OSCE Chairman-in-Office says continued dialogue needed in Central Asia
(OSCE/Alex Nitzsche)The OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Netherlands Foreign Minister Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, meets Tajikistan's President, Emomali Rahmonov, on 11 July 2003 in Dushanbe. (OSCE/Alex Nitzsche) Photo details
THE HAGUE, 17 July 2003 - The OSCE Chairman-in-Office , Netherlands Foreign Minister Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, returned from a five-day visit to Central Asia convinced that there is no alternative to continued dialogue with the Central Asian states.
"I am satisfied that I have been able to visit Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan and that I had discussions with the highest authorities of these countries as well as with representatives of the civil society", the Chairman-in-Office said. "I hope that the personal contact I have established with the Presidents and Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the four countries will help us translate the priority this Chairmanship has given to Central Asia into intensified activities and co-operation."
Minister de Hoop Scheffer said that in all four countries there had been a discussion about the objectives and priorities of the Netherlands chairmanship of the OSCE and the way forward to the Maastricht Ministerial Council on 1 and 2 December.
"One item on the OSCE's agenda is the preparation of a document dealing with 'new threats'. Terrorism, organized crime and various forms of trafficking have been recurring themes in my talks with the Central Asian leaders. Fighting an effective battle against the threat of terrorism is of great importance not only for that region, but for the OSCE as a whole ", said the Minister who stressed that responding to these threats should not be at the expense of respect for basic democratic and human rights.
The Netherlands OSCE Chairman made clear in all the countries he visited that the OSCE does not impose its program activities in the host countries, but stands ready to offer its expertise and assistance wherever needed in the context of a constructive dialogue.
"I agreed with my Central Asian counterparts that there is a need for balance in the work of the OSCE. That means first of all a geographical balance in the sense that this organization must be active both east and west of Vienna. But the OSCE also needs to balance its three dimensions of politico-military security, economic and ecological cooperation and human rights issues", said Minister de Hoop Scheffer.
"The Central Asian countries are faced with serious problems and challenges in the economic and security areas, but also when it comes to good governance, the rule of law, an independent judiciary and freedom of the press. The need to keep up the dialogue on all of these issues is beyond doubt. There is no alternative".
The CiO made a plea in all relevant countries for a moratorium on the death penalty and ratification of the UN treaty against torture.
Talks in Kazakhstan with President Nazarbayev and Foreign Minister Tokayev also concerned, among other issues, OSCE involvement in the drafting of three laws, namely on the registration and position of NGOs in the country, on the electoral process and on mass media.
The CiO, who also had a thorough discussion with the president of the Election Commission, was given a guarantee by the Kazakh authorities that the new electoral law will be submitted to the OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), for scrutiny by this specialized institution. Furthermore, in two individual cases of human rights violations, the Netherlands OSCE Chairman stressed the importance of fair trial and due process.
In Uzbekistan, Minister de Hoop Scheffer had an in-depth discussion with President Karimov who said he welcomed the return to Uzbekistan of Mr. Van Boven, the UN rapporteur on torture. "Starting from the idea that all OSCE states have subscribed to the OSCE values, and that they share the common OSCE roof, I have made an appeal to both the President and Foreign Minister Safayev to start implementing the recommendations of the Van Boven report", said the Minister. He added that he had submitted to Minister Safayev a list of names of several individuals alleged to have been subjected to torture, and that he would await a response from the government on this.
In Kyrgyzstan, while welcoming reforms of the justice system and the prolongation of the moratorium on the death penalty, the CiO made a plea for further strengthening of democratic society, for instance by the organizing of a meeting with opposition parties, with the possible participation of his Personal Envoy for Central Asia, former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari.
"With President Akayev and deputy Foreign Minister Kuschchubekov, I also discussed other important elements of a democratic society, such as the rule of law and free media", said the Minister. He expressed hope that the Kyrgyz authorities would continue with reforms in these areas.
"The trip has made it clear that there is wide recognition that much remains to be done and that, because of the history of these countries and the fact that they do not have a tradition of democracy, progress is sometimes slow. But the OSCE must remain committed, because all the countries have signed up to the same values and principles".
Minister de Hoop Scheffer underlined the importance the Netherlands Chairmanship attaches to civil society and the work of non-governmental organizations by having meetings with their representatives in most of the cities that he visited.
"These organizations can make a valuable contribution to the dialogue which is needed for the transition to a pluralist society firmly rooted in the principles of democracy and good governance. I have great admiration for their courage and their work which is often carried out under very difficult circumstances", said Minister de Hoop Scheffer.
"I take it as a positive sign that these organizations have sometimes taken a distinctively critical tone when speaking not only of the situation in the countries that they are active in, but also of the role the OSCE plays in their societies".
The CiO had a thorough discussion with representatives of various Kyrgyz NGOs about the programme on police reform in Kyrgyzstan. "I am aware that criticism exists about the involvement of the OSCE in this type of activity, but I believe that this is based on the lack of and on incomplete information about the program. A democratic society deserves a responsible and responsive police force. I think the program should start soon, on condition that the Kyrgyz Ministry of Interior engages civil society in the police reform process. In this respect I am pleased with the promise of President Akayev that NGOs will be invited to participate in the council overseeing the program."
In Tajikistan, the Chairman-in-Office expressed his appreciation for the decision of the Tajik authorities to abolish the death penalty for women. "But I have asked the authorities to go further. In Tajikistan, as in other countries in the region, much work remains to be done in the area of rule of law, improving political party registration and establishing an independent judiciary as well as free and objective media".
Minister de Hoop Scheffer praised the positive attitude of President Rakhmonov and Foreign Minister Nazarov on the issue of regional co-operation.
"It has become clear to me during my trip to Central Asia that cross-border co-operation is of crucial importance to the entire region. The opening of borders is the only way to achieve long-term regional stability, but requires at the same time effective instruments to combat terrorism and international crime, such as the trafficking of arms, drugs and human beings", said Minister de Hoop Scheffer, encouraging all states to join in this effort.
"I am satisfied that I have been able to visit Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan and that I had discussions with the highest authorities of these countries as well as with representatives of the civil society", the Chairman-in-Office said. "I hope that the personal contact I have established with the Presidents and Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the four countries will help us translate the priority this Chairmanship has given to Central Asia into intensified activities and co-operation."
Minister de Hoop Scheffer said that in all four countries there had been a discussion about the objectives and priorities of the Netherlands chairmanship of the OSCE and the way forward to the Maastricht Ministerial Council on 1 and 2 December.
"One item on the OSCE's agenda is the preparation of a document dealing with 'new threats'. Terrorism, organized crime and various forms of trafficking have been recurring themes in my talks with the Central Asian leaders. Fighting an effective battle against the threat of terrorism is of great importance not only for that region, but for the OSCE as a whole ", said the Minister who stressed that responding to these threats should not be at the expense of respect for basic democratic and human rights.
The Netherlands OSCE Chairman made clear in all the countries he visited that the OSCE does not impose its program activities in the host countries, but stands ready to offer its expertise and assistance wherever needed in the context of a constructive dialogue.
"I agreed with my Central Asian counterparts that there is a need for balance in the work of the OSCE. That means first of all a geographical balance in the sense that this organization must be active both east and west of Vienna. But the OSCE also needs to balance its three dimensions of politico-military security, economic and ecological cooperation and human rights issues", said Minister de Hoop Scheffer.
"The Central Asian countries are faced with serious problems and challenges in the economic and security areas, but also when it comes to good governance, the rule of law, an independent judiciary and freedom of the press. The need to keep up the dialogue on all of these issues is beyond doubt. There is no alternative".
The CiO made a plea in all relevant countries for a moratorium on the death penalty and ratification of the UN treaty against torture.
Talks in Kazakhstan with President Nazarbayev and Foreign Minister Tokayev also concerned, among other issues, OSCE involvement in the drafting of three laws, namely on the registration and position of NGOs in the country, on the electoral process and on mass media.
The CiO, who also had a thorough discussion with the president of the Election Commission, was given a guarantee by the Kazakh authorities that the new electoral law will be submitted to the OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), for scrutiny by this specialized institution. Furthermore, in two individual cases of human rights violations, the Netherlands OSCE Chairman stressed the importance of fair trial and due process.
In Uzbekistan, Minister de Hoop Scheffer had an in-depth discussion with President Karimov who said he welcomed the return to Uzbekistan of Mr. Van Boven, the UN rapporteur on torture. "Starting from the idea that all OSCE states have subscribed to the OSCE values, and that they share the common OSCE roof, I have made an appeal to both the President and Foreign Minister Safayev to start implementing the recommendations of the Van Boven report", said the Minister. He added that he had submitted to Minister Safayev a list of names of several individuals alleged to have been subjected to torture, and that he would await a response from the government on this.
In Kyrgyzstan, while welcoming reforms of the justice system and the prolongation of the moratorium on the death penalty, the CiO made a plea for further strengthening of democratic society, for instance by the organizing of a meeting with opposition parties, with the possible participation of his Personal Envoy for Central Asia, former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari.
"With President Akayev and deputy Foreign Minister Kuschchubekov, I also discussed other important elements of a democratic society, such as the rule of law and free media", said the Minister. He expressed hope that the Kyrgyz authorities would continue with reforms in these areas.
"The trip has made it clear that there is wide recognition that much remains to be done and that, because of the history of these countries and the fact that they do not have a tradition of democracy, progress is sometimes slow. But the OSCE must remain committed, because all the countries have signed up to the same values and principles".
Minister de Hoop Scheffer underlined the importance the Netherlands Chairmanship attaches to civil society and the work of non-governmental organizations by having meetings with their representatives in most of the cities that he visited.
"These organizations can make a valuable contribution to the dialogue which is needed for the transition to a pluralist society firmly rooted in the principles of democracy and good governance. I have great admiration for their courage and their work which is often carried out under very difficult circumstances", said Minister de Hoop Scheffer.
"I take it as a positive sign that these organizations have sometimes taken a distinctively critical tone when speaking not only of the situation in the countries that they are active in, but also of the role the OSCE plays in their societies".
The CiO had a thorough discussion with representatives of various Kyrgyz NGOs about the programme on police reform in Kyrgyzstan. "I am aware that criticism exists about the involvement of the OSCE in this type of activity, but I believe that this is based on the lack of and on incomplete information about the program. A democratic society deserves a responsible and responsive police force. I think the program should start soon, on condition that the Kyrgyz Ministry of Interior engages civil society in the police reform process. In this respect I am pleased with the promise of President Akayev that NGOs will be invited to participate in the council overseeing the program."
In Tajikistan, the Chairman-in-Office expressed his appreciation for the decision of the Tajik authorities to abolish the death penalty for women. "But I have asked the authorities to go further. In Tajikistan, as in other countries in the region, much work remains to be done in the area of rule of law, improving political party registration and establishing an independent judiciary as well as free and objective media".
Minister de Hoop Scheffer praised the positive attitude of President Rakhmonov and Foreign Minister Nazarov on the issue of regional co-operation.
"It has become clear to me during my trip to Central Asia that cross-border co-operation is of crucial importance to the entire region. The opening of borders is the only way to achieve long-term regional stability, but requires at the same time effective instruments to combat terrorism and international crime, such as the trafficking of arms, drugs and human beings", said Minister de Hoop Scheffer, encouraging all states to join in this effort.