Council conclusions on EU priorities at the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe

22.03.2023 Strategic Communications

On Monday, 20^th March, the Foreign Affairs Council adopted the Council Conclusions on EU priorities at the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). At the time when Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has shaken the foundations of the rules-based security order, the EU is sending a clear sign of its determination to support the OSCE politically and financially.

Pictoquote with HR/VP on the importance of OSCE

Among its priorities, the EU has agreed to:

Safeguard the OSCE as one of the pillars of the European security order,
Continue promoting support for the rules-based international order based on the UN Charter and the Helsinki Decalogue,
Ensure that the Russia’s war against Ukraine remains in the focus of the OSCE work as long as Russia continues its aggression,
Support the OSCE in contributing to efforts to ensure full accountability for gross violations of international law, war crimes and atrocities, and human rights violations connected to Russian aggression,
Preserve the OSCE’s role as a platform for dialogue on peace and security.

The OSCE is a key component of the European security order and it provides a unique forum for comprehensive discussions on security across the three dimensions: the politico-military, the economic and environmental, and the human. The EU wants to ensure that the OSCE’s unique approach to security remains effective. To achieve this goal, we will continue to support the implementation of the OSCE principles and commitments and strengthen OSCE’s capacities and field activities. Our aim is to keep the OSCE as a capable platform for dialogue on peace and security and contribute to its ability to address protracted conflicts.

The EU’s support to the OSCE lies in the EU’s strong commitment to effective multilateralism, firmly rooted in the respect for the rule of law and international law, including human rights and international humanitarian law.

The Russian unprovoked, unjustified and illegal war of aggression is a violation of the core norms, principles and commitments on which European security is built. But even today, when the foundations of our European stability are tested, the OSCE remains committed to its values. And it continues to deliver important outcomes for the European security such as the invocation of the Moscow Mechanism, the Warsaw Human Dimension Conference 2022, the launch of the Support Programme for Ukraine, and many other projects that strengthen security across the region.