Ukraine makes fight against human trafficking a priority
The authorities in Kyiv announced that fight against human trafficking, together with protracted conflicts and arms control, will be one of Ukraine’s priorities during its OSCE chairmanship.
The country took over the chairmanship of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) from Ireland on 1 January 2013 and will hold it in the course of the whole year.
The function of Chairperson-in-Office (CiO) will be performed by Ukraine’s Minister of Foreign Affairs- Leonid Kozhara.
On the eve of Ukraine’s assuming OSCE chairmanship, Kozhara said that during this one year the country will put enough effort into resolving protracted conflicts, strengthening the conventional arms control, combating human trafficking, reducing the environmental impact of energy-related activities and protecting fundamental rights and freedoms.
He stressed the need of re-energising negotiations within the existing formats and preventing escalation in tensions in protracted conflicts and added that energy security was ‘one of the specific issues that merits a distinct place in our political dialogue within the OSCE, in particular its environmental aspects’.
Last but not least, Ukraine’s Minister of Foreign Affairs said that his country’s chairmanship would promote fight against human trafficking, support media freedom and encourage meaningful steps in a number of human dimension issues.
The minister concluded by saying that Ukraine saw its Chairmanship mission as further promoting the conditions that would lead to change in our mindsets – from confrontational thinking to a co-operative approach.
This is the first time Ukraine takes over OSCE Chair since the institution originated in the early 1990s. The full list of Ukraine’s priorities will be presented officially to the organisation’s Permanent Council in Vienna on 17 January. The OSCE Chairmanship in 2014 will be held by Switzerland.