Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07USOSCE291
2007-07-02 12:31:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Mission USOSCE
Cable title:  

OSCE LEGAL PERSONALITY, ROUND 4 - MINOR MOVEMENT; CIO TO

Tags:  OSCE KTIA 
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VZCZCXRO1002
RR RUEHAST RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHLA RUEHMRE RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR
DE RUEHVEN #0291/01 1831231
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 021231Z JUL 07 ZDK
FM USMISSION USOSCE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5084
RUCNOSC/ORG FOR SECURITY CO OP IN EUR COLLECTIVE
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEKJCS/DOD WASHDC
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 USOSCE 000291 

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

FOR L/EUR AND EUR/RPM
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OSCE KTIA

SUBJECT: OSCE LEGAL PERSONALITY, ROUND 4 - MINOR MOVEMENT; CIO TO
ANNOUNCE HOW TO PROCEED WITH RUSSIAN CHARTER

REF: USOSCE 211

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 USOSCE 000291

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

FOR L/EUR AND EUR/RPM
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OSCE KTIA

SUBJECT: OSCE LEGAL PERSONALITY, ROUND 4 - MINOR MOVEMENT; CIO TO
ANNOUNCE HOW TO PROCEED WITH RUSSIAN CHARTER

REF: USOSCE 211


1. (SBU) Summary: At the June 14-15 round, much of the initial
discussion, as in Round 2, centered on whether the OSCE
Parliamentary Assembly should be granted privileges and immunities
(P's and I's) and if so, what kind. Many states voiced reservations
against doing so, with Canada, Germany and UK indicating inability
to agree to P's and I's for the PA. There was some possible
flexibility in including the PA or PA staff under the definition of
Persons Performing Tasks for the OSCE, though the PA rep expressed
reservations. There was renewed discussion on members of field
operations and whether their P's and I's should differ from those
granted to the Secretariat. The UK and others fought strongly for
the principle that there be no distinction whatsoever. As in past
rounds, despite considerable discussion on these and other issues,
there was little discernible progress toward compromise, but rather
a frustrating sense that the WG was developing more alternative
language, rather than coming to closure. At the very end of the
Friday session, the Russian del noted that it had circulated a draft
charter and asked the Spanish CiO that it be discussed in the
appropriate forum. It stressed that the GOR would not join
consensus on the convention without a charter. A representative
from the CiO said it was currently studying how best to proceed with
the proposal. The next round is scheduled to take place July 5-6.
End summary.

--------------
Article 16 (new) -- Immunities for OSCE PA
--------------


2. (U) At the latest round, chaired by Dutch Ambassador Ida van
Veldhuizen-Rothenbuecher and by Austrian MFA Legal representative
Helmut Tichy, Denmark tabled a draft for a new Article 16 that would
grant P's and I's to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, noting that
its members were often sent abroad to do work for the OSCE, such as
election monitoring, and thus needed protection in exercise of these
functions. UK noted that Article 15 already granted P's and I's to
Persons Performing Tasks for the OSCE, which should cover such
functions as election monitoring, and that the government of Denmark
also granted specific P's and I's to the OSCE PA, which was
headquartered in Copenhagen. In light of this, he asked whether it

was really necessary to grant the PA additional P's and I's.
Germany contended that the mandate for the convention did not cover
the PA. Canada supported the UK's position and reiterated that the
PAs of various international organizations operating in Canada did
not enjoy such P's and I's and stated that the headquarters
agreement with Denmark should offer sufficient protection.


3. (U) OSCE PA representative Nothelle sharply took issue with these
views and asserted that the PA was very much a part of the OSCE and
that the headquarters agreement was not sufficient. Germany said
its reading was that Article 15 did not cover the PA as this covered
only "experts on mission." The UK disagreed, saying it covered
people who were not formally part of the OSCE but who did work for
it on a short-term basis (such as election monitoring). The real
question was whether Article 15 failed to address the functional
needs of the OSCE PA and if so, how they could be addressed.


4. (U) Dr. Tichy said that if it were decided that Article 15 was
sufficient, there should be an explicit reference in it to the OSCE
PA. Germany said P's and I's should only be granted in those clear
cases where the members of the PA were going for a specific reason
and for a specific time; if a PA member decided to go to another
OSCE State on his own, s/he could in no way be considered an expert
on mission and should enjoy no P's and I's. Nothelle agreed that in
such a case, a person would not be covered. Russia said coverage by
Article 15 would be problematic as those covered would be
parliamentarians; as such, they represent not only the OSCE but also
the parliaments of their respective countries. Tichy proposed
amending Article 1(j) (Definitions) to expand "Persons Performing
Tasks for the OSCE" to include members of the OSCE PA. When the
text was circulated on Friday, Nothelle sharply objected, saying
that the language made it sound as if the PA were not a full part of
the OSCE. Armenia, as it had in previous rounds, agreed and noted
its strong support for the PA. The Chair noted that this was an
attempt at compromise given that there was little support for
Article 16 and asked to discuss the proposed text in July.

--------------
Article 14 bis -- Members of Field Operations
-------------- -


5. (U) There was discussion on whether to expressly exclude field
operations staff members from national service, after the UK -
consistent with its view that there should be no distinctions
between OSCE officials and field operations staff -- proposed
inserting language taken from Article 14 (OSCE Officials). After a

USOSCE 00000291 002 OF 003


confused discussion about draft evasion by host state nationals, US
representative L/EUR Peter Olson noted that the discussion was moot,
since in para 2, States are not obliged to grant their own nationals
such P's and I's. Russia and Armenia were not convinced this was
enough and pressed for the clause to be kept out.


6. (U) When discussion resumed on this issue on Friday, the U.S.
said it was important to compare Article 14 and 14 bis and the P's
and I's granted OSCE officials in general and those granted to field
operations staff. He said that one of the very few cases where
distinguishing between the P's and I's afforded OSCE officials and
those afforded field operations staff was that P's and I's should be
granted to members of field operations only in the countries where
the operation was established and when traveling to other countries
on official business. Thus someone who was working in Central Asia
would not be granted immunity from arrest if he were vacationing in
France, for example. Russia and Canada agreed. The UK, Germany and
Sweden said, however, that it was important to treat all officials
the same, whether from the Secretariat in Vienna or the field
operations, otherwise there would be different levels of protection.
The UK clarified its position saying that the limits in 14 bis
should be in 14 as well. Belgium also said some language should be
added to 14 that would limit its scope. The Chair asked Tichy to
draft chapeau language to that effect.

--------------
Social Security Schemes/Tax Exemption
--------------


7. (U) The Chair invited Dr. Gerhard Spiegel from the Austrian
social security administration to discuss various plans, as these
are mentioned in paras 4, 6-7 of Article 14 (OSCE Officials). He
recommended that any references be simply kept to exempting OSCE
officials from payment into the social security system of the host
country or any other participating State, provided they are covered
by the social security scheme of the OSCE. Following that, there
was discussion of tax exemption for OSCE officials.

-------------- --------------
Article 19 - Provisional Application of the Convention
-------------- --------------


8. (U) Tichy said the proposed language states that a State may
declare at any time that it will apply the convention provisionally.
After short discussion, agreement was reached.

--------------
Russian Draft Charter Enters the Ring
--------------

9.(U) Just before the session ended, the Russian del noted that it
had circulated a draft charter and asked the Spanish CiO that it be
discussed in the appropriate forum. It stressed that the GOR would
not support a convention without a charter. It asserted that, as
the OSCE currently was merely a "club," legally, the GOR could not
grant legal personality without also specifying the organization's
structures. A representative from the CiO said it was currently
studying how best to proceed with the proposal and said it would
announce its decision soon.

10.(SBU) As in past rounds, despite considerable discussion, there
was no discernible progress toward compromise, but rather a
frustrating sense that the WG was proliferating alternative
language, rather than coming to closure. The formal introduction of
the Russian charter does not ease the sense that these negotiations
could be the start of a long road to nowhere. Dutch Chair van
Veldhuizen-Rothenbuecher told USOSCE on June 18 after the conclusion
of the fourth round that she acknowledged the WG at this point was
still drafting new language but that starting in July, she wanted to
start pressing the group to make compromises. Her goal was to have
a finished draft by October, in time for consideration by the Madrid
MC. She also recognized that the Russian position on a charter
could complicate negotiations on a convention. However, she
contended that it would be best to not reject the Russian draft
outright but to play along for now, otherwise it might provoke the
RF to become obstructionist. Canadian Ambassador Gibson told us
separately that she also personally believed the draft should not be
shelved immediately but added that if the RF really wanted to
negotiate a charter, it should get an MC decision, as was done last
year for the convention WG.


11. (SBU) Comment: Many of the missions we have spoken with
informally would seem to support this go-along position, despite our
arguments that this could lead to a slippery slope. The real test
will likely come in the fall, in the run-up to Madrid, when work on
the convention nears completion and Russia increases pressure on
other States. End comment.

USOSCE 00000291 003 OF 003



FINLEY