Administrative Reform of the OSCE
Norway firmly believes that the OSCE is capable of rising to new challenges. In order to ensure a successful adaptation of the OSCE, we must also discuss how the organisation functions and where internal improvements are needed.
In our view, the need for important changes in the leadership structure of the OSCE is becoming more pressing. Based on our experiences when Norway held the chairmanship in 1999, we emphasise the need for strengthening the secretariat. A stronger secretariat is a prerequisite for the planning and deployment of field missions and for a more efficient management of their activities. We consider it important that smaller countries are able to take on the responsibility of the chairmanship. Smaller countries holding the chairmanship must be able to rely on the support of the secretariat in providing thorough support in thinking, planning and implementation. Norway is convinced that a stronger Secretary General and a stronger secretariat will contribute to a stronger chairmanship and also to more equality between participating states.Norway welcomes the decision made during the OSCE Ministerial Council in Sofia, 6-7 December 2004, on establishing a panel of Eminent Persons, tasked to strenghten the effectiveness of the OSCE.
Over the past few years improvements have taken place in the relationship between key international organisations, not least when it comes to field activities. Norway believes, however, that even more should be done. Norway held the Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe (CoE) from May to November 2004. The Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs launched an initiative for closer co-operation between the CoE and the OSCE, which led to CoE and OSCE decisions to establish a Co-ordination Group (OSCE Decision no. 637 of 2 December 2004).
Trafficking in Human Beings
Norway believes that the OSCE will continue to have an important role in our efforts to combat trafficking.
The current Norwegian Minister of Justice has engaged himself actively in the fight against trafficking in human beings, and the issue is high on the agenda of the Norwegian Government. Official Norwegian efforts are coordinated by the Ministry of Justice, in close co-operation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Children and Family Affairs.
On 12 Februray 2003, Norway launched its first Action Plan to combat trafficking in human beings. The plan focused primarily on national measures to be implemented, but included also an international aspect. Thus, Norway seeks to be more active in combatting trafficking also outside its national borders through bilateral co-operation and through multilateral organisations such as the OSCE. The plan would be implemented over a three-year period and had a total budget of some NOK 100 million (approximately € 13 million). On 12 December 2006 Norway launched its Action Plan for 2006 - 2009.
As an attempt to ensure that Norwegian officials do not indirectly support traffickers, employees working for the Norwegian government are prohibited from bying or accepting sexual services. The rules are outlined in the Ethical Guidelines for Government Employees prohibiting the Purchase and Acceptance of Sexual Services. Failure to obey these principles may lead to diciplinary sanctions by the employer.
Human Dimension
Norway stress the importance of protecting and securing basic human rights and fundamental freedoms. We actively promote these principles, both within the OSCE as well as in other multilateral and bilateral fora.
By supporting projects through the field missions and through support to the OSCE institutions (The Office for Democratic Institurions and Human Rights, the High Commissioner on National Minorities and the Representative on Freedom of the Media), Norway is one of the major financial contributors to the OSCE Human Dimension. In addition we are seconding election observers and experts to OSCE led operations in various parts of the OSCE-region.
Through the delegation in Vienna, Norway is actively promoting values and views in order to help shape an OSCE-policy that constantly is trying to improve, secure and respect the human rights standards to which all the 56 OSCE participating States have committed themselves.
Torture and the Death Penalty
Allthough the death penalty is still being exercised in some OSCE participating States that have not signed or ratified relevant international documents which prohibit this kind of punishment, Norway considers the death penalty to be cruel and inhuman. Norway is strongly opposed to the use of death penalty in all its forms and aims at its universal abolition.
Unfortunately, some OSCE participating States still execute children and mentally disabled persons. Furthermore, some OSCE participating States still sentence people to death based on evidence gained during the use of torture. Norway, together with likeminded countries such as the European Union, Canada and Switzerland aim at the universal abolition of torture and in particular to make the OSCE-area a torture free zone. The OSCE is involved in several important activities in that respect, such as training of police and prison officials, prison monitoring, court monitoring and training of local NGOs.
The Economic and Environmental Dimension (EED)
The OSCE is first and foremost a security organisation. Norway is of the opinion that this should be reflected also in the economic dimension. Thus, to identify potential economic and environmental threats to security should continue to be one of the major tasks of the OSCE.
Norway supprts a focused and practical approach to the economic dimension. The main added value of the OSCE in this field is in our view the focus on conflict prevention. The role of the OSCE should be to identify potential threats within the economic and environmental sphere, and to activate international partner organisations, NGOs and the business community. OSCE supported projects should also be used in a constructive way. But projects themselves are not the solution – they are only tools that may help us reach solutions.
Several issues within this dimension are relevant for all the 56 participating states within the OSCE. Norway supports approaches that are applicable for the whole OSCE region, and not only “East of Vienna”. The fight against organised crime, drugs and arms is one example of this and relevant to all three dimensions of the OSCE. In addition to the human tragedies resulting from this, trafficking and organised crime also has the potential to destabilise national economies.
For OSCE activities and meetings within the EED, please visit the OSCE website.