OSCE_March_01 3/30/01 9:27 AM Page 1 Vol. VIII No. 3 MARCH 2001 NEWSLETTER Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe INSIDE THIS ISSUE OSCE ■ Media freedom improves in BiH . 3 ■ Conference reviews role of journalists . 5 ■ How CPC developed over 10 years . 6 ■ Dayton Article II is success for OSCE . 8 ■ News from the field . 9 ■ In Brief . 11 ■ Press profile . 13 ■ Update from ODIHR . 14 ■ News from HCNM . 17 ■ Report from PA . 18 ■ News from RFOM . 21 ■ Report from Secretariat . 22 The OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Mircea Geoana, gives a press conference in Armenia, with Roy Reeve (left), Head of the OSCE Office in Yerevan Chairman-in-Office tours the OSCE participating States in southern Caucasus Visit highlights current hopes for thawing out of “frozen” conflicts he Chairman-in-Office of the His trip was the longest so far in a non-governmental organizations Organization for Security and period of office that started on 1 January. (NGOs) and local media. He also had a TCo-operation in Europe, the He visited the Armenian capital, Yere- working lunch with participating States’ Romanian Foreign Minister Mircea van, on 27 February, spending 28 Febru- Ambassadors and Heads of OSCE part- Geoana, has paid a four-day visit to the ary and 1 March in Tbilisi, Georgia, ner international organizations. three OSCE participating States in the before concluding his trip in Baku, Azer- Assessing the process of democrati- southern Caucasus, during which he was baijan on 2 March. zation in the country, Mr. Geona con- able to see and discuss at first hand the In Armenia, the Chairman-in-Office gratulated Armenia on its recent admis- situation in a region where several con- (CiO) held talks with the President, sion to the Council of Europe. “This step flicts have remained unresolved for a Robert Kocharian, the Chairman of the reflects progress and is a message of period of years, leaving refugees and National Assembly, Armen Khatcha- hope. Armenia is taking its rightful place displaced persons stranded in several tryan and Foreign Minister Vartan among the family of European nations,” locations. Oskanyan, as well as representatives of said Mr. Geoana. 1 OSCE_March_01 3/30/01 9:27 AM Page 2 He expressed his gratitude for the ties would take place in Bucharest, at a southern Caucasus trip, he again stressed support that the Armenian Government date to be specified later. his strong support for the dialogue and authorities have given the OSCE Another of the major topics dis- between Azerbaijan and Armenia on a Office in Yerevan, which was estab- cussed during Mr. Geoana’s visit was the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh lished one year ago. This support, he OSCE monitoring operation along the conflict. This dialogue was due to resume said, proved the importance that Arme- border between Georgia and the in Paris on 4 March, with a meeting nia attached to the implementation of Chechen Republic of the Russian Feder- between the two countries’ Presidents. OSCE commitments. ation. Agreed by the Permanent Council “The current direct dialogue is of critical A number of issues were discussed in December 1999, this activity is seen importance. The OSCE is ready to give in the meetings, among them economic as having significantly contributed last all its support to this process”, said Mr. and environmental issues, legal and elec- year to a lessening of tensions and pre- Geoana. “A lasting agreement depends toral reform and media development. vented a spillover in the region. An on the readiness of all parties to show Also touched upon in flexibility. If there is the discussions was the progress, the international conflict in Nagorno- community will act quickly Karabakh. The CiO OSCE/KOTEK to assist in the post conflict expressed his hopes for a rehabilitation process.” peaceful resolution to the He emphasized that the conflict, as well as pledging involvement and support of the OSCE’s full support for the OSCE Minsk Group was the peace process. complementary to the direct “We believe the dialogue between the coun- moment has come to be tries. He emphasized how- cautiously optimistic ever that this did not mean regarding a resolution of that the Minsk Group would this conflict, which has become passive; on the con- remained frozen for too The CiO visits a hostel in Baku, Azerbaijan, for persons displaced trary, the OSCE Minsk by the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh long”, he said. Group would remain a part- He emphasized the need for all par- extension beyond April 2001 of this ner in the efforts to reach a settlement of ties concerned to reach a compromise. aspect of the mandate of the Mission to the conflict. He also raised the issue of the return of Georgia, was due to be discussed by the During his visit to Baku, Mr. Geona refugees and displaced persons, offering OSCE Permanent Council during held a tete-â-tete meeting with the Presi- the assistance and expertise of the OSCE March. dent of Azerbaijan, Heydar Aliyev. He in finding durable solutions to this mul- also met the Speaker of Parliament Mur- tifaceted problem. Human rights situation tuz Aleskerov, Prime Minister Artur Continuing on to Georgia, the For- Among other issues touched upon Rasizadeh and Foreign Minister Vilayat eign Minister Geoana had talks with during the visit were the conflict in Guliyev, as well as representatives of President Eduard Shevardnadze, State Abhkazia, the return of refugees and dis- civil society, political parties and the Minister Giorgi Arsenishvili and For- placed persons, property restitution and international community. eign Minister Irakli Mengarishvili, as economic rehabilitation. The Chairman- In Baku, the CiO also visited a hos- well as with other representatives of the in-Office also drew attention to recent tel for persons displaced by the political leadership. He also met repre- reports on the human rights situation in Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. He sentatives of civil society and media. Georgia. In this context he highlighted expressed his deep sympathy for the Expressing his satisfaction with the the need for reform of the electoral leg- plight of those on both sides of the con- positive developments in the efforts to islation. He also called for a greater flict forced to flee their homes and resolve the conflict in South Ossetia, the awareness of the need for religious tol- stressed that the right of refugees and OSCE CiO announced an agreement that erance. displaced persons to return must be a the next round of talks between the par- In Baku, where the CiO concluded his central part of any lasting solution. NEWSLETTER 2 Vol. 8 No. 3 OSCE_March_01 3/30/01 9:27 AM Page 3 Media freedom continues to make progress in Bosnia and Herzegovina A number of successful initiatives by the OSCE Mission is helping gradually to enhance the working conditions for media representatives in BiH By Jennifer Stone eyond any information doubt, the O BIH must be pro- T Bmedia in tected and pre- Bosnia and Herze- served at all govina (BiH) – as times, in an well as in neigh- OSCE/MISSION atmosphere bouring Croatia free from fear and Yugoslavia – and intimida- played a signifi- tion. Recogni- cant role in fuelling tion of this fact the propaganda has underlined campaign that many of the inflamed public activities of opinion during the the Mission’s disastrous conflict Department of of 1992 to 1995. Media Affairs. And even in the Although past five years, the encouraging, (From left to right) High Representative Wolfgang Petritsch, Christian Ahlund, Chairman working condi- the progress of the Advisory Group, and OSCE Head of Mission Robert Barry, present the draft law tions of the media that has been in BiH have been marked by consistent improved since 1996 – in the recent made is both tentative and fragile, and pressure on journalists and media outlets, November 2000 elections, local journal- could easily be lost to a new wave of a trend brought into sharp relief during ists reported fewer incidents of threats or focused nationalistic pressure. The abuse the periods of the elections which the intimidation than in any previous elec- of media for political ends has pointed to OSCE’s BiH Mission has overseen in the tion. And BiH has witnessed a continu- the need for an effort to protect journal- past five years. ing improvement in both the profession- ists. Two areas of the OSCE’s work are The implementation of election alism of the media and in the climate for therefore of particular importance: the results and efforts to expose corruption freedom of the media. However, vestiges protection of journalists’ rights and the have resulted in renewed pressure on the of abuse and intimidation continue. development of media legislation. media. This has sometimes taken the Through the evolution of the peace form of direct threats against individual process, the OSCE Mission has recog- Bomb attack journalists, the abuse of defamation laws nized the media as a factor in democracy- Protection of journalists came to the and visitations by the tax police. Such building in its own right, as it plays a sig- forefront of the international commu- tactics have had a chilling effect on nificant social, economic and political nity’s efforts following the October 1999 investigative reporting of all kinds and force in the transition of BiH to a stable car-bomb attack on the editor of Neza- prevented exposure of all but the most European state. This concept supports visne Novine, a daily produced in Banja flagrant crimes and offences of govern- the OSCE’s role in media as a larger sys- Luka, capital of Republika Srpska, one ment officials and political parties.