Ministers' Deputies / Rapporteur Groups

GR-EXT
Rapporteur Group on External Relations

GR-EXT(2007)CB1                14 February 2007[1]

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Synopsis
Meeting of 8 February 2007

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1.         The Rapporteur Group, chaired by Ambassador Joaquim Duarte, Permanent Representative of Portugal, considered the following matters on the basis of the Notes on the Agenda in document GR‑EXT(2007)1, further to convocation GR-EXT(2007)OJ1.

1.         Co-operation between the Council of Europe and the United Nations:  possible synergies in the human rights field

2.         The Director General of Human Rights presented a secretariat document (CM/Inf(2006)44) containing various proposals for closer synergy between the Council of Europe and the United Nations in the human rights field.  He underlined in this context the new dynamic created by the establishment of a Human Rights Council (HRC) within the UN.  He drew attention to the fact that some of the proposals made could be implemented immediately and others more gradually.

3.         All the delegations that spoke agreed on the need for closer co-operation with the United Nations in the human rights field.  Several referred to the valuable experience and expertise that the Council of Europe could offer, particularly to the new Human Rights Council.

4.         Most of the delegations indicated that, in principle, they could support the secretariat proposals.  However, others expressed reservations or asked for clarification on some of the proposals, particularly the suggestion that the Committee of Ministers might occasionally adopt political declarations on specific items of particular relevance and the proposal to supply the findings of Council of Europe human rights monitoring mechanisms to the relevant United Nations bodies.  Regarding the latter point, the Director General made it clear that only public documents would be made available.

5.         In addition to the annual exchanges of views with experts from capitals, whose value all the delegations acknowledged, it was noted that other means might be used as well.  Several delegations underlined that these other means should be carefully targeted and as flexible and informal as possible, to maximise their impact while avoiding bureaucratic procedures.  In this context, support was expressed for holding informal ad hoc exchanges of views, as appropriate, at the initiative of the Chairman of the Deputies in view of upcoming topics in the Human Rights Council. In addition, the Steering Committee for Human Rights could be invited to keep itself informed about the Council’s work and hold informal exchanges of views on issues of interest.  Reservations were expressed about the desirability of establishing liaison offices between the two organisations, given the necessary financial implications.  On the other hand there was support for the secretariat proposals to organise side events during sessions of the UN Human Rights Council, distribute fact sheets at meetings held under United Nations auspices and encourage exchanges of personnel. 

6.         One delegation proposed that consideration be given to offering officials of member states' diplomatic services the opportunity to carry out study visits to the Council of Europe, to familiarise themselves with its work before taking up duties at the United Nations, and to encouraging exchanges of staff between the secretariats of the UN and the Council of Europe.  The Deputy Secretary General indicated that this possibility had also been raised at her meetings with various United Nations officials.  She also referred to her discussions with leaders of United Nations agencies on the importance of defining pragmatic modalities of cooperation between the United Nations and the Council of Europe (eg. desk-to-desk cooperation on thematic issues).

7.         The Chair summarised by noting that delegations unanimously supported more synergies and closer co-operation with the United Nations, given the valuable experience and expertise the Council of Europe could offer in the human rights field.  There was also agreement on the need to continue the annual exchanges of views with experts from capitals, and to develop other flexible and targeted means along the lines mentioned. He noted the reservations expressed by certain delegations, particularly regarding the establishment of a permanent liaison office of the Council of Europe in Geneva. On the other hand, the establishment of a United Nations office in Strasbourg could be welcomed.  The group concluded by endorsing the Chair's proposal to instruct the Secretariat to prepare, in the light of these discussions, draft decisions on strengthening co-operation with the United Nations in the human rights field, for submission to the Ministers' Deputies for adoption at their 988th meeting (21-22 February 2007).

2.         Co-operation between the Council of Europe and the European Union:

a. Preparation of the 24th quadripartite meeting between the Council of Europe and the European Union (Brussels, 13 February 2007)

8.         The Chair of the Ministers' Deputies presented the draft agenda proposed by the San Marino Chairmanship, as the meeting's host, and indicated that the Council of Europe would be represented at the highest level, namely the Chair of the Committee of Ministers and the Secretary General.  The San Marino Chairmanship also hoped to produce a set of conclusions at the end of the meeting, with a view to following up the decisions taken.  He indicated in this context that San Marino wished to seek a political agreement with the European Union on the timetable for completing the draft of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Council of Europe and the Union.  The Secretary General indicated that, according to his latest information, the Secretariat of the Council of the European Union was not in favour of adopting conclusions at the end of the quadripartite.

9.         Several delegations strongly supported the proposal of the Chair to include an agenda item on co-operation between the Council of Europe and the European Union regarding the European Neighbourhood Policy. All the delegations that spoke also gave firm support to the Chair's view that conclusions should be approved at the end of the quadripartite meeting.  The representative of the German Presidency of the European Union said that he would communicate these requests to the relevant authorities of the Union.

            b. Report of the meeting between the Troïka of the Article 36 Committee of the European Union and the Council of Europe (Brussels, 4 December 2006)

10.        The Report of the meeting between the Troïka of the Article 36 Committee of the European Union and the Council of Europe was introduced by the Director General of Legal Affairs ad interim (see document DGI(2007)01).  The Secretariat’s report was welcomed, as it indicated that the good cooperation and dialogue in the relevant fields continued.

3.         Other business

a. High-level “tripartite” meeting of the Council of Europe, the OSCE and the United Nations (Vienna, 14 February 2007): state of preparation

11.        The Director of External and Multilateral Relations briefly presented the agenda for this years’ meeting, which would be held by the OSCE in Vienna on 14 February 2007 on the theme “Implementation of the UN Global Counter-terrorism Strategy”.  A new feature of the High-level meeting would be the presence of delegations from the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).  The meeting would be preceded by a Target-oriented meeting at expert level on 13 February 2007 on the same theme.  The Secretariat would report orally on the outcome of these two activities at the group’s next meeting.

12.        The Group was also informed that the 5th meeting of the Council of Europe/OSCE Coordination Group would be held on 2 March 2007 in Vienna at the invitation of the Spanish Presidency of the OSCE.  The Secretariat would be providing information on the results of this meeting at the group’s next meeting.

            b. Priorities of the Spanish Chair of the OSCE

13.        Mr José Luis Lozano Garcia of the Spanish delegation recalled that the Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Mr Miguel Angel Moratinos Cuyaubé, had presented the priorities of the Spanish Chairman-in-office of the OSCE before its Permanent Council on 11 January 2007. On this occasion, he had underlined the importance he attached to increased cooperation and coordination, inter alia, with the Council of Europe, to avoid overlapping and achieve synergies.  The Minister was well aware about the priority areas for enhanced cooperation between the two organisations and also about the cooperation in a number of other fields such as election observation, activities relating to Roma and Sinti and local government.

14.        The priorities of the Spanish Chairmanship were the following:

-           prolonged or so-called frozen conflicts, with the aim of acting as a facilitator for the parties to continue or resume dialogue;

-           the enhancement of the capacities of the OSCE as a forum for dialogue and cooperation within the three dimensions of the OSCE, ie. the politico-military sphere, the economic and environmental sphere and the human dimension.  Achieving a dialogue aiming at commitments and common responses was a general approach and the results would be evaluated at the Ministerial meeting to be held in Madrid on 29‑30 November 2007;

-           in the politico-military sphere: the fight against terrorism while fully respecting human rights and fundamental freedoms.  A conference on the role of civil society in the fight against terrorism would be held in Vienna in May 2007.  On 13-14 September, a high-level meeting on victims of terrorism would be organised in Vienna;

-           in the economic and environmental sphere: environmental security, in particular awareness-raising about soil degradation and contamination as well as about the need to manage water rationally.  A Conference was organised in relation to this priority already last year and another one was planned to be held in Saragossa on 12-13 March;

-           as regards the human dimension: diversity and participation in pluralistic societies.  A conference would be held in Bucharest on 7-8 June and another one in Cordoba on 12-13 September.  The theme of the latter conference would be non-discrimination against Muslims;

-           cooperation with Mediterranean and Asian partners;

-           an OSCE contribution to the UN Alliance of Civilizations initiative.

15.        One delegation expressed its appreciation about the efforts of the Spanish Chairmanship to rebalance the three dimensions of security of the OSCE by giving more importance to environmental security.  Another delegation asked whether the Spanish Chairmanship had considered the possibility of organising a joint meeting between the Committee of Ministers and the Permanent Council of the OSCE.  Mr José Luis Lozano Garcia replied that the Spanish Chair of the OSCE would look into the logistics for organising such a meeting and that if this would be a first experience of the kind, the Spanish Chairmanship would not hesitate to innovate.

4.         Date of the next meeting

16.        The next meeting would be held at 10 a.m. on 5 April 2007.