23rd OSCE Ministerial Council

The 23rd OSCE Ministerial Council took place on 8 and 9 December 2016 in Hamburg, Germany. The event was held at the invitation of the 2016 OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

The Ministerial Council is the central decision-making and governing body of the OSCE. The meeting, held annually, provides the foreign ministers of the 57 OSCE participating States an opportunity to review and assess the Organization's activities and strengthen the dialogue on security issues in the OSCE area.

Final Decisions and Declarations

The following final decisions and declarations were adopted at the 23rd OSCE Ministerial Council in Hamburg:

• Decision on the OSCE's role in the governance of large movements of migrants and refugees
• Decision on strengthening good governance and promoting connectivity
• From Lisbon to Hamburg: Declaration on the twentieth anniversary of the OSCE Framework for Arms Control
• Decision on OSCE efforts related to reducing the risks of conflict stemming from the use of information and communication technologies
• Declaration on strengthening OSCE efforts to prevent and counter terrorism
• Decision on enhancing the use of Advance Passenger Information
• Ministerial declaration on OSCE assistance projects in the field of small arms and light weapons and stockpiles of conventional ammunition
• Ministerial statement on the negotiations on the Transdniestrian Settlement Process in the "5+2"format
• Decision on the extension of the Mandate of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media
• Decision on the time and place of the next meeting of the OSCE Ministerial Council
• OSCE Chairmanship in the year 2018
• Decision on the OSCE Chairmanship in the year 2019

News releases

• Protection of human rights defenders is vital to realize OSCE human rights commitments, says OSCE/ODIHR Director Link
• Slovenia’s University of Ljubljana wins Peer-2-Peer OSCE ‘Challenging extremism’ competition in Hamburg
• Youth are essential to strengthening security, conclude participants at side event during OSCE Ministerial Council in Hamburg
• OSCE Chairperson-in-Office addresses Ministerial Council event on crisis in and around Ukraine, praises work of SMM and Trilateral Contact Group
• Joint Statement by the Heads of Delegation of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair Countries
• We need a strong OSCE for a secure Europe says OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Steinmeier at opening of Hamburg Ministerial Council
• In address to OSCE Ministerial Council, PA President Muttonen urges strong and effective OSCE through principle-based dialogue
• OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Steinmeier receives civil society recommendations ahead of the Ministerial Council in Hamburg
• OSCE Ministerial Council to start in Hamburg tomorrow
• OSCE Ministerial Council to meet in Hamburg, Germany on 8-9 December

Full coverage of the 23rd OSCE Ministerial Council meeting including the latest news is available here

23rd Ministerial Council

OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier in Hamburg before the 23rd OSCE Ministerial Council, 7 December 2016.

It is my pleasure to welcome you to the 23rd OSCE Ministerial Council in Hamburg. No other city in Germany represents open-mindedness, tolerance and international connectivity quite like Hamburg. The German OSCE Chairmanship also embodies all of these values: we have worked towards building bridges, strengthening dialogue and engaging civil society further in the OSCE’s discussion and decision making processes. The key priorities of the German OSCE Chairmanship in 2016 have emphasized essential objectives in the face of current crises: “Renewing dialogue, rebuilding trust, restoring security”.

Frank-Walter Steinmeier 2016 OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, German Foreign Minister

Read the entire statement here