Osce: former Yugoslavia and Transdniestria

Former Yugoslavia

- OSCE/ODIHR launches major project to support domestic war crimes trials in the former Yugoslavia

BELGRADE, 28 September 2010 - The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) today officially launched a major regional project aimed at strengthening the capacity of judiciaries to handle war crimes cases.

The four-million euro War Crimes Justice Project is funded by the European Union and carried out in partnership with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute, as well as OSCE field operations in Belgrade, Podgorica, Pristina, Sarajevo, Skopje, and Zagreb.

"This project is a key element in the transfer of responsibility for war crimes cases from the ICTY to national judiciaries. It is essentially about national ownership and capacity building - also in the context of European integration," said Ambassador Janez Lenarcic, ODIHR’s Director.

Judge Patrick Robinson, President of the ICTY, added: "Capacity building of the national jurisdictions in the former Yugoslavia is crucial for achieving justice, peace and the rule of law. We will keep working together with our partners in the region and elsewhere to help that process."

The project focuses on transferring knowledge and materials from the Tribunal to legal professionals in national jurisdictions. The purpose is to address identified gaps in the professional capacities of practitioners and their resources in a manner that is both sustainable and appropriate in the local legal context.

The launch was followed by a meeting of ICTY judges with their colleagues from national jurisdictions handling war crimes cases to discuss common concerns and exchange views. Such peer-to-peer meetings form a key component of the project.

A wide range of other regional and national activities designed to facilitate the professional development of legal professionals working on war crimes cases, including defence lawyers, are planned throughout the project. Additional project activities include transcribing ICTY proceedings into local languages and translating the Tribunal’s Appeals Chamber Case Law Research Tool for use by regional justice actors.

The War Crimes Justice Project will also develop, in co-operation with national judicial training institutions, curricula on international criminal and humanitarian law and a manual for defence lawyers, as well as various research and analysis tools. In addition, the project funds support staff in domestic judicial institutions to bolster capacity in areas such as prosecutorial analysis and legal research.

Direct link to the press-release

Transdniestria

- Progress in confidence building base for progress in Transdniestrian settlement, says OSCE Special Envoy

CHISINAU, 23 September 2010 - The Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office for Protracted Conflicts, Ambassador Bolat Nurgaliyev, today welcomed recent progress in building confidence between the Moldovan Government and the authorities in Tiraspol.

"The work of the Joint Expert Groups on Confidence Building Measures and the regular, intensive direct contacts between the leaderships in Chisinau and Tiraspol are a good basis for real progress in the Transdniestrian settlement process," Nurgaliyev said.

The Special Envoy was in Chisinau and Tiraspol leading a delegation of the Mediators and Observers in the Transdniestria settlement process. The representatives met the leaders, political negotiators and other senior officials on both sides and the chairs of the joint experts working groups on confidence-building measures.

Nurgaliyev praised both sides for their constructive efforts in finding practical solutions to issues affecting the lives of ordinary people and the economy on both sides of the Dniestr/Nistru River, noting especially the "football diplomacy" that led to a meeting last month between Moldovan Prime Minister Vlad Filat and Transdniestrian leader Igor Smirnov.

"We view the settlement as a process of building ever-greater capacity to resolve problems together, both through such renewed direct dialogue and through internationally-mediated negotiations in the 5+2 format," he said.

The Mediators and Observers in the Transdniestrian settlement process represent the OSCE, Russia, Ukraine, United States and the European Union. They visited Chisinau and Tiraspol from 20 to 22 September in preparation for consultations in the 5+2 format on 27 and 28 September in Vienna.

Direct link to the press-release

- OSCE Special Envoy welcomes continuation of ’5+2’ talks on Transdniestria, urges parties to restart official negotiations

VIENNA, 28 September 2010 - The Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office for Protracted Conflicts, Ambassador Bolat Nurgaliyev, welcomed today the continuation of the "5+2" process for the settlement of the Transdniestria conflict, and called for the renewal of official negotiations.

The 5+2 - which includes the sides (the Republic of Moldova and Transdniestria) and the mediators and observers (Russian Federation, Ukraine, United States, European Union and OSCE) - concluded a two-day informal meeting at the OSCE Secretariat in Vienna today.

"The 5+2 is focusing on two areas - freedom of movement and systems of guarantees for the negotiating process," Ambassador Nurgaliyev said. "We made substantial progress at this meeting. Progress in both areas helps to improve the lives of ordinary people on both banks of the River Dniestr/Nistru and build confidence between the Sides, which is necessary for a comprehensive political solution to the conflict.

"This was the fourth 5+2 meeting this year. Over the course of this year, the process has become more regular, more intensive and more productive, leading to optimism that we may meet the goal the 5+2 set at its first meeting this year: the resumption of official negotiations."

He added: "Before this meeting, we visited the region and met with the heads of the Joint Experts Working Groups on both sides. At the 5+2 meeting today and yesterday, we discussed intensively mechanisms for rapidly improving the effectiveness of these groups."

Participants in the talks agreed that current political events and elections in both Moldova and Transdniestria should not lead to a pause in the negotiating efforts. Ambassador Nurgaliyev noted that agreement had been reached on next steps, including the next round of talks, which will take place in mid-November.

Direct link to the press-release