OSCE/PERMANENT COUNCIL: RESPONSE TO HEAD OF

UNCLAS STATE 046284

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OSCE PREL PGOV BK
SUBJECT: OSCE/PERMANENT COUNCIL: RESPONSE TO HEAD OF
MISSION TO BOSNIA, GARY ROBBINS


1. (U) Post is authorized to present the following statement
at the May 7 Permanent Council meeting in Vienna.

Begin text:

Thank you, Madam Chairwoman.

Welcome to the Permanent Council, Ambassador Robbins, and
thank you for your insightful report.

The United States regrets that little has changed in Bosnia
and Herzegovina since the last Head of Mission report.
Political tensions are undiminished, and some aspects of
reform remain stalled.

We are concerned by the continued determination of some
politicians in Bosnia and Herzegovina to undermine
state-level institutions to advance their nationalist
policies in rhetoric but also in practice.

There is some real progress. One bright spot was the
enactment in March of the first amendment to the Dayton
constitution to protect the multi-ethnicity of the Brcko
District. The efforts that led to this amendment, which grew
out of the Prud process, give some cause for optimism on
moving ahead on additional reforms. We hope that this will
translate into actions that meet outstanding 5-plus-2
requirements set by the PIC as soon as possible.

We welcome that the OSCE Mission continues to make meaningful
and useful contributions to reform efforts despite the
difficult political climate in the country.

Programs in democracy and human rights are of paramount
importance. The Mission's activities in local government
reform are commendable, and new initiatives to support local
assemblies and administrations should effectively build on
past experience.

Legislative assistance can help not only with strengthening
democracy and the rule of law, but, as you mention, also to
defend human rights by addressing weaknesses in the
prosecution of hate crimes or trafficking.

We are increasingly concerned about threats to media freedom,
and while we understand the Mission's Media Affairs Unit was
closed, we wonder whether there might be ways for the Mission
to actively complement other efforts aimed at bolstering
media freedom.

We welcome the focus on stronger strategic coherence in the
Mission's activities, including through more robust use of
the field offices, which are one of the Mission's unique
strengths.

To this end, we also strongly endorse the plan to consolidate
the three human dimension programs into one, with the purpose
of increasing synergies and improving coordination. We
welcome this all the more given our understanding that the
principal aim of the consolidation is to increase
effectiveness, and not just reduce costs. Getting more bang
for the buck is in itself a good thing, even if it is also
true that the United States generally does support gradual
reductions in some of the South East Europe Missions as a
means of freeing up resources for other areas. If we can
increase effectiveness by reducing some costs, all the better.

With Bosnia and Herzegovina's aspirations for Euro-Atlantic
integration, the European Union and NATO have vital
leadership roles to play, and we look for continued EU and
NATO contributions to supporting reform.

There are many more activities we could commend. You and your
staff are making a vital difference in helping Bosnia and
Herzegovina address the multitude of challenges it faces. An
increasingly effective mission, focused on where it adds the
most unique value, will be a key force multiplier for your
efforts and goals and help realize the aspirations of the
Bosnian people to become full members of the Euro-Atlantic
community.

Thank you, Madam Chairwoman.

End text.
CLINTON