Chairmanship of Poland in OSCE (1998) 1. Goals of Poland's Chairmanship Being in position of a chairman of the biggest European security organisation we have made a chance for Polish diplomacy to widen its activity field. Simultaneously it prompted to create Poland's picture as a valuable partner for the Western Democracies, as well as, the possibility to take place amongst the most influential states in OSCE (Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe). The main aim of the Chairmanship would be described as making the necessary arrangements according to new contemporary challenges arriving, then increasing effectiveness in the area of conflict prevention and making improvements on the field of democratic standards state coexistence. The important motif for undertaking of the Chairman role by Poland was allocated with the nation's look for new opportunities of backing integration processes with NATO and EU. Poland also tried to animate "human dimension" issues and to gain access for steady monitoring of works on the Document-Charter of European Security. One of the priorities was action against any ideas of making OSCE a kind of small-sized United Nations or a counterbalance for NATO. Polish Chairmanship was positively evaluated during the Seventh Session of OSCE Ministerial Council in Oslo (December 2-3, 1998). Dynamics and pragmatism were underscored in addition to organisation and negotiating skills. The Kosovo Verification Mission (KVM) was appraised as an unprecedented and the largest action in the sphere of conflict prevention, especially in comparing to other regional conflicts (Georgia, Moldova). The results of the Oslo Session were rewarding from the point of view of Poland's direction on OSCE development - a complementary organisation, making the U.S. presence a constant feature in European matters, integrating post-Soviet states with Europe and making Russia functioning in the framework of commonly established rules. 2. Euro-Atlantic dimension The Polish Chairmanship was conducted under precaution that our activity in OSCE would be a complementary factor in relation to other priority actions in Polish diplomacy agenda e.g. Euro-Atlantic accession efforts. There was a strict connection between NATO Enlargement and Poland's Chairmanship in OSCE. During the previous year every week the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed NATO and the Euro-Atlantic Co-operation Council (EAPC) about state of affairs in OSCE. These data in many cases were the base for formulating the Alliance's position in particular questions. Inside OSCE, the Chairmanship promoted a co-operation with NATO, perfectly observed in example of Kosovo. The Polish Chairmanship also had positive impact on practical arrangements of NATO-Russia co-operation. It was a result of conceptual work on part of both organisations. Among the others the Platform Co-operative Security, was wrought out by solid participation of EU states backed by the Chairmanship. 3. Conflict prevention and conflict resolving The Chairmanship was pursuing with consequence and determination how to solve conflict situations in the OSCE area of operation. Concrete taking action encompassed basically consultations, exchanging of information, conflict monitoring and forwarding help for building of democratic and lawful institutions in accordance with OSCE standards. THE KOSOVO CRISIS The Chairman-in-Office (CIO) Minister Geremek reacted swiftly by a mean of press statement on the 2nd of March, 1998. It was instantly at the moment of the first news breaking violence and clashes in Pristina (the end of February 1998.) Professor Geremek appealed to the authorities of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY) to solve the conflict in a peaceful manner excluding any escalation of violence. In this case, it was the first statement by international organisation speaking about the crisis just entering a very high level stage. Minister Geremek revealed a conflict-resolving plan on the 10th of March. It consisted among others a demand to allow Mr. Felipe Gonzalez in capacity of a special envoy of CIO and EU countries as well as OSCE missions to Kosovo, Sandzak and Vojvodina to enter and come back into FRY. A demand of international community constituent being a part of peace efforts in Kosovo were also included in Minister Geremek's plan. The next day the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna made decision to approve the plan as its resolution (No. 218) The Chairmanship put exceptional efforts on prevention of danger of conflict widening into the countries bounding FRY. On the 19th of March CIO went to Tirana and Skopje to grasp opinions of Albanian and Macedonian (FYROM) authorities on the subject of Kosovo conflict. The next step was the Chairman's visit in Belgrade and Pristina and the very first talk with Albanian leader in Kosovo Mr. Ibrahim Rugova. During the all time of conflict the OSCE Chairman had conducted a very active correspondence with the FRY authorities being a permanent member of the so-called Contact Group. The Chairmanship tried to initiate talks concerning future status of Kosovo between FRY and Kosovo Albanians. On the meeting of Central-European Initiative in Brioni held on the 6th of June, 1998 Mr. Geremek put a proposal to work out a special status for Kosovo. It would guarantee a territorial integration of FRY and give Albanians in Kosovo a large autonomy including their own specialised institutions and local authority. A new impetus for Poland's OSCE Chairmanship was UN resolution No. 1199 from the 23rd of September. It concerned a holding back the offensive by the Yugoslav special police units (MUP) and the Army (VJ), taking them on the position from before March 1998, as well as, starting a peace negotiation. The press release from the 29th of September issued by the Chairman-in-Office backed this new resolution strongly. On the 15th of October Ambassador Richard Holbrook (on the session of the Contact Group (CG) in Paris) informed CG foreign ministers about an accord made with Belgrade. President Miloszevic agreed to withdraw police and army units from Kosovo. The Kosovo Verification Mission (KVM) had to be accepted by the FRY authorities. CG gave OSCE a task to send such mission to Kosovo. After signing the accord with Belgrade authorities and talks with Rugova (October 16, 1998), Professor Geremek issued notes to CG ministers describing his activities. He proposed to work out unanimity between OSCE and NATO concerning co-operation between KVM and NATO Air Verification Mission in Kosovo, as well as, safety arrangements for KVM personnel. On the 12th of October, 1998 Minister Geremek appointed W. G. Walker as the Chief of KVM. (His deputies were appointed on the beginning of November). The Polish side made a decision to send a small detachment of the Special Forces (called GROM in Polish) to Kosovo. Its objectives were security of the Chief of Mission in Kosovo and KVM Headquarters (in Pristina). Minister Geremek submitted to FRY authorities a request to allow OSCE law enforcement officers to carry personal short weapons. FRY decidedly disagreed. The Chairman-in-Office sent over 20 letters to the FRY and the OSCE member-states foreign ministers, as well as, the NATO Secretary General. He made several official visits to the FRY (Belgrad, Pristina, and Podgorica), Albania and the FYROM, prepared 8 reports for the UN Secretary General Kofi Annan concerning the situation in Kosovo and OSCE actions. Professor Geremek had participated in the CG meetings (5 times), in the OSCE "Troika" foreign ministers meetings (4 times), forwarded the concept of a new status for Kosovo and made a co-operation exchange of information agreement between OSCE and NATO. ALBANIA The political crisis in Albania has belonged to OSCE's priorities since there was a danger of the Albanian question crossing over border making further destabilisation in the Region. During the whole year (1998) Prof. Geremek made 2 visits to Albania (on March 19 and September 19). There were meetings with both government and opposition. OSCE received declarations from all parties of political spectrum not to interfere with the Kosovo crisis. The OSCE monitoring was established on the north part of the country. On the 25th of September the Chairman-in-Office invited 23 states, as well as, several international organisations to participate in the first meeting of informal group called the Friends of Albania (FoA). Starting conference took place on the 30th of September in Brussels. FoA established its goals as aimed in battling Albania's disintegration. CENTRAL ASIA At the forum of Permanent Council (Vienna) Polish Chairmanship formulated in the middle of 1998 the goal of the further integration of 5 Central Asia nations with the mainstream OSCE work. Minister Geremek visited all countries in the period of April 14-20, 1998. During the CIO's journey, the political elite in each of the Central Asia nations of the former Soviet Union had been thoroughly enlightened about the main aspects of the Chairmanship; especially including the Organisation's steady interest in the Region. The promotions of human rights, democratic and common values were important aims of this visit. During the Chairman's talks the need of continuation of work by ODIHR (Office of Democratic Institutions and Human Rights) and the High Commissioner for National Minorities were stated. The need for widening OSCE's activities in the economic sphere was facilitated additionally, especially in regard to the Caspian and Aral Seas. The visit made ground for agreements between ODIHR and Turkmenistan, Kazahkstan and Kirgistan (signed later on). The Permanent Council taking under consideration recommendations included in the Chairman's report decided in the middle of the year to extent a mandate for the Liaison Office (Tashkent), and to establish three new centres in Almaty, Ashkabad and Bishkek. Their mandate would encompass all three spheres of OSCE activities (political, human rights and economic). BELARUS On the 27th of 1998 Minister Geremek in a capacity of the Chairman of OSCE - made his visit to Minsk. The journey was planned in connection with the start of activity by the OSCE Advisory and Monitoring Group in Belarus. This OSCE mission had the aim of monitoring the human rights, observing civic freedoms and media independence. Minister Geremek met with the Belarus authorities and representatives of citizenry. Polish Chairmanship had taken a view that the Group activities would make a dialog situation easy between the authorities and the opposition. BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA Multidimensional character of OSCE mission new activity in B&H encompassed mainly the sphere of organisation of elections, democratisation of the local public life and a building of military confidence measures in the regional scale combined with arms reductions. In July 1998, Minister Geremek paid an official visit to B&H. The Chairman obtained from B&H authorities confirmations of their will to make peace done in both military and civil aspects of General Agreement from Dayton (December 1995). These confirmations were related to both parts of B&H: Muslim-Croat Federation and the Srpska Republic. CROATIA The OSCE mission in this nation grew in personnel and the spectrum of its activities widened. The Mission concentrated on work having in aim to win up a heritage of war. Amongst the work, were programmes supporting displaced persons coming back to before-war dwellings, after war reconstruction, monitoring and evaluation of OSCE standards and international norms observing by Croatia (human rights, public life democratisation and building of a civic society). On the 4th of June Minister Geremek was on an official visit in Croatia and in the next days (June 5-6) he participated in a ministerial meeting of the Central European Initiative. The Chairman was in charge of Poland's Foreign Minister but nevertheless had a chance to address certain problems from the OSCE Chairman standpoint. Among them were: the further functioning of the Mission and the Eastern Slavonia police monitoring transfer of duties from the United Nations authority to under OSCE command. CHECHNYA The OSCE Assistance Group to Chechnya (Russian Federation) was established on April 1995 in Grozny. The Group is the only international organisation permanently based in Chechnya. Since December 1997 a Polish diplomat is the head of the Group. The main tasks of the Group are: human rights promotion, building of democratic institutions in Chechnya, making easier humanitarian help, helping displaced persons, work on strengthening security and law order, pro-stabilisation actions. In practice the group made substantial role during the hostage crisis (among hostages were Poles). In July 1998 the Group was visited by the OSCE "Troika" representatives under Ambassador J. M. Nowak. The Group remains important source of objective information on the Region for the outside world. The Group provides a possibility of immediate access for OSCE to contact with the local authorities and presenting them with views of international community. The personal security of the members of the Mission still remains the priority matter. GEORGIA The Chairman-in-Office visited Georgia during his visit on Caucasus (November 23-24, 1998). A conflict in the South Osetia (SO) was one of the priorities; OSCE was there a driving force and a co-ordinator of the other international organisation. In 1998 the process of come back by displaced persons to original dwellings quickened being accompanied by the South Osetia economic development. To the end of this Chairmanship certain progress in the political process of negotiating a status for SO in the framework of Georgia was made. NAGORNO KARABAKH The Chairmanship backed the Minsk Group plan of a peaceful resolving conflict in this place, opting for resuming of - as soon as possible - peace talks by both sides. On the Permanent Council meeting in Vienna (January 15, 1998) Minister Geremek stated the necessity of making arrangements to organise multinational peace operation as a basic element of implementation future agreement concerning Nagorno Karabakh. Prof. Geremek 4 times met with Co-Chairs of the Minsk Group discussing possibilities of action for the conflict being resolved. During the Caucasus journey (November 23-26, 1998) Minister Geremek met with leaders of Azerbaijan, Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh looking for a peaceful solution. LATVIA The Chairmanship actively backed the OSCE High Commissioner for National Minorities actions in this country. The Latvian Parliament as a result of this activity took amendments in the Citizenship Act in accord with OSCE's recommendation. OSCE/ODIHR representatives (including one from Poland) observed the referendum and parliamentary elections taking place on the 3rd of October, 1998. MACEDONIA (FYROM) No grave incidents were noted. The Chairman visited Skopje on the 20th of March, 1998 meeting with representatives of a whole political spectrum. Important event illustrating positive attitude on the part of the FYROM authorities to co-operate with the international community was their accord to station back-up units for KVM. MOLDOVA OSCE initiated and took part in activities to speed up the peace process connected with a conflict in the Trans-Dniestria. During the Polish Chairmanship a treaty foundation referred to the conflict was substantially widened. In the end of November 1998 on the initiative of Ukrainian side (backed by OSCE) the Ukraine, Russia, Moldova and OSCE itself (during a meeting in Kiev) agreed on a common document, which would be a basis for further negotiations for political status of Trans-Dniestria in the framework of Moldova. OSCE/ODIHR representatives (March 1998) observed the parliamentarian election in this country. 4. OSCE "Human Dimension" The Chairmanship undertook several complex activities targeting in propagation of universal nature and inseparable nature of human rights in accordance to the Paris Charter concept stating that observing of these rights is the matter of concern for all Organisation members (not only being the internal matter for a given state.) During the Chairmanship the "human dimension" was seen as a one of the fundamental pillars of the co-operative European security concept (see for instance - the establishing of the OSCE Group in Belarus). In 1998 five MoAs (memorandum of understanding) on the subject of human rights co-operation in ODIHR projects were signed in the Central Asia Region and Caucasus. During November journey of the Chairman the agreements with Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia were signed. The other two - the aftermath of the Central Asia visits - with Kazahkstan and Kirgistan were concluded during 1998 Ministerial Council (Oslo, December 2-3). Decidedly, the "human dimension" matters were an important leitmotif of the Chairman's activities. 5. Co-operation between OSCE and other international organisations Unprecedented development of such contacts was a key element during this Chairmanship. It would be strictly connected with Poland's work priority on the Platform for Co-operative Security. The Platform supposed to describe rules of co-operation amongst international organisations and institutions engaged in the process of promotion security and stability in Europe. In addition to contacts with UN, EU, and the Council of Europe the Chairmanship especially initiated working co-operation with NATO (4 rounds of working consultations plus contacts ad hoc). In practical terms in 1998 a pragmatic character of this co-operation was established, based on factual acknowledgement of NATO's primate in the field of military aspects of security combined with specific OSCE's own potential, especially in the spheres of conflict early warning and prevention. 6. Works on the Document-Charter on European Security The Chairmanship co-ordinated in Vienna works on the Document-Charter. The Charter should make framework for regional co-operation, intensify it and guarantee its compatibility with the OSCE rules. Poland viewed (and still holds its opinion unchanged) the future document as describing the specific and unique role of OSCE in the European security system rather than making the Charter a kind of decree establishing a strict security system in Europe. 7. Economic Dimension It goes back to the history of the Final Act of Helsinki Conference for Security and Co-operation in Europe. OSCE's works in economic sphere concentrated basically on supporting reforms in the Central and Eastern Europe, as well as, in the Central Asia. The Chairmanship saw a connection between economic progress and system changes especially seen in developments of many OSCE countries in the period of transformation. 8. Place and role of OSCE in European security OSCE transformed itself more and more into operational organisation, on the other hand remaining a source of norms and standards for the participating states and the world. Both operational and functional roles make the Organisation a unique one in the sphere of conflict prevention. The Organisation's unprecedented position excludes however a possibility of making itself kind of supreme structure in the European security system. OSCE is particularly well-established as a partner for another organisations and as a promoter for human rights and public life democratisation. OSCE is today an integral part of European security system based on steady in-progress concept of mutually backed institutions such NATO, EU, Council of Europe and sub-regional organisations. A key element of OSCE success is a complementary approach on the part of this Organisation towards another ones. It is thought as co-operation on the all participating partners' agreed terms, without any established hierarchy amongst the institutions dedicated to security matters.