OSCE WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS: JANUARY 25 - 29, 2010

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SUBJECT: OSCE WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS: JANUARY 25 - 29, 2010

Chairmanship Eager to Please with Low-Calorie Human Dimension
Agenda


1. (SBU) Kazakhstani PermRep Abdrakhmanov formally presented
the Chairmanship's Human Dimension (HD) calendar at the
well-attended HD Committee's inaugural meeting January 22.
True to the Chairmanship's stated priorities, the proposal
was heavy on tolerance, gender, and trafficking events at the
expense of possible events on human rights and fundamental
freedoms. In an earlier meeting convened by USOSCE, the
EU/Spain, Norway, and Canada developed coordinated statements
to reinforce our common interest in a more ambitious program.
Accordingly, these delegations recommended changes,
including a Supplementary Human Dimension Meeting on freedom
of assembly and association in lieu of trafficking; the
replacement of "self-regulation of the media" with a broader
focus on "freedom of the media" or "freedom of expression"
for a special day at the annual Human Dimension
Implementation Meeting; and the shifting of "intolerance
against migrants" from the Human Dimension Seminar to the
planned high-level conference on tolerance, in order to free
the seminar for a discussion of how to strengthen HD
implementation mechanisms.


2. (SBU) Russia stated its willingness to "give consent" to
the Kazakhstani proposal as presented since it was "a
negotiated compromise, even though it did not include any of
the Russian priorities." Russia warned, however, that if
others were to open the package for discussion, Russia would
be forced to push for more emphasis on freedom of movement,
national minorities, intercultural dialogue, and efforts to
combat neo-fascism. Belarus also stated it was prepared to
accept the proposal as presented. Along the same lines,
Turkmenistan hinted at raising NGO registration at HD events
if the package were re-opened, saying "you know we have a
problem with this."


3. (SBU) In an attempt to accommodate opposing viewpoints,
Kazakhstani Deputy PermRep Suleimenov reassured delegations
that all comments would be taken into consideration, but
reminded delegations of the planned conference to commemorate
the 20th anniversary of the Copenhagen document, which would
serve to address issues that could not be accommodated
elsewhere. He offered other ideas for augmenting the
Chairmanship's priorities, including a special PC at the end
of the tolerance conference and the inclusion of HD issues at
the proposed Corfu Process informal ministerial. A revised
proposal is expected to be distributed by the Chairmanship
prior to the next Human Dimension Committee meeting,
scheduled for February 2.

Chairmanship Chooses Corfu Process Coordinators


4. (SBU) Kazakhstani Deputy PermRep Akhinzhanov updated CDA
Fuller January 26 on impending appointments of Corfu Process
coordinators for each of the planned sessions, as well as
cross-dimensional threats and challenges; interaction with
other organizations and institutions; enhancing the OSCE's
effectiveness; Euro-Atlantic security; and commitment
implementation. Turning to the process leading to the June
interim report on the Corfu Process, Akhinzhanov said the
Chairmanship, in cooperation with the coordinators, would
draft a number of food-for-thought papers following the
February 12-13 PermReps' retreat. Coordinators then would
use the papers as a basis for considering specific proposals

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and structuring discussions and eventually would produce a
summary, including "workable and unworkable" ideas, that the
Chairmanship would use for the interim report. The
Kazakhstanis also are considering using the Annual Security
Review Conference, slated for the first or third week of
June, to contribute to the report. The proposed informal
ministerial, provisionally planned for June or July (either
adjacent to the late June high-level conference on tolerance
or stand-alone in mid-July),would consider the interim
report and make recommendations on the possible content of a
summit.

Russia Blocks Funds for ODIHR's Proposed Move


5. (U) At the January 26 meeting of the Advisory Committee on
Management and Finance, Russia blocked approval of ODIHR's
request to transfer EUR 500,000 from its FY '09 cash surplus
to FY '10 to pay for make-ready work and moving expenses to
new office premises in Warsaw. ODIHR initiated the work, on
a building identified by and secured with the cooperation of
the Polish MFA, after the Polish Ministry of Justice asked
ODIHR to relocate because identified structural defects made
the building unsafe. Russia admitted to a Secretariat
contact that Russia's requests for further information on the
building's management were driven not so much by concerns
about the proposed move, but "because it's ODIHR." This
action also holds up consideration of the year-end revision
of the Unified Budget, the OSCE's effort to reflect actual
expenditures and adjust participating States' bills. The
OSCE estimates additional savings of EUR 5,291,500 for a
final '09 Unified Budget of EUR 153,385,200.

Draft Decision on Gender Equality in OSCE Hiring Creeps
Forward


6. (U) The Irish charge attempted January 26 to push forward
a draft decision on gender equality in OSCE hiring. The
decision seeks to strengthen the Secretariat's efforts to
recruit and retain qualified female staff and include
Secretariat reporting on efforts to promote gender equality
in the required Secretary General's Annual Evaluation Report
on the Implementation of the 2004 OSCE Action Plan for the
Promotion of Gender Equality. Germany proposed that the
Secretariat's gender advisor assume a role in the recruitment
of OSCE staff, but other participating States objected,
noting they did not want the office to get involved in what
are basically administrative -- not policy -- decisions.

EU Inquisitive about Conflict Resolution Mechanism


7. (SBU) At the weekly EU coordination meeting January 27,
Spanish PermRep Betanzos Roig expressed keen interest in the
U.S. proposal for a conflict prevention and resolution
mechanism, asking CDA Fuller to share details and provide
early drafts. (Note: Per Washington instructions, we have
provided our circulated concept paper from last October and
orally described how we might build upon it). Betanzos Roig
insinuated that consideration of such a mechanism would be
difficult without also discussing the Medvedev proposal for a
new European security treaty. On the mechanism itself, Head
of EU Delegation Ambassador Lundin cautioned against
specifying in a draft decision the level of the deployed
team, urging us to refrain from using the word "experts," and
highlighted the importance of resolving the question of under
whose auspices any operation could be undertaken. Betanzos

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Roig concluded that "a few people" would need to be assigned
to study the U.S. proposal before the EU could give a
coordinated response.

Spotlight Focuses on Russia at Permanent Council Meeting


8. (SBU) At the January 28 Permanent Council meeting, the EU
opened with a statement expressing concern over the treatment
of individuals in Russian police custody, highlighting the
cases of Konstatin Popov and Sergei Magnitsky. The statement
welcomed President Medvedev's initial steps to address the
problem. In his response, Russian Deputy PermRep Lukashevich
said the administration was on a path towards reforming the
criminal justice system and improving the criminal code to
"make it more humane." The United States delivered a
statement reiterating concern about violence against
journalists, human rights defenders, and others in Russia's
North Caucasus region, while positively acknowledging Prime
Minister Putin's recent call for the protection of human
rights organizations in that region. Lukashevich, acting
surprised at the keen interest taken by everyone in "Russia's
internal affairs," reserved the right to reply at the next
Permanent Council meeting.

Azerbaijan Says No Link Between Cases Against Journalists and
Their Work


9. (SBU) In response to a January 28 U.S. Permanent Council
statement citing concern about possible infringements on
freedom of the media in Azerbaijan, the Azerbaijani
representative stated that the prosecutions were conducted in
line with domestic and international law. She called on
participating States to await the outcome of the
investigation in the case of Eynulla Fatullayev and the
results of the appeal in the cases of Emin Milli and Adnan
Hajizade before raising concerns in the Permanent Council, in
order to avoid undue politicization. Contrary to previous
indications, the EU did not speak on the Fatullayev and
Milli/Hajizade cases; a handful of member States apparently
blocked the statement at the last minute.
FULLER