Olivia Mitchell
Question:103 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the Government's priorities at the OSCE. [21527/02]
Written Answers. - OSCE Priorities.
Ireland values the role of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe, OSCE, as the primary instrument for early warning, conflict prevention, conflict management and post-conflict rehabilitation in its geographical area from Vancouver to Vladivostok. We support its comprehensive and co-operative approach to security; its promotion of human rights, its protection of national minorities and its role, as a regional arrangement under the UN charter, in helping to prevent, contain and resolve conflict. We attach particular importance to the OSCEs inclusiveness, with 55 states from Europe, North America, the Caucasus and central Asia participating on the basis of full equality.
The organisation has a network of 19 missions working in the Balkans, eastern Europe and central Asia. While no two missions are the same, generally speaking the objectives of their mandates are twofold: to facilitate the political processes that are intended to prevent or settle conflicts and to ensure that the OSCE community is kept informed of developments in the countries where missions are present. Ireland makes a significant contribution by providing 28 civilian, military and Garda personnel to the missions in Kosovo, Bosnia, Croatia, Former Republic of Yugoslavia, FRY, Skopje, Albania and Georgia.
The OSCE has been a crucial element in the international community's response to conflicts in the Balkans and continues to play a major role in the efforts to achieve stability, peace and democracy in the region. As the situation there stabilises, Ireland agrees that the time is now opportune to focus more attention on OSCE activities in the Caucasus and central Asia. Ireland endorses the mediation role of the OSCE in the so-called "frozen conflicts" in Moldova-Transdniestra and Nagorno Karabkh. We welcome the organisation's increasing presence in central Asia in recognition of the need to promote human rights and the democratisation process and to encourage economic development. We support current initiatives aimed at enhancing EU-OSCE cooperation in the region.
The terrorist attacks against the United States on 11 September reinforced the OSCE's determination to make full use of all its instruments and mechanisms in the field of co-operative security to participate in a global coalition against terrorism. Participating states, including Ireland, elaborated a detailed plan of action to combat terrorism at the ministerial council meeting which took place in Bucharest on 3 and 4 December 2001.
I am scheduled to attend the annual meeting of the ministerial council on 6 and 7 December in Porto – Portugal – when participating states will adopt a charter on terrorism. A priority for Ireland will be ensure that concern for human rights and good governance is not set aside in the fight against terrorism. Ireland is of the view that actions to combat terrorism must remain consistent with the demands of democracy, human rights and the rule of law and we fully support the important role which the OSCE is playing to promote and defend these values.