SECURITY COUNCIL

BRIEFING BY THE OSCE CHAIRPERSON IN OFFICE

FEBRUARY 29th, 2016

Statement

Mr. President,

We welcome and thank His Excellency, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Germany, Mr. Frank Walter Steinmeier, for his comprehensive briefing as Chairperson in Office of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

The priorities set in the German Chairmanship, namely the Renewing Dialogue, the Rebuilding Trust and Restoring Security” address comprehensively fundamental concerns of international life in its quest for peace and security.

OSCE´s work has been, since its inception, a relevant factor in international life.

We commend the tangible contribution of OSCE to international peace and security, its upholding of the purposes and principles of the United Nations as well as its cooperation under Chapter VIII of the Charter.

In the 40 years of its existence the OSCE has effectively addressed an agenda aligned with the three pillars of the United Nations: peace and security, human rights and development.

 Mr. President,

Angola attaches great relevance to the program set in Germany’s Chairmanship of OSCE, focused on the fight against threats such as terrorism, radicalization, and drug trafficking, and countering the abuse of the cyberspace, by addressing youth radicalization through a comprehensive approach to security and the efforts it has been deploying to address today’s growing security challenges. Angola supports and appreciates the OSCE outstanding role in that regard.                                                                                                                                       

Additionally, the organization’s efforts to strengthen dialogue and cooperation in areas such arms control is of relevance to international peace and security.

OSCE’s initiatives aimed at managing cross border and the social and political impact of migration, based on the organization’s commitment to human rights and the promotion of tolerance and non-discrimination, may be solid foundations in finding lasting solutions to this critical problem affecting the entire international community.

We welcome the German Chairmanship objective of holding a conference on these issues, later this year in Berlin.

Regarding specific conflict situations, we praise OSCE’s active support to the current negotiations and mechanisms for solving the conflicts of Nagorno-Karabakh, the Transdniestria Talks over Georgia, and its fundamental role in monitoring the respect of the Minsk agreements concerning the conflict in eastern Ukraine.

Mr. President,

Angola values greatly the contribution of regional and sub-regional organizations to the maintenance of international peace and security. They play a key role in strengthening the multilateral system, complementing the work of the United Nations, through their specific knowledge of their regions, particularly with regards to the root causes of conflicts.

Finally, we stress the importance of this dialogue between the Security Council and the OSCE, as well as with other international, regional or sub-regional organizations, in preventive, early warning and crisis management, and by tackling issues that are threats to regional peace and stability in Europe.

Thank you Mr. President