04 December 2001

OSCE Ministerial Ends with Anti-Terror Declaration, Action Plan

The 55 member states of the Organization for Security and Cooperation (OSCE) in Europe have condemned terrorism in all its forms and have agreed to a plan of broad-ranging counterterrorism measures, according to a press release issued December 4 at the conclusion of the OSCE ministerial meeting in Bucharest, Romania.

The ministers' declaration states that "No cause can justify the purposeful targeting of innocent people" and that "In the fight against terrorism, there is no neutrality." It also expresses the member states' determination to protect citizens from new security challenges, "while at the same time safeguarding the rule of law, individual liberties, and the right to equal justice under the law."

The Action Plan includes proposals for "practical support" for OSCE members in Central Asia and notes the convening of an international conference on strengthening regional counterterrorism efforts, scheduled for December 13-14 in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.

In other business, the ministers confirmed that Portugal would assume the OSCE chairmanship on January 1, and that the Netherlands would do so at the start of 2003. They also agreed to extend the term of OSCE Secretary General Jan Kubis for three years.

Following is the text of the press release:

Bucharest(OSCE) - The Ninth Ministerial Council of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe has concluded its two-day meeting today by agreeing on a Ministerial Declaration and adopting broad-ranging Action Plan on counter-terrorism measures. Mircea Geoana, Romania's Foreign Minister and current OSCE Chairman-in-Office, said the meeting had been a demonstration of the OSCE's solidarity.

"Only days after the terrorist attacks against the USA, I called in Vienna for a plan of action against terrorism to be forged by the OSCE in time for approval by our central decision-making body. That this was possible is an immense credit to the Organization. Through our unique consensual decision-making process, we have been able to bring on board all the 55 participating States and I am now confident that, having given their approval at this Council, we shall be seeing its immediate effects."

Terrorism in all its forms is condemned in both the Declaration, the Bucharest Plan of Action for Combating Terrorism, which also provides a framework for comprehensive action by the OSCE States to play their part in combating global terrorism. The full text of both documents is available on the OSCE website using www.osce.org/romania2001/documents/

The Declaration states that, in a world profoundly affected by the attacks of international terrorists on the United States: "We resolutely condemn all acts of terrorism. Terrorism, whatever its motivations or origin, has no justification. No cause can justify the purposeful targeting of innocent people. In the fight against terrorism, there is no neutrality"

Within the Declaration, the participating States affirm their determination to address the threats to security and stability in the 21st century: "We request that the Permanent Council (of the OSCE) develop a strategy for the OSCE to do its part to counter these threats."

The Declaration also expresses States determination to protect citizens from new challenges to their security, while at the same time safeguarding the rule of law, individual liberties, and the right to equal justice under the law.

The States reaffirm their determination to fulfil in a timely fashion without exception all of their OSCE commitments, in all the key documents including the United Nations Charter, Helsinki Final Act, the Charter of Paris and the Charter for European Security.

They add: "We remain concerned over the persistence of conflicts in various regions in the OSCE... that threaten the observance of the principles of the Helsinki Final Act in several participating State and may at the same time, threaten peace and stability in the OSCE region. We value the OSCE's important role in early warning, conflict prevention, crisis management and post-conflict rehabilitation. We pay special tribute to the women and men serving in the OSCE institutions and field operations and commend their dedication and hard work"

The Plan of Action, which includes proposals for practical support to OSCE participating States in Central Asia, will be followed in 10 days by an international conference being organized by the OSCE and United Nations Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention. Known as the Bishkek International Conference on Enhancing Security and Stability in Central Asia: Strengthening Comprehensive Efforts to Counter Terrorism, this event, held at the invitation of the Government of Kyrgyzstan in the capital on 13 and 14 December. Journalists wishing to cover this conference can find more information on the OSCE website: www.osce.org/bishkek_conference

Several other decisions were taken at the Ministerial Council. One was to confirm that the Netherlands will succeed to the OSCE Chairmanship in 2003, after Portugal, which is due to take over the chair on 1 January 2002. The Ministers also agreed the next Ministerial Council/Summit will be held in Porto, in Portugal in autumn 2002. It was also agreed that the term of the Secretary General, Jan Kubis, would be extended for three years.

Another decision by the Ministerial Council was to welcome the Concluding Document on Article V of Annex 1-B of the Dayton Peace Accords, to provide for security and stability "in and around the former Yugoslavia". A central part of this document is a set of voluntary confidence- and security-building measures, to come into effect on 1 January 2002. This is the last of three instruments that the Peace Accords - officially the General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina - mandated the OSCE to elaborate and implement. For more details see today's press release on the OSCE website.

Keith Jinks, Deputy Head, Press and Public Information Section, OSCE Chairman-in-Office Secretariat, Kaerntner Ring 5-7 1010, Vienna, Austria. Tel.: 43-1 514 36 532, 40-91 284 686 (mobile), Fax: 43-1 514 36 105, E-mail: [email protected]