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GERMANY’S CHAIRMANSHIP OF THE OSCE: 

PRIORITIES AND CHALLENGES 

HEARING 

BEFORE THE

COMMISSION ON SECURITY AND 

COOPERATION IN EUROPE 

ONE HUNDRED FOURTEENTH CONGRESS 

SECOND SESSION 

MARCH 1, 2016 

Printed for the use of the 

Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe 

[CSCE 114–2–2] 

( 

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

LEGISLATIVE BRANCH COMMISSIONERS 

HOUSE SENATE 

CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH, New Jersey, 

Chairman 

ALCEE L. HASTINGS, Florida 

ROBERT B. ADERHOLT, Alabama 

MICHAEL C. BURGESS, Texas 

STEVE COHEN, Tennessee 

ALAN GRAYSON, Florida 

RANDY HULTGREN, Illinois 

JOSEPH R. PITTS, Pennsylvania 

LOUISE McINTOSH SLAUGHTER, 

New York 

ROGER F. WICKER, Mississippi, 

Co-Chairman 

BENJAMIN L. CARDIN, Maryland 

JOHN BOOZMAN, Arkansas 

RICHARD BURR, North Carolina 

JEANNE SHAHEEN, New Hampshire 

TOM UDALL, New Mexico 

SHELDON WHITEHOUSE, Rhode Island 

EXECUTIVE BRANCH COMMISSIONERS 

Vacant, Department of State 

Vacant, Department of Commerce 

Vacant, Department of Defense 

[II] 
GERMANY’S CHAIRMANSHIP OF THE OSCE: 

PRIORITIES AND CHALLENGES 

COMMISSIONERS 

Page 

Hon. Christopher H. Smith, Chairman, Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe .............................................. 6 

Hon. Roger Wicker, Co-Chairman, Commission on Security 

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

Hon. Benjamin L. Cardin, Ranking Member, Commission 

on Security and Cooperation in Europe ................................. 2 

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

and Cooperation in Europe ..................................................... 11 

WITNESSES 

H.E. Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Minister of Foreign Affairs, 

Federal Republic of Germany ................................................. 3 

APPENDICES 

Prepared statement of Hon. Christopher H. Smith ................. 16 

Prepared statement of Hon. Roger Wicker ............................... 17 

Prepared statement of H.E. Frank-Walter Steinmeier ............ 18 

[III] 

(1) 

GERMANY’S CHAIRMANSHIP OF THE OSCE: 

PRIORITIES AND CHALLENGES 

March 1, 2016 

COMMISSION ON SECURITY AND COOPERATION IN EUROPE

WASHINGTON, DC 

The hearing was held at 2:15 p.m. in room 334, Cannon House 

Office Building, Washington, DC, Hon. Christopher H. Smith, 

Chairman, Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, 

presiding. 

Commissioners present: Hon. Christopher H. Smith, Chairman, 

Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe; Hon. Roger 

Wicker, Co-Chairman, Commission on Security and Cooperation in 

Europe; Hon. Benjamin L. Cardin, Ranking Member, Commission 

on Security and Cooperation in Europe; and Hon. Joseph R. Pitts, 

Commissioner, Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe. 

Witness present: H.E. Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Federal Republic of Germany. 

HON. ROGER WICKER, CO-CHAIRMAN, COMMISSION ON 

SECURITY AND COOPERATION IN EUROPE 

Mr. WICKER. All right. It goes without saying that the loudspeaker’s working very well today, so I’ll back up a bit. 

My name is Roger Wicker, and I’m co-chairman of the Helsinki 

Commission. Our chairman, Chris Smith, is casting a recorded vote 

on the House Floor now and will be along soon. He has asked that 

we go ahead and begin. 

And I’m joined today by my dear friend Ben Cardin, whose leadership at the Commission has been long capable. Ben, I don’t know 

about you, but it’s good to be back in the Cannon Building. It was 

my first office as a member of the House of Representatives, and 

I’m glad to be back. 

And I am pleased to join members of the panel in welcoming Foreign Minister Steinmeier before the Helsinki Commission. So welcome, sir. I appreciate having the foreign minister’s views and expertise as the Commission works to formulate U.S. policy regarding 

the OSCE. 

For 40 years the OSCE has worked to bolster security, democracy, the rule of law and respect for human rights. In recent decades, Europe has faced major changes, crises and conflicts. These 

have included the fall of communism, the war in the former Yugoslavia and the war on international terrorism. In addition to the 

continued terrorism threat, OSCE today must contend with new 

and ongoing challenges such as the migration crisis, human traf-
2 

ficking, a resurgent anti-Semitism, protecting other minority 

groups, and corruption in government. 

As a 57-member organization that operates by consensus, the 

OSCE is also not without internal challenges. Russia has attempted to redefine European borders through force. It has tried to 

use the power of veto and the power of the purse to paralyze the 

OSCE’s mission. These actions should be addressed in a meaningful way. There are also differing views among OSCE members on 

how to address the unprecedented migration of refugees into Europe. 

Mr. Foreign Minister, Germany’s chairmanship of the OSCE 

comes at a critical time in history. I wish you every success, and 

I look forward to your insights and counsel on how we can make 

a better world for future generations throughout the OSCE region. 

Senator Cardin. 

HON. BENJAMIN L. CARDIN, RANKING MEMBER, COMMISSION 

ON SECURITY AND COOPERATION IN EUROPE 

Mr. CARDIN. Well, Mr. Chairman, thank you very much. 

And, Mr. Foreign Minister, it’s a pleasure to have you before the 

Helsinki Commission. I enjoyed our opportunity this morning to 

have a conversation on many of these issues. 

I think it is particularly important for OSCE that Germany has 

stepped forward to take on the chair-in-office. And we thank you 

personally, but we thank your country for being willing to share 

your time with the security of Europe, Central Asia and our own 

continent. 

I’ve been working with the Helsinki Commission now for three 

decades. One of my very first trips was to West Germany to visit 

with the leaders of West Germany to better understand the circumstances. I was able to go to West Berlin and take a helicopter 

tour and see the contested Wall, and see how it was dividing a 

country and dividing people; and then went through Checkpoint 

Charlie, harassed a little bit by the East Germans. And then into 

East Germany we went, talked to the people about their fears, recognizing in many respects it was through the Helsinki Commission, 

through the OSCE that we were their voices to stand up against 

the oppression of their government. I returned a little later when 

the Berlin Wall was coming down, and I actually have a photograph in my office with my hammer knocking down the Berlin 

Wall. It’s one of the prize photographs in my office. And I’ve been 

back many times since to see a united Germany and see the 

strength. 

And I go through that because it points out that the OSCE principles work. It was the basic commitments within the OSCE that 

raised the issues and brought Germany back together. And it’s so 

fitting that you today are the chair-in-office to help us deal with 

the challenges. 

I do want to acknowledge Spencer Oliver, who’s here, the recently retired secretary-general of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly. We take pride in the work of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly. My friend Senator Wicker is one of the leaders in that parliamentary assembly and does an incredible job. 
3 

I also want to acknowledge Andy Baker, Rabbi Baker, who’s 

here, who’s the special representative on anti-Semitism. I have the 

opportunity of being the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s special 

representative on anti-Semitism, racism and intolerance. 

There’s not a lack of challenges that you have coming in as chairin-office. I’ve been working with ODIHR—he was here recently, Michael Link—on anti-Semitism. I have visited Paris and Copenhagen, the sites of dramatic anti-Semitic activities, and am working with the leaders of Europe or leadership, particularly in improving the programming within the schools on tolerance. 

We also had a chance to talk this morning about the issues of 

the migrants. And my task as special representative will also take 

on discrimination against the migrant communities. And I look forward to working with you. There’s clearly great risk. 

On the Roma population, I would just urge you to continue our 

effort. As someone who has long encouraged Germany to address 

the genocide of Romas, I was deeply heartened by Chairman 

Merkel’s participation in the 2012 unveiling of a memorial for the 

Roma and Sinti victims of National Socialism. I would just urge 

you to continue to involve the Roma issues as you move forward 

with your agenda this year, including the work of the OSCE, and 

include the Roma population as members of the OSCE mission. So 

I would just urge you to continue to do that. 

I also might point out we are working with discrimination 

against individuals of African descent. In our own country we have 

problems with discriminatory policing, which we’re going to take 

on, but it’s also a problem within Europe. 

You are not going to have a lack of challenges. We talked this 

morning about corruption generally, and specifically in Ukraine. 

Clearly, corruption erodes all the principles of the OSCE, and one 

in which we have to have special attention. 

I would also just lastly point out I think we have the traditional 

concerns of countries that have never really fully complied with the 

OSCE commitments, from Belarus to Tajikistan. But we have backslidings on some of our close allies—NATO allies such as Hungary 

and Poland—that we have to be concerned about. 

So clearly the threat of extremism and ISIL is front in our minds 

to protect our population, and I can assure you this Commission 

looks forward to working with you and look forward to your vision 

during this year. 

Mr. WICKER. Mr. Foreign Minister, it is our honor to recognize 

you for an opening statement. 

H.E. FRANK-WALTER STEINMEIER, MINISTER OF FOREIGN 

AFFAIRS, FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY 

Mr. STEINMEIER. Senator Wicker, Senator Cardin, many thanks, 

first of all, for inviting me and inviting us, the German delegation, 

and for your kind words in the beginning. 

Ladies and gentlemen, it’s really a great honor for me to address 

you today as chairman-in-office of the Organization for Security 

and Cooperation in Europe. And it is a particular honor to do this 

as a German, because we Germans know how much we owe to this 

institution and to the CSCE process—looking back on the path to 
4 

de ́tente between East and West, the end of the Cold War, and finally the reunification of my country. 

The Helsinki Commission, created almost 40 years ago, was instrumental in that endeavor. My country will never forget the unequivocal support of your country. We will not forget the United 

States’ steadfast commitment to regarding European security as inseparable from its own security. That was the decisive factor in 

ending the Cold War peacefully. 

However, our hopes that the end of the Cold War would herald 

an era of peace have not come true. The vision of the Charter of 

Paris, of a Europe whole and free, has not yet materialized. Yet 

again we find ourselves facing violent crises and conflicts, even on 

our own continent. Russian aggression in Ukraine has brought the 

devastation of war right back to the heart of Europe, violating central provisions of international law, the Helsinki Final Act, and the 

OSCE commitments. 

At the same time, violence has spiked in regions of the Middle 

East and Northern Africa. Terror, religious radicalism and regional 

rivalries have led to immeasurable human suffering. 

That is particularly true for Syria. I hope that the recent diplomatic initiative for a cessation of hostilities that is being tirelessly 

promoted by Secretary Kerry and others will bring the violence to 

a halt and pave the way for urgently needed political negotiations. 

The brutal conflicts in the Middle East have also reached the European continent. Hundreds of thousands of people have been 

forced to flee their homes and are seeking shelter in Europe, many 

of them in Germany. 

We live in turbulent times, ladies and gentlemen. I believe that, 

in the light of these enormous challenges, we should remember the 

crucial lessons we learned in overcoming the Cold War. 

The first lesson is simple, but critical: We are only strong if we 

stand together. Secretary Kerry just reminded us in Munich that 

the transatlantic community has faced numerous challenges before, 

but we stood together to overcome them. And we will continue do 

so—not only because there is only one common transatlantic security, but also because we are a community of shared values and of 

shared beliefs. 

Another lesson I see is this: We need to make the best possible 

use of our existing tools to help solve conflicts, and to promote 

peace and security. In fact, we must strengthen these instruments. 

The OSCE is one of these tools, a crucial one. With its unique 

and inclusive membership, its operational capacities and established formats for dialogue, it is a central pillar of our common security. To me, strengthening the OSCE and using its full potential 

as a platform for dialogue is imperative, particularly in these challenging times, with trust at a low ebb. 

This is why, ladies and gentlemen, ‘‘renewing dialogue, rebuilding trust, restoring security’’ is the motto we have chosen for our 

OSCE chairmanship in 2016. The dialogue we want to renew is not 

one that sugarcoats our differences, nor is it dialogue for its own 

sake. It is dialogue to engage one another substantively, to face our 

differences, and to really effect change. 

In the conflict in and around Ukraine, we have condemned Russian violations of international law and of OSCE principles and 
5 

commitments, and we have exerted political and economic pressure 

in response. At the same time, however, we have established formats for dialogue to avoid further bloodshed and to help find a political solution. 

I agree with many of you that the results of this—the Minsk 

agreements—are far from being perfect. We are still awaiting the 

complete implementation of their provisions by all sides. But I remain convinced that the Minsk agreements are still the best 

chance we have to overcome this conflict, and the OSCE has been 

instrumental in bringing that chance about. 

Senators, ladies and gentlemen, in the midst of the Cold War in 

the 1970s, in the face of the real danger of military confrontation 

between East and West, we put special emphasis on the implementation of human rights standards in the whole Euro-Atlantic area. 

It is my firm conviction that safeguarding human rights and fundamental freedoms is a crucial and direct contribution to a more stable international system and to comprehensive security. That is 

why we will place a special focus on the human dimension during 

our OSCE chairmanship. I would like to name just a few of our priorities. 

Freedom of the media is of particular importance to us. Our societies should be able to communicate freely and without interference 

from state propaganda. 

We also need to intensify our fight against discrimination, racism, xenophobia and intolerance. We need to address it throughout 

Europe, including in my own country. In Germany, people’s overwhelming readiness to help arriving refugees has recently been 

overshadowed by xenophobic assaults and demonstrations. These 

are despicable acts that we must not and will not tolerate. 

We will also place a special focus on combating anti-Semitism. I 

have reappointed Rabbi Andrew Baker as my personal representative on combating anti-Semitism, and thank him for his valuable 

work in this regard. We will support the work of the Office for 

Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, ODIHR. And we will 

also host a number of events in Berlin on combating anti-Semitism, 

building on the OSCE conferences of 2004 and 2014. 

Another emphasis will be on gender equality, as well as on dialogue with civil society. 

And finally, the pressing issue of migration should figure more 

prominently and comprehensively on the OSCE’s agenda. There is 

a lot of expertise that the OSCE can bring to the table on human 

rights standards, on best practices in labor migration, and on combating human trafficking. We support the efforts of the Special 

Representative for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings. 

Ladies and gentlemen, despite all the differences in the OSCE 

area, we have to work on real solutions to the crises and challenges 

we face in these turbulent times. In the long term, we will need 

to return to a broader dialogue on European security, and we 

should adhere to the vision of renewed arms control and more cooperative security in Europe. The OSCE provides a platform for such 

dialogue, and we should make use of it. 

Ladies and gentlemen, the OSCE is a unique organization. But 

my hope is that its principles can provide a glimmer of hope to 

other regions, particularly to the Middle East. Let us remember 
6 

that the road to Helsinki began when the Cold War was at its coldest. At the start of the negotiations, who would have dared to hope 

that at the end of it the Berlin Wall would fall? 

Of course, you can’t transfer a security architecture to another 

region, but perhaps our experiences can highlight useful principles 

and processes. And maybe they can encourage the parties in the 

Middle East to live up to their responsibility and explore new paths 

to political settlements. This is a discussion that we started at the 

OSCE conference in Jordan last year, and which we would like to 

build on. 

Ladies and gentlemen, in 1977, Ambassador Arthur Goldberg, 

chairman of the U.S. delegation at the CSCE follow-up meeting in 

Belgrade, held that, and I quote, ‘‘A healing of the divisions in Europe cannot be divorced from progress in humanitarian matters 

and human rights. The pursuit of human rights does not put 

de ́tente in jeopardy. Rather, it can strengthen de ́tente and provide 

a firmer basis for both security and cooperation.’’ 

It is in this spirit that we will pursue our chairmanship, and 

hope to make a contribution to peace and stability in the OSCE 

area in 2016. Of course, rebuilding trust will not be easy, and there 

will not be a quick fix in 2016. But in my view, we have no alternative but to make every effort to do so if we want to be able to 

look future generations in the eye and hold that we did everything 

possible to return to peace in Europe. 

Many thanks. 

HON. CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH, CHAIRMAN, COMMISSION ON 

SECURITY AND COOPERATION IN EUROPE 

Mr. SMITH. Mr. Foreign Minister, thank you so very much. Luckily, I read your statement in advance—[laughter]—so I apologize on 

behalf of myself and my House colleagues that we couldn’t be here 

to hear you in person, but I, and my of course Senate colleagues, 

deeply appreciate not only you being here, but for your leadership. 

Germany certainly is in an ideal situation at one of the most critical times in the OSCE history, where not only the migration crisis, 

but obviously the ongoing problems with Ukraine, NagornoKarabakh and other so-called frozen conflicts—I mean, the world 

is a powder keg, and we’re grateful that we have a very steady 

hand at the helm as chair-in-office. So I want to thank you. 

I do have some opening questions, and then of course go to our 

two distinguished senators for any questions they have. And, without objection, I would ask unanimous consent that my statement 

be made a part of the record; opening statements can’t be made 

after—[chuckles]—you’re well into the hearing. 

So I would ask you first of all, if I could, maybe to shed some 

light on this—and perhaps you did, in addition to your opening 

comments—but last November, via a vote of 418 to zero, the House 

passed a resolution that I had introduced. It was co-signed by 

Democrats and Republicans alike, a very robust effort to say to our 

European friends that the security services of all of our countries— 

in our case, Homeland Security and local police, state police—need 

to more effectively partner with the Jewish communities in each of 

our respective countries, right down to the level of the synagogue 

and the Jewish community center, to provide very tangible assist-
7 

ance—financial, surveillance—partnering, you know, in every way 

to prevent, hopefully, acts of anti-Semitic hate, but also when they 

do happen to have a very quick mechanism in place to correctly 

identify it for what it is and to go after the perpetrators of those 

crimes to hold them to account, so that there is no sense of impunity anywhere in the OSCE space. We called it the Safety and Security of Jewish Communities in Europe Resolution. 

We do work, as you know, very closely with Rabbi Andy Baker, 

who thankfully you continue to keep as the personal representative 

in combating anti-Semitism. And, of course, Ben Cardin is the Parliamentary Assembly’s Special Representative for combating antiSemitism. And I just would ask if you could speak to any plans 

that you might have with regards to really trying to get countries— 

I know the U.K. does it very well; I hope and believe that Germany 

does it as well—to make sure that that kind of law enforcement expertise is robustly brought to bear. 

Secondly, if I could, child exploitation is an interest of all three 

of us and other members of the Commission. We’ve worked very 

hard on combating human trafficking. And we know that with this 

huge, huge refugee flow making its way into Europe, that the traffickers are preying on women especially. One estimate was that 

there were 10,000 unaccompanied minors, and the number may be 

higher—it was a guesstimate. And I’m wondering if you could 

speak to, you know, at the Border Security and Management Conference in Berlin, will you focus on making sure that these children 

and at-risk persons, especially women, are protected from predators? We did pass legislation, and President Obama signed, a bill 

called the International Megan’s Law, which we’re hoping you will 

take a look at and see if it might become part of your efforts. It 

is a noticing provision so that countries of destination, when there’s 

a convicted pedophile, that country—whether it be Germany or the 

United States—we’re hoping will be told when those folks are coming here so that we could either watch them or even perhaps deny 

them entry into the country, because we know child sex tourism is 

exponentially rising globally, including in the OSCE area. 

First two questions, if I could, and, please, any insights you can 

provide. 

Mr. STEINMEIER. Yes, I was just mentioning in my opening remarks that there are some reasons to take care about the situation 

of human rights, and unfortunately not only beyond our borders 

but also with regard to the situation in Germany. I think Rabbi 

Baker will witness the situation in Germany very carefully, and so 

far I think we were quite successful in our fight against anti-Semitism and every kind of populist racism. 

There were some events two years ago, and so therefore we indeed renewed our engagement in the fight against anti-Semitism. 

And now, being chairman of the OSCE, we have decided to organize a meeting in June with special envoys on combating antiSemitism. I think official institution will be part of that, hopefully 

also police and servicemen from all around Europe. And we will 

support a big ODIHR project to address anti-Semitism, focusing on 

security needs of Jewish communities, education, civil society, coalition-building and so on. So what I want to say is Jewish security 
8 

of the—security of the Jewish communities will be actively followed 

up by our German chairmanship. 

On children’s rights—children’s rights, and this will be part of 

our planned agenda. We will organize a special workshop about the 

children’s right, very important indicator for the implementation of 

human rights because they are—that is our view—the children are 

the most vulnerable group. So therefore, we have to take care that 

especially children will not be harmed in new developments in and 

outside the OSCE countries. 

This is, you know, already the link with the third issue you were 

raising—this is human trafficking. And trafficking of human beings 

is certainly an important topic in the OSCE, not only since we were 

overtaking the chairmanship also in the Swiss chairmanship, I remember. We will host a special conference in Berlin beginning in 

September 2016 on preventing trafficking in human beings for 

labor exploitation in supply chains, and the OSCE Special Representative and Coordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human 

Beings has already been invited to the next alliance against trafficking in persons. So therefore, I think we are well-prepared to 

highlight this as one of the priorities during our chairmanship in 

the OSCE. 

Mr. SMITH. Thank you. 

Commissioner Cardin. 

Mr. CARDIN. Well, again, thank you, Mr. Minister. 

I want to ask you a question about the nuts and bolts of the 

OSCE. In my role on the Foreign Relations Committee, I have the 

opportunity of working with the OSCE, with the Organization of 

American States, ASEAN, African Union, a lot of the regional organizations. And I think OSCE has been a real leader on the effectiveness of a regional organization. As we talked this morning, just 

looking at the role of OSCE in Ukraine and its mission points out 

its valuable role. Its field missions have been incredibly important. 

It’s been able to be very effective in changing the way of life in so 

many of the OSCE states. 

But it does work on consensus, which can be very challenging at 

times. The charter and operations are now many decades old. And 

I’m just interested, under your chairmanship, as to whether there 

are ways that we can make the organization more effective and 

more efficient in responding to the challenges that we face today. 

I’d mention also, if I might, the budgetary issues. You shouldn’t 

have to go with tin cup in hand to try to get money for special missions. There should be a more predictable way to finance the operations of the OSCE. 

Mr. STEINMEIER. Starting with the budget, I think the budget is 

far too limited because, you know, the challenges and the tasks for 

the OSCE are increasing. So, therefore, what we need is some more 

flexibility in our budget. But I will not complain because for the 

first time since years we have an agreed budget before the beginning of our chairmanship, and that is really a sort of luxury because, you know—[chuckles]—the chairman-in-office during the 

last years were fighting during their chairmanship for the budget. 

This is done already, so therefore we are now in the beginning of 

our chairmanship in a better situation compared with former days. 
9 

But you’re right, the OSCE is a very—how should I put it—very 

traditional, one of the biggest regional organizations. But to be 

honest, three years ago, five years ago, it was nearly a forgotten 

institution. It was, you know, we had our celebrations, but nobody 

was really aware that we are in need of such a regional organization. That has changed since the beginning of the conflict in and 

around Ukraine. 

It was very clear that the OSCE was the only institution in 

which East and West were still present. So therefore, it was the 

only platform for a dialogue. And you will remember, it was hard 

in the beginning to start a dialogue about Ukraine because, you 

know, every side felt justified about what they were doing. The 

Russians were trying to find arguments why Crimea was forever 

part of the—of Russia, belonging to Russia. And the Ukrainians 

were very clearly saying there is no need to talk and to have dialogue with the aggressor. 

So I think, without OSCE, we would never have been successful 

to start this dialogue, which was leading to Minsk, and from Minsk 

to the establishment of the OSCE observer mission. Since then, we 

are still far away from a political solution, but there is a significant 

de-escalation of the conflict, which is, from the point of the view of 

the people who are living in the eastern Ukraine, a real progress. 

So a lot has to be done now. And we are just inviting—not in the 

OSCE format but in the so-called Normandy format together with 

France—we are inviting the foreign ministers of Ukraine and Russia to Paris on Thursday of this week. And we are now discussing 

the next steps. In the sequence of the Minsk agreement, the next 

which has to be done is now an agreement about a new election 

law which is, you know, able to organize elections in the east of 

Ukraine, creating new legitimacy. And there are still bigger gaps 

to bridge. And that is what we are trying to do, accompanied by 

additional attempts to calm the situation and to keep the security 

situation on the ground in the eastern Ukraine more stable as it 

is. 

So therefore, I think we learn—we all learned in Europe that the 

OSCE is a still a needed organization. And my hope—my personal 

hope is that this is an additional argument why we have to modernize this organization a little bit. We have asked Ambassador 

Ischinger, who is chairing the Munich Security Conference with a 

group of experts, to give us some advice for the modernization of 

the institution. And I’m just talking with some of my colleagues 

yesterday evening, with Secretary Kerry, about new formats inside 

the OSCE that we should have—that is my idea—that we should 

have the opportunity to talk sometimes in a more informal way. 

And you know the procedures inside OSCE when 57 members 

are sitting around the table and reading their notes. This is not the 

discussion we are needing in difficult times. So opening the discussion in perhaps a more informal format, that is what we have— 

what we want to try to do during this year in our chairmanship. 

I don’t know if there is support from a relevant number of member 

states of the OSCE, but we are trying to convince, first of all, some 

of the bigger member states, and then hopefully others will follow. 

Mr. CARDIN. Thank you. Thank you. 

Mr. SMITH. Thank the ranking member. 
10 

Chairman Wicker. 

Mr. WICKER. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

And thank you, Mr. Minister, for your opening statement, your 

testimony so far. 

You know, with all that is going on, I think it is important that 

you put the 40-year history of OSCE in perspective. In 1976, I don’t 

know that I ever expected the people of Poland or Czechoslovakia 

or I could name any other country, to have free elections, or to 

have the level of independence that they have. And it was—actually, it was a decade and a half before that came to fruition. But 

the fact that you would mention the historical context of the entire 

40 years gives me hope that things will improve. 

Also, with regard to what Mr. Cardin said as to the nuts and 

bolts and tools, I appreciate your thinking this through. I can tell 

you, at the Parliamentary Assembly level, we are also talking 

about a different approach to basically all we have. And that is dialogue. We need to think of a better way to have dialogue. We need 

to think of a better way to have consensus building and to mobilize 

international opinion through the power of words. We don’t have 

policemen to send in. We don’t have judges to go in and do injunctions. And we certainly don’t have an army, nor would I want it 

to be. What we have is the opportunity for better dialogue and to 

better use the power of words. 

Now, Chairman Smith and I have mentioned a number of issues 

in which it seems that we’re backsliding in the OSCE region. So 

give me your opinion—and let’s be honest here, we’re on the record 

and the TV cameras are here—it seems to me that with regard to 

corruption, we are backsliding in the OSCE. It seems that with regard to anti-Semitism there is not only a lack of progress, we are 

heading the other way. And you know, to that I would add other 

minority groups. I don’t know that we’re progressing in the area of 

human trafficking. So let’s talk honestly about that. Let me get 

your opinion and let’s get it on the record. And if we are backsliding in one or all of these areas, help us identify the reason why 

that situation is headed in the wrong direction. 

Mr. STEINMEIER. Thank you. Only a few remarks to your first 

issue about history of the OSCE. My impression now, at the beginning of my chairmanship, is sometimes when I’m discussing OSCE 

issues with the German public that history might be, you know, 

looking to the younger generation, a sort of obstacle, because from 

the point of view of the younger generation, the OSCE is in a certain way linked to the times of the Cold War. And they are not 

really aware that issues like human trafficking, antiSemitism, corruption are higher now on our agenda. 

So when you are asking are we backsliding, I think on the surface that might be. But you know, this depends a little bit from our 

effort, or let’s say from our success, in dealing with different crises 

around Europe. I think—and returning from Ukraine last week— 

you know, many people in Ukraine are completely aware that the 

fight against corruption in their own country is the fight for democracy. And the main question is if Ukrainians will be able, and if 

we will be able to support, those who are really engaged in this, 

if we are able to create conditions that the fight against corruption 

will be successful. 
11 

I met a number of members of the parliament and so-called 

reformists in the Cabinet who are really engaged and determined 

to fight against corruption. And I hope that we will, and the 

Ukrainians will, create conditions that their fight will be successful. But you’re right, corruption is not only an issue in Ukraine. We 

are observing that in greater parts of Asia, especially in some of 

the Central Asian states. And I think we must be clear with the 

OSCE, and we will be clear during our chairmanship, we will not 

allow backsliding in all the three issues you were mentioning— 

corruption, anti-Semitism, human trafficking. 

But human trafficking is also linked to the conflicts in the Middle East. And so therefore talking about migration or human trafficking, I think we have the political and moral obligation to try 

what we can in combination with all the regional actors to find solutions for crises and conflicts which are the cause, which are the 

source for migration and human trafficking. And regarding especially the biggest crisis in the Middle East, Syria, I’m far from 

being optimistic that after five years of civil war, 250,000 victims, 

for the first time there is perhaps a glimmer of hope that we are 

progressing. 

Mr. WICKER. Do you agree with me that we are backsliding when 

it comes to anti-Semitism? 

Mr. STEINMEIER. Looking to Europe, you’re right. We have, and 

also in Germany, we’re making the experience that populist parties, some of them with a portion of anti-Semitism in their programs, that they are becoming more influence in our societies. I 

think this cannot only be the obligation and the task of the OSCE 

to fight these new tendencies. This is also an obligation of national 

governments and civil society. So far, talking about Germany, I’m 

quite happy that a lot of people are really standing up against 

these new kinds of populism. And hopefully they will not have the 

expected success in the parliamentary elections. 

Mr. SMITH. Thank you, Chairman Wicker. 

Commissioner Joe Pitts. 

HON. JOSEPH R. PITTS, COMMISSIONER, COMMISSION ON 

SECURITY AND COOPERATION IN EUROPE 

Mr. PITTS. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

Welcome, Mr. Minister, and thank you for your testimony. 

Let me ask you about Moldova. If you have one from your government’s new perspective as chair, can you offer us an update on 

the five-plus-two negotiations with the Russian Federation? Specifically, has there been any update on the Federation’s making good 

on its past promise to withdraw Russian ammunition and military 

forces from the Transnistria region within the Republic of 

Moldova? 

Mr. STEINMEIER. Yes. These are different aspects. And I’m afraid 

for the time being I have not very much encouraging signals to 

give. First of all, regarding the domestic situation in Moldova, 

there is a sort of still-stand, as you know. A new government is created and we have to wait if this new government will have the 

needed support from the parliament, and if this new government 

is really following the path of former government, meaning a 

course of reforms including the fight against corruption. There was 
12 

some skepticism, as you know, during the last weeks and few 

months. 

On Transnistria, I have announced publicly that we will make a 

new effort. I don’t see any kind of progress on solving these old— 

very old, frozen conflicts. And we will use all the instruments inside and outside the OSCE to bridge the gaps, or some of the gaps. 

But being honest, I think there is, for the time being, not really 

justified optimism. 

Mr. SMITH. Thank you very much, Mr. Pitts. 

Let me ask a few final questions. And again, Mr. Foreign Minister, if you have any questions you have of us, you know, this is 

a dialogue, we would appreciate those questions as well. Let me— 

you know, Chairman Wicker mentioned the backsliding and antiSemitism. And the empirical data clearly shows it’s getting worse. 

In the United States it has gotten worse, the last years for which 

we have statistics. Despite the fact that men and women who happen to be Jewish comprise 1.9 percent of our population, 57 percent 

of anti-religious hate crimes that were motivated by an offender’s 

anti-Jewish bias were committed against Jews. 

And the comparison between Muslims and Christians pale in 

terms of the numbers. And yet Jews comprise about 1.9 percent of 

our population. And the Kantor Institute shows very similar numbers happening all over Europe, including Germany, France, the 

U.K. Italy has seen almost a doubling of the number of hate crimes 

year over year. So it’s a very, very troubling trend. So all the more 

reason why your leadership on this—you know, it was in this room 

more than a dozen years ago, almost 15 years ago to be exact, that 

Gert Weisskirchen and I agreed to a—and our Commission—but 

we did it right here, right where we sit right now, to a coalition 

of the willing within the Parliamentary Assembly to try to get 

other parliamentarians to take up this cause. 

And I have to tell you, it was a hard fight. Many people wanted 

to just immediately make it include everything. And everything 

does have to be included, but anti-Semitic hate, as we all know, is 

of a very special form of virulent bias that continues year over 

year. 

Mr. STEINMEIER. But your—if I may say, your common efforts 

had some outcome, some result, because I remember you and Gert 

Weisskirchen, you were initiating the first anti-Semitism conferences. And we are now organizing the third one, I think. 

Mr. SMITH. And I can’t tell you how grateful we are for that and, 

again, for the work that Rabbi Andy Baker does. So but I think all 

of us have to—including here in the United States—we have a 

problem in our universities, where there’s a growing bias against 

Jewish people, Jewish students. So there needs to be, I think, a redoubling of all of our efforts. 

Let me ask you, with regards to the trafficking issue, when we 

met with the chair-in-office from Ukraine, we asked him as a commission if he would convene a conference that would look at the 

overall issue, which you are doing, but also at very specific parts 

of it, including the use of the airlines to carry victims from one location to another. And many of our airlines, as you know, Delta 

Airlines and others, have done a situational awareness program. 
13 

It’s been incorporated into what’s called Blue Lightning that Homeland Security promulgates. 

A woman named Nancy Rivard, with the Airline Ambassadors 

International, came up with one of the best, simplest ways of being 

situationally aware on a flight, conveying information of a suspected trafficking in progress to the pilot, who tells law enforcement so when the travelers disembark, law enforcement, not the 

pilot, not the flight attendants, can ascertain whether or not there’s 

a trafficking situation. And many, many women have been saved, 

rings have been broken up. And I would ask—you know, we’re trying to get all of our airlines to do it. They haven’t all. It would be 

great if Lufthansa and all the other European carriers would consider it. But if you could look at, perhaps, including that in your 

conference as a workshop? 

And the other would be, if I could, with all due respect, the whole 

of sex tourism for children. We know child sex predators have a 

huge propensity to recommit those crimes. The recidivism rate— 

and that’s just for those who get caught—approximates about a 

third, depending on the study you look at. So for every one who 

gets caught, how many go undetected because of the secrecy of the 

travel? Our new international Megan’s Law, which is named after 

a little girl from my district, my hometown, named Megan Kanka, 

who was—lived across the street from a convicted pedophile, nobody knew, he lured her into the house, slaughtered her, raped her, 

and buried her in a local park. That led to all 50 states enacting 

Megan’s Law. 

We now have a very serious, well-vetted database of sex offenders, including child sex offenders. And our new international 

Megan’s Law will systematize the noticing of every country in the 

world when these individuals travel. And then it’s up to Germany 

to say: We will deny entry—I know we have visa waiver and all 

of that—but we’ll deny—you’ll have the actionable information in 

a timely fashion. I think it’s something—we’ve gotten Parliamentary Assembly resolutions passed asking that states look at international Megan’s Law, as well as its core, of Megan’s Law itself. 

And I would beseech you to take a look at that yourself. It can provide you with all kinds of data, because it is an idea whose time 

has come. 

Mr. STEINMEIER. Yes. Thank you for this information. I promise 

you that we will integrate that in the preparation of our conference. 

And I have no question to you, but I want you to invite you to 

Germany, to these conferences, or wherever they will take place, so 

that you can directly influence the discussion during these conferences. So I hope to see you. 

Mr. SMITH. That would be an honor. Thank you. And for my colleagues, all of us, we would make every effort to be there. 

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Chairman, let me just add a little bit on what 

you’ve said. The Airline Ambassador Program, the staff on the 

plane is trained to recognize or spot characteristics of traffic victims. They do not intervene. They have a hotline number which 

they call. And they’re met when they get on the ground. And the 

proper authorities then intervene, take the people out of the queue 

and intervene. So they’re really serving as eyes and ears and alerts 
14 

with their training, the airlines. So if you could help facilitate 

training like that with the airlines, that would be very good. 

Mr. SMITH. And it’s low-cost and highly efficacious. If I could, Mr. 

Foreign Minister, you know, Chairman Wicker led us to a Parliamentary Assembly in Baku. And we had a very lively, I can tell 

you, exchange between President Aliyev and our delegation. We’ve 

been there twice as a commission. And we’ve noticed, with alarm, 

as I know you have and I know many in the European Union have, 

that Azerbaijan has now put behind bars something on the order 

of 100 political prisoners. People in opposition now are incarcerated. 

And one of those journalists, Khadija Ismayilova, a woman who 

we met with or interviewed by for Radio Free Europe. And now she 

has a seven-and-a-half-year prison sentence for exposing the excesses and, frankly, the corruption of the Aliyev regime. My hope 

is that—I mean, I’ve introduced a bill called the Azerbaijan Democracy Act. And it has a number of things, like we did with the 

Belarus Democracy Act years ago, targets individuals for denial of 

visas based on complicity in crimes. And I’m wondering if you will, 

you know, use your good offices to press the government to release 

this woman and the others who have been unfairly incarcerated. 

Mr. STEINMEIER. Yes. Not only that, I met the President Aliyev 

during the Munich Security Conference. I have already announced 

my visit in Azerbaijan. And to be sure, we will urge Azerbaijan to 

respect the freedom of media. And we are talking about individuals. And therefore, we are taking care about those people who are 

prosecuted, who are sitting 30 years in prison. And I hope that we 

will find a solution to one or the other case. 

Mr. SMITH. I would just point out that when we heard a hearing 

on Khadija, it was incredible to me how the Azerbaijani government, including their parliament, so grossly overreacted and suggested absolutely wrongly—and I want this on the record for everyone—that I, we, were put up to it by the Armenians. They claimed 

that the Armenian lobby had written the resolution. They didn’t 

even know about it until after it was introduced. It was all about, 

as you pointed out, protecting journalists and political prisoners, 

so— 

Mr. STEINMEIER. We have completely similar experiences. 

Mr. SMITH. I know. I’m sure you do. 

Mr. STEINMEIER. Thank you. 

Mr. SMITH. Thank you so much. And I’m done. 

Mr. WICKER. Thank you, sir. 

Mr. SMITH. Thank you. [Whereupon, at 3:10 p.m., the hearing 

was adjourned.] 
(15) 

A P P E N D I X 
16 

PREPARED STATEMENTS

PREPARED STATEMENT OF HON. CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH, CHAIRMAN, COMMISSION ON

SECURITY AND COOPERATION IN EUROPE

Good afternoon and welcome to everyone joining us today—especially to His Excellency Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier. 

With the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine and the refugees from Syria and 

nearby countries entering the OSCE region—as well as the security threats the Syrian conflict is generating—I think it is safe to say this will be a challenging year 

for the OSCE. We are grateful that Germany has shouldered the responsibility to 

lead the OSCE at this critical time. 

Through its influence and the respect it has earned from all sides among OSCE 

nations, Germany is ideally suited to lead the organization. 

Never in the OSCE’s history has its relevance been so clearly necessary. Russia’s 

latest and most egregious attempts to change borders by force and expand its territory continue to reverberate across all three dimensions of the OSCE in direct defiance of all ten principles of the Helsinki Final Act. 

That the OSCE is a consensus organization does not make it powerless in the face 

of a Russian veto. Even as Russia walks away from its OSCE commitments, undermines Europe’s longstanding security architecture, it is still able to bear witness— 

to speak truth to power—and to convene and encourage negotiations. 

The Chair-in-Office can persistently declare that Russia’s illegal annexation of 

Crimea will never be recognized by the international community; that its flimsy denials of military intervention in Donbass and Luhansk are fooling no one; that that 

even at home, imprisoning voices of dissent will not silence them; and that the 

outsourcing threats and attacks on those who would exercise rights Russia itself recognized some forty years ago in no way absolves it of accountability for the consequences. 

We hope and fully expect that the Chair-in-Office will do this—and we will give 

our full support. I’m confident that our government will continue to do so, and certainly my Co-Chairman, Sen. Roger Wicker, and I, and our fellow Commissioners 

will do everything in our means to support you as well. 

Your Excellency, I look forward to a conversation with you today on your plans 

for your Chairmanship. As you know, a number of us will also raise issues that we 

work on in the OSCE. I have spent much of my career, both within Congress and 

the OSCE PA, in support of human rights, including the fight against trafficking 

and anti-Semitism. You may be aware that I offered the first OSCE PA resolution 

on fighting human trafficking in 1999 in St. Petersburg, and the first resolution on 

fighting anti-Semitism in 2002. 

We are glad to see that these issues are high on your Chairmanship’s agenda as 

well. Unfortunately, despite our collective best efforts, these problems have not gone 

away, and may be getting worse. 

One of the other issues I’ll be raising is prisoners of conscience held by OSCE 

countries. 

I’d like to take this opportunity to announce that the Commission will soon post 

a list of prisoners of conscience held by various OSCE participating states—this list 

will be very carefully vetted, and we will advocate systematically on behalf of the 

people who are on it, in keeping with the Commission’s mandate. 

This list will be in response to a disturbing trend among a certain states that find 

it easier to imprison dissenting voices rather than engage in dialogue with them. 

After 1990 the situation with prisoners of conscience dramatically improved in the 

OSCE—the reversal in the past several years is deeply disturbing. I hope that the 

German Chairmanship will be able to make the release of political prisoners a priority as well. 

I’d like to make a specific appeal on behalf of Khadija Ismayilova, a prisoner of 

conscience in Azerbaijan. Khadija is an Azeri, and worked as an investigative reporter for Radio Free Europe. She did outstanding work exposing the corruption of 

the Aliyev family and for her work she was sentenced to 7.5 years in prison. In December of last year I chaired a hearing on her case and the repression in Azerbaijan 

more broadly. I’d ask you to make her release, and the release of other Azeri prisoners of conscience, a priority. 

If you make a visit to Azerbaijan, please request to meet with her personally. 

Azerbaijan has over 100 prisoners of conscience, and Russia has a similar number. 

Thank you, Your Excellency, for speaking to the Commission this afternoon. 
17 

PREPARED STATEMENT OF HON. ROGER WICKER, CO-CHAIRMAN, COMMISSION ON

SECURITY AND COOPERATION IN EUROPE

Thank you, Chairman Smith. I join you in welcoming His Excellency Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier before the Helsinki Commission. I appreciate having 

the Foreign Minister’s views and expertise as the Commission works to formulate 

U.S. policy regarding the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe 

(OSCE). 

For 40 years, the OSCE has worked to bolster security, democracy, the rule of 

law, and respect for human rights. In recent decades, Europe has faced major 

changes, crises, and conflicts. These have included the fall of communism, the war 

in the former Yugoslavia, and the war on international terrorism. In addition to the 

continued terrorism threat, OSCE today must contend with new and ongoing challenges, such as the migration crisis, human trafficking, a resurgent anti-Semitism, 

protecting other minority groups, and corruption in government. 

As a 57-member organization that operates by consensus, the OSCE is also not 

without internal challenges. Russia has attempted to redefine European borders 

through force. It has tried to use the power of veto and the power of the purse to 

paralyze the OSCE’s mission. These brazen actions should be addressed in a meaningful way. There are also differing views among OSCE members on how to address 

the unprecedented migration of refugees into Europe. 

Mr. Foreign Minister, Germany’s chairmanship of the OSCE comes at a critical 

time in history. I wish you every success, and I look forward to your insights and 

counsel on how we can make a better world for future generations throughout the 

OSCE region. 

Thank you. 
18 

PREPARED STATEMENT OF H.E. FRANK-WALTER STEINMEIER

Chairman Smith, Co-Chairman Wicker, Distinguished members of the Helsinki 

Commission, Ladies and gentlemen, 

It is a great honor for me to address you today as Chairman-in-Office of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. 

And it is a particular honor to do this as a German, because we Germans know 

how much we owe to this institution and to the CSCE process—looking back on the 

path to de ́tente between East and West, the end of the Cold War and finally the 

reunification of my country. 

The Helsinki Commission, created almost forty years ago, was instrumental in 

that endeavor. 

My country will never forget the unequivocal support of your country, ladies and 

gentlemen! We will not forget the United States’ steadfast commitment to regarding 

European security as inseparable from its own security. That was the decisive factor 

in ending the Cold War peacefully! 

However, our hopes that the end of the Cold War would herald an era of peace 

have not come true. The vision of the Charter of Paris, of a Europe ‘‘whole and free’’, 

has not yet materialized. 

Yet again we find ourselves facing violent crises and conflicts—even on our own 

continent. Russian aggression in Ukraine has brought the devastation of war right 

back to the heart of Europe—violating central provisions of international law, the 

Helsinki Final Act and OSCE commitments. 

At the same time, violence has spiked in regions of the Middle East and Northern 

Africa. Terror, religious radicalism and regional rivalries have led to immeasurable 

human suffering. 

That is particularly true for Syria. I hope that the recent diplomatic initiative for 

a cessation of hostilities—that is being tirelessly promoted by Secretary Kerry and 

others—will bring the violence to a halt and pave the way for urgently needed political negotiations. 

The brutal conflicts in the Middle East have also reached the European continent. 

Hundreds of thousands of people have been forced to flee their homes and are seeking shelter in Europe—many of them in Germany. 

We live in turbulent times, ladies and gentlemen. I believe that in the light of 

these enormous challenges, we should remember the crucial lessons we learned in 

overcoming the Cold War. 

The first lesson is simple but critical: we are only strong if we stand together. Secretary Kerry just reminded us in Munich that the transatlantic community has 

faced numerous challenges before. But we stood together to overcome them, and we 

will continue do so—not only because there is only one common transatlantic security, but also because we are a community of shared values and of shared beliefs. 

Another lesson I see is this: we need to make the best possible use of our existing 

tools to help solve conflicts and to promote peace and security. In fact, we must 

strengthen these instruments! 

The OSCE is one of these tools—a crucial one. With its unique and inclusive 

membership, its operational capacities and its established formats for dialogue, it 

is a central pillar of our common security. 

To me, strengthening the OSCE and using its full potential as a platform for dialogue is imperative - particularly in these challenging times, with trust at a low ebb. 

This is why ‘‘renewing dialogue, rebuilding trust, restoring security’’ is the motto 

we have chosen for our OSCE Chairmanship in 2016. 

The dialogue we want to renew is not one that sugarcoats our differences, nor is 

it dialogue for its own sake—it is dialogue to engage one another substantively, to 

face our differences and to really effect change. 

In the conflict in and around Ukraine, we have condemned Russian violations of 

international law and of OSCE principles and commitments, and we have exerted 

political and economic pressure in response. 

At the same time, however, we have established formats for dialogue—to avoid 

further bloodshed and to help find a political solution. I agree with many of you that 

the results of this—the Minsk agreements—are far from perfect. We are still awaiting the complete implementation of their provisions by all sides. But I remain convinced that the Minsk agreements are still the best chance we have to overcome this 

conflict! 

And the OSCE has been instrumental in bringing that chance about! 

Ladies and gentlemen, 
19 

In the midst of the Cold War in the 1970s, in the face of the real danger of military confrontation between East and West, we put special emphasis on the implementation of human rights standards in the whole Euro-Atlantic area. 

It is my firm conviction that safeguarding human rights and fundamental freedoms is a crucial and direct contribution to a more stable international system and 

to comprehensive security. 

That is why we will place a special focus on the Human Dimension during our 

OSCE Chairmanship. I would like to name just a few of our priorities: 

• Freedom of the media is of particular importance to us. Our societies should be 

able to communicate freely and without interference from state propaganda. 

• We also need to intensify our fight against discrimination, racism, xenophobia 

and intolerance. We need to address it throughout Europe, including in my own 

country! In Germany, people’s overwhelming readiness to help arriving refugees 

has recently been overshadowed by xenophobic assaults and demonstrations. 

These are despicable acts that we must not and will not tolerate! 

• We will also place a special focus on combating Anti-Semitism. I have reappointed Rabbi Andrew Baker as my Personal Representative on Combating 

Anti-Semitism and thank him for his valuable work in this regard. We will support the work of the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights 

(ODIHR). And we will also host a number of events in Berlin on combating 

Anti-Semitism, building on the OSCE conferences of 2004 and 2014. 

• Another emphasis will be on gender equality, as well as on dialogue with civil 

society. 

• And finally, the pressing issue of migration should figure more prominently and 

comprehensively on the OSCE’s agenda. There is a lot of expertise that the 

OSCE can bring to the table: on human rights standards, on best practices in 

labor migration and on combatting human trafficking. We support the efforts 

of the Special Representative for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings. 

Ladies and gentlemen, 

Despite all the differences in the OSCE area, we have to work on real solutions 

to the crises and challenges we face in these turbulent times. 

In the long term, we will need to return to a broader dialogue on European security, and we should adhere to the vision of renewed arms control and more cooperative security in Europe. The OSCE provides a platform for such dialogue, and we 

should make use of it. 

Ladies and gentlemen, 

The OSCE is a unique organization. But my hope is that its principles can provide 

a glimmer of hope to other regions—particularly in the Middle East. 

Let us remember that the road to Helsinki began when the Cold War was at its 

coldest. At the start of the negotiations, who would have dared to hope that at the 

end of it, the Berlin Wall would fall? 

Of course, you can’t transfer a security architecture to another region. But perhaps our experiences can highlight useful principles and processes. And maybe they 

can encourage the parties in the Middle East to live up to their responsibility and 

explore new paths to political settlements. 

This is a discussion that we started at the OSCE conference in Jordan last year 

and which we would like to build on. 

Ladies and gentlemen, 

In 1977, Ambassador Arthur J. Goldberg, Chairman of the US Delegation at the 

CSCE follow up meeting in Belgrade, held that—and I quote— 

‘‘a healing of the divisions in Europe[,] cannot be divorced from progress in humanitarian matters and human rights. The pursuit of human rights does not 

put detente in jeopardy. Rather it can strengthen detente, and provide a firmer 

basis for both security and cooperation.’’ 

It is in this spirit that we will pursue our Chairmanship and hope to make a contribution to peace and stability in the OSCE area in 2016. 

Of course, rebuilding trust will not be easy, and there will not be a quick fix in 

2016. 

But in my view we have no alternative but to make every effort to do so if we 

want to be able to look future generations in the eye and hold that we did everything possible to return to peace in Europe! 

Thank you. 

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