Adam Kobieracki: All sides will benefit from the decision to deploy an OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine

Kyiv, March 25th, 2014 – Adam Kobieracki, Acting OSCE Chief Monitor to Ukraine, Ambassador (Poland) gave details of the decision of the Permanent Council of the OSCE  to deploy a Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine.

Consensus on the mandate could be reached due to the readiness of all participating States to continue dialogue and search for compromise even under difficult circumstances. All sides will benefit from this decision. Once more, the OSCE has proven to be a vital framework to foster dialogue, identify common ground, and accomplish meaningful results despite differences.

The Permanent Council decided in a special session on Ukraine on March 21th to deploy an OSCE Special Monitoring Mission of international observers to Ukraine: the mission’s aim is to contribute to reducing tensions and fostering peace, stability and security.

Ambassador stated that throughout the country, the mission will gather information and report on the security situation as well as establish and report facts regarding incidents, including those concerning alleged violations of fundamental OSCE principles and commitments. It will also monitor the human rights situation in the country, including the rights of national minorities. Facilitating dialogue on the ground to promote normalization of the situation is a further task of the mission.

Ambassador Adam Kobieracki explained that the mandate of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission foresees deployment throughout Ukraine, to the east, south and west of the country. Advance teams will be deployed within 24 hours of the adoption of this decision. Initially, the mission will consist of 100 civilian monitors and may expand by a total of up to 400 additional monitors. The monitoring mission will be deployed for a period of six months, its mandate can be renewed for further six month periods by decision of the Permanent Council if requested by Ukraine.

Ambassador Adam Kobieracki assumed the position of Director of the Conflict Prevention Centre on 1 June 2011. He served in the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs since 1982, most recently as the Director for Security Policy. From 2003 to 2007 he was NATO Assistant Secretary General for Operations in Brussels. Kobieracki headed the Polish delegation to the OSCE in Vienna from 1997 to 2000 and chaired the Permanent Council in 1998. He was involved in negotiations of the OSCE Vienna Document 1994 and the adaption of the Conventional Armed Forces in Europe Treaty in 1999.

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