Poland in the OSCE

We are grateful to North Macedonia for the warm hospitality and the excellent organization of this event.

We noted that for the second year the PFD provided a unique platform for exchange of opinions on political–military, economic and environmental, and the human dimension, corresponding with the three core aspects of the OSCE’s mandate.

In the next years these topics will remain high on our agendas. Through fruitful intellectual and political debates, for instance at the PFD, we will continue to generate ideas for processes and practical solutions to issues of a regional and global character. 

These two days of deliberations in the heart of the Western Balkans was yet another opportunity to openly address the current security situation and the European perspectives of this region.

On this occasion, we reiterate our strong commitment to the fundamental principles of the OSCE, as expressed in the Helsinki Final Act and the Charter of Paris for a New Europe, which are based on international law, including the UN Charter.

As the OSCE region is confronted with new threats that seriously challenge the future of European stability and security, we reiterate calls for the full implementation of OSCE principles and commitments, including sovereign equality, refraining from the threat or use of force, respect for territorial integrity, and the freedom of States to choose their own security arrangements, as well as respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief.

The OSCE participating States have created various mechanisms to build confidence and security. They are an indispensable part of the European security order.

Deplorably, from 24 February of this year, we are confronted with the unprecedented, unjustified and unlawful aggression by the Russian Federation against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. This is a clear violation of international law and the OSCE commitments and principles on which our Organization is based.

We urge the Russian Federation to adhere to its international commitments and stop the aggression, to withdraw its troops from Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders and to undertake other necessary steps for de-escalation. 

We deplore that our common efforts invested in trust and dialogue were abandoned and condemn the fact that force was chosen over dialogue and co-operation. 

Political dialogue is the only rightful response that will halt the atrocities and further escalation of the war.

The war must be resolved in accordance with international law and OSCE principles and commitments. In this regard, full accountability should apply for the violations and abuses of international human rights law and international humanitarian law. 

The consequences of the unprecedented illegal aggression go far beyond Ukraine and the OSCE region. The continued conflict risks leading to a humanitarian disaster and suffering for which the Russian Federation bears full responsibility.

The OSCE Troika, together with the OSCE Secretary General, pledge to work to preserve and promote the core values of our unique Organization, for the benefit and prosperity of its participating States and their peoples.

In that regard we highly value the work and activities of the OSCE Secretariat and the OSCE institutions – the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, the High Commissioner on National Minorities, and the Representative on Freedom of the Media – which were founded to assist participating States to uphold our jointly agreed commitments and principles. They are at the core of the OSCE’s work.

We also reaffirm the importance of the OSCE field operations and the value they deliver to the people and institutions of their host countries. They have been established upon requests for assistance by the hosting participating States. This principle needs to be respected. We therefore reiterate our firm support for the OSCE Project Co-ordinator’s valuable work in Ukraine, which continues to provide support and call on all participating States to extend the mission’s mandate before it expires at the end of the month. 

The OSCE‘s approach to security is comprehensive. All three dimensions are equally key to sustainable peace. Human rights and fundamental freedoms, democracy, and the rule of law are at the core of the comprehensive concept of security. They are prerequisites for peace and inextricably linked to security between States. We emphasize the crucial role of civil society, including human rights defenders, and women’s organizations, and free, independent, and pluralistic media for our comprehensive security.

Civil society and independent media are essential to a free and open society and accountable systems of government and are of particular importance in safeguarding human rights and fundamental freedoms, democracy - including genuinely democratic and pluralistic elections - and the rule of law. We deeply regret that we could not reach consensus on holding this year’s Human Dimension Implementation Meeting.

It is in the interest of all participating States to ensure that the operations in all parts of our organization continue to function well. We therefore call for the swift adoption of the 2022 OSCE Unified Budget and other essential consensus decisions, in support of our organization’s role to build security for all, based on the principles on which the OSCE was founded.