VZCZCXRO8508
OO RUEHAST RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHLA RUEHMRE RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSK RUEHSL
RUEHSR
DE RUEHVEN #0249/01 3081054
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 041054Z NOV 09
FM USMISSION USOSCE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6687
INFO RUCNOSC/ORG FOR SECURITY CO OP IN EUR COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RHMCSUU/SACEUR POLAD SHAPE BE PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 USOSCE 000249 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL OSCE
SUBJECT: CORFU PROCESS SESSION VI: HUMAN DIMENSION 
ESSENTIAL TO EUROPEAN SECURITY 
 
¶1.  The sixth session of the Corfu Process dialogue October 
27 was dedicated to the common challenges in the Human 
Dimension (HD), with a focus on human rights, democratic 
institutions, the rule of law, and the freedom of the media. 
 Delegations catalogued ways in which HD commitments had 
fallen short in implementation and debated possible ways to 
improve both the commitments and their implementations.  Many 
said enhanced political will was essential to any lasting 
improvement, but the Russians decried excessive interference 
in the internal affairs of States, insisting that the degree 
and extent of commitment implementation was only the business 
of sovereign states.  Many agreed with the U.S. proposal from 
the previous week,s session for a new conflict prevention 
mechanism, saying it would also be helpful in the HD.  In the 
afternoon, a number of delegations underscored the importance 
of media freedom as a core human right.  End Summary. 
¶2.  Opening the session, Greek Ambassador Marinaki declared 
that human dimension issues have been integral to almost all 
Corfu discussions.  She stated that the existing OSCE acquis, 
based on existing documents and declarations, is adequate, 
but we need to focus on more effective implementation. 
Without effective efforts in the human dimension, internal 
security could be jeopardized and in turn, a state,s 
external security. 
ODIHR 
¶3.  In his opening presentation, Director of the OSCE's 
Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights Janez 
Lenarcic highlighted the importance of the human dimension as 
a key element of European security, cited the strengths of 
the current OSCE commitments and urged greater political will 
to implement those commitments.  He called for an enhanced 
system of peer review and lamented that existing mechanisms 
have not effectively contributed to their intended 
objectives.  It was up to the participating States (pS), he 
said, to make the process more effective. 
¶4.  Most Ambassadors concurred in the analysis that 
implementation of existing HD commitments was critical. 
Luxembourg stated that human rights, democratization, and the 
rule of law are indivisible and that implementation of these 
is the only way to guarantee equal freedoms.  Romania said 
that all HD commitments needed to be implemented and there 
could not be a hierarchy of commitments.  Georgia called for 
additional commitments, especially on issues involving 
involuntary immigration and IDPs. 
¶5.  Furthermore, a number of delegations agreed with 
Ambassador Lenarcic that better commitment implementation 
depended on renewed political will by the participating 
States.  The French Ambassador urged reaffirming the validity 
of all commitments, considering how to use OSCE tools to 
enhance implementation and studying how to reinforce 
commitments in a few, key areas.  Even the Belarusian 
Ambassador viewed the Human Dimension as an important element 
of the OSCE and felt greater efforts to secure the necessary 
political will to implement it were needed. 
¶6.  On the need for increased peer review, many delegations 
agreed on the value of usable and effective OSCE tools and 
instruments.  France felt the most valuable standing tool was 
the OSCE Field Presences in a number of countries.  Poland 
valued strong autonomous institutions that can guide pS 
perspectives, while Italy cited room for improvement in the 
mandate and management of certain executive structures. 
Several cited this as a hallmark of the OSCE and felt a 
refocus on peer review demonstrated the continuing value of 
the OSCE and its work. 
¶7.  Most delegations felt that peer review could be 
strengthened through new and improved mechanisms.  Several 
again praised the U.S. paper we released on October 20 
proposing a new crisis response mechanism.  Being a bit more 
circumspect, Turkey said it welcomed the ideas amplified by 
the U.S. paper.  Romania, echoed by Luxembourg, questioned 
the need for a new mechanism, urging, instead, better 
analysis of how existing mechanisms are being used. 
Lithuania stressed the importance of flexibility and 
creativity in the actual use of any existing or new 
mechanism.  Most concretely, Georgia proposed a one-day 
seminar aimed at gaining a better understanding why available 
mechanisms in the HD are not better utilized. 
¶8.  Finally, most delegations also commented on the Warsaw 
Human Dimension Implementation Meeting in early October, 
commenting in particular on the greater success this year of 
civil society involvement and input.  Nonetheless, several 
delegations urged a reformulation of the annual meeting; 
Turkey suggested a renewed look at its modalities.  Russia 
disliked the "name and shame" approach at the HDIM and, 
citing a recommendation from the 2005 report by the Panel of 
Eminent Persons &Common Purpose:  Towards a More Effective 
OSCE,8 felt that it could be shortened to one week. 
FREEDOM OF THE MEDIA 
 
USOSCE 00000249  002 OF 002 
 
 
¶9. The Representative for Freedom of the Media (RFOM) Miklos 
Haraszti kicked off the afternoon session with a rambling, 
"philosophical" discourse on the underpinnings of the HD. 
Referencing the morning's focus on implementing HD 
commitments, he termed the last decade as one of 
"disillusionment," and asserted his belief that some 
countries had made downgrading the OSCE a strategic 
objective.  He urged a recommitment to helping societies 
build democracy from the inside, better focus on the 
atmosphere, including media, surrounding elections, spreading 
out through the year the OSCE's HD meetings and regular 
review by OSCE institutions of commitment fulfillment by 
participating States. 
¶10.  Of the few delegations commenting directly on media, 
most agreed on the vital role a free media plays in ensuring 
democratic values.  Several highlighted challenges to media 
freedom from all over the OSCE, not just "east of Vienna." 
Romania stressed the value of a fully free media and said 
shortfalls in commitments could come in a number of guises, 
including government regulation and business practice. 
Canada decried continuing violence, and at times its seeming 
impunity, against journalists.  Belarus urged great media 
responsibility and suggested Haraszti consider the virtues of 
quieter diplomacy. 
¶11.  Several delegations, including the U.S., also mentioned 
how technological change, namely the rise of the Internet, 
has fundamentally altered the debate on media freedom and may 
necessitate an updating of commitments.  Romania cited the 
greater use of social media, such as Facebook and Twitter, as 
yet another developing trend that required a reconsideration 
of the definition of media. 
¶12.  In her concluding remarks, the Greek CiO said that, 
despite evident differences in the debate, the essential role 
of the HD in comprehensive security had been reaffirmed. 
Implementation and how it is characterized and measured are 
clearly concerns of all participating States, she added. 
Peer review clearly needs to be more effective and any new 
measures need to be impartial and avoid naming and shaming. 
COMMENT 
¶13.  This was an important session in the Corfu Process, yet 
there were few surprises as to positions taken, and little 
new ground was broken.  Speakers were overwhelmingly 
"traditional" western democracies, countered by Russia and 
Belarus, with the Central Asians listening silently.  As 
expected, Haraszti suffered the greater wrath of comments 
from the Russian ambassador who, in response to Haraszti,s 
quarterly report to the PC on October 29 made the outrageous 
statement:  &Thank God, Miklos, your term is coming to an 
end.8  Despite this, the debate succeeded in cementing the 
role of the HD in any consideration of European security 
architecture and assured that any follow-on process next year 
under the Kazakh Chair will have to contain a significant and 
meaningful HD component. 
FULLER