OSCE PERMANENT COUNCIL: LOOKING TO ATHENS

UNCLAS STATE 120799 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL OSCE SUBJECT: OSCE PERMANENT COUNCIL: LOOKING TO ATHENS ¶1. (U) Post is authorized to deliver the following statement at the November 24, 2009, meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna. Begin text: Thank you, Madam Chair. The United States is deeply committed to this organization, and to the principles and commitments enshrined in the Helsinki Final Act and other jointly agreed documents. We value the OSCE,s comprehensive concept of security, and believe it is precisely this multi-dimensional approach that makes the OSCE an essential element of our security architecture. At our Ministerial in Athens, we hope to see a reaffirmation of our existing commitments, particularly those relating to the promotion of democracy, human rights, and fundamental freedoms. Fulfilling our commitments in these areas is critical to long-term peace and prosperity across the OSCE region. There is a direct link between individual and inter-state security. We hope also to reach agreement on sustaining the Corfu Process dialogue. As the most inclusive security organization in Europe and Eurasia, the OSCE clearly is the best place for these discussions. Our dialogue thus far has shown that the full implementation of existing commitments across the three dimensions would bring about a marked improvement in security. It is time now to consider practical ways of better implementing our commitments, and of strengthening the OSCE,s capacity to exercise its core crisis prevention and conflict resolution mandate, particularly in light of the recent return of military conflict to the OSCE region. In future Corfu Process discussions, we would like to see an emphasis on the key areas identified from our last ten weeks of discussions, with an eye to making concrete progress on improving implementation of OSCE commitments in all three dimensions; the strengthening of democracy and the rule of law; the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms; the improvement of the OSCE,s conflict prevention and resolution capabilities; the intensification of efforts to address transnational threats and cross-dimensional challenges; and ways to create or more effectively use existing OSCE mechanisms and instruments across the organization,s three dimensions. We firmly believe additional dialogue and practical approaches are needed, and would welcome at the Athens Ministerial a declaration and decision on the continuation of the Corfu process. Before committing to hold a high-level meeting, though, the participating States need to work together, through the Corfu Process and in other OSCE venues, to achieve some concrete results in each of the three dimensions. We believe that only then should the participating States consider the question of the timing of such a meeting. We would welcome an overall political declaration that forcefully addresses key issues, especially where key principles and values are at stake. Indeed, no European security regime can be truly effective unless it is based on shared principles and values. In our founding documents, we jointly committed to these values, including respect for democracy, human rights, and fundamental freedoms, territorial integrity, and the right of sovereign states to determine their own security arrangements. The August 2008 war in Georgia and the persistence of unresolved conflicts in the OSCE region demonstrate that we clearly have work to do. In Athens, we look forward, not only to reaffirm our existing commitments, but to look for ways to strengthen and improve our implementation of them. Thank you, Madam Chair. END TEXT CLINTON