OSCE WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS: OCTOBER 26 - 30, 2009

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 USOSCE 000247 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/02/2019 TAGS: MARR OSCE PGOV PREL GG RU SUBJECT: OSCE WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS: OCTOBER 26 - 30, 2009 Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Carol Fuller for Reasons 1.4(B)&(D) Draft Ministerial Council Decision on Women,s Political Participation Tabled ¶1. (SBU) A draft Ministerial Council decision on "Women,s Participation in Political and Public Life" was tabled at the October 28 Human Dimension Committee meeting. While Russia, Belarus, and a handful of other participating States said they lacked formal guidance, all expressed general support for the decision. In subsequent line-by-line negotiations, the EU proposed references to UN Security Council Resolutions 1325 and 1889, which highlight the need for full and equal participation by women in decision making and political life. Several delegations (including the United States) expressed reservations about draft text calling for "targeted measures" and "quantitative" recommendations to achieve gender balance, but these differences did not appear likely to block consensus. The Greek Chairmanship will circulate a revised text in the next few days. OSCE Office in Zagreb Report To Conclude that Housing Care Monitoring No Longer Necessary ¶2. (C) In an Oct 28 meeting with poloffs Enrique Horcajada, Head of the OSCE Office in Zagreb, provided advance copy of the conclusions of a report that will come out in the next few days assessing Croatia,s progress on the housing care program and on war crimes trials. The report, which is now with the Secretariat and CiO for their approval, will conclude that while the Office,s mandate on war crimes is almost fulfilled and intensive monitoring is no longer needed, an additional period of OSCE assistance would take advantage of existing momentum, especially as Croatia,s judiciary continues to address unprosecuted war crimes. It will conclude that monitoring the residual aspects of the housing care program for ex-OTR holders is no longer necessary, but could be continued at a reduced level if the office continues in 2010. Horcajada said the content of this report would feature prominently in the address by Croatian FM Jandrokovic to the Permanent Council next week. While the GoC agreed with most of the report, Horcajada had resisted heavy pressure to remove text detailing further improvements that should be made to war crimes trials processes. He said the GoC was now lobbying the Secretariat and the CiO to remove this text before releasing the report. ; Praise for HCNM activities ¶3. (SBU) Participating States expressed strong support for the activities of the High Commissioner on National Minorities Knut Vollebaek at the October 29 Permanent Council meeting. Delegations in general supported Vollebaek,s proposal to hold a review conference on the Bolzano recommendations in 2010 and applauded his search for win-win solutions to problems related to national minorities. States specifically mentioned in the HCNM,s report, including Tajikistan, Ukraine and Macedonia, responded positively, pledging further cooperation in the future. Russia struck the only discordant note, stating ) in contradiction to the 1991 Moscow document ) that the HCNM is not authorized to interfere in the internal affairs of participating States. Ambassador Lenarcic Comments on HDIM/ODIHR Activities ¶4. (SBU) At the October 29 PC, ODIHR Director Lenarcic USOSCE 00000247 002 OF 003 presented his view of the recently convened Human Dimension Implementation Meeting (HDIM) and to recount ODIHR activities over the last year. Lenarcic termed the HDIM "overall successful" and emphasized the participation of not only participating States in the discussions about the implementation of human dimension commitments, but also that of civil society. In apparent anticipation of frequent Russian complaints about geographic imbalance, Lenarcic noted that so far in 2009, ODIHR has covered at least 15 election events in 26 pS and 1 Partner for Cooperation (Afghanistan) and that representatives from 52 of the 56 pS have participated. Most pS who responded were very supportive of the current state of the HDIM, as well as ODIHR,s functions, activities and independence. Even the RF concluded that this year,s HDIM was less confrontational and more constructive (more "business-like"). The RF still urged modifying the modalities of the HDIM and more of a balance between the human and the other two dimensions (meaning less emphasis on the human dimension). Regarding ODIHR election activities, both the RF and Belarus reiterated their position for the creation of uniform rules and mandated reports. Russian Ambassador Lambastes RFOM ¶5. (SBU) On October 26, Miklos Haraszti, the well-respected OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media (RFoM) delivered his bi-annual report to the Permanent Council on the state of media freedom in OSCE participating States. In what was a surprise to no one (save perhaps the Russian Ambassador) Haraszti,s report pointed to the intimidation, assaults, and murders of journalists in Russia, Kyrgyzstan and Azerbaijan, where few are ever brought to justice. He also highlighted other methods used increasingly to harass journalists, including civil and criminal defamation actions, punitive fines, jail terms for moral offenses and others. Azerbaijan was singled out for having the greatest number of journalists incarcerated in the OSCE. Haraszti also identified Italian PM Berlusconi as violating the standard that public figures must have a thicker skin than ordinary citizens. Sweden for the EU lamented the lack of full media freedom in the OSCE and extolled the opportunity presented by the Corfu Process to engage on these issues. In a stinging rebuke, Russian Ambassador Azimov called the RFoM report a "political harangue" that reflected the Representative,s inability to see anything west of Vienna. Azimov claimed he was shocked by the report released after the visit to the RF and wondered why there was no similar report after the RFoM,s visit to the U.S. Azimov said Haraszti exercised "a double standard, was geographically imbalanced and was outright prejudiced." Saying Haraszti should spend his last few months trying to be open and balanced, Azimov exclaimed, "Thank God you are coming to the end of your term," causing some delegates (largely accustomed to the RF Ambassador,s bluster) to gasp. Georgia Considering MC Decision on IDPs, Declaration Condemning Ethnic Cleansing ¶6. (SBU) Georgian PermRep Gaprindashvili told Poloff October 29 that Tbilisi was considering tabling a draft Ministerial Council decision expressing concern over the problem of internally displaced persons and refugees and calling on participating States (pS) to facilitate their safe and dignified return. Gaprindashvili said Tbilisi had made a concerted effort to propose moderate, balanced language, and USOSCE 00000247 003 OF 003 had avoided making explicit reference to any participating State. He added that he would soon share a draft with the United States and others (including Norway, Canada, the UK, Armenia, and Azerbaijan),and would evaluate initial, informal reactions before deciding whether to formally table the draft. Gaprindashvili said Tbilisi also was considering proposing a declaration condemning practices of ethnic cleansing and mass expulsions, and would gauge initial reactions to a draft before deciding how to proceed. If tabled, Georgia would seek support and signatures from as many pS as possible, with the intention of issuing it at the OSCE Ministerial as a non-consensus document. Vollebaek argues OSCE should return to its traditional mediation role ¶7. (C) High Commissioner on National Minorities Knut Vollebaek made a presentation on October 22 at a retreat on mediation organized by the OSCE,s Conflict Prevention Center, in which he discussed the OSCE,s role in mediation. He recalled the vital mediation role given to the first generation of field operations, and urged the OSCE to restore their mandate in this area, and to allow them to serve as a pressure valve, channeling discontent from the people to the government. While praising OSCE efforts in conflict prevention, he argued that lack of continuity and resources, combined with sometimes rancorous internal debate, has hampered the OSCE,s ability to play a stronger role in mediating conflicts in its region. Noting that while Finnish FM (and then-OSCE CiO) Stubb did a great job in trying to prevent and resolve the Georgia conflict, Russian President Putin chose to deal instead with his "equal," French President Sarkozy, Vollebaek recommended that OSCE involve more high-level people in mediation activities, including to support existing settlement processes. He also encouraged the OSCE to develop stronger internal procedures to deal with crisis situations, and set up a mediation center to preserve institutional memory. FULLER