WORKING TABLE ON SECURITY ISSUES - REV 1Oslo, 13-14 October 1999 Conclusions by the Chairman Jan Eliasson The Working Table on Security Issues held its Inaugural Meeting in Oslo October 13-14, 1999. The Working Table was addressed by Mrs. Eldbjørg Løwer, Norwegian Minister of Defence, by the Deputy Special Co-ordinator Alpo Rusi on behalf of the Special Co-ordinator of the Stability Pact Bodo Hombach and by the EU Presidency. The Working Table met in plenary on October 13. The two Sub-tables met in the morning of October 14 under the Chairmanship of Kim Traavik (Defence and Security Affairs) and Thierry Le Roy (Justice and Home Affairs) and reported back to the plenary session in the afternoon of October 14. In opening the plenary meeting, the Chairman stressed the catalytic role of the Stability Pact and the possibilities offered by the Pact as a forum for harmonisation of activities. It should provide momentum to ongoing activities as well as facilitate and stimulate projects. Delegations were requested to focus on concrete initiatives and the way ahead. The next meeting of the Working Table will take place in Sarajevo early next year. The Deputy Special Coordinator stressed the cooperation between the three Working Tables and underlined the principles which should guide our work: no duplication of efforts, clear-cut goals and timelines, as well as continuing review of work progress and active involvement and responsibility of the countries in the region. General remarks on a comprehensive approach to regional security There was agreement that the Working Table is a useful and important forum for interaction between the various initiatives that are taking place in both of the principal sectors of its competencies. It should be used to put the spotlight on ongoing projects and programs, in order to address gaps as well as overlaps and give new impulses where appropriate. A number of delegations underlined the need to build upon existing expertise and projects. The Table welcomed the preparedness of the relevant international organisations and regional initiatives to utilise the Table for this purpose, and underlined that this was one of the added values of the Stability Pact. There was recognition of the need to respect the role and competencies of each organisation and initiative. In this light, the Chairman of the Working Table and the Chairmen of the Sub-tables would liaise with the organisations and initiatives as appropriate. THE SUB-TABLE ON JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS The Sub-table agreed with the Chairman's proposal to set up meetings in each country of South Eastern Europe for coordination and fact-finding as appropriate with the aim of developing a consolidated assessment and inventory of ongoing activities in the field covered by the Sub-table. Organized Crime and Corruption The meeting welcomed the presentations made inter alia by the Council of Europe, OECD, UN, EU/EC, SECI and CEI on current activities in the field of combating organised crime and corruption and underlined the need for a regional approach in dealing with these issues. The Sub-table strongly urged countries in South Eastern Europe to swiftly ratify or accede to Council of Europe legal instruments to fight organised crime and corruption, in particular the "Convention on Laundering, Search, Seizure and Confiscation of Proceeds from Crime" and the criminal and civil law conventions on corruption. The Sub-table also urged the countries in South Eastern Europe who had not yet done so to join without delay European monitoring mechanisms in this field. On organised crime, the following specific initiatives of a regional character should be followed up, if possible before the OSCE Istanbul Meeting and be put on the Agenda of the next Working Table meeting in Sarajevo: The proposal by the OSCE Chairman in Office to establish a task force on the prevention of trafficking of human beings The initiative by the Finnish EU Presidency to provide training and other support for the improvement of border controls, in order to combat, e.g. drug-trafficking The SECI initiative and Centre for combating transborder organised crime. On corruption, the Table emphasised the need to co-ordinate ongoing activities with the work of the other Working Tables. This task was referred to the Special Co-ordinator in cooperation with the Chairmen of the Working Tables. Migration (JHA)The Table suggested to the European Union to extend the mandate of the EU High Level Working Group on Asylum and Migration beyond Albania to other countries in the Region. The Table encouraged the HLWG to consider the issue of a comprehensive strategy, including economics and development, at country level for orderly migration, and increase cooperation in this regard between countries of origin, transit and destination. Such a strategy should be carried out in cooperation with other relevant organisations and NGOs. The Table endorsed in principle the Adriatic and Ionian Sea initiative on JHA affairs, and requested Italy to make a proposal on how this initiative could interact with the activity of the Working Table. Police and Judicial Reform (JHA) The Table supported efforts to enhance quality and efficiency of the police and judicial systems. The need was stressed for increased coordination between donors/contributors in the field. A number of proposals were put forward at the meeting. The Table agreed to follow up on the two proposals listed below: the extension by the Council of Europe to the countries in South Eastern Europe of two of its activities: the creation of training facilities for judges and a Conference on guiding principles to be adopted on justice, which would assess, inter alia, the current situation and propose relevant measures;the proposal for a legislative clearing house, to be based in the region, which would be able to assist the countries in South Eastern Europe in accessing existing legislative sources and expertise. THE SUB-TABLE ON DEFENCE AND SECURITY AFFAIRS The Sub-table on Defence and Security Affairs agreed to give priority at the Oslo Meeting, to the following main areas: Arms control, Confidence and Security Building Measures, Non-proliferation, Demining as well as Conflict Prevention and Crisis Management. Given the process oriented nature of the Stability Pact the Sub-table expressed the view that these areas should be subject of review and that consideration be given to inclusion of other important defence and security issues at a later stage. The Sub-table urged the Article IV parties to take up the challenge laid down by Bosnia and Herzegovina, with the announcement of a 15 % reduction in military budgets and manpower, in accordance with the Dayton and Paris Accords. Under the auspices of the OSCE, negotiations under Article IV of Annex 1B of the Dayton Agreement should be used to promote the agenda of sub-regional arms reductions. The Sub-table considered that Article V is the appropriate forum for developing CSBMs, including those relating to border areas, military budgets, defence doctrine, military contacts etc. The Table noted with satisfaction the commitment of 20 states, including the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, to negotiate the prospective Article V agreement with objectives and scope corresponding closely to those of the Pact. The Table urged acceleration of the on-going negotiations, and expects at its next meeting, confirmation of the programme aiming to complete the agreement during the year 2000. The Sub-table noted with interest a number of specific proposals for confidence building measures, including risk reduction measures; measures aiming at enhancing security in border areas; and the possibility of a regional air observation centre. The Sub-table welcomed the offer of Bulgaria to host a conference on controlling arms sales. This conference will provide an opportunity to discuss measures to increase co-operation and co-ordination among the States in the region, to prevent illegal arms flows, as well as to develop effective legal, regulatory, licensing and enforcement systems for controlling weapons exports and dual-use technology. The conference will also provide an opportunity to discuss common end-user certificates for the licensing of arms and technology transferred by the States of the region. Countries of the region urged all participating States not to sell or transfer arms into areas of conflict. Bulgaria was requested to submit a report from the conference to the next meeting of the table. Pending the agreement on measures to be negotiated within Article V, the Sub-table requested the OSCE Chairman-in-Office to establish an informal working group to seek ways and means of improving military contacts between the countries of South Eastern Europe. The Working Group should consider clear objectives and modalities for such contacts. The Working Group would in particular consider ways to facilitate implementation of existing instruments. Building on existing arrangements, region-wide, confidence-building meetings of Defence Ministers could be considered. The Working Group will present its findings to the next meeting of the Working Table. The Sub-table emphasised the need for transparency of military budgets and defence spending. Disproportionate military budgets delay reconstruction, reduce capacity to absorb assistance, exert pressure on balances of payments, and preclude accelerated co-operation with Euro-Atlantic institutions. The Sub-table urged the countries of the region and other interested countries and organisations to establish as soon as possible a Task Force to initiate a comparative study of military budgeting of the countries of the region. A progress report will be submitted to the next meeting of the Working Table. The Sub-table affirmed that there is a mutual reinforcing relationship between non-proliferation and disarmament, and invited the countries of South Eastern Europe to commit themselves to accede to and ensure full implementation of existing norms against the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. There was strong support for the Slovenian Trust Fund for demining, established to increase the overall level of resources available for de-mining programs in mine-affected countries of the region. The Sub-table urged those with outstanding pledges to make their contributions. Canada and Slovenia offered to conduct, in co-operation with other interested countries, an inventory of demining projects and programs now being conducted or planned in the region. The inventory would be ready in time for the next meeting of the Working Table early next year. The Sub-table, furthermore, noted the proposal of Croatia to establish a regional centre for assistance in mine-clearing, training, and testing of new techniques and equipment. There was a widespread feeling that those countries of the region that have not yet ratified the Ottawa convention should do so. The establishment of the South Eastern Europe Peacekeeping Force was welcomed as a good example of confidence building and an innovative approach towards regional crisis management. The Sub-table encouraged the States participating in the Force to share their experiences with other countries of the region and to consider whether arrangements could be arrived at involving all countries in the region. It noted the Greek offer to establish an education and training centre to serve the countries of the region. The Sub-table expressed concern at the destabilising effects of the huge amount of small arms and light weapons in South Eastern Europe. It urged countries of the region to intensify efforts to interdict illicit transfers of small arms and light weapons. The Sub-table welcomed the agreement to establish the Bucharest Center to share information on illicit trafficking in firearms, as well as the planned work-shop on small arms to be held in Slovenia. |