of such measures should be done in a way that ensures the right of every State to an equal level of security and that guarantees that no individual State or group of States enjoys an advantage over others. Efforts in that particular area should not be taken out of the overall political and security context. They should take into account the legitimate security needs and concerns of participating States, especially those that are not members of military alliances with conflict-affected territories; they should also take into account the consequences of conflict, such as military intervention and illegal deployment. In conclusion, I would like to thank the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine once again for addressing the Security Council, and to wish our Ukrainian colleagues a successful chairmanship.

China would like to thank the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Mr. Leonid Kozhara, for his briefing on behalf of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). As an important regional organization, over the years the OSCE has made a positive contribution to efforts to conduct preventive diplomacy, enhance security and mutual trust, mediate regional disputes and combat transnational crime. China appreciates those efforts, and we encourage the OSCE to continue to exploit its advantages and to play a constructive role in maintaining regional peace, security and stability. China believes that strengthening United Nations cooperation with regional and subregional organizations is very important to the maintenance of international peace and security, as set out in the Charter of the United Nations. The Security Council bears the primary responsibilty for the maintenance of international peace and security. Regional and subregional organizations, with their unique advantages, are in a position to support and collaborate with the Security Council as a useful complement to its work. The OSCE is an important cooperation partner for the United Nations. China encourages the Security Council to cooperate with the OSCE in the maintenance of international peace and security in a manner that is more results-oriented and effective.

I shall now make a statement in my national capacity. I, too, would like to welcome the presence here in the Council of the Chairperson-in-Office of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Mr. Leonid Kozhara, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, and to thank him for having presented, inter alia, his country’s priorities for its chairmanship of the OSCE. My country shares his expressed desire to continue to strengthen the cooperation between the United Nations and the OSCE in particular and, more generally, between the United Nations and regional organizations under Chapter VIII of the Charter. We believe that concerted responses by the United Nations and regional organizations and closer and more sustained partnerships will prevent and permanently resolve frozen and latent conflicts and those under way almost everywhere in the world. In this sense, my country welcomes the major contribution the OSCE has made to conflict resolution. In working to create a security community through continuous dialogue and based on the concept of global and indivisible security, the OSCE has been able to ensure stability in its region and improve the lives of its individuals and communities, despite the several remaining areas of tension. Indeed, its multifaceted work in Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina, in particular, have provided support for the creation of institutions designed to avert future conflicts, strengthen governance in those countries, and encourage the consolidation of multi-ethnic and multi-faith societies, even if progress in that area is still needed. My country believes that, in order to achieve the best results and avoid duplication of efforts in their areas of responsibility, the OSCE and the United Nations must continue to strengthen their cooperation on the basis of their respective experience, which could benefit other regional organizations. Indeed, the recognized expertise of the OSCE in electoral processes, supporting for democratization process, the implementation of confidence-building measures, the strengthening of security and the fight against terrorism — all of which are issues that Africa faces  — could be very useful, particularly to the African Union. That is why we welcome the focus of the Ukrainian chairmanship of the OSCE on strengthening cooperation with the United Nations, and we hope that such cooperation will extend to other regional organizations. No State and no institution, no matter how powerful, can stand alone against threats to international peace and security. Togo welcomes Ukraine’s decision to include, in the list of priorities of its chairmanship, a new effort to resolve unresolved or prolonged conflicts within the OSCE region, including the conflict in Transdniestria, which has not been able to reach a viable resolution for over 20 years. In that regard, we welcome the announcement of a new round of negotiations on the issue under the “5+2” format in the coming days in Odessa. Togo urges the parties to the conflict to become more involved in those negotiations in a spirit of consensus so that a mutually acceptable political solution can finally emerge. My country believes that a proposal for a resolution to the conflict that takes the sovereignty, territorial integrity and Constitution of the Republic of Moldova into account, alongside a special guaranteed status for Transdniestria, could be a good basis for negotiations. Furthermore, we hope that, in chairing the OSCE, Ukraine will achieve the desired success in reconciling the positions of the parties to the conflicts in Nagorno Karabakh, South Ossetia and Abkhazia, and thereby allow for progress towards their final resolution. The Nagorno Karabakh conflict, which has already lasted too long and has had a negative impact on the relationship between Armenia and Azerbaijan, should receive special attention so that the suffering of the people of that region can be brought to an end. We hope that Mr. Kozhara’s visit to Baku in June will allow move the process forward. Let me conclude by wishing every success to Ukraine in implementing its mandate. In addition to the priorities it has identified for its tenure, it must overcome, on the one hand, the lack of interest shown by some members of the organization that no longer recognize its usefulness, and, on the other hand, the current disagreements regarding the activities of the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, which have been largely responsible for delays in the adoption of the budget this year. I now resume my functions as President of the Council. I give the floor to Mr. Kozhara to respond to the comments and questions of Council members. Mr. Kozhara: I thank all the Council members for their kind words regarding Ukraine’s chairmanship of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and their strong belief in its success. I am strongly encouraged by the unanimous support granted by Council members to the priorities and initiatives of the Ukrainian chairmanship. We welcome their constructive suggestions and valuable opinions, which we will certainly take into account in advancing our common goals. As I am a few minutes late for a meeting with the Secretary-General, I shall ask the Ukraine mission to pass on our answers in written form. I thank all members for their kind and warm approach to the chairmanship of the Ukraine.

There are no further speakers inscribed on my list. The Security Council has thus concluded the present stage of its consideration of the item on its agenda.