OSCE chairman, invoking spirit of Helsinki, calls for political courage (08/07/05)

OSCE chairman, invoking spirit of Helsinki, calls for political courage

HELSINKI - Invoking the spirit of Helsinki of three decades ago, the chairman-in-office of the OSCE, Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel, said the organization's members needed to display the same political courage in plotting its future course and in standing up for its ideals.

In a keynote address during commemorations in the Finnish capital to mark 30 years since the signature of the Final Act of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe on August 1, 1975, Minister Rupel recalled the prevailing spirit of cooperation and goodwill and urged this should be cultivated again.

"We have managed to achieve what we have in the last 30 years because this vast community has learned to reject ethnic hatred, discrimination, corruption, poverty ... and totalitarian politics," he said.

"For that we can thank the Helsinki process. This process was, on the one hand, a series of meetings and commitments that followed the Final Act and created a momentum for dialogue, confidence-building and openness. At the same time," he recalled, "it was the underground movement inspired by Principle Seven of the Act - dissidents across Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union rallying around the human rights commitments to force their leaders to keep the promises that they had made."

"The combination of these inter-governmental and non-governmental streams created a river of change that swept away the foundations of communism and a polarized European security system. This helped the process of détente, and built trust and confidence. It linked human rights and security," said the chairman-in-office.

"In short, the CSCE/Helsinki process was a key element in ending the Cold War and making Europe safer and more united," Mr. Rupel underscored.

In a speech that devoted as many words to looking forward as to reflecting on the history of 30 years ago, he said recent events had shown the process of creating a Europe whole, free and prosperous was not yet complete and terrorist attacks were also an attack on OSCE values.

"Peace in the Balkans is still fragile, while in parts of Europe reforms are only a few years in the making. It is important that we keep vigilant and that the OSCE remains involved in Southeastern and Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and in Central Asia," the chairman-in-office said.

The latter region is an area in urgent need of the OSCE's attention and the organization remained a key partner in its progress and reforms.

"Consider the presidential election in Kyrgyzstan, which by OSCE standards was for the most part free and fair. Kyrgyzstan is in a process of democratic consolidation. The OSCE should stand ready to be a partner in this process, and must be able to help the new government establish democratic principles and reach economic prosperity," he continued.

What happens in Kyrgyzstan is important for transition and change in the whole of Central Asia, the chairman-in-office said. The OSCE should help Central Asia deal with issues of governing capacity, corruption and pockets of lawlessness.

"We cannot afford to tolerate lawless regions within our community. In the age of international terrorism, states have an additional responsibility to exercise sovereignty responsibly. Pockets of lawlessness are gathering zones for terrorists - although extremists also live right among us as citizens," Mr. Rupel stated.

He added, "What happened in New York on September 11 and then again in Madrid, and now in London is also an attack on the very values that the OSCE holds dear. It is a struggle of ideologies. Our societies and communities will continue being targets ... what we can do, however, is minimize the impact in terms of raw damage resulting from terrorism; marginalize the terrorist's appeal; and keep the worst of weapons out of the hands of the terrorists."

The chairman-in-office also alluded to the ongoing reform process within the OSCE. It is time, he said, for the OSCE to become a fully-fledged international organization with member-states rather than participating states, and with a legal personality - "maybe in the future we could consider a statute or charter."

The organization also needs to better inform the public about what it did: "The OSCE does great work, but it is an unsung hero. We should sharpen and raise the OSCE's profile. We need to better inform the public about what we do, and this could perhaps be achieved by identifying and concentrating on a few key areas and strategies," the chairman said.

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