US Urge OSCE to Resolve Impasse Over AMG in Belarus :: Charter'97 :: News

Chargé d`Affaires of the US mission Douglas Davidson delivered another statement on human rights situation in Belarus to the Permanent Council in Vienna on October 24, 2002. Following read the full transcript of the statement:

“Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We share the concern expressed by the EU about the recent beating of opposition figures in Belarus. Unfortunately, these beatings are only symptomatic of an accelerating deterioration of respect for human rights in Belarus.
Since September 2001, alone, Belarus has been cited by the OSCE`s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, the OSCE`s Representative for Freedom of the Media, the OSCE`s Chairman-in-Office, the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, the Council of Europe the European Union, a wide array of NGOs - both domestic and international, and many delegations to this Permanent Council for its failure to meet OSCE commitments on elections, freedom of expression and media, freedom of association, freedom of religion, and respect for civil society. Meanwhile, as noted by the EU, the disappearances of political opponents of the current government remain unresolved.
Mr. Chairman, the decision this Permanent Council adopted in 1997, creating the AMG produced an instrument to address these types of concerns. Belarus has made it abundantly clear that it has no intention of honoring the commitment that decision represents nor of negotiating a new decision that would bring it into compliance and produce a new instrument to address these concerns. Therefore, we see no utility in addressing this matter to Belarus today, but rather to the Chairman-in-Office of this organization and to this Permanent Council.
Belarus has clearly exercised its ability to prevent the AMG from functioning properly in the field. However, Ambassador Gaisenak has also agreed, correctly, that the AMG, de jure, still exists. We ask, then, why not let it function?
Part of its mandate is to monitor developments. Since April, at least one, and in June, as many of three seconded AMG members have resided in Vienna, in addition to Ambassador Heyken, the Chair`s Special Envoy on Belarus. Yet, since June, the AMG has not produced a single report, written or oral, for this Permanent Council. We request that the Chair task the AMG with reporting to the PC on a regular basis on developments in Belarus. In that connection, the Chair should exercise its prerogative to appoint a Special Representative who could make these regular reports to the Permanent Council.
Mr. Chairman, our ability to confront and resolve this impasse is central to the integrity of this organization. As such, absent progress, it will need to be on the agenda in Oporto. But we agree with the Russian Federation that it behooves all of us to resolve this matter beforehand. Since Belarus is not in a position to negotiate a resolution in Vienna, we again urge you to send a senior delegation to Minsk.
We also call for all participating States to consider the OSCE procedures and mechanisms at our disposal to address this matter appropriately. Some of these have not been utilized since the early nineties in similarly dire circumstances, but they remain relevant.
Clearly, States reserve the right to address concerns bilaterally or in fora outside Vienna. However, invoking OSCE procedures and mechanisms has the added advantage of demonstrating to the international community that this organization has the wherewithal to address its own problems. These procedures and mechanisms need to be exhaustively considered as we move toward the Oporto Ministerial.”