A World Transformed. Danilo Türk

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СКАЧАТЬ can the desired results be produced which are consistent with the purposes and principles of the United Nations.

      This results-oriented cooperation among different segments of the global system of collective security should be seen in a mutually reinforcing and nonhierarchical relationship. After all, what matters is the strengthening of international peace and security and effective crisis resolution when crises erupt. Results-oriented cooperation between the UN and regional organizations is needed to embed the spirit of Chapter VIII of the UN Charter.

      The practical experience accumulated in the decades of UN work is important for the effective work of the regional organizations. The unique legitimacy of the UN, the only global and fully inclusive organization with a mandate in the field of maintaining international peace and security, represents an important asset in crisis management and conflict resolution.

      The OSCE, on the other hand, brings an additional value to the picture. The idea of comprehensive security, embodied already in the UN Charter itself, was developed further in the Helsinki Final Act of 1975 and has been given specific expressions in several OSCE activities since then.

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      Seen in a historical perspective it is impressive – almost paradoxical – that the Helsinki Final Act of 1975, a document which was, at its time, the epitome of subtle diplomacy and compromise, helped to produce the most far-reaching transformation. Today Europe is a much better place than it was before 1975 and much of this improvement is due to the transformative effects of the Helsinki Final Act and its follow-up. These are achievements of historic proportions. Moreover, this historic success created a genuine opportunity for the coexistence, cooperation and partnership of Euro-Atlantic and Euro-Asian regional cooperation mechanisms.

      At the same time, it should be understood that security organizations have to be able to effectively address political crises as they arise as well as help resolve ongoing violent conflicts. Every effort needs to be made to resolve the crisis in Ukraine. The OSCE is currently the lead international organization engaged in these efforts and a variety of its organs and mechanisms are already taking part. The organization is addressing the crisis on a very broad front and is using all the instruments and mechanisms from its tool box to help find solutions.

      In a situation of this gravity and importance, it is necessary to take advantage of all lessons learned from the past. Which aspects of the UN experience can be helpful in this broad effort? There are three lessons which can be of assistance.

      First: act early. The earlier action is taken, the more likely it is that it will eventually be effective. Crisis situations tend to become more difficult with every day that passes. OSCE engagement in Ukraine started as soon as the consensus allowed it to and the whole range of instruments that the organization has to offer is being utilized.

      Second: ensure inclusiveness. The more inclusive the process of searching for solutions is, the more likely it will conclude with an agreement. The crisis in Ukraine has shown, once again, the quick growth of polarization within a society in times of crisis. When people don’t feel secure and start losing hope in a better future, they turn to other loyalties, and emotions start running high. The only effective remedy in such dangerous circumstances is dialogue, organized in an inclusive manner, which leaves no ethnic, religious or other relevant group outside. Such a dialogue should also address the difficult issues of the organization of state power, its decentralization and power sharing. It is also important to ensure adequate involvement of women in the process; it is never too late to secure their participation.

      Third: territorial integrity requires effort. As we have seen in the post-cold war era in Eastern Europe and as we continue to see in other parts of the world, the territorial integrity of states is no longer the obvious basis for conflict resolution. In some situations in the recent past, circumstances have degenerated to a point at which the dissolution of states, multiethnic, multi-religious or otherwise ←32 | 33→complex states, presented itself as a necessary part of the solution. In order to avoid such unwelcome scenarios, question of the inclusion of all political actors, and, as the case may be, geographically-defined autonomy and federal arrangements need to be addressed sufficiently early, with a sense of realism and political creativity. Although decentralization can be perceived as a step towards ultimate partition, it could, in fact, be necessary to keep a country together.

      Admittedly this is a sensitive matter. However, real political issues must be addressed and real solutions must be preferred to circumvention and delays. Specific experiences of diplomacy, both good and bad, leading to the 1995 Dayton Peace Agreement in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the 2001 Ohrid Framework Agreement in Macedonia, are worth keeping in mind.

      The crisis in Ukraine is a fundamental challenge to the international system. The importance of a stable solution cannot be overemphasized. Ukraine must not become a geopolitical battlefield. It has the potential to play the independent and globally important role as a bridge of cooperation. And in order to harness this potential, Ukraine should develop an inclusive constitutional arrangement and the appropriate international status. All efforts should be motivated by this objective. Let us not forget even during the hard times in the Cold War era, it was possible to build bridges. It should not be an impossible task today.

      In matters of maintaining international peace and security, there is no substitute for cooperation among the permanent members of the UN Security Council. They continue to bear a special responsibility for the functioning of the international system as a whole. The growing number of global security problems today calls for a renewed effort. A global security compact among the permanent members of the UN Security Council is needed. Admittedly, such a compact was necessary but could not materialize in the immediate aftermath of the Cold War. However, the intervening years have brought additional experience and wisdom. This could help in developing a consensus regarding the main challenges to international peace and security, and would help international institutions, above all the United Nations and the OSCE, to play an effective role in an increasingly multipolar world.

      The ideas which guided the conference at Dumbarton Oaks seventy years ago continue to be inspiring and should be brought forth in the modern context. Cooperation between the UN and regional organizations and, above all, learning from each other is one of the critically important requirements for the successful functioning of the international system in the twenty-first century.

      (Keynote Address on the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and Chapter VIII of the UN Charter, OSCE Security Day, Vienna, 27 May 2014)

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      Notes

1. 1 For the history of these provisions see S. Schlesinger, Act of Creation, Westview 2003, pp 175–193.

2. 2 For some features of the evolution of regionalism see Peter J. Katzenstein, A World of Regions, Cornell University Press, 2005.

3. 3 For some of the recent developments of regional organization in Asia, see William T. Tow, Ramesh Thakur and In-Taek Hyun, Asia’s Emerging Regional Order: Reconciling Tradition and Human Security, United Nations University Press, 2000.

CHAPTER FIVE

       The Threat of Terrorism СКАЧАТЬ