Statement in response to the Address of H.E. Mr. Didier Burkhalter, OSCE Chairperson-in-Office,President of the Swiss Confederation and Head of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affair

16 January, 2014

Statement in response to the Address of H.E. Mr. Didier Burkhalter, OSCE Chairperson-in-Office,President of the Swiss Confederation and Head of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs
delivered by Ambassador Arman Kirakossian at the 980th Meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council

January 16, 2014

We would like to warmly welcome H.E. Didier Burkhalter, President of the Swiss Confederation and Head of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, to the Permanent Council and thank him for the address.
Mr. President,
My delegation has already had the opportunity to present its views on the priorities of the 2014 Swiss Chairmanship during your first appearance at the Permanent Council last year. Therefore we will endeavor to make some emphasis on certain points which were outlined in the framework of your thoughtful address.
Indeed, the ideas underpinning our organization have history marked by painful lessons and important changes. The First World War inflicted heavy losses on Europe and 9 million military casualties do not stand alone among silent reminders of great European tragedy. It also had tragic bearing on peoples that were not directly involved in. The first modern genocide perpetrated under the cover of the First World War, which claimed one and a half million lives of the Armenian people in the Ottoman Empire, shows to what extent humanity can degrade in the absence of international system of security and protection of human and humanitarian rights.
Great tragedies are overcome by great hopes and changes. The end of the First World War brought such a hope to Europe by creating new international security system, empowering people to acquire and exercise their right of self determination that gave birth to many states present here today at this already 57 seat table. The ideas of peace, security, equal rights and self-determination of people were later on fully reflected in the Helsinki Final Act.
We completely agree with your assessment that the OSCE constitutes a seminal multilateral format to discuss, build and shape peace. Peace comes first in our efforts to reach conflict resolution. It is important duty of our organization led by the Chairmanship to convey a strong message of rejecting violence, de-escalating crisis situations, strengthening ceasefire regime and honoring previous commitments.
We are encouraged by the Chairmanship’s stance to promote confidence building measures in the South Caucasus particularly with regard to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The willingness of the sides to conflict to engage in confidence building is a clear indication of their intention to find peaceful solutions. In our view, confidence building measures aiming at creating better atmosphere with regard to Nagorno-Karabakh conflict can be focus oriented and effective once they include authorities, people and civil society of Nagorno-Karabakh.
We welcome the intention of the Chairman-in-Office to support Minsk group Co-Chairs’ efforts through his Personal Representative, Ambassador Kasprzyk. And we hope that the importance attached to his mandate by the Chairmanship will be fully reflected in the 2014 Unified Budget.
Switzerland has accumulated valuable expertise and knowledge in mediation activities serving the cause of peace and reconciliation. Some of them involved certain OSCE participating states. Therefore, we understand that the Swiss Chairmanship pays particular attention to strengthening of the mediation capacities of this organization. We view the readiness of the Swiss Chairmanship to bring issues related to the conflict cycle and protracted conflicts into agenda of Helsinki+40 process in line with its vocation of being impartial bridge builder which, as the distinguished Chairman-in-Office stressed, is an intrinsic part of Swiss foreign policy.
In this respect we would like to highlight two points.
First, strengthening of mediation capacities should not produce additional mandates entitled by same tasks and, therefore, tempt some parties to the conflict to do mediation shopping. The Astana Commemorative declaration clearly outlined the role of the agreed formats in conflict resolution and my delegation will be guided by such approach in the process of Helsinki +40 as well.
Second, when it comes to thematic approach of strengthening capacities of the organization in conflict cycle, our point of reference is Vilnius decision on conflict cycle along with Astana declaration. The work of informal working group on conflict cycle which already became important and inclusive platform of dialogue among OSCE Secretariat and participating states should not be duplicated.
In this sense, my delegation has certain reservations with regard to some approaches highlighted in the roadmap of Helsinki+40 process circulated last December.
Let me turn now from appropriate peacemaking to inappropriate peacemakers.
In our view peacemakers or mediators are those who are in peace and reconciliation with everyone and particularly with their neighbors. Here, I am not referring to personalities but participating states, since the OSCE first and foremost is an intergovernmental organization and not a community service to volunteer. Those who impose universal coercive measures, who openly advocate kinship security, who need mediators themselves to establish relations with other people and participating states cannot be helpful in strengthening the mediation capacities of this organization.
We hope that Switzerland who pledged to conduct its Chairmanship in non biased, transparent and cooperative manner will understand our concerns.
Mr. President,
We agree with the assumption that the sovereign equality and decision making by consensus are two valuable principles of the OSCE which can somehow hamper the organization unless participating states apply a degree of pragmatism. Since the Chairmanship is the first among equals here we will expect this degree of pragmatism in overcoming difficulties and leading all of us to common success.
In conclusion, we would like to thank the outgoing Ukrainian Chairmanship, Ambassador Ihor Prokopchuk and wish all success to You, Mr. President, Ambassador Thomas Greminger and Your able and competent team.

Thank You.

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