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BELGIUM’S CHAIRMANSHIP OF THE OSCE

HEARING

BEFORE THE

COMMISSION ON SECURITY AND 

COOPERATION IN EUROPE

ONE HUNDRED NINTH CONGRESS

SECOND SESSION

JUNE 28, 2006

Printed for the use of the

Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe

[CSCE 109–2–4]

(

Available via http://www.csce.gov 
COMMISSION ON SECURITY AND COOPERATION IN EUROPE 

LEGISLATIVE BRANCH COMMISSIONERS

HOUSE SENATE

CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH, New Jersey,

Co-Chairman 

FRANK R. WOLF, Virginia 

JOSEPH R. PITTS, Pennsylvania 

ROBERT B. ADERHOLT, Alabama 

MIKE PENCE, Indiana 

BENJAMIN L. CARDIN, Maryland 

LOUISE McINTOSH SLAUGHTER,

New York 

ALCEE L. HASTINGS, Florida 

MIKE McINTYRE, North Carolina

SAM BROWNBACK, Kansas,

Chairman 

GORDON SMITH, Oregon 

SAXBY CHAMBLISS, Georgia 

RICHARD BURR, North Carolina 

DAVID VITTER, Louisiana 

CHRISTOPHER J. DODD, Connecticut 

RUSSELL D. FEINGOLD, Wisconsin 

HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON, New York 

VACANT

EXECUTIVE BRANCH COMMISSIONERS

VACANT, Department of State 

VACANT, Department of Defense 

VACANT, Department of Commerce 

(II) 
BELGIUM’S CHAIRMANSHIP OF THE OSCE 

JUNE 28, 2006

COMMISSIONERS 

Page 

Hon. Sam Brownback, Chairman, Commission on Security 

and Cooperation in Europe ..................................................... 1

Hon. Benjamin L. Cardin, Ranking Member, Commission 

on Security and Cooperation in Europe ................................. 3

WITNESS 

H.E. Karel De Gucht, Foreign Minister of Belgium,

Chairman-in-Office, Organization for Security and

Cooperation in Europe ............................................................ 5

APPENDICES 

Prepared statement of Hon. Christopher H. Smith,

Co-Chairman, Commission on Security and Cooperation

in Europe .................................................................................. 15

Prepared statement of Hon. Benjamin L. Cardin, Ranking 

Member, Commission on Security and Cooperation in

Europe ...................................................................................... 17

Prepared statement of Hon. Joseph R. Pitts, Commissioner, 

Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe ........... 19

(IV) 

(1)

BELGIUM’S CHAIRMANSHIP OF THE OSCE 

JUNE 28, 2006

COMMISSION ON SECURITY AND COOPERATION IN EUROPE

WASHINGTON, DC

The hearing was held at 11:09 a.m. in room 2359 Rayburn House 

Office Building, Washington, DC, Hon. Sam Brownback, Chairman, 

Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, presiding. 

Commissioners present: Hon. Sam Brownback, Chairman, Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe; Hon. Benjamin L. 

Cardin, Ranking Member, Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe; Hon. Alcee L. Hastings, Commissioner, Commission 

on Security and Cooperation in Europe; Hon. Robert B. Aderholt, 

Commissioner, Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe; 

Hon. Joseph R. Pitts, Commissioner, Commission on Security and 

Cooperation in Europe; and Hon. Mike McIntyre, Commissioner, 

Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe. 

Witness present: H.E. Karel De Gucht, Foreign Minister of Belgium,Chairman-in-Office, Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. 

HON. SAM BROWNBACK, CHAIRMAN,

COMMISSION ON SECURITY AND COOPERATION IN EUROPE 

Mr. BROWNBACK. I call the hearing to order. Thank you all for 

being here. Sorry for being late coming over from the Senate side, 

while my House colleagues were already here. Congressman 

Hastings, Congressman Aderholt—delighted to have you here for 

this hearing, as well. 

On behalf of my colleagues on the Commission on Security and 

Cooperation in Europe, I am pleased to welcome Minister De 

Gucht. I hope I got that correct. 

Did I pronounce that correct—De Gucht? 

Min. DE GUCHT. No, but you would be the first one who manages 

to——

[Crosstalk.] 

Mr. BROWNBACK. You would think with my German ancestry I 

could get this correct. Would you mind giving me a correct pronunciation? 

Min. DE GUCHT. It’s De Gucht—with a soft ‘‘g.’’

Mr. BROWNBACK. De Gucht. 

Min. DE GUCHT. De Gucht. 
2

Mr. BROWNBACK. Am I close? We will keep practicing. I want to 

welcome you to our hearing today, and despite my difficulty in pronunciation, we’re delighted to have you here. I appreciate the opportunity to hear your assessment of the developments in the 

OSCE region and beyond as we partner to uphold human dignity 

and to promote democracy. 

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Helsinki Commission, which is quite a milestone, but not just in years and accomplishment. Our mission is to monitor the progress of the 56 participating States in the OSCE region—implementation 1975 Helsinki 

accords—and really, to spread the vision around the world. 

I know that my fellow Commissioners and I, as well as our able 

Commission staff, take seriously our mandate to monitor implementation of all the commitments agreed to by the OSCE countries 

in the security, economic and human dimensions. 

The OSCE’s comprehensive approach to security makes it well 

suited to address pressing issues facing us today—many different 

issues, including things like trafficking, corruption and terrorism. 

The OSCE has been a resource for governments desiring to 

change and a valuable voice in speaking out against human rights 

abuses, but the institution continues to be challenged by the presence of regimes that resort to repression to remain in power. 

Some participating States simply do not abide by the promises 

they made in joining the organization. Regrettably, trends in several states do not give rise to much optimism. In the face of this 

reality, we can either lower the bar, or we redouble our efforts to 

foster change. I vote for the latter. 

The former would be tantamount to an abandonment of the very 

principles we share on the paper, if not in reality. While some seek 

to weaken our resolve, we must press on and not lose sight of our 

objective. 

Indeed, the OSCE continues to provide a comprehensive framework for progress. The participating States must supply the political will to make the promise of progress a reality. 

The current situation in Central Asia and the Caucasus is one 

example of this promise, and I’m optimistic that the countries of 

that region can overcome the crippling legacy of communism and 

seek a brighter future for their people. 

I know that I and my fellow Commissioners are keenly interested 

in the developments of democracy in that area. Representative 

Smith has introduced the Central Asia Democracy Act, and I introduced the Silk Road Strategy Act of 2006, which is a follow-on to 

the Silk Road Strategy Act previously passed—both seeking to foster the development of democracy, the rule of law and greater respect for human rights. 

I believe we need to take a comprehensive approach to the region 

and engage in security, economic development and democracy, 

along with human rights. The Silk Road Strategy Bills target that 

broad basis. 

While there’s been tremendous progress in the 15 years since the 

collapse of the Soviet Union, I see some very worrying trends in the 

region. I suspect these are probably the same issues on your mind, 

as well. 
3

Russia, a country with an increasingly ambiguous rights record, 

has been all too willing to coddle dictators, as evidenced by President Putin’s hosting of Mr. Karimov on the eve of the anniversary 

of the bloody massacre in Andijon. Russia continues to maintain 

close ties with Lukashenka in Belarus, despite his being ostracized 

by the European Union and the United States, among others. 

And I’m also troubled by developments in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, a collection of largely authoritarian and antidemocratic regimes with little tolerance for human rights. 

Mr. Minister, I’m looking forward to hearing your thoughts on 

these and other issues that you’d like to share with us. We’re delighted to have you here. Thank you for joining us and for being 

a co-conspirator on spreading human rights and dignity around the 

world. 

I want to recognize my colleagues, as well, if they have an initial 

statement. 

Congressman Cardin, if you had a thought you’d like to put forward? 

HON. BENJAMIN L. CARDIN, RANKING MEMBER,

COMMISSION ON SECURITY AND COOPERATION IN EUROPE 

Mr. CARDIN. Well, let me thank you, Mr. Chairman, for holding 

this hearing. It’s wonderful to have the Chair-in-Office with us 

today, and we thank you for continuing the tradition of coming before our Commission and sharing with us your vision for the work 

of the OSCE, not only during your term, but as you see the future 

priorities and relevancy of the OSCE in all of our work. 

Your timing couldn’t be better. As you know, we start our Parliamentary Assembly next week, and we look forward to being with 

President Hastings as he concludes his term as the President of the 

Parliamentary Assembly, and we’re very proud of the work that he 

has done working with you, bringing a closer relationship between 

the Parliamentary Assembly and your chairmanship so that we can 

use all the energy to do our work. 

I’m honored to chair the Second Committee of the Parliamentary 

Assembly, which has the economic and environmental agenda, and 

we have been particularly interested in moving forward in fighting 

corruption. I appreciate your leadership in the work that’s been 

done in dealing with the ratification of the U.N. Convention 

against Corruption, and we’re going to continue to make that a priority. 

In our Parliamentary Assembly in the Second Committee, we’re 

also going to deal with Chornobyl in trying to make sure the legacy 

of Chornobyl is a better way of dealing with our energy needs of 

the region and how we deal with energy interdependence within 

our region, and dealing also with the problems of Chornobyl. 

So, Mr. Chairman, I want to put my entire statement in the 

record. I really look forward to hearing your testimony before our 

Commission, and sharing with you a common vision of continuing 

the importance of the OSCE and our Commission in the important 

work of all three dimensions. 

I know that the human dimension, by far, is the best known. We 

think that it’s important to strengthen the human dimension, but 
4

we also want to strengthen the security dimension and the economic and environmental dimension. Thank you very much. 

Mr. BROWNBACK. Thank you, Congressman. President Hastings, 

did you have thoughts or comments you wanted to——

Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Chairman, in the interest of time and recognizing the busy schedule that you have, as well as the Chair-in-Office, my good friend, I don’t have a statement other than to welcome you to the United States as he has welcomed me in his office 

in Brussels, and the Chair-in-Office and my elections and selections 

by the respective parts of OSCE have paralleled each other. 

Fortunately for me, my mandate ends in Brussels. His continues 

until December, and so I’m pretty sure that he has lots of work 

ahead, and in my exit memo, I promise him that he will have more 

work to attend in his final six months. Thank you. 

Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman-in-Office, for being here, as 

well as the wonderful staff that works for him. They’ve done an incredible job in preparing for us to come to Brussels. I wish you 

could be there with us, Senator. 

Mr. BROWNBACK. I do, too. I do, too. 

Congressman Aderholt? 

Mr. ADERHOLT. I don’t really have anything to say. I do plan to 

be on the delegation trip to Brussels, and we look forward to being 

in Brussels next week, and I look forward to your testimony this 

morning. Thank you. 

Mr. BROWNBACK. Congressman Pitts, who’ll be leading the delegation, I believe? 

Mr. PITTS. That’s correct. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

Welcome, Mr. Minister. You may be aware of an initiative that 

we’ll be raising in Brussels concerning the global problem of child 

pornography. This is a concern that deserves priority consideration 

by the OSCE and participating States in the exploitation and abuse 

resulting from child pornography. 

The International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children 

surveyed 184 Interpol member countries, including the OSCE participating States, and their recently released study reveals significant gaps in the legal framework that hamper the effectiveness of 

law enforcement agencies to combat international child pornography networks operating across borders, principally via the Internet. 

A survey of the OSCE countries found that six of the countries 

lack any law whatsoever criminalizing any aspect of child pornography. Thirty-two countries lack any legal definition of child pornography. Sixteen countries have failed to make the possession of 

child pornography a crime. Twenty countries lack laws criminalizing the electronic distribution of child pornography via the Internet. Fifty countries do not require Internet service providers to report suspected child pornography to law enforcement. 

Of the OSCE countries, only three, Belgium, France and the 

United States, have enacted comprehensive laws combating child 

pornography. And I say this not to hold up our countries, for we 

must also recognize that much of the demand originates right here 

in this country. 

Ernie Allen, the President—CEO of the International Centre 

here in Alexandria, will be participating in a special event in Brus-
5

sels in conjunction with the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly. And 

he said this, quote, ‘‘We know that many world leaders do not yet 

recognize that child pornography has become a multi-billion dollar 

industry, and that the world’s children are paying the price,’’ end 

quote. 

So, Mr. Minister, I urge you to use your leadership position in 

the OSCE to pursue this issue in the lead-up to the Brussels Ministerial Council and beyond. Welcome. Thank you for coming. 

Mr. BROWNBACK. Thank you, Congressman Pitts. 

Mr. De Gucht, thank you for your years of service—30 years in 

public service. Thank you for being here as the minister in charge 

and your great work, and you honor us by your attendance and 

presentation. We’re delighted to have you here. Welcome. The floor 

is yours, and we look forward to your testimony. 

H.E. KAREL DE GUCHT, FOREIGN MINISTER OF BELGIUM,

CHAIRMAN-IN-OFFICE, ORGANIZATION FOR SECURITY AND 

COOPERATION IN EUROPE. 

Min. DE GUCHT. Mr. Chairman, distinguished Commissioners—

thank you very much for the invitation to discuss with you the 

challenges the OSCE is facing today and the way the Belgian 

chairmanship in 2006 is putting its efforts into steering an organization that was born during the Cold War as an instrument of detente between East and West and reborn after the Cold War as a 

vehicle for cooperation and support to the new democracies and 

newly independent states. 

This hearing comes at an appropriate time. With 6 months of 

chairmanship behind us and 6 months ahead of us, it’s a good moment, indeed, to share with you a kind of midterm review. Of 

course, it’s too early to draw conclusions, especially when you know 

that the heaviest workload tends to concentrate during the months 

right ahead of the ministerial meeting in December. But it is not 

too early to make an overall judgment of where we stand and 

where we are heading. 

Steering the OSCE is a challenging task, both politically and institutionally. Politically, because of the unsolved conflicts in which 

the OSCE has a role to play as mediator, and because of the democratization process and respect for human rights that the OSCE 

endeavors to support in many countries. The OSCE’s chairmanship 

is at the same time institutionally a formidable task to accomplish. 

The OSCE is a rather unwieldy body with a broad multidimensional mandate and a modus operandus of cooperation among 55, 

now 56, equal partners. 

Let me give you a brief overview of where we stand at this juncture in relation to our program. I must say the review is mixed because reasonably—promising. Achievements, though, will not come 

by sheer will of the chairmanship. Consensus is the ground rule of 

the OSCE. Goodwill and support from all participating States is essential. 

The Ministerial Council of Ljubljana gave us a mandate to pursue, and hopefully conclude, the discussions on institutional reform. The institutional debate has been going on for quite some 

time, even threatening to paralyze the organization. Thanks to the 

Ljubljana meeting, we now have a roadmap to guide the debate. 
6

Having a roadmap is, however, no guarantee to achieve our destination. The road itself remains difficult. 

As Chairman-in-Office, I believe there is undoubtedly room for 

improving the efficiency of the organization. However, I doubt there 

is reason to profoundly alter the nature of the organization or to 

tamper with the delicate balance of power within the organization 

itself. 

Whatever differences and tensions that may and do exist among 

participating States, we should stick to what keeps us together—

namely, the fundamental values and commitments of the Helsinki 

Final Act and the Paris Charter, which are the bedrocks of what 

we collectively stand for, or should stand for. 

I would like to reiterate our profound attachment to these common principles and to the institutions of the OSCE. The most 

pressing question, therefore, is not whether we share common values and commitments, but how we turn them into common action 

and implementation. 

The mandate for reform has two tracks. The first track aims at 

improving the proper functioning of the OSCE. The second track 

involves the more sensitive issue of election observation and other 

election-related activities. 

We agreed at Ljubljana that ODIHR will present a report to the 

Ministerial Council meeting in Brussels in December, and will consult with participating States in preparing its report. This process 

is on track, and we are committed to keep it on track. 

I do not have to stress the critical importance of election observation—certainly not to the chairman and the members of the U.S. 

Helsinki Commission, who are closely and actively involved in this 

key task, which the OSCE fulfills via ODIHR and the Parliamentary Assembly. 

Election observation is a field in which the OSCE has acquired 

a vast expertise. I do not want to anticipate on the result of the 

review undertaken by ODIHR, but I would like to underline that 

election observation is a common responsibility which is of direct 

concern to OSCE as a whole. 

Parliamentarians and the Parliamentary Assembly of the OSCE 

in particular, have a key role to play in the field of election observation where they can and should contribute on the basis of their 

own experience as practitioners and as elected politicians. 

ODIHR, for its part, is instrumental in making an objective assessment of the conditions in which elections are held according to 

the OSCE principles and commitments. Its contribution is widely 

recognized and appreciated. 

Mister Chairman, distinguished Commissioners—let me briefly 

touch upon the other priorities that the Belgian chairmanship has 

put forward for 2006. 

One of these is to bring more balance to the three traditional dimensions of the OSCE. They are interlinked. There can be no effective and lasting democratic rule without stability. Conversely, 

peace and security cannot be achieved without respect for democracy, civil liberties and human rights. And also, there will be no 

lasting stability without economic development. 

The overall balance between the three ‘‘baskets’’ has been somewhat lost out of sight over the past years. To put more flesh on the 
7

bones in the second dimension, we have chosen transport as the 

main theme for the Economic Forum this year. 

As economic cooperation and integration can contribute to regional security, we regard the OSCE as a platform for all countries 

concerned to discuss problems and find solutions. We got the support of all participating States to put transport on the agenda. 

We will now work to translate the outcome of the Economic 

Forum which took place in January and May into results at the 

ministerial meeting in Brussels. It is in that sense that we have 

also put the energy issue high on the agenda, and that we intend 

to organize a conference on the subject later in the year. Energy 

security is a concern to all participating States—producers and consumers alike. 

A second thematic priority is the promotion of the rule of law 

and the fight against organized crime. It’s an issue that concerns 

all OSCE countries, east and west. It is also an issue of direct concern to our citizens. Moreover, the fight against organized crime is 

not new to the OSCE, which, in its different dimensions, has already developed action plans on combating human trafficking, illegal traffic in drugs and weapons, money laundering and corruption 

and border management. 

The OSCE has also started up programs to strengthen the rule 

of law and provide assistance for police and judiciary training. We 

hope to bring more coherence between the numerous OSCE activities in the field and give more substance and backbone to these activities. 

On the fight against trafficking in human beings, I can tell you 

that on the initiative of the Chairman-in-Office, participating 

States have recently agreed to an institutional modification to the 

OSCE mechanism to ensure more effective action within a unified 

structure. 

The role of the OSCE in promoting the fundamental right of 

human security should indeed be as effective as possible. With the 

new structure in place, we are ready to appoint a new special representative before long. The tasks are not easy, but the commitment of the OSCE community to eradicating this vile manifestation 

of exploitation is large enough to surmount institutional bickering 

and ideological differences. 

I also want to emphasize the commitment of the chairmanship 

to the promotion of tolerance and respect. The Ministerial Council 

in Ljubljana decided that the focus this year should be on the implementation of the commitments made by participating States. 

By doing so, we are not only keeping tolerance high on the organization’s agenda, but also striving to put the agenda into action. 

Together with ODIHR and with the support of the three personal 

representatives on tolerance, the chairmanship is fully committed 

to this task. It is no coincidence that our chairmanship started the 

year with a ceremony commemorating the victims of the Holocaust. 

When violent protests erupted earlier this year over religious cartoons appearing in several newspapers, we urged all sides to respect the basic freedoms of expression and media, while reminding 

the press of its responsibility to its society. 

We also urged the OSCE community to focus on positive steps. 

One of these steps we already took was the human dimension 
8

meeting last month in Kazakhstan that focused on inter-cultural, 

inter-religious and inter-ethnic understanding. 

Another step is the contribution of the OSCE to the Alliance of 

Civilizations initiative of the Secretary General of the United Nations. We are exploring further steps, making full use of the framework of cooperation and dialogue with the OSCE’s Mediterranean 

and Asian partners countries. 

Mr. Chairman, with your permission, I would like to say a few 

words on the role of the OSCE as mediator in the so-called frozen 

conflicts and its role in promoting democracy, the rule of law and 

respect for human rights in Eastern Europe, the South Caucasus 

and Central Asia. 

As an honest broker, the Belgian chairmanship is actively contributing to finding solutions to the frozen conflicts of Transnistria, 

Nagorno Karabakh and South Ossetia. In the first half-year of the 

chairmanship, I have traveled to all countries concerned and met 

with their leaders, trying to facilitate the emergence of solutions. 

If and when these solutions occur will depend on the genuine willingness on the part of the principal parties involved. 

There seemed to be a window of opportunity earlier this year for 

the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. However, the meetings of the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan in Paris and Bucharest failed to 

confirm that opportunity. On the contrary, serious obstacles remain, and it will take time and a lot of wisdom and courage on the 

part of both presidents to overcome them. The Belgian chairmanship, in cooperation with the co-chairmen of the Minsk Group, will 

continue to do everything possible to move this process forward. 

In the Georgian-Ossetian conflict, we are urging all parties to return to the negotiating table, while exercising restraint and refraining from any unilateral action that might worsen the situation. 

Last month in Brussels, we held a donors conference where participating States pledged more than 10 million euros for economic 

rehabilitation in the zone of the Georgian-South Ossetian conflict. 

The meeting was a first of its kind for the OSCE and took place 

in the presence of all parties. It is our hope that the support gathered at the conference will help to build confidence between the 

parties and bring closer a settlement of the conflict. 

Also, in the Moldova-Transnistrian conflict, we are urging parties 

to return to the negotiating table. Important developments occurred since the beginning of this year with the introduction of the 

new customs regime and the deployment of the Border Assistance 

Mission of the European Union on the border between Moldova and 

Ukraine. This should bring greater transparency in trade flows. 

We would like to start also a serious discussion on the transformation of the peacekeeping operation in Moldova. Transforming 

the peacekeeping operation into an internationally mandated and 

recognized operation could enhance security and stability. As chairmanship, we also want to offer our best and honest efforts to open 

perspectives for a possible status settlement and we will make proposals at very short notice. To that end, a team of Belgian constitutional experts has been working out some interesting proposals. 

As Chairman-in-Office, I raised serious concerns about the Presidential elections in Belarus. They were flawed, and opposition lead-
9

ers and groups were curtailed. Also, the Andijon events in 

Uzbekistan raised grave concerns, and the ensuing court proceedings did not meet the standards under the OSCE commitments. 

How do we, as OSCE, work best to promote democratization, rule 

of law and respect for human rights in countries that do not live 

up to the standards to which they adhere as members of the 

OSCE? 

Dialogue and cooperation are the answer. But, of course, it must 

be a two-way street. The role of the chairmanship is to facilitate 

this process, without compromising on our shared principles and 

commitment. At the same time, we will give full support to the 

OSCE field missions, which, in dialogue with the respective governments and civil society, contribute to the democratic transition of 

these countries. 

Mr. Chairman, distinguished Commissioners, democratization, 

the furthering of the rule of law and of respect for human rights 

are the main fields of action of the OSCE. They are our common 

concerns. I look forward to continue working with you during the 

remaining months of our presidency of the OSCE and beyond. 

And let me, maybe briefly, come back to the questions that have 

been put forward. First of all, on child pornography——

Mr. BROWNBACK. Mr. Minister, if I could real quick—they have 

a vote that is on the House side. If this would be—by your permission, I’d ask Mr. Cardin if he had a question or two that he could 

put to you now. You have one from Mr. Pitts. And then we may 

take them as they’re running to vote so that they can hedge the 

timeframe. Would that be acceptable to you? Because I want to 

make sure to allow them to put forward a question or a comment 

before they have to leave. 

Mr. CARDIN. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Minister, I thank 

you for your patience. We have a little protest going on the floor 

because of a problem with water in the western part of the country, 

so we’re being interrupted by procedural votes. 

I want to compliment you on your testimony. I think you really 

have hit the core responsibilities and success of OSCE. Its field 

missions have been extremely important. The election monitoring 

has been extremely important. And we have made tremendous 

progress in dealing with intolerance on all fronts, and I applaud 

your leadership in those areas. 

I just want to ask one additional question which deals with the 

relationship between the Parliamentary Assembly and your office 

in Vienna. I know that there’s been some concerns on the election 

monitoring and the work that’s being done by ODIHR currently, 

but I just want to give you an open-ended opportunity for how you 

see we can improve the relationship between Vienna and the Parliamentary Assembly, so that the Parliamentary Assembly and the 

work that’s being done in Vienna can be more closely coordinated 

in order to carry out our objectives in the OSCE. 

Mr. BROWNBACK. If I could on this—Congressman, please forgive 

me—but, Congressmen Pitts and Aderholt—if they had a question 

they wanted to put forward before you have to run for the vote, I 

want to make sure to get those in so that we can add those to you. 
10

Congressman Pitts, you had asked about the child pornography—

if you had additional question or comment to put forward? 

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Chairman, I was just going to ask about the 

human-trafficking emphasis that we’ve attempted to address in 

terms of U.S. law and encouraging other OSCE countries to take 

action. And in terms of the ongoing work and the followup on the 

anti-trafficking initiatives—are these continuing despite the recent 

personnel changes, and are there other ways to enhance the good 

work of the anti-trafficking unit to ensure a sustained focus on the 

work to combat human trafficking? 

Mr. BROWNBACK. And then Congressman Aderholt—before you 

guys have to run, do you have——

Mr. ADERHOLT. I don’t have anything. I just want to say again, 

welcome to—thank you for being here today, and welcome to our 

hearing. And we look forward to visit with you more in Brussels. 

Thank you. 

Mr. BROWNBACK. Sorry about stacking those on you, but it was 

the way we could be most efficient to get the thoughts and put forward, because I can stay here and don’t have a hearing. 

Do you care to respond to those? Then, I have a series of questions I’d like to pose to you if I could, Minister. 

Min. DE GUCHT. OK. Questions put by Mr. Pitts—child pornography—it has, of course, to do with organized crime and also with 

human trafficking, but it’s not limited to that. And I think you’re 

rightly putting emphasis on this, and we will take it with us to the 

ministerial conference in Brussels, and we will certainly pay attention to that and see how we can develop for next year a program 

on this. 

Your question on human trafficking—yes, we needed some institutional reforms. We have managed to get an agreement on that. 

The unit is continuing working, and we plan to appoint a new person—representatives—in the weeks to come. You know that there 

has been some discussion on the person who was in charge of it, 

so I will try to get to a consensus on somebody to do the job in the 

coming weeks. 

The question put by Congressman Cardin—I know that there are 

some discussions between the Parliamentary Assembly and—not 

Vienna, it’s in Warsaw. I mean, they are based in Warsaw—

ODIHR [Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights]. 

And sometimes there is a somewhat difficult relationship between 

both, and I’ve tried to solve the question. I just made an appointment with Chairman Hastings to discuss it in Brussels, how we 

can solve the question, because I think it is very important to do 

so, because if not, it would weaken ODIHR, and that certainly cannot be the aim. 

Having said this, there is, of course, a lot of discussion on the 

way election monitoring should be pursued. And what I have done 

is I have appointed two seasoned politicians—the former minister 

of defense of Belgium and a former minister of foreign affairs of 

Denmark to make a report on how actually election monitoring is 

done on the ground. 

And they have been present in Belarus, they have been present 

in Ukraine, they have been present in Montenegro, and they are 

preparing a report for me so that I have a—I can’t get there. I 
11

mean, I cannot go there when there is election monitoring because 

that would create a diplomatic incident probably, so I have sent 

other eyes there, but completely trusted sirs and trustfully, our 

eyes to look at what actually happens. And on the basis of that, 

I will have discussions with the Parliamentary Assembly and with 

ODIHR to come to an arrangement that will strengthen, in fact, 

the election monitoring, because that should be the aim. We should 

strengthen it. 

I also have a couple of questions that I got here, Chairman, on 

Uzbekistan and on regional conflicts. Am I supposed to answer 

them or——

Mr. BROWNBACK. We may get to those. I’ve got a couple here, and 

so, if you wouldn’t mind—if I could pose some questions to you. 

And again, I’m very appreciative of your efforts. 

I’d really like for you to back up and tell me your view of these 

world-shaping events that are taking place right now and how it 

is that you see we should address them. I’m particularly interested 

in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and what they’re doing 

on shaping or not shaping human rights efforts in the OSCE countries. 

What is your view of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and 

how it is impacting, either positive or negative, the development of 

human rights—democracy—in the OSCE region? 

Min. DE GUCHT. Well, Chairman, I think all initiatives to 

strengthen confidence-building and demilitarization of border regions and to help resolve border disputes by peaceful means are 

welcome, of course. But, they should not become competitive bodies. 

You know that the membership includes China, Kazakhstan, 

Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Iran—Pakistan, 

India, and Mongolia have observer status, so it’s largely a Central 

Asian and Asian initiative. 

A lot of the significance of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization has to do with the participation of China, of course. They are 

part of the organization. And therefore, they are able to serve as 

a forum for Russo-Chinese dialogue in cooperation of regional 

issues in Central Asia. 

That means that it can be competitive to interests of other global 

powers that—I think we should be aware of that. Now, the last 

summit was on the 15th of June 2006, and Iran manifested its desire to become a member. The focus was on Afghanistan, and everybody knows that Iran has some influence in Afghanistan and in 

the broader region. 

Members pledged to combine forces to tackle the heroine trade 

and the deteriorating security position. We were not invited to the 

SCO Summit, and we have no formal relations between the SCO 

and the OSCE. And I think there is a serious fear that in the 

minds of some participants, they see it as a competitive organization to the OSCE. 

Mr. BROWNBACK. What do you see it as? 

Min. DE GUCHT. I think it’s true. I also feel it like that, when 

you look to the participating States, most of the Central Asian 

states are involved, and I think the difference is—as I see it, the 

fundamental problem within the OSCE is that all participating 
12

States have adhered to common principles. They have signed agreements and treaties on that. 

But several of the participating States don’t really like all of 

these principles, and what we tried to do within the OSCE is get 

to stability, but respect of principles is one of the—not only building blocks, but is in fact the cornerstone of our vision of stability. 

And what I feel a little bit is that within this organization, the 

SCO, they are also developing a philosophy on stability, but where 

the role of common principles—democratic principles—that’s what 

we are talking about—to say it mildly, is not that big. 

That’s how I think the fundamental difference between the two 

organizations. 

Mr. BROWNBACK. You put it mildly; as you say, isn’t it even a 

group that is opposed to democracy? 

Min. DE GUCHT. That would be too harsh to say, I think. There 

is in certain Central Asian states, there is an awareness that the 

trend of history is towards democracy, but you also have to look at 

the recent history of those countries. They all belonged to the Soviet Union. When you look at their leaders, almost all of them date 

from that period—already played an important role in the era of 

the Soviet Union. So, they are countries in transition. 

But, in some of them, there is an awareness that the trend of 

history is towards democracy. But it’s not easy to go through this 

transition, and that’s what you witness. 

For example, in Kazakhstan, I think they are aware of that, but 

they are also facing the fact of life that it’s not easy to build a democracy. That would be my judgment on that. 

Mr. BROWNBACK. So, let me put a finer point on this because I 

appreciate your thought on this, and I see what you’re saying. And 

I’ve traveled this region, and I’ve worked with a number of countries in Central Asia for some period of time. And this is a difficult 

transition—to go from an authoritarian state to a democracy. And 

it’s not anything that you make one step and it’s over with. 

It is a many-step process, but it seems as if this Shanghai Cooperation Organization is almost a blocking mechanism from too 

much pushing from the West to democratize; that it’s used in that 

sense and saying, ‘‘OK, now, if we let the Western countries, the 

democratic countries, push us individually, we’re going to get 

pushed further than we want to go. But if we bind together, we’re 

not going to be able to get pushed on this, even if we do recognize 

that democracy is the historical trend line; that people do best 

when they’re freest.’’

Am I misinterpreting this group from your practical experience 

in dealing with the countries that make up the SCO? 

Min. DE GUCHT. Well, you’re giving your interpretation. I’m not 

saying that this is a misinterpretation, but I think the difference 

between you and me is that you are a U.S. Senator and I am the 

Chairman-in-Office of the OSCE. 

Mr. BROWNBACK. I recognize that——

[Laughter.] 

Mr. BROWNBACK [continuing]. Aand I’m really—I am trying to 

appreciate and understand your view of the SCO, because I think 

it’s an important recognition of how we view and how we strategically deal with this organization. 
13

And I recognize one of us has, perhaps, greater freedoms than 

the other at this point in time, but I think it’s important on how 

we look at the SCO. 

Min. DE GUCHT. As I’ve already said, some participating States 

have some problems with the principles that they have subscribed, 

and let’s say that’s—on behalf of some participating States, is a 

counter-offensive. 

Take, for example, the stance of the Uzbek regime. It’s very obvious we have to renegotiate the mandate for our mission there. And 

I don’t know whether we will come to an agreement, because if you 

have to go below certain standards, maybe it’s better not to have 

a representation there anymore. We are in the negotiating process. 

But, on the other hand, I think that if we believe that OSCE is 

an important organization, we also need to demonstrate the flexible 

to grow our service through this transition, because if you don’t 

show some flexibility, then the organization itself will come into 

difficulty, and then we will, in fact, lose a very important tool to 

spread democracy. 

And that’s—as you said in your introduction, a tremendous lot of 

things have happened in the past 15 years. 

Mr. BROWNBACK. They have. It’s been beautiful. 

Min. DE GUCHT. The world has changed dramatically, so maybe 

we need to have a little bit of patience and be very cautious, sometimes flexible, but keep to our principles, because if we approach 

it in too harsh a way, then the first victim could be the organization itself, and that certainly cannot be the aim. 

Mr. BROWNBACK. I appreciate that, and there’s probably a great 

deal of wisdom in that, and I also appreciate the positive nature 

of what a group, as you noted, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, can produce. And some economic cooperation within the region and another forum for dialogue within the region—in a difficult area, I think those can be very positive. 

We’ve invested so much in the push for democracy and human 

rights, and we know this to be true: that people do best when 

they’re freest. We know this to be true. We have the practical experience of many years. We strongly subscribe to that notion; that liberty is a gift for all of us to participate in, not just the Western 

world and not just a certain ideology or certain region. 

And we’ve never given up on that concept, and we’ve never given 

in on that concept. And it seems to me that it’s important that we 

press groups like the SCO to endorse that concept—say that, ‘‘This 

is fundamental. It’s in your constitutions in many of your countries. 

It’s an important matter for the dignity of the human individual, 

wherever they’re located.’’ And so then, maybe we don’t put it in 

a negative, but we put it in a positive toward them to endorse and 

to embrace these principles that most would find history moving toward. Maybe that’s the better way to place it. 

It seems as if the action of a number of these countries in the 

region is negative toward the OSCE core principles and the individual, and that they’re finding ways to bind together collectively 

to slow this push that’s underway clearly in the region to slow it 

down. And maybe there are some reasons in various places for it 

to move at different paces than what it moves—there isn’t a uniform pace that human rights and the recognition of human dignity 
14

moves at, but it is something that we will not give up pressing on 

and pressing organizations about, as well. 

Have you been meeting—I presume you have—with the leadership of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization? 

Min. DE GUCHT. The leadership itself, no, but I have met with 

the Kazakhs, the Kyrgis, the Russians, of course, Tajikistan, 

Uzbekistan—so, the individual members, yes, but not the leadership as such. 

Mr. BROWNBACK. And that may be something that we need to 

press from here, as well—from Washington—to meet with the leadership of that organization to be able to ascertain, do they embrace 

the same principles? Will they embrace the same principles on 

human rights and the dignity of the individual? 

I want to thank you very much for being here, for addressing a 

number of these cutting-edge human rights issues, trafficking, 

child pornography. We’re seeing a lot of trafficking into the United 

States. We’re seeing a lot of it happening in many places around 

the world—the new form of slavery—and it does seem like this 

would be a key topic for OSCE to be able to address. 

I do hope we can continue to push on some of these frozen conflict areas that are very difficult, but ones that, if they can be addressed, broaden the freedoms for many individuals—those involved, clearly, but also on a broader scale, as well. And I think 

you’ll see us from here—from the United States—pushing on a lot 

of these countries via the multilateral institutions to continue to 

push this agenda that’s an agreed-upon agenda, but trying to use 

the broad multilateral institutions to do that in as being as effective a way as we can. And we will also do so individually, too, because we believe very strongly in the concepts. 

Thank you very much. Godspeed to you in your remainder of 

your term as the Chairman-in-Office for the OSCE. You have a 

very heavy agenda in front of you, and I wish you all the best with 

that. 

Min. DE GUCHT. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. 

Mr. BROWNBACK. This hearing’s adjourned. 

[Whereupon, at 11:57 a.m., the hearing was adjourned.]
15

A P P E N D I C E S 

PREPARED STATEMENT OF HON. CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH, COCHAIRMAN, COMMISSION ON SECURITY AND COOPERATION 

IN EUROPE 

Mr. Chairman, thank you for convening this hearing on Belgium’s leadership of the OSCE, an organization that has stood the 

test of time in promoting the core values of democracy, human 

rights and the rule of law. I appreciate this opportunity to renew 

my acquaintance with Minister De Gucht given our common interests within the OSCE and beyond. Last year Dr. Henry Kissinger 

met with the Commission in conjunction with the 30th anniversary 

of the Helsinki Final Act. He acknowledged the unanticipated impact of ideas reflected in that document and the process it produced 

that has made human rights a legitimate subject of international 

debate. Indeed, the Helsinki Process and contribution of this Commission have helped uphold the freedom and dignity of many individuals—but many others wait for the promises made in Helsinki 

to be fulfilled. 

For those committed to democracy and respect for human rights, 

we are here to help you overcome the legacy of the past. To those 

despots determined to remain in power at all costs, the day is coming when your people too will say ‘‘enough’’ to official corruption, 

rigged elections, and chronically poor governance. Regrettably, the 

gap between commitment and reality on the ground in a number 

of OSCE participating States remains wide and, in at least a couple of countries, is growing alarmingly wider. The failure of some 

to adhere to longstanding OSCE commitments is indeed leading to 

a division between those committed to building, consolidating and 

strengthening democracy and those determined to thwart democratic change. 

This past March we witnessed these decidedly different approaches being played out in Belarus and neighboring Ukraine. In 

the first, we saw a sad repeat of the rigged elections that have 

robbed the people of Belarus of a voice in choosing a path toward 

democracy and away from dictatorship. A week later, the people of 

Ukraine used the ballot box to consolidate the gains of the Orange 

Revolution through the first post-Soviet elections to be deemed 

completely free and fair. 

Turning to Central Asia, I remain deeply concerned over the continuing and intensifying repression in Uzbekistan and was appalled to see President Putin host Karimov on the eve of the anniversary of the bloody Andijon massacre. Denial of even a glimmer 

of freedom on Turkmenistan has become so routine that regrettably 

few pay much attention to the hardship of the people in that country. Meanwhile, factions in Kyrgyzstan seem more determined to 

gain advantage than to consolidate change made possible through 

upheaval that toppled dictatorship there. In Tajikistan, a country 

that had to contend with the ravages of civil war, the political 

space in the lead up to elections later this year appears to be 

shrinking. Finally, Kazakhstan, a country many had hoped would 

provide real leadership in embracing OSCE commitments and leading by example, has failed to improve its already poor record on 
16

human rights and democracy, thus dooming its nascent bid to assume the chairmanship of OSCE in 2009. 

Ironically, those insisting on the need for ‘‘reforms’’ of the OSCE 

are countries that routinely and often blatantly ignore their commitments on human rights and democracy. This group is not interested in strengthening the OSCE, but scuttling the organization’s 

human rights and democracy-promoting activities. We should not 

allow our attention to be diverted from the real issue—implementation of agreed upon commitments. 

Mr. Minister, as the point person on human trafficking issues for 

the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, I want to stress the importance of pursuing robust anti-trafficking efforts even as you seek 

a qualified candidate to serve as Special Representative. In this regard, it is critical to move ahead now, including the follow-up this 

fall on the issue of forced and bonded labor. Momentum must not 

be lost on such important ongoing efforts! 

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
17

PREPARED STATEMENT OF HON. BENJAMIN L. CARDIN,

RANKING MEMBER, COMMISSION ON SECURITY AND

COOPERATION IN EUROPE 

Mr. Chairman, today’s hearing with Belgian Foreign Minister 

Minister Karel De Gucht focusing on Belgium’s chairmanship of 

OSCE is particularly timely as a number of us prepare for the 

OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s Annual Session to be held next 

week in Brussels. The OSCE is a dynamic process that has gone 

through several phases since the signing of the 1975 Helsinki Final 

Act—from the dark days of repression during the Cold War to the 

heady days of the late 80’s and early 90’s, the bleak days that witnessed genocide in the Balkans, to the challenges of the present 

day. Throughout, we have had the benefit of the OSCE’s comprehensive approach to security encompassing all three dimensions 

of the process—military security, economic and environment, and 

the human dimension. For three decades now, the U.S. Helsinki 

Commission has sought to make real the promises contained in the 

Helsinki Final Act, work that is far from complete. 

Although the Commission is best known for the human dimension, we also recognize the multidimensional nature of many of the 

challenges facing the participating States, including the United 

States. Human trafficking, corruption, terrorism and many other 

problem areas each have a security dimension, an economic dimension and a human dimension. 

In recent years, I have concentrated much of my effort on the 

economic and environmental dimension, including through my 

work as Chairman of the Parliamentary Assembly’s Committee on 

Economic Affairs, Science, Technology and Environment (Second 

Committee). I appreciate the focus of the Belgian chairmanship on 

combating international crime. This Commission provided some important leadership in pressing for the issue of corruption to be address at the Istanbul summit. I continue to view that issue as a 

continuing impediment to progress in all aspects of the Helsinki 

process, including economic and environmental issues. During our 

meeting in Brussels we will be discussing the new United Nations 

Convention Against Corruption, and our Committee will urge the 

OSCE participating States to ratify and implement this new convention, which for the first time reaches both public and private 

conduct. 

Recently, the Commission held a hearing in connection with the 

20th anniversary of the Chornobyl nuclear disaster, an event that 

has lingering consequences for people in Belarus, Ukraine and 

parts of the Russian Federation. Indeed corrupt Soviet practices exacerbated that accident and complicate efforts to contain contaminated materials that remain at the Chornobyl plant. 

Corruption, disaster response and energy sustainability are 

issues that present unique challenges to all of our countries, but 

particularly to governments in transition. There is clearly much 

work to be done. I am confident, however, that by sharing experiences and working cooperatively, we can see results. In this regard, 

I would be remiss if I did not mention the valuable work being 

done by Mr. Bernard Snoy, the Coordinator of OSCE Economic and 

Environmental Activities, and his excellent staff. 
18

Mr. Minister, welcome and I look forward to hearing about your 

priorities for the balance of the Belgian chairmanship and your insights that can help us beyond your term in office.
19

PREPARED STATEMENT OF HON. JOSEPH PITTS,

COMMISSIONER, COMMISSION ON SECURITY AND

COOPERATION IN EUROPE 

Mr. Minister, I will be leading the U.S. Delegation to the OSCE 

PA Annual Session taking place in Brussels next week. You may 

be aware of an initiative we will be raising in Brussels concerning 

the truly global problem of child pornography. 

This is a concern that deserves priority consideration by the 

OSCE and the participating States is the exploitation and abuse 

resulting from child pornography. The International Centre for 

Missing & Exploited Children (ICMEC) surveyed 184 Interpol 

member countries, including the OSCE participating States. Their 

recently released study reveals significant gaps in the legal framework that hamper the effectiveness of law enforcement agencies to 

combat international child pornography networks operating across 

borders, principally via the Internet. A survey of OSCE countries 

finds that: • 6 countries lack any laws criminalizing any aspect of child pornography • 32 countries lack any legal definition of child pornography • 16 countries have failed to make the possession of child pornography a crime • 20 countries lack laws criminalizing the electronic distribution 

of child pornography via the Internet 

• 50 countries do not require Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to 

report suspected child pornography to law enforcement 

Of OSCE countries, only Belgium, France and the United States 

have enacted comprehensive laws combating child pornography. I 

say this not to hold up our countries, for we must also recognize 

that much of the demand originates right here in this country. 

Ernie Allen, ICMEC president and CEO who will be participating 

is a special event in Brussels in conjunction with the OSCE PA 

meeting has observed, ‘‘We know that many world leaders do not 

yet recognize that child pornography has become a multi-billion 

dollar industry and that the world’s children are paying the price.’’ 

Mr. Minister, I urge you to use your leadership position in OSCE 

to pursue this issue in the lead up to the Brussels Ministerial and 

beyond.

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