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DE RUEHVEN #0291/01 1831231
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 021231Z JUL 07 ZDK
FM USMISSION USOSCE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5084
RUCNOSC/ORG FOR SECURITY CO OP IN EUR COLLECTIVE
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RUEKJCS/DOD WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 USOSCE 000291 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR L/EUR AND EUR/RPM 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OSCE KTIA
 
SUBJECT:  OSCE LEGAL PERSONALITY, ROUND 4 - MINOR MOVEMENT; CIO TO 
ANNOUNCE HOW TO PROCEED WITH RUSSIAN CHARTER 
 
REF: USOSCE 211 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary: At the June 14-15 round, much of the initial 
discussion, as in Round 2, centered on whether the OSCE 
Parliamentary Assembly should be granted privileges and immunities 
(P's and I's) and if so, what kind.  Many states voiced reservations 
against doing so, with Canada, Germany and UK indicating inability 
to agree to P's and I's for the PA.  There was some possible 
flexibility in including the PA or PA staff under the definition of 
Persons Performing Tasks for the OSCE, though the PA rep expressed 
reservations.  There was renewed discussion on members of field 
operations and whether their P's and I's should differ from those 
granted to the Secretariat.  The UK and others fought strongly for 
the principle that there be no distinction whatsoever.  As in past 
rounds, despite considerable discussion on these and other issues, 
there was little discernible progress toward compromise, but rather 
a frustrating sense that the WG was developing more alternative 
language, rather than coming to closure.  At the very end of the 
Friday session, the Russian del noted that it had circulated a draft 
charter and asked the Spanish CiO that it be discussed in the 
appropriate forum.  It stressed that the GOR would not join 
consensus on the convention without a charter.  A representative 
from the CiO said it was currently studying how best to proceed with 
the proposal.  The next round is scheduled to take place July 5-6. 
End summary. 
 
------------------------------------------ 
Article 16 (new) -- Immunities for OSCE PA 
------------------------------------------ 
 
¶2. (U) At the latest round, chaired by Dutch Ambassador Ida van 
Veldhuizen-Rothenbuecher and by Austrian MFA Legal representative 
Helmut Tichy, Denmark tabled a draft for a new Article 16 that would 
grant P's and I's to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, noting that 
its members were often sent abroad to do work for the OSCE, such as 
election monitoring, and thus needed protection in exercise of these 
functions.  UK noted that Article 15 already granted P's and I's to 
Persons Performing Tasks for the OSCE, which should cover such 
functions as election monitoring, and that the government of Denmark 
also granted specific P's and I's to the OSCE PA, which was 
headquartered in Copenhagen.  In light of this, he asked whether it 
was really necessary to grant the PA additional P's and I's. 
Germany contended that the mandate for the convention did not cover 
the PA.  Canada supported the UK's position and reiterated that the 
PAs of various international organizations operating in Canada did 
not enjoy such P's and I's and stated that the headquarters 
agreement with Denmark should offer sufficient protection. 
 
¶3. (U) OSCE PA representative Nothelle sharply took issue with these 
views and asserted that the PA was very much a part of the OSCE and 
that the headquarters agreement was not sufficient.  Germany said 
its reading was that Article 15 did not cover the PA as this covered 
only "experts on mission."  The UK disagreed, saying it covered 
people who were not formally part of the OSCE but who did work for 
it on a short-term basis (such as election monitoring).  The real 
question was whether Article 15 failed to address the functional 
needs of the OSCE PA and if so, how they could be addressed. 
 
¶4. (U) Dr. Tichy said that if it were decided that Article 15 was 
sufficient, there should be an explicit reference in it to the OSCE 
PA.  Germany said P's and I's should only be granted in those clear 
cases where the members of the PA were going for a specific reason 
and for a specific time; if a PA member decided to go to another 
OSCE State on his own, s/he could in no way be considered an expert 
on mission and should enjoy no P's and I's.  Nothelle agreed that in 
such a case, a person would not be covered.  Russia said coverage by 
Article 15 would be problematic as those covered would be 
parliamentarians; as such, they represent not only the OSCE but also 
the parliaments of their respective countries.  Tichy proposed 
amending Article 1(j) (Definitions) to expand "Persons Performing 
Tasks for the OSCE" to include members of the OSCE PA.  When the 
text was circulated on Friday, Nothelle sharply objected, saying 
that the language made it sound as if the PA were not a full part of 
the OSCE.  Armenia, as it had in previous rounds, agreed and noted 
its strong support for the PA.  The Chair noted that this was an 
attempt at compromise given that there was little support for 
Article 16 and asked to discuss the proposed text in July. 
 
--------------------------------------------- 
Article 14 bis -- Members of Field Operations 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
¶5. (U) There was discussion on whether to expressly exclude field 
operations staff members from national service, after the UK - 
consistent with its view that there should be no distinctions 
between OSCE officials and field operations staff -- proposed 
inserting language taken from Article 14 (OSCE Officials).  After a 
 
USOSCE 00000291  002 OF 003 
 
 
confused discussion about draft evasion by host state nationals, US 
representative L/EUR Peter Olson noted that the discussion was moot, 
since in para 2, States are not obliged to grant their own nationals 
such P's and I's.  Russia and Armenia were not convinced this was 
enough and pressed for the clause to be kept out. 
 
¶6. (U) When discussion resumed on this issue on Friday, the U.S. 
said it was important to compare Article 14 and 14 bis and the P's 
and I's granted OSCE officials in general and those granted to field 
operations staff.  He said that one of the very few cases where 
distinguishing between the P's and I's afforded OSCE officials and 
those afforded field operations staff was that P's and I's should be 
granted to members of field operations only in the countries where 
the operation was established and when traveling to other countries 
on official business.  Thus someone who was working in Central Asia 
would not be granted immunity from arrest if he were vacationing in 
France, for example.  Russia and Canada agreed.  The UK, Germany and 
Sweden said, however, that it was important to treat all officials 
the same, whether from the Secretariat in Vienna or the field 
operations, otherwise there would be different levels of protection. 
 The UK clarified its position saying that the limits in 14 bis 
should be in 14 as well.  Belgium also said some language should be 
added to 14 that would limit its scope.  The Chair asked Tichy to 
draft chapeau language to that effect. 
 
------------------------------------- 
Social Security Schemes/Tax Exemption 
------------------------------------- 
 
¶7. (U) The Chair invited Dr. Gerhard Spiegel from the Austrian 
social security administration to discuss various plans, as these 
are mentioned in paras 4, 6-7 of Article 14 (OSCE Officials).  He 
recommended that any references be simply kept to exempting OSCE 
officials from payment into the social security system of the host 
country or any other participating State, provided they are covered 
by the social security scheme of the OSCE.  Following that, there 
was discussion of tax exemption for OSCE officials. 
 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
Article 19 - Provisional Application of the Convention 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
 
¶8. (U) Tichy said the proposed language states that a State may 
declare at any time that it will apply the convention provisionally. 
 After short discussion, agreement was reached. 
 
------------------------------------- 
Russian Draft Charter Enters the Ring 
------------------------------------- 
 
9.(U) Just before the session ended, the Russian del noted that it 
had circulated a draft charter and asked the Spanish CiO that it be 
discussed in the appropriate forum.  It stressed that the GOR would 
not support a convention without a charter.  It asserted that, as 
the OSCE currently was merely a "club," legally, the GOR could not 
grant legal personality without also specifying the organization's 
structures.  A representative from the CiO said it was currently 
studying how best to proceed with the proposal and said it would 
announce its decision soon. 
 
10.(SBU) As in past rounds, despite considerable discussion, there 
was no discernible progress toward compromise, but rather a 
frustrating sense that the WG was proliferating alternative 
language, rather than coming to closure.  The formal introduction of 
the Russian charter does not ease the sense that these negotiations 
could be the start of a long road to nowhere.  Dutch Chair van 
Veldhuizen-Rothenbuecher told USOSCE on June 18 after the conclusion 
of the fourth round that she acknowledged the WG at this point was 
still drafting new language but that starting in July, she wanted to 
start pressing the group to make compromises.  Her goal was to have 
a finished draft by October, in time for consideration by the Madrid 
MC.  She also recognized that the Russian position on a charter 
could complicate negotiations on a convention.  However, she 
contended that it would be best to not reject the Russian draft 
outright but to play along for now, otherwise it might provoke the 
RF to become obstructionist.  Canadian Ambassador Gibson told us 
separately that she also personally believed the draft should not be 
shelved immediately but added that if the RF really wanted to 
negotiate a charter, it should get an MC decision, as was done last 
year for the convention WG. 
 
¶11. (SBU) Comment:  Many of the missions we have spoken with 
informally would seem to support this go-along position, despite our 
arguments that this could lead to a slippery slope.  The real test 
will likely come in the fall, in the run-up to Madrid, when work on 
the convention nears completion and Russia increases pressure on 
other States.  End comment. 
 
USOSCE 00000291  003 OF 003 
 
 
 
FINLEY