BAN KI-MOON: UN, OSCE HAVE TO REASSESS THEIR ROLES IN CAUCASUS

PanARMENIAN.Net
05.12.2008 14:05 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The United Nations and the Organization for Security
and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) may have to reassess their roles on
the ground following this summer’s fighting between Russia and Georgia,
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today.

"Recent events in your region have riveted the world’s attention and
challenged existing arrangements for peace and security," he told the
16th OSCE Ministerial Council in a message delivered by his Special
Representative for Georgia Johan Verbeke in Helsinki.

"Indeed, following the tragic fighting in Georgia and the South
Caucasus in August, and in light of persistent instability in the
area, we may have to re-think our respective roles on the ground. The
hostilities also demonstrated that the lack of a meaningful political
process over an extended period of time can lead to conflict. This
lesson should be borne in mind when considering all protracted
conflicts in the OSCE area."

Calling for the "utmost" efforts to ensure the success of the Geneva
International Discussions on Georgia, Mr. Ban said all sides must turn
their immediate attention to "the most pressing short-term problems:
security and the return of refugees and internally displaced persons
(IDPs)."

He noted UN-OSCE cooperation during the past year to shore up peace and
stability in other areas such as Kosovo, Afghanistan and Central Asia.

"Our cooperation also extends to human rights, including the human
rights aspects of electoral processes and conflict and post-conflict
situations," he said. "We are working hard to prevent statelessness
in South-Eastern Europe and to strengthen border management capacities
in Central Asia."

Not least, he stressed, the UN attaches great importance to common
efforts to address environmental concerns in the OSCE region, in
particular regarding climate change, the UN News Center reports.